25/09/2017 - A SIGN BEFORE PHARAOH

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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. Exodus 7.9

A moment would come in which Pharaoh would ask Moses and Aaron for a sign, to know if God was really with them. In the days of Jesus, the Pharisees asked Him to show a sign to prove that God sent Him. They thought that the miracles He accomplished were insufficient. This is how the unbeliever normally acts: he will always find excuses so that they do not obey the Most High. Poor man! He is the only one losing for not believing.

God made Aaron cast his rod before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. He did this so that the leader of Egypt would be certain that they had spiritual power. Then, Pharaoh should have believed. However, even if a million signs were made, the pride and evil of his heart hindered him from bowing before the reality. In the same way, many from our times will perish eternally.

However, due to the surprise of those who were present, the king of Egypt called his sorcerers. They did the same thing, casting their rods before them, and they all were transformed into serpents. At that moment, Pharaoh and his officials may have laughed at the servants of the Lord. A question remains: didn’t God know that this could happen? Yes, but He was not like those false gods – demons – worshipped by the Egyptians. 

The devil can even copy some godly signs, but he will never equal them or make something greater. This was evident in that moment, because the serpent from Aaron’s rod swallowed the others. What now, Pharaoh? Still, even before this undeniable evidence, he did not relent. The greatest sign that a person can see is not a million lames leaving their wheelchairs and walking, but the testimony of God given through His Word. 

It was clear that the logic did not work for Pharaoh, because he saw with his own eyes that the rod of Aaron swallowed the others. This showed that Moses and Aaron counted with a much greater power than the magicians did. Since Pharaoh was probably used to special illusions and magic, he might have supposed that those were special tricks that they had learned with the sorcerers. There are no tricks in the Gospel, only God in action. Those who believe will be saved.

In order to lead people to Christ, we must be in communion with God in a very broad way, without sin in our hearts. Otherwise, the Lord will not be able to use us. The Father leads us to Jesus, but since we represent His Son on earth, He brings people to us so that we may present them to Christ. However, if we are not filled with the Holy Spirit, how will we be His instruments? The biblical order is for us to be filled by Him.

The miracles make people see that the Gospel is real. However, in order for people to convert and surrender their lives to the Lord, more is needed: the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of each one of them.  Jesus told Peter that the Church would only be built on the rock – the revelation of the Father about His Son.  We need to have this truth in our ministry or…

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares