The Exodus – Part 11
The First Miracle
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON TIMELINE
· The Book of Genesis
· The Book of Exodus
· Introduction
· Israelite’s Oppression
· The Birth of Moses
· Moses Flees to Midian
· Moses and the Burning Bush
· Signs for Moses
· Moses Returns to Egypt
· Moses Speaks to Pharaoh
· God Promises Deliverance
· God Speaks of the Israelites
· The First Miracle
INTRODUCTION
In the Book of Exodus, we have seen, both the misery of God’s people under the reign of a Satanic Egypt, and the coming of a savior to rescue God’s people.
Exodus is an image of the coming age where Egypt (the Satanic kingdom ruling earth) would enslave God’s people (through sin) and the people would need rescuing from their bondage. The savior would come by the command of God the Father with signs and miracles and rescue God’s people from the bondage of their sin, leading them into the promised land.
We have seen how Moses had fled Egypt after losing his temper and killing a taskmaster. After arriving in Midian, he once again witnessed abuse of women at the well trying to water their flocks and attacked the shepherds there.
He married one of the women, had a child, and became a shepherd himself for his father-in-law. He tended the flocks for 40 years before the Lord spoke to him from the burning bush.
After resisting the Lord many times, Moses reluctantly returned to Egypt and his brother Aaron, who would help Moses speak to Pharaoh, and give the command from God to set His people free from their bondage.
The miracles God allows Moses to perform were telling.
Staff turns to a venomous viper.
Diseased flesh is returned to health at the Word of God.
The water turns to blood.
These three signs were an encouragement to Moses that God was with him.
They would be a sign to the Pharaoh and all of Egypt that God was with him.
I also believe they were a cryptic message to the serpent who controlled and lead Egypt, ruling from the shadows as the puppet master of the Pharaoh, Satan himself.
The wooden staff from which the serpent comes, just as the serpent appeared in the garden.
Flesh of man diseased because of sin, yet the Word of God heals it and makes it whole again.
How is this possible, the water turning to blood as the Holy Spirit empowers Jesus to go to the cross, His atoning death and blood cleansing us from sin and making us whole.
There would be 10 plagues upon Egypt, but before the condemnation, the one true and just and righteous God, would first announce the conviction to this Satanic regime.
The first miracle is not counted among the 10 plagues that would affect Egypt. It was the official conviction notice to the Satanic government (as well as a personal note to Satan) that the coming judgments and punishments were both fair and just by a righteous God whose command to free His people was not met.
Let’s look at the first miracle, the staff to a serpent.
SCRIPTURE READING
Exodus 7:8-13
“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.”
TODAY’S MESSAGE
I. THE COMMAND FOR THE FIRST MIRACLE
a. “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.”
i. This is the beginning of the miracles regarding Egypt
ii. Each miracle would show Egypt’s (as well as Satan’s) weakness and inability to stand against God
iii. Egypt, as well as their gods, were helpless against the God of Israel
b. Obedience is the key
i. What we see in this verse is a repeating theme of God, and His commands.
ii. God says, when this happens, do this, and I will do that.
iii. When Pharaoh says show me a miracle, throw your staff down, and it will become a snake.
iv. God instructs us for situations throughout the Word, giving us commands to obey, which in turn unleash the promises of God in our lives
v. Obedience to His Word is KEY
vi. Perhaps if Moses and Aaron walked into Pharaoh’s court and threw down the staff before the time, it may not have turned into a snake.
vii. If they would have thrown it to the ground outside the palace to show the people, I believe it would have stayed a staff as well.
viii. Obedience unlocks God’s miracles.
c. The Word of God accomplished what it set out to
i. Isaiah 55:11 “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
ii. The Word of God accomplishes what God desires it to and achieves the purpose for which HE sent it.
iii. WE cannot take God’s Word and use it how we wish for our purposes; it won’t work.
iv. Misquoting scripture to fit your broken theology will not make your theology so. Collapsing context for appearance only revels to those who do read scripture how ignorant of God’s Word you truly are.
v. This is why false teachings such as;
1. It is God’s will that every Christian be healthy and wealthy
a. Tell that to the poor disciples, or Paul and Jesus who were physically tormented in their lives of ministry.
2. Christians can “claim,” “decree,” or “speak” something into existence
a. I watched a woman hold her purse in the air in a Kmart with two carts full of merchandise calling on God to fill her purse with money to pay for it. (This is a true story!)
3. Legalism says things like, “Real Christians don’t have tattoos… Real Christians never miss a church service.”
a. Scripture does not teach this, legalistic Christians do
4. The idea that because we’re saved, we can do whatever we want and God’s okay with it. This is an abuse of the freedom God has given us
vi. You can misuse God’s Word to “prove” just about anything, however, the teachings are throughout scripture, and true doctrines are clear, concise, and never contradict another passage in the Word.
II. THE PLAGUES
a. Volcanic Eruption
i. Time magazine, in the March 2, 2020, web edition posted an article by Olivia B. Waxman about the theories of the plagues in Egypt.
ii. There was a volcanic eruption on the island of Santorini in the south of Greece around 1620-1600 B.C.
iii. Microbiologist Siro Trevisanato, author of The Plagues of Egypt: Archeology, History and science look at the Bible, argues the ancient Egyptian medical texts support this idea.
b. Red Algae in the Nile
i. Along with a terrible sandstorm could also produce the same effects
c. Climate Change causing a drought
i. Are also recorded to have happened around the same time, which would cause many of the same effects as well.
d. God
i. My stand on the matter is this;
ii. God, whether through His Mighty Hand by miracle, or through designed manipulation of earthly things which He created, did, by cause and on purpose, set forth the events as described in Exodus by His Word to accomplish what He set it out to, and it so achieved the purpose for which He desired it
iii. Overthinking God and His Word leads to confusion, because we, as finite beings, may only understand a portion of the little God reveals to us.
III. PHARAOH SUMMONS MAGICIANS AND SORCERERS
a. Wise men, Magi, Magicians, Sorcerers
i. These guys were part illusionists, part operating in the power of Satanic influence
ii. Wise-men, Magi, Magicians, Sorcerers, regardless of their title, they operate under false teachings, false powers, and lies and manipulation.
1. Matthew 7:15-16, Christ said: “‘Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. You will recognize them by their fruit…”
2. 2 Chronicles 33:6 “He (Manasseh) sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger.”
3. Scripture does not teach that witchcraft and the “secret arts” is not real, but utterly and completely the power and influence of Satan and detestable to the Lord as well as 100% false teaching and a sin.
iii. When the “wise-men” appeared in the Nativity, it was because they were gazing at the stars to read fortunes and know the future, God reveals Himself to ALL, He is no respecter of persons, making Himself known to the righteous as well as the wicked.
iv. Those wise-men were Magi, or magicians
b. By their secret arts, they imitated
i. Satan’s power is limited. He is not, nor will he ever be, God
ii. His powers are a substitute, an imitation, and though they may appear as great as God’s Miracles, they are not.
iii. We see the magicians and sorcerers throw their staffs which then appeared as snakes.
1. This was either an illusion (trick to the eye)
2. Or, the power of Satan trying to mimic God’s miracle
iv. I believe it was an illusion. Why? Because of what takes place next.
c. Aaron's staff swallowed up the other staffs
i. When God commanded Moses to throw his staff to the ground for the first time, the snake is described as a “serpent”, probably venomous because Moses then ran from it.
ii. These illusionists wouldn’t carry venomous or poisonous snakes in their cloaks, but common ones.
iii. When they “throw their staffs” and they “become” snakes, Aaron's staff, the one transfigured by the power of God INTO a Serpent, ate the others.
iv. A “real” snake could not eat a bunch of others snakes, however, a staff which was truly transfigured into a powerful viper, not a “real” snake, but transfigured by the Hand of God, it could easily devour a thousand “real” snakes.
CONCLUSION
13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.”
In scripture we are told by God He will harden Pharaoh’s heart.
We discussed how Pharaoh had already made his choice, serving Satan in a wicked Kingdom and focusing his undue hate upon God’s people, putting them into harsh labor as slaves, with cruel treatment just because they existed.
Three times God says He would harden Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4:21; 7:3; 14:4)
Six times God hardens it, according to scripture (Exodus 9:12; 10:1; 10:20; 10:27; 11:10; 14:8)
Seven times the hardening is expressed through implication (Exodus 7:13; 7:14; 7:22; 8:19; 9:7; 9:35; 14:5)
And three times we are told Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8:15; 8:32; 9:34)
In Romans, Paul speaks about this in Romans 9:16-18 “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
So, God allows Pharaoh to be put in the place of Pharaoh for His purpose.
God deemed it necessary to include Pharaoh’s disobedient refusal in the historical plan, which was to glorify himself, as just cause for bringing Pharaoh up, and hardening his heart to fulfill God’s purpose.
“For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
God did not “make” Pharaoh disobedient, but He used him and his disobedience to show God’s power, and that His name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
NEXT WEEK
The Lord commands Moses and Aaron to perform the second miracle.
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