Exodus 8:16-19 Bible Study

1ST TWO PLAGUES ON EGYPT

PLAGUE OF WATER TURNED INTO BLOOD

Gods of Egypt it overcame

Khnum-Guardian of river’s source

Hapi- Spirit of the Nile

Osiris- Nile was his bloodstream

PLAGUE OF FROGS

Gods of Egypt it overcame

Hapi- Frog Goddess to Egypt

Heqt- Both related to fertility

BOTH PLAGUES OF WATER TURNED INTO BLOOD AND THE PLAGUE OF FROGS WERE DUPLICATED BY EGYPT’S SORCERERS AND MAGICIANS

SATAN LOVES TO COUNTERFEIT GOD

(NKJV)

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth—by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.

(NKJV)

9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

JESUS WAS ACCUSED BY THE PHARISEES OF DOING MIRACLES BY THE POWER OF SATAN BECAUSE HE HEALED ON THE SABBATH

(NKJV)

22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” 24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” 25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. 31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

HOW CAN WE DISCERN COUNTERFEIT MIRACLES?

The Bible does not give specific instructions on how to recognize counterfeit miracles. The Bible does, however, give specific instructions on how to recognize counterfeit messengers.

“You will recognize them by their fruits” (, ).

elaborates, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist … They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.”

These two passages present two methods for recognizing a false teacher.

First, examine his/her fruit. Does he/she display the Christlikeness that is a qualification for a messenger from God ()?

Second, examine his/her teaching. Is what he/she teaches in agreement with God’s Word (; ; ; )?

If the teacher fails either of these tests, he/she is not from God. It does not matter how many miracles are present. If a person does not walk the truth or teach the truth, we can discount any miracles he/she performs. Miracles performed by a false teacher are not from God.

(NKJV)

16 So the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ ” 17 And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 18 Now the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So there were lice on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.

WHAT IS THE FINGER OF GOD?

The gnats plagued both men and animals. I can almost see the Egyptians (and their animals) constantly scratching themselves (or swatting away at the creatures), trying to get some relief.

The importance of this plague is that the magicians of Egypt were unable to produce these gnats, even though they tried. This was convincing enough for the magicians to say to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (v. 19). From the other places where this same expression is found (; ; ; ), it seems to refer primarily to the power of God, directly intervening in the affairs of men. Nevertheless, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he refused to listen.