here are many unexplainable things in our world; however, most of us would recognize that there is a realm beyond what we consider to be natural. TV shows like the X Files illustrate our fascination with things we cannot understand, yet try to put labels onto. We speak of the ‘supernatural’, or ‘psychic phenomena’, but most of us believe that there is at least an element of truth in superstitions and the practices of voodoo, witchcraft, magic, clairvoyance, destiny, etc. Scientists throughout the decades have tried to analyze and even to harness such experiences. Experiments have been done on people who seemed to have the power to move objects with their minds, and many thousands of instantaneous healings are claimed by as many people. Others, seeking answers to unexplainable phenomena are turning to the illusive idea that alien beings are interfering periodically into human history.
The Bible talks about miracles and signs. We might call these ‘supernatural phenomena’. We humans are extremely arrogant in how we define things sometimes. We consider that anything we cannot do ‘naturally’, must be ‘supernatural’. We make ourselves the measure of what is natural in the created order. But did we create this order? We are not capable of creating even one blade of grass; indeed, if someone did we would call it ‘supernatural’. But our Creator is outside of His created order, and He can rearrange the atoms at any time and in any way He likes. Nature may and does reflect the nature of God’s creativity, but God is not a part of nature in the sense that nature is a manifestation of God. The painting may portray something about the painter, however, the artist remains outside of his creation; he is not lost within it.
Also, there are forces beyond the visible spectrum which are recognised in every culture in our world. These forces are referred to as spirits, demons, evil spirits, familiars, angels, etc. There have been millions of claims that these beings have interfered into the lives of ordinary people throughout the history of humanity, and it seems clear that these creatures also have at least a limited power to change the natural order that God designed for this world.
The story of Moses and Aaron going into Egypt and performing miraculous signs is thought by some to be fantasy, and by others to be absolute truth. For the Jews it is simply historical, however, many modern Jews would likely question the accuracy of the story in regards to the miraculous signs Moses is said to have done. In this story God is not portrayed as the only one who has the power to control nature, but Israel’s God has a rival who can match Him, at least for a while. The writer has not portrayed Jehovah God as the only power, or claimed that all other socalled gods are impotent. The ancient Egyptians were experts in many forms of witchcraft, and some of these forms still survive in African countries. The Bible suggests that until the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross, demonic beings had great power, but since His resurrection their power is limited.
The story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt is to an extent about a spiritual war between God and the gods of that country.1 If God was not involved in the release of Israel from slavery, then perhaps we are forced to ask the question “What would convince an arrogant despot to release two million slaves?” There was no military revolt or coup; the Jewish slaves were helpless to fight against the trained armies of this mighty world power. And yet Pharaoh eventually let them go. God fought for them because they were His people, and He had made promises to their forefathers. This was not a war between Egypt and Israel, for Israel had no army, no weapons and no opportunity to fight. This was a war between a demonically inspired despot, Pharaoh, a man who was convinced of his own divinity, and almighty God.
Moses and Aaron went to the palace of Pharaoh and gave him God’s ultimatum to release the Israelites. Pharaoh challenges them to perform a miracle. Pharaoh wants to see exactly what he is dealing with; he wants to ascertain the level of power that these two possess. Notice that he didn’t ask them if they had an army, he is more concerned about powers that he may not be able to counter or control. When Aaron performed a miraculous sign, the Pharaoh summoned his magicians who were able to perform similar things. In most cases the signs of Moses are more potent than those of the Egyptian magicians; however, the fact that His magicians are able to perform them hardens the Pharaoh’s heart. What is also interesting is that the miraculous signs which Moses and his brother Aaron perform are often associated with the gods of Egypt. In this sense God was showing Pharaoh, the Egyptians, and Israelites, that he had power over their so-called gods. The Jews lived in one particular area of Egypt, and God showed His specific directives in that none of the plagues affected the Jews.
The Egyptians worshipped their Nile River considering it to be sacred, somewhat like the Hindu beliefs concerning the Ganges River. From the Nile God brings plagues of blood, a reminder to Pharaoh of the innocent lives he destroyed in these waters. God also brings a plague of frogs which entered the houses of the Egyptians. Egyptians worshipped frogs, so God used these beliefs as a curse against them. Every time God brought a plague upon Egypt the Pharaoh would agree to release the Jews, and then after the threat was gone he changed his mind. During this spiritual conflict some of the Egyptian magicians and officials lose confidence in their Pharaoh. When God warns them of a hailstorm that will devastate their animals and crops, many of the Egyptians get their livestock under cover. The Egyptians tell their Pharaoh that they are convinced that God is with Moses, however, they only come to this realization when they are unable to perform the same supernatural signs as God is performing. Such is the arrogance of the human heart.
God brings total darkness over Egypt for a period of three days and although this brings great fear to the people, Pharaoh still hardened his heart and refused to let the people go. On the last visit of Moses to Pharaoh, the Egyptian king loses his temper and threatens to kill Moses if he sees him again. It is at this meeting that Moses gives him a final ultimatum. Moses isn’t intimidated by this powerful man. He tells him that God will go throughout Egypt and every firstborn son of the Egyptians will die, from the greatest to the least, including Pharaoh’s own son. Moses also prophesied that the Egyptians would give their Jewish slaves gold, silver and other treasures.
Moses told the Jews that God would pass over their homes and their firstborn would be spared if
they followed very specific instructions. This event came to be known as The Passover, for obvious reasons, and is still celebrated in Israel today as the
event which finally brought the freedom of the Jewish people from slavery.However, Passover had much deeper significance. God gave the Jewish people instructions which were symbols for all future generations, symbols pointing to the person of Jesus Christ, His death, and sacri
fice for sin. For those in Egypt at this time these symbols were mysteries without meaning, but like God’s testing of Abraham, they were given so that we might know the truth about, and reasons for, God becoming a human being in the person of Christ. These symbols are guidelines to salvation, markers on the road to paradise. The symbols begin with directions about the human condition and then move on to the solution for dealing with that condition. In the next chapter we will see these symbols come alive as we interpret them in the light of history.