But, once again the Enemy was able to essentially duplicate the sign through the Egyptian magicians. The power of dead religion is overwhelming, when Satan is permitted by God to work signs and lying wonders. And, make no mistake about the fact that we are encountering one of Satan’s greatest ploys. C. H. Mackintosh states this in no uncertain terms.
In marking the forms of Satan’s opposition to the truth of God, we find that his method has ever been, first, to oppose it by violence; and then, if that did not succeed, to corrupt it by producing a counterfeit. Hence, he first sought to slay Moses (chap. 2:15), and having failed to accomplish his purpose, he sought to imitate his works.[1]
Exodus 8:8-19- The First Turning Point in this Spiritual Battle
8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.
9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?
10 And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.
11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.
12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.
13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.
14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.
15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, 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 smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
18 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.
19 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.
The first detail that we notice as we continue is pharaoh’s willingness to lie to Moses and to Moses’ God. In verse 8 he plainly states that if Moses can get rid of the frogs ‘I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.’
In answering pharaoh’s request Moses plants an additional suggestion in pharaoh’s mind by suggesting that he (pharaoh) specify a particular time when the LORD will rid Egypt of the frogs, thus making it absolutely clear that there really is a God behind Moses’ demands to let the Hebrew people go.
9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?
10 And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.
Pharaoh says that the deliverance from the frogs should be ‘tomorrow.’ Basically, what this identifies for us is that pharaoh set the terms himself regarding what would convince him that Moses really is representing a God that is the true One making the demands, not merely Moses and Aaron. This means that if his own pre-set requirements are met, that he will finally agree that Moses’ God is to be obeyed. Moses specifically says to pharaoh, ‘Be it according to thy word.’
12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.
13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.
14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.
15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
In these remaining verses from our passage, we simply watch as Moses entreats the LORD to rid Egypt of the frogs according to the timetable established by pharaoh himself. The LORD does so, and we are given the added detail that, ‘they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.’ This is an indictment of Egypt’s false deities. While pharaoh’s magicians could bring forth frogs, they were utterly unable to get rid of them. One would certainly think that if these men[2] could summon frogs in league with some supposed god, that the same supposed god could remove them as well. But when any false deity is in a battle against the true and living God, there will be no contest.
This provides a sort of turning point because it establishes emphatically that pharaoh [Egypt] is not to be trusted. The LORD had made this clear to Moses previously, but now it is not a concept to be aware of, but a dangerous reality to rightly understand. And, it is significant to notice that pharaoh's own magicians were entirely unable to bring forth lice upon Egypt, even though they implored their 'gods' to enable them. Pay particular attention to their emphatic statement to pharaoh in verse 19:
Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God…
The Hebrew word translated 'God' in their statement to pharaoh is elohim, a word we most often take to refer only to the true and living God. But it is used to refer to other entities throughout the OT as well.[4]
Our final verse reveals that pharaoh was not a ‘man of his word.’ He was in league with Satan, the Father of lies.[3]This clear departure from his own stipulations makes it clear that those whose god is the Devil [in whatever form he may take] cannot ever be trusted.
[1] Mackintosh, pp. 174-175.
[2] Jannes and Jambres according to 2 Timothy 3:8.
[3] John 8:44.
[4] Hebrew scholars make this point emphatically. The word is NOT to be understood in our passage as evidence that these magicians were knowingly referring to the true God.