Sunday: God vs. gods
Daily Lesson for Sunday 20th of July 2025
Read Exodus 7:8-15. What lessons are here in this first confrontation between the God of the Hebrews and the gods of Egypt?
The upcoming battles were going to be between the living God and the Egyptian “gods.” What made things worse was that Pharaoh considered himself to be one of those gods.
Image © S. M. Davis at Goodsalt.com
The Lord did not fight against the Egyptians, or even Egypt per se, but against their deities (the Egyptians venerated more than 1,500 gods and goddesses). The biblical text is explicit: “On all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord” (Exodus 12:12, ESV). Later, it is once again emphasized, this time when Israel’s journey from Egypt was recounted: “The Lord had brought judgment on their gods” (Numbers 33:4, NIV).
An example of this judgment on their gods was well demonstrated by the miracle of the rod turning into a serpent (Exodus 7:9-12). In Egypt, the Uraeus goddess Wadjet was personified by a cobra and represented sovereign power over lower Egypt. The symbol of a cobra appeared in Pharaoh’s crown, a sign of his power, deity, royalty, and divine authority, because this goddess would spit venom at Pharaoh’s enemies. The Egyptians also believed that the sacred serpent would guide the Pharaoh to his afterlife.
When Aaron’s staff became a snake and ate all the other serpents before the king, the supremacy of the living God over Egyptian magic and sorcery was manifested. Not only was the emblem of Pharaoh’s might conquered, but Aaron and Moses clutched it in their hands (Exodus 7:12,15). The initial confrontation demonstrated God’s power and lordship over Egypt. Moses, as God’s representative, had greater authority and power than did the “god” Pharaoh himself.
It is also significant that the ancient Egyptians considered a snake god, Nehebkau (“he who harnesses the spirits”), to be sacred, adored, and worshiped. According to their mythology, this serpent god had great power because he swallowed seven cobras. Thus, God communicated to the Egyptians that He, not the serpent god, has sovereign power and authority. After such a powerful confrontation, they were able to understand this message immediately and distinctly.
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How can we allow the Lord to have sovereignty over any of the “gods” seeking supremacy in our lives? |
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“God executed judgment against the Egyptian gods” (Exod.12:12, Numbers 33:4). How could God execute judgment on lifeless idols made of stone or wood? In essence, God was not striking at these lifeless gods but at their purported power and authority. May it be noted that God’s plagues were not random events but a direct strike at a specific Egyptian deity (gods), which controlled certain aspects of Egyptian lives. For instance:
a) Hapi – god of the Nile: defeated when the Nile turned to blood.
b) Heqet – goddess with a frog head: mocked through the plague of frogs.
c) Ra – sun god: darkness overwhelmed the land.
d) Pharaoh himself – believed to be divine: his own household suffered loss.
Therefore, God’s judgment was meant to discredit and expose the powerlessness of these "gods" and demonstrate that He alone is God. May it be further noted that God was challenging the belief systems and spiritual powers behind idol worship. Through the plagues, God was executing judgment on the Egyptian economy, climate, livestock, crops, and even its firstborn, and hence showing that their gods were deceptive and impotent.
The Exodus story is a vivid and graphic demonstration that there is only one God (Yahweh) who is sovereign above all earthly powers (Exodus 15:11). Only this God has the power to redeem. He alone deserves worship and trust.
“For at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:14, NKJV)
Some thoughts from today's lesson:
(1) The sign of the rod turned serpent was first experienced by Moses, then by Israel's leaders, and finally it was brought to Pharaoh. This tells me that our testimony begins with our own personal, life-changing, turning-point conversation we've had with God, then we share out what God has done for us to increase our own faith and cause us to believe. We have an experience with God, we share it in public testimony with His people (baptism), and then out to the world.
(2) Interestingly, when looking at the Hebrew Bible translation, the serpent/rod miracle was apparently slightly different for God's covenant people than it was for Pharaoh. The Hebrew word "tannin" is used for the serpent miracle in front of Pharaoh, and "tannin" means "great sea serpent" (Ps.74:13; Eze. 29:3). So perhaps the rod became a crocodile? Snakes and cobras were gods in Egypt, but the crocodile, or similar creature, was a symbol of Egypt itself....because the Nile was seen as the bringer of life. In contrast, when we read about God's miracle before Moses and the Israelite leaders, the rod was turned into a "nachash", meaning "serpent" or "fleeing serpent". Perhaps fleeing land serpent spoke more to the Hebrew heart because of the prophecy way back in the Garden of Eden that God's seed would be victorious over the serpent's seed (Gen. 3:14-15). My takeaway from this is that God gives us experiences that are uniquely suited to us personally to shatter the gods we have placed above Him.
