Observation: As the great confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh begins, we see that "magicians" are able to replicate the first three acts of Moses and Aaron by "their secret arts". They are able to turn a staff into a snake, turn water to blood, and cause frogs to invade inland. However, this is where it ends; They cannot recreate an infestation of gnats.
At first, they seems like a confusing place to draw the line ... gnats. The truth is that the first actions of the magicians were mere deceptions. One can use illusions to make a staff appear like a snake, or to make water seem red, especially when observers are predisposed to seeing such illusions because someone else has just done something similar. In addition, there are ways to influence animal behavior that is not magic at all, and thus driving frogs from the river into homes is doable.
However, a massive number of gnats - which will land on people and animals - is an act of creation. It requires a manifestation of nature that interacts with people. Only the Lord creates.
When the miracles could be simulated by manipulating either the perception of people or the behavior of animals, "magicians" had "secret arts" to do such simulations. However, when the miracle involves the powers of creation and nature in a manner that physically impacts people, only God can do it.
Application: Some if this represents the dangers in the world today, how those who deceive mankind do actually manipulate the physical and natural world to do so. However, they do so with known intervention. More dangerous are those who deceive by manipulating the minds of others, whose "magic" is actually leveraging human psychology to convince others of lies, and make them believe that the fake things they are showing others are the same as the real things the Lord shows us all.
I am so getting tired of talking about these sorts of topics - about how the evil of this world has stolen the truth and replaced it with lies that "look and sound" and same, but are hollow and fake. May the deceived soon open their eyes and recognize that the deceivers are only creating lies, and even then they can only do so in the most simple matters.
Prayer: Lord, may our society rediscover your truth, your authority, and your love. Amen.
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