What triggers change? (Exod 8:1-19)

I once read the testimony of a couple who, by their own admission, were extremely obese. The weight gain crept up on them over time and they lived with it for years. Then one day they were flying to another city and the airline insisted they purchase an extra seat because they were spilling over into it. Their humiliation at what had happened was a wake-up call and gave them the incentive to lose weight. Stories like this interest me because I am fascinated to hear what causes people to change. I suspect that a number of others in the same situation would have been outraged without ever reflecting back on themselves. This is true in spiritual matters as well. Circumstances that trigger life-transforming change in one may do nothing in another.

As we continue with the plagues, we see this principle played out in the attitude of the various actors in the drama. Once again, Pharaoh is given notice ahead of time and a choice: if he lets Israel go, no further plague will come (Exod 8:1-2), but if not, he will find an army of slimy, hopping frogs as bedfellows (Exod 8:3) – not a pleasant prospect! In fact, the description is rather comic and since I recently started making bread in our present lockdown I cannot help laughing when I picture finding a croaking toad with bulging eyes sitting in my kneading bowl. Although the frogs present no life-threatening danger, they are a nuisance and, oddly, they get to Pharaoh. While the magicians can replicate the sign (Exod 8:7; though who wants even more frogs?), they cannot take it away and Pharaoh is learning that only the God whom Moses and Aaron represent can deal with the problem (Exod 8:8). It is also noteworthy how Moses has grown in confidence and in the knowledge of the God he serves. He trusts that God will come through for him when he prays (Exod 8:9-11). Sometimes readers speculate about natural causes that might have led to disasters such as the abundance of frogs, but whether we can find a reasonable explanation or not, Scripture is clear that the Lord orchestrates this sign, controls the event and its timing (Exod 8:13). Creation has to obey Him.

Pharaoh’s change of heart when the problem goes away (Exod 8:15) is something we may well recognise from our own lives. We find ourselves in a tight squeeze and may promise God to change our ways if He helps us out of difficulty only to forget it all when relief comes. It never fails to amaze me though that God is willing to take Pharaoh at his word even though He knows that Pharaoh will change his mind. God is generous enough to give us the benefit of the doubt.

When Pharaoh firms up his resolve not to let Israel go, the next plague comes, this time without warning (Exod 8:16-17). The gnats or lice that appear from the dust show God’s power over a different element (the earth rather than the river) and this time, the magicians are unable to replicate the sign (Exod 8:18). This is where they reach the end of the road and acknowledge the authority of God (Exod 8:19). Pharaoh, however, becomes more resolved against God even as he faces evidence of human limitations, of God’s power and the testimony of his own men to that power. Repeated resistance to God, I believe, is not without risk. It leads to a blunted vision and increasing deafness to spiritual matters. Yet, so far, we have only seen three of the plagues and there is still the opportunity for Pharaoh to submit to God because God perseveres. He does not delight in the death of sinners but wants them to repent and live.