LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
 
Wednesday 22nd April 2026

PHARAOH’S REQUEST

Scripture Reading: Exodus 8
 
Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.” Exodus 8:8
 
Pharaoh now seemed to bend from His stiff refusal to allow Israel to leave Egypt to go to sacrifice to the Lord, as God through Moses had demanded. He began to make concessions in His engagement with God’s representatives.  

Entreat the Lord.

The first time Moses told Pharaoh that the Lord had sent him to free the Hebrews, Pharaoh asked, ‘who is the Lord?’
 
By the second plague, Pharaoh knew who the Lord was. He recognized that the frogs were an act of God. The word ‘entreat’ means to intercede. Pharaoh asked Moses and Aaron to intercede, to pray for him.

Take away the frogs.

Pharaoh also recognized that his sorcerers and magicians did not have power over what Moses and Aaron were doing.
 
The magic feat of the magicians had apparently not impressed Pharaoh. He had wanted them to remove the frogs of God’s judgment from the land of Egypt, not cause more frogs to invade the land. He came to appreciate that the power of God superseded those of His spiritual entities. He could now only appeal to the same power that brought on the frogs to take them away.
 
When people who disregard God come up against situations that overwhelm them, they begin to seek God. But they seek Him only for the relief they hope to gain from Him without a commitment to repentance.

I will let the people go.

Pharaoh was not honest with his readiness to let the Hebrew slaves leave his territory. Like every oppressor before him, and after him, his words did not line up with his actions.
 
He did make a promise, but it was only intended to facilitate deliverance from the plague he and all Egypt were saddled with. We ought to be sincere with the promises we make to the Lord when in difficulty and in need of His help.    

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, let the heathen recognize your rule. Bring down every throne that exalts itself against you. In Jesus’ name  Amen.