5th April 2024

5th April 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read (Ex 7:14-25 focus v22-25)


Message (Alan Burke)


I have to admit there are many details of what took place in this plague and the rest that I would like to know more of but we are not given, rather it is just reported to us. Like that of the Egyptian magicians being able to turn water into blood by the secret arts. These magicians of Pharaoh they were able to replicate, imitate what the Lord had done. It one more confronts us with how there is much more going on in this world that we often try to explain away, ignore, that doesn’t fit into our western scientific rational, the work of Satan in this world. The Egyptian magicians did the same by their secret arts. Moses and Arron had turned the Nile to blood or rather God used them and their obedience to show his power whereas the Egyptians did it by their secret arts. 


There was a time that we would have called it demonic, dark magic, but what it does here is remind us that there is so much more going on that a mere battle for freedom from slaves against an oppressive nation. All that was being played out here was not simply a dispute between Moses and Pharaoh, a conflict between Israel and Egypt, but this was a battle between God and Satan. This was just another engagement in the invisible war that continually rages between Heaven and Hell. 


Whether Pharaoh, his wise men and sorcerers realised that they were serving Satan or not, they were controlled by “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12), evil forces that had at least enough power to perform a few miracles. Notice though, however, that the best they could do was to imitate what God did. Pharaoh’s magicians could not turn the blood into water. 


This is because Satan can only corrupt, never create. The Bible says that “the work of Satan [is] displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9). Satan is always a counterfeiter, never an innovator. This victory over Pharaoh, his officials, his wise men and sorcerers, teach us that although Satan’s power is real, it is not absolute. Satan does not have the power to overrule the sovereign God, he can only do what the Lord God allowed him to do. The magicians succeeded in doing what the Lord had commanded but they could not reverse it.


As a result of the magicians doing the same things by their secret arts, turning water into blood, and think just how stupid that was, they made things worse not better, well Pharaoh’s heart became hard. What we have is Pharaoh the ruler of the Egyptians showing absolutely no concern for what has happened, contempt even, his magicians were able to do it so he would not listen, he is unconcerned about the plight of his people. While God had hardened his heart Pharaoh’s own sinful nature was resolute in his opposition to the Lord. While the Lord had hardened the heart of Pharaoh, Pharaoh because of his sin had suppressed the truth in unrighteousness. All of us by our very nature do this, we reject the things of God and we are reliant on his mercy to transform our hearts. 


Pharaoh in the end would not listen, he had seen, he had heard and instead he turned and went into his palace. Pharaoh is not unlike many people who today hear the word of God and reject it, they have heard and look what we are told, that pharaoh did not take even this to heart, nothing. I read this and it is heartbreaking, but we see it don’t we, people who have had ample opportunity but there is nothing. 


In this passage we have a wonderful reminder who God is, he is sovereign over all, he can turn water into blood and he knows all before it takes place. Also we learn that God’s demands are non nonnegotiable. Why had he sent Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh it was the same reason that they were sent the first time and will be sent again and again and it was so that the people may go worship Him, to know him, to acknowledge him rightly, to live for him. What is the application of this passage for us, we are to worship the Lord God and him alone, the gods of this world will be brought down by him and he requires the same from all people throughout the ages, our worship. How we is through trusting in his Son the Lord Jesus Christ, all who call on his name will be saved (Acts 16:31), trying to do it our way, or trying to negotiate with God won’t work, it will only lead to death.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q5 Are there more Gods than one?
There is but One only, the living and true God. (Deut. 6:4, Jer. 10:10)
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