9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”
Moses wants Pharaoh to know that it is no accident that the frogs die. That is why Moses lets Pharaoh choose the timing of their death. Remember, the purpose of all this suffering is the opportunity for Pharaoh and the Egyptians to turn to the Lord. It is also strengthening the faith of the Israelites. The frogs are going to be restricted to living where they belong, in the Nile River. The plague messed with the natural order of things. Frogs are water creatures. They generally don’t survive away from the water. So to have them everywhere is very much against their natural instincts. And the natural order for Pharaoh is that he gets his way. But the frogs have proven that he can’t have his way. There are limits to what he can and can’t accomplish, and he has reached that limit. His power has its place, but dealing with innumerable frogs is not his place. It might seem as though Moses was giving Pharaoh power by allowing him to chose the timing of the end of the frogs. But in actuality, Pharaoh knows he can’t do anything about the frogs. If he could he would not be asking Moses for help. The most powerful person on earth at the time is asking an impulsive shepherd for help. This really is a difficult position for Pharaoh, the ruler asking a servant for help. Nobody in a position of power likes admitting that they can’t do something. It is showing weakness, and weakness in the ancient world put you at risk of being overthrown. Weakness led to assassination. Children would seize the opportunity and gain the upper hand. Our kids do the same thing today. When they see an opportunity to divide their parents and play one against the other, they will do it to get what they want.
The Arnold Journey 