The Largest Frog Invasion Ever

Breaking News!

We‘ve been invaded . . . by frogs.

I’m not kidding.

They’re small and cute as the dickens, but these lightning-fast amphibians seem to delight in taunting our dogs.

It feels like the largest frog invasion ever is happening right there in our backyard, although I know that’s not true.

I couldn’t help but think about the plague of frogs in earlier Biblical times.

Remember that one?

I’ve read about the plagues representing God’s judgment several times, but didn’t stop to really think about what it might have been like.

That is until now when little frogs are practically knocking at our door.

While the account of the second plague in Exodus is yet another powerful display of God’s righteous sovereignty, I see a little irony in it as well.

Here’s a good descriptive explanation:

The second plague, bringing frogs from the Nile, was a judgment against Heqet, the frog-headed goddess of birth. Frogs were thought to be sacred and not to be killed. God had the frogs invade every part of the homes of the Egyptians, and when the frogs died, their stinking bodies were heaped up in offensive piles all through the land (Exodus 8:13–14) – got questions.org.¹

I tried to imagine what that could have been like for the Egyptians during the plague.

Picture the scene.

Per Scripture, the frogs appeared everywhere – not just in the Nile River, but well . . . EVERYWHERE.

^3“The Nile will swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house, and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls. ⁴So the frogs will come up on you, your people, and on all your servants.” – Exodus 8:3-4, (NASB).²

Pardon my colloquial, now THAT isn’t cute.

As previously mentioned, the plague of frogs was God’s second plague – a severe punishment Moses had clearly warned Pharaoh about when he refused to let the Israelites break from bondage in Egypt.

When God says “Let My people go, so that they may serve me”, He means business.

Frog Invasion

As the historical account goes, Pharaoh gave in (albeit temporarily) and God removed that particular plague – but not without repercussions. A lot of little frog corpses had to be removed.

So they piled them in heaps, and the land stank. – Exodus 8:14, (NASB). ³

Pharaoh had a severe case of pride and a hardened heart.

We know that God sent a series of plagues, each an opportunity for Pharaoh to obey and let the Israelites go, but Pharaoh would renege on his promise.

If you haven’t gone through the book of Exodus in awhile, I encourage you to go back and read it again. There’s so much more to be learned from it. 

Is there a takeaway from this dramatic story?

Yes. Pharaoh kept missing the point. He simply wanted the plagues gone.

As sinners living in today’s world, we too, can miss the point. 

Emphasis mine . . .

What all this shows is how much a person can learn about God without ever coming to him for salvation. Pharaoh knew that God was both Creator and Judge. He recognized the power of God’s name and believed that he could answer prayer. But he did not know God as his Savior and Lord. The proof is that he could not pray to God for himself; he had to ask Moses and Aaron to do the praying for him. He also made the wrong request. Rather than asking God to take away his sins, he asked God to take away the frogs. Pharaoh wanted relief from the punishment for his sin without being willing to repent of the sin itself. Quite literally, the man didn’t have a prayer—at least not a proper prayer to call his own.” (Ibid) – Precept Austin commentary.⁴

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¹ Quotation from gotquestions.org from “What was the meaning and purpose of the ten plagues of Egypt”? n.d., para. 4. Web. Accessed July 19, 2024. Retrieved from the second plague.

⁴ PhD Philip Ryken quotation is from the Exodus 8 Commentary, [2022] Courtesy of Precept Austin, Web. Accessed 18 July, 2024.