When Moses told Pharaoh to let God’s people go, Pharaoh demonstrated stubbornness unlike any other. Here are five components of stubbornness seen in the life of Pharaoh:

1. Repeated Commands

Moses repeatedly approached Pharaoh with the same message, and Pharaoh consistently rejected that message even though it was a clear and concise command. We can detect the sign of stubbornness in our lives when we are faced with repeated commands on the same topics and choose to continually disobey.

2. Real Consequences

We simply cannot sin with impunity. Moses promised that a stubborn response would bring on the frogs! Interestingly, the frogs would infest Pharaoh’s bedchamber and even occupy the ovens and kneading troughs…. Gross! In other words, the consequences of our stubbornness can even affect the way we eat and sleep.

3. Rebellious Challenges

How senseless Pharaoh was to call his magicians to match the efforts of Moses in calling forth frogs from the river! By calling forth more frogs, Pharaoh was simply exacerbating an already bad situation. Rebelling during times of chastisement only serves to make our punishment more acute.

4. Ready Compromise

Pharaoh eventually had enough and ostensibly repented of his stubbornness. “Moses, I’m wrong; pray that God would take these frogs away!” But was Pharaoh genuinely repentant? I think not. And we shall see that in a moment. “Fox hole confessions” are a dime a dozen.

5. Resumed Callousness

After the problem was removed, we see that Pharaoh had not changed at all. This besetting sin of Pharaoh enslaved him; he simply would not submit to the authority of God.

Let us take inventory even now of our own lives. Is there an area of my live in which I refuse to obey Him in spite of His insistent and repeated commands? How long will I unwisely persist in stubbornness? It ruined Pharaoh. It ruined Saul. It can ruin me.