Exodus 9.1-7


Scripture teaches us in many different ways. We are most familiar with those
explicit black and white statements. ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘Follow Me.’ But
there are other ways that God instructs us through His Word. Today, we're
going to take a look at a pattern within the account of the plagues and then
tie that in with a theme that we see throughout the Scriptures.

Listen again to verse five. ‘And Yahweh set a time, saying, "Tomorrow Yahweh
will do this thing in the land." ’ Why tomorrow? Isn't that a bit odd? Why
wait till tomorrow? Now, step back from this particular plague and consider
the other plagues. Some of them occurred immediately while others were
delayed until ‘tomorrow’. Turning the Nile into blood happened instantly
while the plague of flies happened ‘tomorrow’. So, what's going on? It
sometimes helps to see where a pattern like this started. Surprisingly, it
started with Pharaoh back at the second plague. ‘Then Pharaoh called Moses
and Aaron and said, "Plead with Yahweh to take away the frogs from me and
from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to Yahweh." Moses
said to Pharaoh, "Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and
for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you
and your houses and be left only in the Nile." And he said, "Tomorrow." ’
[Exodus 8:8-10] If you think about this even a little, it makes no sense.
Pharaoh told Moses not to remove the frogs right then but on the next day.
Why would Pharaoh wait? There are all these frogs, and you can get rid of
them at any time. What's wrong with right now? But that's not what Pharaoh
did. He wanted them taken away ‘tomorrow’. How are we to understand this?
Here's my best shot. Try and put yourself in Pharaoh's place. What's going
on? He's locked in combat with Moses. He must be thinking, ‘How do I undo
this guy? How shall I defeat this upstart?’ It all has to do with Moses’
ability to bring on these plagues. Pharaoh is given the privilege of
deciding the time. He thinks to himself that Moses will expect him to say,
‘Get rid of the frogs right now!’ So, he tries to throw a curve ball.
‘Tomorrow. Get rid of the frogs tomorrow.’ He's hoping to throw Moses off
balance and to expose a weakness. The delay is a challenge. It's his way of
fighting back. He's hoping that Moses won't be able to come through and thus
be unmasked as a fake. After all, what else can he do? But, of course, Moses
isn't thrown off balance. And God grants Pharaoh's request. 'Tomorrow it
is.' And to drive it home to Pharaoh, maybe even to rub his nose in it,
Moses alternates – sometimes the plague hits immediately and sometimes it
comes 'tomorrow'. So much for exposing Moses' supposed weakness.


This pattern in the plagues fits with a theme in the Scriptures, the theme
of delay. Maybe we could call it the theme of 'tomorrow'. Consider some
examples. There's Jonah's preaching to Nineveh, 'In forty days God will
destroy you.' Or consider Jesus' parable about the barren fig tree. The
master says, 'Cut it down. It hasn't produced any fruit.' But the servant
intercedes, 'Let's give in one more year.' Jesus pictures, here, a delay in
judgment over Israel. And then, in a different way, this theme of 'tomorrow'
shows up with Abraham. There is a delay of three days from the time God
tells Abraham to sacrifice his son to the time they arrive at Mt. Moriah.
So, in our text, God delays to act. He waits for 'tomorrow'. Then the plague
strikes. Now we need to ask why. Why does God delay until ‘tomorrow’? Listen
to Peter. 'The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count
slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but
that all should reach repentance.' [2 Peter 3:9] God's delaying until
tomorrow is an expression of His patient mercy. He is not willing that any
should perish. And so, He waits for tomorrow.

