The Way Out

Bring You Out!

The Way Out! Pt. 3.

Exodus 14:16–28 (ESV)

Exodus 3:16–18 (ESV)

Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’

Two Snakes

Exodus 7:8–13 (ESV)

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’ ”

10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts.

12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

13 Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

Snake - Tanin (Hebrew)

The word here can refer to a sea-monster, dragon, crocodile, or snake.

William H. C. Propp has stated that the term tanin can in fact describe an Egyptian Crocodile or a mythical dragon.

The sign with Aaron’s staff is for Pharaoh and his officials and demonstrates what appears to be an assault on Egyptian ideology. If Aaron’s staff did indeed become a snake, then its devouring of the magicians’ snakes, on the one hand, demonstrates an overpowering of the magicians and even a commandeering of their own abilities and expertise.

On the other hand, it could also serve as an attack on the snake as a symbol of Egyptian power. It is hard to know, though, whether Aaron’s staff was supposed to become a snake that the Egyptians feared and despised or one that they worshiped.

In either case, the narrative describes the actions of Moses and Aaron as an emphatic display of power. This snake standing upright is reminiscent of the staffs that became serpents.

The Hebrew term for “magicians” appears related to an Egyptian word often used to refer to theological specialists in ancient Egypt, who studied their culture’s sacred literature and knew an array of secret charms, spells, and rituals. They were often said to be associated with the “House of Life,” a special section in some Egyptian temples that housed ritual and magic texts said to be inspired by the sun god.

They were the heavy hitters, so to speak. Magical wands are also known from ancient Egypt, used mainly to ward off evil power and illness.

Out of Egypt

Micah 7:15–17 (ESV) - As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things. The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf; they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God, and they shall be in fear of you.

7:15. The phrase “in the days when you came out from the land of Egypt.”

The periods of the exodus, wilderness wanderings, and conquest of the promised land were filled with a number of miracles performed by Yahweh on behalf of His people

Plagues on Egypt, crossing of the Red Sea, manna and water in the wilderness, crossing of the Jordan River, walls of Jericho falling down, sun standing still, etc.

7:17 They will lick the dust like the serpent This phrase utilizes synonymous parallelism.

Signs of the Times

2 Timothy 3:1–8 ESV

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.

Jannes & Jambres

2 Timothy 3:8 (ESV)

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.

2 Timothy 3:8 (DARB): a [Jannes and Jambres] The names of the magicians who withstood Moses and exercised satanic power until stopped by God.

False Prophets

Matthew 24:11 ESV

And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

1 John 4:1 ESV

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

The Miracles of the Magicians

1. Their rods were changed to serpents (or crocodiles) (Ex. 7:11–12)

2. The turning of water to blood (Ex. 7:22)

3. Their bringing up frogs (Ex. 8:7)

They did few of the miracles and could not protect themselves from the plagues (Ex. 8:18; 9:11).

False Prophets

Matthew 24:11 ESV

11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

1 John 4:1 ESV

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Out of Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

James 1:13 ESV

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

Conclusion

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Prophetic showdown is now!!!