In Ancient Egypt
Heket, the frog goddess was worshipped as protector and guardian of pregnant
women. It was no coincidence that God
chose that the frogs should come out of the Nile, the very river into which the
cruel monarch had decreed the Hebrew baby boys be thrown and left to drown. The
Egyptians, though they worshipped Heket, had shown no compassion for the Hebrew
mothers and their newborn sons. God intended to show that He alone is guardian
and protector of every person. Not even the cravings of Egypt’s pregnant women would
be satisfied when they found frogs in their ovens!
The magicians were able
to reproduce the sign, making more frogs come upon the land, but they were
powerless to reverse it. Pharaoh acknowledged their powerlessness by requesting
Moses to plead with the LORD to remove the frogs from the land. Moses, not
wanting Pharaoh to attribute the cessation of the plague to coincidence, set a
specific time when he would pray and the plague would cease. However, when the
plague abated after Moses’ prayer, Pharaoh hardened his heart and broke his
promise to let the Israelites leave Egypt.
The frogs died in the
houses, ovens, courtyards and fields of Egypt and the disgusting odour lingered
over Egypt. Pharaoh’s stubborn refusal to let Israel go was affecting not only
himself, but also his people. His hardheartedness was the cause of great
suffering to his own people; they were slaves to the consequences of his poor
decision-making and leadership. The Egyptians, no doubt, must have been questioning
their king’s leadership as their suffering increased and they were literally
the ones left to “clean up the mess” in Egypt.
The LORD once again
proved to Pharaoh that He is the sovereign ruler of all things, even the Nile
and the lowliest creatures that inhabited it. The LORD alone could decide the
fate of kings and nations, raising them up or bringing them to ruin. He alone
is the lifeblood and source of all things. 
