Exodus 7:14-25 – August 5th, 2009
It seems as if there is always a counterfeit to the genuine article. It is distracting and often misleading as we begin to wonder which is which.
Moses goes back into Egypt to speak again to Pharaoh. This time Moses is to take his staff, the one that was turned into a snake and then back into a staff, and touch the Nile with it. The outcome is that the Nile turns to blood, the fish in the Nile die, and then the Nile stinks from the death in it. Moses does just that, and all the water turns to blood, the fish die, and there is a smell. According to verse 19 even the Nile water that had been drawn previously was turned into blood.
Then, of course, here come the magicians to show Pharaoh that they too can turn water into blood. I can’t imagine what this might have looked like, and the arrogance and pride that must have been shown in the magicians. But, notice that there trick is never as good as God’s work. They do in fact turn water into blood, but it isn’t in something the size of the Nile. It also doesn’t affect things that are not even being touched by them, like the water already drawn from the Nile.
It seems as if the Enemy always has a counterfeit for the genuine article. And, that makes it hard to discern what is true. For example: Pharaoh doesn’t see the genuine article as any different, and it misleads him to believing that other things are as satisfying as God.
How can we tell the difference? It seems to me that the genuine article (that which God does) is always better. It may not seem too much different, but we have to learn to trust that it is.
Imagine all the ways that humanity has come up with to sin. One great example is sexual sin. What is that? It is a counterfeit of what God designed for us to have in marriage. What is lying? It is a counterfeit of how God has created us to speak. What is idolatry or pride? It is a counterfeit worship.
All that ways that we have devised to contradict what God has told us is simply perversions of the things that God created (sex, speech, worship, mentioned above). So, how can we tell the difference? It is often hard, but we do have God’s Word. And, we can find that over time, God was right. His way is better.
It is a challenge to not fall for the counterfeit. But, once we have learned to spot it, it is easily recognizable. When we see it for what it is, we are quicker to follow the genuine article.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Jeff.
This reminds me of something I have heard you speak of in other teachings. You tell about the process in which people are trained to spot conterfeit money. They aren't shown conterfeit bills and familiarized with them. Instead, they spend time with the real thing and learn all the details of the real bills rather than conterfeit. This beig especially important since conterfeit is always developing and changing so it can still be passed off as real.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me that the more I am in the Word and getting familiar with God's will, promises, and love for me, the more I will know what is real vs. conterfeit. I know the enemy is always trying to come up with new ways to fool us, so that makes it even more important to "stay current".
Thank you honey, it's those pearls of wisdom that God uses you to teach that make the Bible less of a mystery and more applicable to every day life.
Thank you, PJ. I know God had a plan and that is why Pharaoh didn't let Moses and his people go, but really, how dumb he must have seemed to his own people when he didn't relent in the face of all this majestic misery.
ReplyDeleteOur God is righteous but he is also is filled with grace and I am so grateful. He is the genuine article.
Thank you God!!
-E