Don't Be Discouraged By the Counterfeit
Exodus 7:22 “But the Egyptian magicians did the same things in their
secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to
Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.”
In this chapter, Moses and Aaron are performing miracles for Pharaoh that the Lord had ordained them to do, and in response, the magicians who were practicing sorcery and dark magic were imitating those miracles. There are two important things to notice here. The first is that the magicians miracles came from a different power source, one that was dark and not of God. The second point is that although the miracle was the same, it does not signify that these other powers are as strong as God.
Satan always tries to counterfeit the Lord. It is a sign of his jealousy, and indicates that he has no true power to create of his own. In this chapter, the miracles that Satan equips the magicians to do are in response to the miracle that God had designed. The purpose of these counterfeit miracles was deceit and discouragement.
You see, Pharaoh had no problem believing that the miracle Aaron and Moses did was true. Pharaoh did not call them liars or disbelieve what his eyes saw. However, once he saw the miracle replicated, he doubted. When I first read this passage, my heart hurt for him. Throughout this chapter and the surrounding chapters, Pharaoh tilts back and forth about whether or not he is going to submit to God. He openly states that he does not know the Lord that Moses and Aaron were speaking of, and would not obey Him. Once the plagues hit, he begs Moses to pray to the Lord for him, yet when the plagues are lifted, he hardens his heart once more.
Because of this back and forth attitude, I imagine that Pharaoh was discouraged when he saw the miracle replicated. Because he was tricked by the counterfeit to think that God’s miracle wasn’t special or legitimate, he lost hope again.
Don’t lose hope when the counterfeit comes. The Bible warns that there will be false teachers and false miracles. Just because Satan will stand and declare himself lord does not make him so. And just because he does this doesn’t make our God any weaker. And it doesn’t make God any less.
Hold onto truth, stand firm through trial, keep your ground.
Don’t get discouraged by lies. Lies cannot diminish truth anymore than darkness can put out light.
In this chapter, Moses and Aaron are performing miracles for Pharaoh that the Lord had ordained them to do, and in response, the magicians who were practicing sorcery and dark magic were imitating those miracles. There are two important things to notice here. The first is that the magicians miracles came from a different power source, one that was dark and not of God. The second point is that although the miracle was the same, it does not signify that these other powers are as strong as God.
Satan always tries to counterfeit the Lord. It is a sign of his jealousy, and indicates that he has no true power to create of his own. In this chapter, the miracles that Satan equips the magicians to do are in response to the miracle that God had designed. The purpose of these counterfeit miracles was deceit and discouragement.
You see, Pharaoh had no problem believing that the miracle Aaron and Moses did was true. Pharaoh did not call them liars or disbelieve what his eyes saw. However, once he saw the miracle replicated, he doubted. When I first read this passage, my heart hurt for him. Throughout this chapter and the surrounding chapters, Pharaoh tilts back and forth about whether or not he is going to submit to God. He openly states that he does not know the Lord that Moses and Aaron were speaking of, and would not obey Him. Once the plagues hit, he begs Moses to pray to the Lord for him, yet when the plagues are lifted, he hardens his heart once more.
Because of this back and forth attitude, I imagine that Pharaoh was discouraged when he saw the miracle replicated. Because he was tricked by the counterfeit to think that God’s miracle wasn’t special or legitimate, he lost hope again.
Don’t lose hope when the counterfeit comes. The Bible warns that there will be false teachers and false miracles. Just because Satan will stand and declare himself lord does not make him so. And just because he does this doesn’t make our God any weaker. And it doesn’t make God any less.
Hold onto truth, stand firm through trial, keep your ground.
Don’t get discouraged by lies. Lies cannot diminish truth anymore than darkness can put out light.
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