God is in Control

God is in Control
Words of Faith 10-3-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 6
[26] It was this same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, "Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions." [27] They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. It was the same Moses and Aaron.
[28] Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, [29] he said to him, "I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you."
[30] But Moses said to the Lord, "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?"
[7:1] Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. [2] You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. [3] But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, [4] he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. [5] And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it."
[6] Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. [7] Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
[8] The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, [9] "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake."
[10] So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. [11] Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: [12] Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. [13] Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

It was time to show a little authority. The Lord had given Moses and Aaron some miraculous signs that would prove they had the backing of Almighty God. The staff that Aaron would throw down would become a snake.
The meeting turned into a showdown between Aaron and Pharaoh's magicians, who duplicated the feat with their "secret arts." Some commentators have assumed there was a special trick or sleight of hand involved or a snake that could be caused to stiffen like a staff. But that is not what the text implies. These were probably real miracles empowered by Satan, not merely sleight-of-hand trickery.
We must remember that Satan can perform "all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs, and wonders" for the purpose of deception (2 Thes. 2:9-10, Matthew 24:24). It is possible that two of these men were Jannes and Jambres, who "opposed Moses" (2 Tim. 3:8). The contest will continue, as we will see Pharaoh's magicians duplicate the first two plagues, turning of water to blood and the appearance of frogs. In this case, however, Aaron's staff snake consumed those of the magicians, thus demonstrating God's superior power.
Moses and Aaron, the emissaries of God, confronted the emissaries of Satan, the gods of Egypt, and their magicians. Each of the following judgments will smash some aspect of Egypt's religious life and, therefore, Satan's domain. The final blow will be the death of their heir-god, Pharaoh's firstborn son. The God of Israel will triumph over the powers of darkness.
As God had predicted, Pharaoh's heart was not enabled to heed the message and demonstrate repentance by releasing the people. God showed His absolute sovereignty as Moses honored the Lord but Pharaoh dishonored Him. It is beyond our ability to understand, but both kinds of people bring glory to God.
What do we take away from this for the day? For one, we need to beware of counterfeits. Just because someone exhibits a spectacular "miracle, sign, or wonder" does not mean they are of God. But we should also leave this text knowing that the Lord does triumph over evil even when evil appears flashy or powerful. God's Truth consumes the falsehood of the counterfeits. The Lord will triumph over the powers of darkness. Our God is an awesome God.

Lord, I am confident in You. You are in control. You are the Sovereign I Am. Give me a heart and eye that is discerning of the truth. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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