It's a Miracle! ...Or Not

When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying,

'Work a miracle,'

then you shall say to Aaron,

'Take your staff

and throw it down before Pharaoh,

that it may become a serpent.'

Exodus 7:9

The first sign before Pharaoh is the same sign that Moses performed before the children of Israel when he came to them from the wilderness. His staff would become a serpent. I have always found it interesting that God chose this as a sign. In my opinion this points us all the way back to Genesis 3:1, "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made..." I believe God chose this sign as a direct mock in Satan's face. I think this sign was to remind Satan that God had created him and that he, God, still had complete authority over him.

Now when Moses threw his staff down and it became a serpent, Pharaoh called in his wise men and sorcerers. They too came in with staffs. They threw their staffs down and theirs also became serpents. My friend do not think for one minute that Satan has no power here on this earth. He is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and his desire is to blind you and deceive you so that you might not see the glory of God. He has many tricks up his sleeve and many who will do his will just to experience his power.

In 2 Timothy 3:8 we discover the names of these two magicians, "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses..." But more importantly we discover the nature of these two magicians. Men and women like these have existed since the fall. They are those who are caught in the snare of the devil, and held captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). Most are so entranced that even when they are face to face with the truth of God, they refuse His authority over them. Choosing rather to have the temporary power of Satan.

We read in Acts 8:9-10 of "a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; and they all, from the smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, 'This man is what is called the Great Power of God'". We read on in Acts how the people were all amazed by this man's magic arts. They were captivated and deceived by his tricks. They were confusing his sorcery with the works of the Almighty God.

Then we read how the truth of God showed up through Philip bringing the people the gospel. The people believed and were being baptized. The magician, Simon, saw his followers slipping away, and he also saw that the apostles of Christ came with a power and authority that he had never had and he wanted it. Simon professed to believe and was even baptized, but what we discover was that his profession was not of faith. He simply thought this was his means to gain this power of God.

Oh, but our God does not work that way.

In Acts 13:8-10 we read of a magician named Elymas who is working to oppose the apostles to keep the proconsul away from the faith. We read that Paul "filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, 'You who are full of deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?'"

These men are everywhere.
Still today we must be on the look-out for those like them.

Going back to 2 Timothy 3:1-9 we read of the difficult times that will come in these last days. We read of those who rise up and appear to have "a form of godliness, although they have denied it's power;..." (2 Timothy 3:5)

What power is it that they have denied?

The power of salvation (Romans 1:16).

The power of the grace of God.

The grace of God that instructs us to "...deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age." (Titus 2:12)

These men attempt, as Paul said, "to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord" They mimic God in an attempt to deceive those who are weak so that they may hold a position of power over them. They will succeed if you do not hold fast to the truth, the Word of God.

Holding fast is not just obtaining knowledge. These men are quite knowledgeable of the Word of God, which strengthens their ability to deceive. Satan himself attempted to use Scripture to tempt and deceive Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-12). It's not just about knowing, it's about obedience to what you know.

You, however, continue in the things you have learned

and become convinced of,

knowing from whom you have learned them,

and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings

which are able to give you the wisdom

that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:14-15

Obedience to God's Word is key to our not being deceived by men such as Jannes and Jambres that stood in Pharaoh's court and opposed Moses. It is key to keep us from being deceived by Simon and Elymas who opposed the apostles. We guard ourselves against these men by keeping our eyes wide open and watching their deeds.

We read in 1 Timothy 5:24-25 that "The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed."

Men such as these can only go so far. My friend, Satan can only go so far. "But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also." (2 Timothy 3:9)

Yes, the magicians of Pharaoh mimicked the power of God. They threw down their staffs and into serpents they did become, but that is not where it ended. "...But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs." (Exodus 7:12)

Oh precious one, don't you just love our God! This sign so simple, yet saying so very much. Our God is greater. Satan can only mimic the power of the I AM. He can not originate his own. Satan may be able to deceive some for a while with his trickery, but his ways will be swallowed up in the victory of our God. "He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 25:8, 1 Corinthians 15:54).

Oh Father,

How great You are! You are my God and I follow no other. Keep my eyes open that I may not fall prey to those who are doing the will of Your enemy and mine. Let me not be impressed by a smooth tongue and magic arts. May the power of Your Holy Spirit work mightily in and through me as it did in Moses and in Paul and in Philip. May I not be afraid to stand up to the Jannes's and Jambres's of my time. For You my God will prevail. I will continue in Your Word and hold fast to Your truth walking in obedience to what I already know as I pursue to know even more. Strengthen me my God, according to Your glorious might, and Yours alone.

My Jesus, it is in Your name I pray,

Amen