Greater Power in the Lord
Exodus 7:10-12: "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. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs."
The showdown between Moses and the Pharaoh has officially begun. Once again, Moses is going before the Pharaoh with the request to take the nation of Israel out of Egypt to worship their God. In Moses' first interaction with Pharaoh, Pharaoh asks the question: "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?" Clearly, Pharaoh has no understanding of what sets Israel's God apart from the gods of Egypt.
Round one -- Aaron throws down his staff and it becomes a snake; the magicians of Egypt follow suit and also make their staffs turn into snakes. While Aaron performs this deed through the power of God, the magicians perform the same deed but through the secret arts. People wonder how these magicians conjured up such power. There is power in darkness. Satan was alive and well in those days just as he is today. The Lord's power wins over the powers of Pharaoh and darkness as we see Aaron's staff swallow up the magicians' staffs. Round one goes to Moses and the God of Israel.
Where there is power in darkness, there is much greater power in the Lord. As New Covenant believers, we have seen Jesus win the victory over Satan, sin, and death. As Casting Crowns sings in the song Glorious Day, "the grave could conceal him no longer." We serve a victorious Savior! Pharaoh and his entourage will soon learn this lesson as well. For now, let the battle continue.
Reflection:
How have you seen the enemy counterfeit the work of the Lord? How can you be better equipped to discern between the work of the Lord and the work of the enemy?
The showdown between Moses and the Pharaoh has officially begun. Once again, Moses is going before the Pharaoh with the request to take the nation of Israel out of Egypt to worship their God. In Moses' first interaction with Pharaoh, Pharaoh asks the question: "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go?" Clearly, Pharaoh has no understanding of what sets Israel's God apart from the gods of Egypt.
Round one -- Aaron throws down his staff and it becomes a snake; the magicians of Egypt follow suit and also make their staffs turn into snakes. While Aaron performs this deed through the power of God, the magicians perform the same deed but through the secret arts. People wonder how these magicians conjured up such power. There is power in darkness. Satan was alive and well in those days just as he is today. The Lord's power wins over the powers of Pharaoh and darkness as we see Aaron's staff swallow up the magicians' staffs. Round one goes to Moses and the God of Israel.
Where there is power in darkness, there is much greater power in the Lord. As New Covenant believers, we have seen Jesus win the victory over Satan, sin, and death. As Casting Crowns sings in the song Glorious Day, "the grave could conceal him no longer." We serve a victorious Savior! Pharaoh and his entourage will soon learn this lesson as well. For now, let the battle continue.
Reflection:
How have you seen the enemy counterfeit the work of the Lord? How can you be better equipped to discern between the work of the Lord and the work of the enemy?
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