Now, understand what is going on during this waiting for ‘tomorrow’. It's
not a matter of just counting the hours till sunrise. The delay is
constructive. Why did Pharaoh originally ask for the delay? He was hoping
for Moses to falter and to fail. But he didn't. In this way, the delay
provided evidence for Pharaoh. Moses wasn't a fake. His God really did have
power to act whenever He decided to. The first fruit of waiting for tomorrow
was evidence intended to convince Pharaoh. There's something else going on.
The delay also focused Pharaoh's attention. What do you think he was doing
later that night? He was thinking about ‘tomorrow’. 'What's going to happen?
Will my plan work? Will I be rid of this pesky fellow?' Go back to Abraham
on his way to kill his son. What do you think he was thinking about during
those three days? I can assure you that he wasn't thinking about how the
crops were doing or about that bit of business that he had to finish up with
Abimelech. The delay focused his attention on ‘tomorrow’. This helps us to
see something of God's goal for Pharaoh. Listen to Paul. 'Or do you presume
on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that
God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?' [Romans 2:4] The delay
was an expression of God's patient mercy that provided evidence to Pharaoh
and an opportunity to focus his attention on what God was doing. This mercy
was intended to lead Pharaoh to repent and believe. Our God is full of
mercy, even to people like Pharaoh. But, in light of Pharaoh's refusal to
bow, there is something else also going on in this delay. God not only
provided evidence for Pharaoh, He was also gathering it for Himself. Bear in
mind that ‘tomorrow’ came. The frogs were removed right on schedule.
Evidence of God’s power was provided to Pharaoh. But did he repent? Did the
time of focused attention bear the good fruit of a living faith? No.
Evidence was given. The opportunity to ponder it was given. But there was no
repentance and faith. So, the time of delay, the time of God's patience,
came to an end. A greater tomorrow came and Pharaoh died in the Red Sea. And
in this, the justice of God is displayed. Pharaoh needed to die. The proof
is undeniable. Who could debate God on this? He has more than enough
evidence.

The theme of ‘tomorrow’ is still in effect. It still applies to the lost of
this world. They are like Pharaoh, with rebellious hearts that will not bow.
And so, God delays. 'Tomorrow, I will act.' This delay is a time for them to
see the evidence, a time to have their minds focused. And there is plenty of
evidence to be seen. 'The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky above
proclaims His handiwork.' [Psalm 19.1] Or as the Apostle Paul writes, 'For
what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to
them.' [Romans 1:19] There is plenty of evidence. And just to take one
example, every time they attend a funeral they are reminded, 'One day that
will be me in the casket. Tomorrow is coming.' What is this but another
opportunity to have the attention focused.

But the evidence is not just all out there. You have a role to play. Your
lives are a part of the evidence that is presented to the world. Let me give
you an example of what I mean. I remember reading a comment about the early
Methodist followers of John Wesley. It went something like this. 'These
people die well.' They faced death with such a great peace and hope and joy
that those around them noticed. 'These people die well.' What they were
seeing was evidence. Jesus is real. The Gospel is true. It showed in the
lives of those Christians. This is simply an application of one of Jesus’
commands. 'Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good
works and glorify your Father in heaven.' [Matthew 5.16] By facing death
confident in Jesus, those saints had lights that shined so very brightly.
Evidence. Jesus also said this. 'By this all people will know that you are
my disciples, if you have love for one another.' [John 13:35] It will be
clear to others that we are followers of Jesus, that we embrace the Gospel,
by the love that we have for each other. Our sense of community reveals the
truth of Jesus’ words. Our being a community is evidence. People, today, are
less and less open to conversations about the Gospel. The days of going door
to door with a prepared outline of the Gospel to share are just about over.
Leaving Gospel tracts in public places rarely has any good effect any more.
And you may take a little booklet with you to work in the hope that you
might be able to strike up a conversation with a co-worker, but I doubt that
you will use it much at all. Our world has changed. What will speak to more
and more people today is something that they see first. Our life together as
the church, as the people of God, is fast becoming the most important
evidence that we will have to present. And we pursue doing that in the hope
that there will be those who receive the evidence and bear good fruit, the
good fruit of repentance and faith. And yet, as you know, that doesn't
always happen. In far too many cases, God’s delay does not result in
repentance but only in more rebellion. But tomorrow will come. And when it
does, when Jesus returns to usher in that tomorrow, who will question His
justice when He consigns these rebels to hell. The evidence will be plain.

This theme of tomorrow has a bit more to say to you. 'For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due
for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.' [2 Cor. 5:10]
Tomorrow has not yet arrived for us. Jesus has not yet returned. But when He
does, all your painful efforts at faithful living, all the hardship and
sacrifice that aimed at pleasing our Lord, will be remembered. But until
then life is difficult. Jesus' delay is an expression of patient mercy to
the lost. And that is good. But it involves a cost to us as we remain here,
away from the Lord, still awaiting the unimaginable pleasures of being with
Him in a new heavens and a new earth. But we know that tomorrow is coming.
It is sure. So, we live today, striving to live as becomes the followers of
Christ, in light of tomorrow. We deal with the battles in the sure hope of
victory. We deny ourselves, confident that Jesus will make it right –
tomorrow.

Tomorrow is coming. Let that be a deep encouragement, a basis for bold
action and a source of great joy.