that you would help us to that end. And so please send your Holy Spirit in a special way that you would sanctify the words that come from this pulpit and use them for your glory and for the good of every soul gathered here tonight. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Well it's not that Moses and Aaron would have taken it upon themselves to go to Pharaoh and confront him. But when they do go, it's very clear that they're not there representing themselves. They're sent by God to represent him, sent there by Yahweh. And I will use Yahweh to refer to the almighty God, the one true God. There is no other God. I'm a little more comfortable personally using Yahweh than Jehovah, maybe not for any particular reason, but throughout the sermon, I'll interchange Yahweh with God and with the Lord. But Moses and Aaron are sent by Yahweh to confront Pharaoh. First of all, to tell him to let the people go, to let Israel go. And secondly, to show Pharaoh by signs that Yahweh is God, sending him a message. Sending the message to Pharaoh that he doesn't have a chance. He doesn't stand a chance against God. He will not be able to ultimately resist God's command to let the people go. Yahweh was God, the infinite, unmatched God, the God of Israel. And so Moses and Aaron were given these instructions not only to show the Egyptians and Pharaoh who was God, but to remind Israelites that their God was this great Yahweh. Yahweh. There's an interesting dynamic here back in chapter four, after God grants Moses a sidekick, or I should say his companion Aaron, sidekick, I didn't mean to be irreverent, to be his spokesman. God provides Aaron for him and he says that he, Moses, will be like God to Aaron. And so God will give Moses the words, God will act as, or Moses will act as God, and Aaron is to speak what Moses gives him. We come to our passage and we discover that now Moses is to be like God to Pharaoh. Now that they're going down into Egypt, he's to act in God's place. He's a mediator, you might say, on behalf of God, and now to Pharaoh. Now again, he's supposed to bring a message along with signs, and there will be resistance on the part of Pharaoh. And we see a conflict. Yes, we do have a conflict. Scripture is filled with conflicts. The first level we see is that there is a conflict between the Israelites and the Egyptians, although there's not much going on between them at this point. We will see a conflict between Aaron and the magicians. We'll see a conflict between Moses and Pharaoh. But behind all this, or I should say above all this, is the conflict of God with a kingdom of darkness. And we'll see that pan out. You see, it's really God against all that sets itself up against God in heaven and earth as represented by Pharaoh and by the Egyptians and all the heathen world with the devil at the fore. That is the true conflict here. And again, it's all that Israel would know who their God is and that Egypt would know who the real God is. In our passage, we have a sign of the serpents. Moses and Aaron go down to Pharaoh. And Moses has given his staff to Aaron. Now it's Moses' staff, or was Moses' staff. It's Aaron's staff, but we understand that ultimately it's God's staff. It's Yahweh's staff. And they go down into the presence of Pharaoh. And as Moses has seen before, when the staff is thrown down, it turns into a serpent. It turns into a serpent. I don't know about you. I'm not big on snakes. Some people like snakes. I'm not big on snakes. They're a cool creation of God, but I like to keep them at a distance. Maybe I'm a little traumatized by trying to fish in North Carolina bogs that were infested with snakes. Some like snakes, generally domestic snakes. Just saw a picture of an acquaintance the other day with a huge, huge snake around his neck and around his arms. But those are constrictors, they're not poisonous snakes. What we have here are these poisonous snakes. They're not the cuddly kind. If you can have a cuddly snake, they're poisonous snakes, at least as if we understand them as matching the Egyptian asps, poisonous snakes, cobras, we would call them. The people of Egypt feared these asps, these snakes, these cobras. They feared them and they also revered them. There is an ancient prayer or ancient chant from Egypt to a serpent goddess named Wadjet. You can find this in different commentaries. You can find it on the internet. It, I guess, was a very popular prayer. And here it is. It's to this serpent goddess Wadjet. Oh great one, oh magician, fiery snake, let there be terror of me like the terror of thee. Let there be fear of me like fear of thee. Let there be awe of me like awe of thee. Let me rule a leader of the living. Let me be powerful, a leader of spirits. And so these snakes were revered in Egypt. They were used by Pharaoh to instill fear in others. Remember the symbolism of the cobra all over the place on Pharaoh's own headdress and many other places throughout Egypt to strike fear into the people, into their own people and into anyone who would want to be their enemies. And so Aaron throws down the staff and it turns into a serpent. But then along come these magicians or magi, actually, they could be called, who have secret arts. And they come along and they throw down their staffs. And through their dark arts, they manage to reproduce what had just happened. Now, they may have tricks up their sleeves, but I don't think we should underestimate the powers of darkness and the spiritual realm. These are men who are immersed in spiritism and magic and sorcery. And so, they may have well conjured up some evil things with the power of darkness behind it to try to match God's miracle here. And you'll notice that there are many of these snakes. But we can picture this, that with all them slithering around, that God's snake, God's serpent sucks them up one after another, just consumes them one by one. Such great symbolism there of the mighty God consuming and destroying all that's false, showing his power over all things. Supreme God Yahweh, supreme, the only true God. Showing that all the little contrived gods of man All the little gods that Egypt had given themselves over to, that they were consumed by, that they were obsessed with, are all nothing in comparison to God. And though they may have had the backing of godless ignorance and even the backing of the wisest Egyptians, even though they might be able to mimic the works of God to some degree through their dark magic, they're all swallowed up. made nothing by the power of God, the Almighty God. And here, Pharaoh, esteemed by others and by himself, has proven to be no match, no match for the mighty God. Of all people, Bob Dylan has a song about Christ's return, and I love the phrase that he has in there, the iron hand, probably referring to Psalm 2, the iron hand ain't no match for the iron rod of God. The strongest wall will crumble and fall at the hand of a mighty God." Well, this little incident is just the beginning. This is sort of a prelude to war. Prelude to war. That's how I'm understanding our passage tonight. It's just a prelude to something far greater, far more powerful in Exodus on the earth, but also that represents something far more profound. We have this confrontation. The scene is set for a spectacular display of God's