(3) The magicians of Egypt were able to turn their rods into serpents, also. Satan can do works that mimic God's. Apparent false miracles are part of Satan's weaponry (2 Thess. 2:9-10). Miracles point to the supernatural, but miracles don't by themselves prove whether it's from good or evil spirits, or the truth. I know someone who was once a believer in Jesus who saw a dog come back to life through the use of "magical" stones and crystals and refers in awe to that as a proof for his pagan beliefs. I think Satan provides reasons to doubt and harden the human heart if a person is looking for loopholes in God's Word (Rom. 1:21). I'm grateful Jesus gave us advice about how to know if a miracle is from God or not in Matt. 7:15-20. If we want to be faithful to God, He will provide signs to show that He is more powerful than evil and through faith we can watch Him swallow up the false gods we once gave power to in our lives, swallow up our idols and sins.
God’s judgment on Egypt was not just directed at Pharaoh or the people, but at the spiritual forces behind their idolatry. The ten plagues were a deliberate confrontation between Yahweh and the so called gods of Egypt. With each plague targeting specific deity 'governing'nature and daily life. Whether it was the Nile turning to blood (against Hapi, god of the Nile) or the darkness that fell over Egypt (against Ra, the sun god), the message was unmistakable: these idols had no power. The LORD exposed them as powerless frauds, revealing that behind their worship lurked demons masquerading as divine. As Paul said, “What pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God” (1 Corinthians 10:20). The plagues stripped away the illusion of control and forced Egypt—and Israel—to see that there is only one true God.
Each sign performed through Moses was a testimony to God’s unmatched sovereignty. While Egypt’s gods claimed to rule over specific domains, Yahweh revealed that He alone commands all of creation. 1 Timothy 6:15 declares, He “is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” This confrontation between God and the false gods was not just an ancient battle; it speaks to every generation. We, too, are tempted to trust in modern idols money, power, self but God still works to expose them as vain and empty as He alone is worthy of our worship. The LORD will surely not share His glory with another and that all spiritual deception will ultimately be unmasked by the truth of who He is.
How can we allow the Lord to have sovereignty over any of the “gods” seeking supremacy in our lives?
Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
Helen the bible says be born again of the Spirit, and with water immersion. John 3:1-21. The immersion part was by example of Christ not the exact wording, for those who are literalist of words of the Bible all the time. Ezekiel 36:25-26 tells us what choosing baptism does to us, and Christ exemplified it by immersion. Matthew 3:13-17
We strengthen our faith by the Word of God, His promises encourage us. If we live out His life within us from day to day obeying His statues and precepts, we will be strong through trials and temptation now, and especially later when the devil is working harder to wrangle us from Christ. He can't, we are promised, if we stay in close connection to God, using His power to do so, maintaining our sovereignty in Christ.
Romans 8:37-39.
Philippians 2:13.
2 Timothy 1:7-8.
The following link leads us to review of our 1st love, thus maintaining our sovereignty in Christ. Also giving this link to a friend seeking Christ, gives us peace(joy) that passeth all understanding, especially on the day of their baptism. Is not that sovereignty in Christ rather than pride?
https://inlightofthecross.com/in-light-of-the-cross-bible-study-guides-with-new-living-translation/
Now if you are looking for the way to heaven to also be sovereign in Christ, you should read the whole of chapter 73 of The Desire of Ages pages 262 through 280. Is not the way to heaven being Sovereign in Christ?
"As Christ was speaking these words, the glory of God was shining from His countenance, and all present felt a sacred awe as they listened with rapt attention to His words. Their hearts were more decidedly drawn to Him; and as they were drawn to Christ in greater love, they were drawn to one another. They felt that heaven was very near, and that the words to which they listened were a message to them from their heavenly Father." The Desire of Ages 664.3.
John 14:1-3
John 14:9-11.
God's vs. gods
I am glad that we serve a God that is able to clearly demonstrate His claim. We can see the manifestation of His power and might in life. We celebrate the victories we have daily by the workings of the Holy Spirit. Yes, there is evil in high places and its advancing as life advances, so we do not see rods turning into snakes any longer but greater is He that is in me than he that is the world 1John 4:4. God's people will always triumph!
The question is raised in today's lesson; "How can we allow the Lord to have sovereignty over any of the “gods” seeking supremacy in our lives?"
It is simple, yet difficult. We must totally surrender our entire life to the supremacy of the "One True God." In the world surrender is a symbol for defeat. In Christianity it's a symbol of victory. We can heartily sing in church, "I Surrender All," but do we really mean it?
