Not By My Power
Exodus 7:10–13 (ESV) So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
An interesting thing happens when Moses and Aaron start to do the works of god before Pharaoh. His magicians do the same things by their "secret" arts. We often don't think about this, but the Bible never denies the powers of evil to do the supernatural at times yet with limitation. For the magicians in Egypt will not get past the second plague (frogs) in their evil practices. Notice here, the snake of Aaron's rod swallows up the snake of the magicians.
We need to be mindful that satan will counterfeit what God will do. In fact that's all he can do because he is not original and not creative. He can only imitate what he sees God doing. There are counterfeit miracles in the Bible as we see here. There are "false prophets" throughout the Old Testament. There are "false disciples" and "false apostles" in the New Testament. Jesus said the wheat will grow among the tares sown by the enemy (Matthew 13:24-30). In every church there are people who aren't really converted to Christ. Peter and Jude spent a good amount of time warning us about them (2 Peter 3 and Jude).
2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (ESV) The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
A Christian is never surprised at the rise of the occult or evil spirituality detached from the pure Word of Christ. We should expect it. I read somewhere that since the end of World War 2, there have arise over 800 religions in the Western World. That's 800 new religions in 70 years in the most "civilized" area of the world. People rarely turn from the True God to "no god", they simply invent their own and return to Mars Hill in Athens. Calvin and Luther declared the heart to be an "idol-making factory."
Why? Because we want to be in charge. We want to run the show. Just like Pharaoh. Notice that Moses and Aaron had to follow the Lord's instructions carefully throughout the deliverance plagues and wilderness wanderings. All the while, Pharaoh hardens up more and more.
Perhaps the most dangerous counterfeit in the church is not the occult or witchcraft. Those are dangerous for sure. But I think there's one even more potentially fatal. It's false righteousness. Paul talked about it in Romans 10 (and elsewhere):
Romans 10:2–3 (ESV) For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
My own righteousness is translated by a commonly heard phrase: "I'm a good person, of course I'm going to heaven." I want you to know that is not true in any respect concerning the Gospel. Those who live by "their own righteousness" risk the reality of being swallowed up in the wrath of God. He knows our hearts. He knows we are only fooling ourselves. What is more, He sent the final deliverer - Jesus Christ, His Son, to give us what we could NEVER earn - God's perfect righteousness.
It is interesting to consider the Egyptians held the "cobra" to be the symbol of eternal life. And here in Exodus 7 we have an echo of the Gospel: Lay down your best efforts and let the surpassing righteousness of Christ totally eliminate all your best efforts. Do not harden your heart like Pharaoh, fall on your knees in submission and surrender to God who came to save you.
Amen.
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