Faith Shifts

When Moses and Aaron return to Pharaoh, they are armed with a sign. Something that to them only God could do. When God was speaking to Moses at the burning bush and had him throw his staff down, to Moses surprise it turned into a snake, and he ran away. Moses knew he hadn’t done some trick, but that this was the finger of God. So when they go before Pharaoh it is armed with a confidence that God is going to show them something only He can do.

When Pharaoh told them to perform a miracle, Aaron threw his staff down, and it turned into a snake. The problem was Pharaoh called in his wise men and sorcerers. They did the same thing. I can only imagine what must have been going through the minds of those watching. How did Moses feel, knowing he had not made the staff turn into a snake but seeing this wasn’t about to convince Pharaoh that God was at work? And why had God done that one? Surely God knew this “proof” would seem to make the exact opposite point Moses was hoping they would make. We may not know what Pharaoh was thinking, but we can read his reaction. His heart became hard, and he would not listen.

And what about the people? Moses and Aaron had performed this same sign to the elders. There was already trouble in the ranks with Pharaoh increasing the workload. I’m sure this reaction didn’t increase their faith. Then there would have been the Egyptians probably thinking this God was no greater than their own. So why would God start there?

If we think this is bad, just wait. The Egyptian magicians were not only able to replicate the first plague-water to blood. They also were able to make frogs appear. So the first sign, as well as the first 2 plagues the magicians could do too. But here is the kicker. Plague 3-the gnats. Aaron stretched his staff out and struck the dust, and it became gnats. The magicians tried to do the same thing, but they could not. Then the very people making it seem like God was not as powerful as He claimed said, “This is the finger of God.” Those who had brought such doubt into the people’s minds were now proclaiming the power of God.

The thing about this story is it just keeps getting more phenomenal the whole way through. But there are moments. We read the about the signs and the first 3 plagues in about 2 chapters, but the people who lived through this are having to grapple with these things. For them it’s days if not weeks. Not a couple chapters read in a few minutes. There are times where the might of God is not readily apparent. So it’s good to read these stories. To know that sometimes what God is doing is not making sense, but He is working, and He is going to prove effective.

This is where the idea of Faith Maps comes in. Think about the first sign. This is hard, because it would have been in a moment Moses was really counting on the Lord to come through for him, and the magicians were able to do the exact same sign. But what happened? Aaron’s snake ate the others. In real time this may not seem like that big of a thing, but it is a small glimpse that God is supreme, and it’s important to hang onto these moments.

Then the first plague. Water to blood. The magicians were able to turn water to blood but did they do it to the same scale? The Bible says they did the same things, but it goes into great detail about what God did. He turned the Nile to blood. Even the water in their containers turned to blood. Even if the magicians could do the same kinds of things, it was not at the same level.

And then the second plague with the frogs. Again it’s a quantity thing. The thing is in both situations there were reasons to doubt or reasons to have faith. It’s very different living through a historical event than reading about it millennia later. And so the reason this becomes so important to change our perspectives in these situations is because it is easier sometimes to see the hardship. To be waiting on God to deliver, but to feel like His efforts, even sometimes when they are obvious, are not sufficient for the task. And it can be easy to not hold on in faith but to give up hope because it seems like His efforts are not making a big enough dent. That’s why it’s important to make our faith maps. To look and see, and then to remember what God is doing in our situations. Sometimes it may seem small at first, but He will come through.