It's a frightening thing to totally surrender. The fear is removed when you know the One you are surrendering to has a better plan for your life than you do.
Let us grow to know and trust him more.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he shall flee from you.
If you’ve ever wondered whether we are truly engaged in spiritual warfare, just pause and remember the signs and wonders God used to reveal His power to the His people and the Egyptian king and his magicians — mighty acts that testified to His Presence and Sovereignty in all affairs of man; the same power that raised our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Spirit of God does not hide His Truth from us. He gently, but clearly, warns us: there is a battle! But in that same breath, He reassures us — we are not left vulnerable! Ephesians 6:10–18 directs us to put on the full armor of God, not crafted by human hands, but forged by divine strength for the trials we face.
We are called to live deeply rooted in God’s Faith, Truth, and Righteousness. These are not just lofty virtues — they are spiritual weapons, not our own, but gifts from the heart of God. When we walk by faith, clinging to His Truth shaped by His Righteousness, we begin to see the quiet miracle of a changed life — one that honors Him, reflects His Word, and bears witness to His Presence in a broken world.
"How can we allow the Lord to have sovereignty over any of the “gods” seeking supremacy in our lives?" - This question at the very end of this day's study, has a very essential journey of thought for us to consider.
The human nature towards "self worship" is well explained in the hebrew concept of "yetzer hara" (inclination towards evil), which is really the birth place of this "small god complex" that deters our attention to Jehovah.
The problem in heaven that affected Lucifer, is not very different from the situation we face today. The tendency of great success and dependence in the work of our hands, - many times -, dangerously inclines us to self-worship status (make a name for ourselves); and as these piquant feelings slither or creep into our hearts, we subconsciously challenge God's authority.
Hebrew ,again, has a perfect word for this - "avodah zarah" meaning "strange or idol worship", the kind of worship that hides in plain sight and diverts our complete surrender to God's supremacy. It is so easy to find ourselves in "strange worship".
To answer the question at the end, then, there is a need for us to resort to deeper interrogation of our relationship with God just to confirm who is really in-charge. The surrender to God must be deliberate, intentional (on purpose - Daniel 1:8; Ezra 7:10) and we must be conscious that sin is always "crouching at the door, desiring to control us, and that we must rule over it (Genesis 4:7).
Self-worship is a real danger, it hardens hearts (like Lucifer, Pharaoh or even Herod Agrippa). Lets take the question in mind, and see how we could inspect ourselves then find what ails us - search and destroy. Let's allow God to take back the controls.
The sign of the rod/snake wasn't just a display of "magic" it had huge significance.
Aaron throws down his rod. The rod turns into a snake. Pharaoh's magicians throw down their rods, they all turn into snakes. Aaron's snake eats the magician's snakes. Aaron picks up his "rod/snake" and it turns back into a rod.
THE SYMBOL OF THE SNAKE
Egypt’s monuments and tombs are filled with depictions of snakes—coiled, crowned, and sacred, rearing up symbols on the Pharaoh's crown, etc.
The serpent, in fact, appears everywhere in human history, in every land, and ancient culture. Not only on the Eurasian continent but also in America, Mexico, Australia, countries separated by oceans, we find the veneration of the serpent.
Serpents had a huge role as symbols of power, death and life, renewal and destruction, fear and wisdom, endings and beginnings.
How did the snake become such a prominent symbol across the whole globe? Honored in Australia as the "rainbow" serpent, while Mesoamerican texts, such as the Codex Borgia, include detailed illustrations of feathered serpents involved in rituals. The ancient Aztec built pyramids in such a way, it looks like a snake sliding down the steps during equinox.
As Bible believers I think we have the answer as to why the serpent was/is part of every culture.
Genesis 3:4,5 And the serpent said unto the woman...ye shall be as gods
Rev. 12:9 And the great dragon...that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world:
The sign was the first in the battle to determine who is the REAL God.
The sign was not so much in the fact that Aaron's rod turned into a serpent.
God could have easily stopped the magician's rods from turning into serpents, but he allowed them to draw on their source of power to do the same.
The sign came, when Aaron's rod swallowed all the other serpents. God was using the Egyptian's own belief system as to what "god" is the greater. When Aaron's rod/serpent swallowed up the other serpents, it was a clear sign that the Hebrew's God was the Great God.
Thank you so much for that background explanation, Ulrike! It adds so much to the lesson.
It's good to see you here again. 😊
Thank you Ulrike , I have missed your knowledgable information and insights.