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Question

There is a story I read in church once but it doesnt make sense at all. The story goes that when Moses was trying to convince the pharaoh to let his people go, he went up to the pharaoh and performed some of God's miracles to convince him that God really does want them to be let go. And how does the pharaoh counter this? Every time Moses does something, he gets his magicians to do the exact same thing. Now, we all know magic isnt really real, so how can this story be real?

So with this alchemy, you could poor a red liquid onto a staff and first turn it into sand and then flies? I would love to see that today much less 3000 years ago

Answer 1

The magic very well were merely tricks or illusions of man or satan. These sorcerers were able to make it appear as if their sticks became snakes. They were able to make it appear they could turn water into blood, but after these tricks (from the lice onward) they were unable to duplicate in appearance, the power of God.

Exodus 8
And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could NOT: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, THIS IS THE FINGER OF GOD: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

Answer 2

This is the problem of literalism. Back when the Torah was being composed, what we would call "history" was not seen as just a series of unpredictable events influenced by random factors of human will and circumstance. Everything that happened had a purpose, a divine intent. So when accounts were collected, they were analyzed to determine their significance for the community. Once that was determined, the whole story would be retold to make the meaning obvious. Trivial details could be adjusted, deleted or added to make the meaning clearer. That's why a "story" is usually more interesting than a news account, because it can be fixed.

The composers of the Exodus story were not eyewitnesses to the events they describe. They got their facts from thememory of the community, concentrating on the commonly understood meaning of events. Then they told it in the most effective way they could.

For dramatic purposes, Moses first diplomatic encounter with the Pharaoh had to be impressive to the listeners without being impressive to the Pharaoh's court. Transforming staffs into serpents was inexplicable, but the Hebrew listeners had no doubt encountered similar illusions in their lives, so they knew it was conceivable. The story shows an escalation of the wonders of Moses' God until they exceed the capacities of the court magicians.

And rememeber, this is a very old story. Monotheism did not spring up fully formed. The composers may have believed that the Egyptian gods actually existed and supported their priests, as far as their inferior powers would permit. The essential meaning of the story is that the God of the Hebrews was supremely capable of extracting his chosen people from oblivion in another, dominant culture and nothing could stop him.

Literalists won't tolerate this explanation. Every word of scripture should be exact and unambigous, and should show no signs of a developing understanding of God. But without resorting to demons, evil spirits and other theological complications, the literalist interpretation fails.

Answer 3

Just like modern prestidigitation, their "magic" was illusion. They imitated God's miracles with their own parlor tricks. For example the staff turning into a snake - that was a common magician's trick (still is in some places) where they basically paralyze the snake in a rigid position, then it "becomes a snake" when it hits the ground (waking it up). But, God was going to make a mockery of their stunt by making Moses' staff into a snake and then that snake ate their snakes and the staff was then back in it's original form.

If you understand the culture, you will see that all of God's acts were essentially shoving what the Egyptians worshiped right in their face. He made reality what their magicians did with trickery and the plagues were all based on what the Egyptians worshiped.

Does this give any clarity?

Answer 4

you are correct that the magicians repeated or performed some of the miracles, but not all of them. And if you see that as a result Pharaohs heart was hardened because of it, I believe that God used those first miracles because he knew that the magicians could mock them through Satan's powers, but the goal was to show that he was God and so he began to send plagues that Pharaohs magicians could not duplicate, as to prove to an unbelieving nation the power of God.

Answer 5

Pharoah had access to the finest magicians and sorcerers in the land, so they were able to duplicate some of the miracles that Moses was performing. But there cam a point (like the plagues of flies and gnats and frogs) where they were unable to replicate the miracles.

The point was.....at first Pharoah was saying "These are not miracles of God...it's just trickery." But even when it was made clear to him in big ways (like turning the Nile einto a river of blood) Pharoah still did not believe, and his heart remained hard.

IMO the point is that to people who don't believe, even a miracle would not convince them. This is true today.

Answer 6

Wake up Ryan. They were in Egypt and if u study Egyptology, u'll learn that there is a science called Alchemy.

Check it out.

U should be asking why would God send Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the people go, after God admitted that he would harden the Pharaoh's heart. It seems as though God was wasting Moses' time.

Answer 7

One aspect of your query is a bit off.
"Every time Moses does something, he gets his magicians to do the exact same thing."
Not true.
Moses performed 10 'miracles' on Egypt.
The magicians were able to reproduce the first three.
Why?
It shows Satan is very powerful.
But even there, when the Egyptian magicians turned there staffs to snakes ....Moses' snake ate them up.
Ah! superiority.
The remaining 7 'plaques' or miracles were only done by Moses, no copy from the magicians.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Because the magicians did not serve the God of Israel. They were able to use trickery or some used satanic power because they worshiped false gods. It makes sense that if they were more powerful than the Lord God then why couldn't they stop the plagues, instead of just duplicating them? Because they had NO real power.

Answer 10

because they existed they were told not to be involved in them.

Deuteronomy 18[kjv]
9When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
11Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

JESUS loves you.Have u recieved JESUS for the forgiveness of your sins?

John 3:16[kjv] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

so when we believe in JESUS we have eternal life.JESUS lived a sinless life and gave up his life as a sacrifice so we can be sin free. Ask JESUS to come into your heart and forgive ur sins and cleanse ur past with the blood JESUS shed on the cross.

With a simple prayer like above u can be saved.JESUS loves u and wants u to be saved.