power that will climax in the destruction of Pharaoh and his people. I know that Exodus is sort of, even the title is somewhat of a spoiler. We know what's going to happen. This is the prelude to what's going to happen, the destruction of the evil forces and the deliverance of God's people. And we'll see this confrontation as we'll see false god after false god, including Pharaoh himself, God picking them off one by one, showing their smallness and exalting himself. That's what we're going to see. And as we move forward into the plagues, I'm going to try to show that I think we all know that each one of these things that God attacks are gods of Egypt. And he's going to take them down one by one. And so we'll look at what that means in real time as the Egyptians and the Israelites experience it. But we'll also try to discern if we can recognize any of these types of gods in our own culture today. And I'll try my best to address them. But I intend to take it further. to see if there's any of these kinds of false gods or anything that reflects any of these false gods in our own lives that need to be taken down. God will strike the gods of our hearts, and we need to cast them down, for he will. What happens when people and cultures embrace false gods? I think this is a good time to read Psalm 115. If you want to turn there or just listen. Glory to God first, then the irrationality of worshiping false gods. Not unto us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness. Why should the nation say, where is their God? Our God is in the heavens. He does all that he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see. They have ears but do not hear, noses but do not smell. They have hands but do not feel, feet but do not walk. And they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them. So to all who trust in them. Oh, Israel, trust in the Lord. He is their help and their shield. Oh, house of Aaron, trust in the Lord. He is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord. He is their help and their shield. And we'll end there. emphasizing not only the glory of God there, but the foolishness of idols and false gods. What happens when people have false gods? They become like them. And false gods are dead and lifeless. Israel will see what God will do. Israel will see the breathtaking awe of God while he preserves them. Egypt will see firsthand the destruction that comes to those who worship false gods. What we have in Egypt is, at least in part, explained in Romans 1. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth for what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. It's exactly what they were doing. Very literally with all these little creepy little gods that they created, God gives them over. Israel needs to see the danger of that kind of behavior. Egypt needs to know that they need to repent of that kind of behavior and worship Yahweh alone. And so we'll go through these Plagues that address these gods. I won't list them together because I'm not going to preach each one of the plagues and break it up into parts, but here's the 10. The Nile River, the frogs, the gnats, the flies, the cattle, the boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and then death of the firstborn. God in each one addressing the false gods of Egypt. ultimately for His glory, that they might know that He, Yahweh, is God. And all will see the undeniable response of God to heathens and to the hardness of the hearts of their Pharaoh. And some will harden their hearts still, and others will see and believe If I understand what happens later correctly, even some Egyptians will be part of that mixed multitude that become part of the Exodus, part of the covenant people of God. Apparently, they at least see and believe. We'll see how much they appreciate what God does for them. It's remaining to be seen. But all of this points to something far bigger. It always does in Scripture. there is this major clash between Yahweh and all falsehood and all evil. It's most clearly manifested when Jesus comes to earth. And that's where we see the clash of Jesus and the devil and all the powers of darkness. And you keep in mind the serpent and it goes back to the serpent, right? We're told, we're told that God will provide one. The serpent will strike his heel. See the passion, but he will crush the serpent's head. That's the big conflict. That's the ultimate conflict. That's where Yahweh proves himself to be the God of his people. When Jesus comes and crushes the head of the evil one, the victory of the cross and the resurrection, the glory of God, shown when Jesus conquers sin, Satan and death itself. So one day, the kingdom of darkness will be swallowed up in its own darkness through the wrath of God. This conflict, in one sense, had a major climax in the time of Christ, but there's still more to come. Darkness will be swallowed up And the world will see, the whole world will see. God's people see now, but one day all will see. We'll see that the false pitiful gods man has contrived, at best were empty idols. In reality, items of darkness. Whatever those idols may be, religion, things, status, all consumed. proven to be of no lasting value, but of tremendous damage to those who put their trust in them. It will all be made clear. And we will all see Christ. We'll all see Christ, and every knee will bow and every tongue confess. And those who have given their lives to worship other gods, false gods, who've denied Christ, will undoubtedly say to themselves, what have I done? What have I done? I've invested my life in things that pass. I've rejected almighty God. I have turned my back on Yahweh. I have rejected Jesus Christ. What have I done? We'll be swallowed up in wrath. But the people of God will say, behold my Lord and my God. Beholding the glory of Christ. Recognizing that he is the one that spared me from the plagues that could have come upon my soul. Delivered me from my slavery and bondage to sin. the one who brought me safe through a sea of troubles and escorted me into the promised land. And now I will worship him forever and ever. I guess in the meantime, we need to ask, how much do we appreciate it now? How much do we appreciate that delivery now? I trust that it's our desire that our appreciation would be displayed in deeply grateful lives, dedicated to Yahweh, the one true and living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let's pray. Almighty God, we thank you so much for your great mercy, so undeserved by sinners like us. We've so often been prone to wander, so often cling to false gods, idols in our lives, things that amount to nothing, things that are passing, things that distract us from you, things that will all be consumed one day. Lord, pray that you would help us to keep our eyes fixed on you, things that are lasting, things that remain. storing up treasures in heaven, serving you well here with great thankfulness for the deliverance we know in Christ. Always with our eyes fixed on the eternal glory yet to come, when our Savior reigns for all eyes to see, as every knee will bow and every tongue confess. For we long for that day, we look to that day, but even now we thank you for the great deliverance that you've provided for us. And we come to you in the name of Jesus. Amen.