EXODUS: Don't be Fooled by Everything We Hear and See; "Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh. The magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods."

And it came to pass, on the day the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the Lord. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?” (Exodus 6:28-30) 

Twice before, Moses tried to use this same excuse to get out of doing what the Lord God had called him to do, but again the Lord God would declare that Moses is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. (Acts 7:35; Exodus 3) So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 7:1-3) 

"But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” (Exodus 7:4-5) 

As we studied in the previous lesson, the Lord God was now going to make Himself known throughout the world as JEHOVAH, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. (Psalm 83:18 KJV) For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” (Romans 9:17)

The Lord God did not have to use Moses to do this, but He chose to. Man can do a lot of things, but a mere man cannot do certain things, no matter how hard they try. Moses would appear as God to Pharaoh, meaning he would represent God because of what God would do through him.  There would be no other way to explain the things that would happen other than that God Himself was doing them. And Aaron would be his prophet, meaning he would speak the Word of God. Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7) 

The works of God are always accompanied by the Word of God. We learned this Truth from Christ Jesus.  He was the Word of God in the flesh; And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. ... Many good works I have shown you from My Father. ... If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” (John 10:25-38)

Pharaoh, the Egyptians, maybe even some of the Hebrews and the rest of the world may not believe in JEHOVAH as their God, but all the world would have to believe there was a God based on the works that He would perform. Then Moses and Aaron did so; just as the Lord commanded them, so they did. And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh. (Exodus 7:6-7) 

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’” So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. (Exodus 7:8-10) 

But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said. (Exodus 7:11-13)

Well, it would appear that the the wise men and the sorcerers of Egypt could do the same miracles that God could do.  Don't be deceived! Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:11-13)

We can not become discouraged when things appear that the enemies of God have as much power as God, but we must continue to stand. Just as Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods, God will have the final Word, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (I John 4:4) Now as Jannes and Jambres [the magicians of Egypt] resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. (II Timothy 3:8-9)

Man can do many things with the help of principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. But no matter how much God allows them to be able to do, when He decides it's enough, it's enough. And no matter how much they are willing to do, they won't be able to or would never have conceived to do most of the ten plagues that JEHOVAH was about to send in Egypt...