Mensa Otabil - The Sorcerers' Response (10/18/2025)
Exodus chapter 7, verse 11: But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers, so the magicians of Egypt did likewise with their enchantments. It’s getting interesting; Pharaoh is basically saying, «You have authorization and validation; I also have people with authorization and validation who will show their credentials, and you can compare notes more or less.»
In Pharaoh’s court, there are different levels of courtiers, and the Bible talks about three groups. First is the wise men, then the sorcerers, and finally the magicians. The Hebrew term translated as wise men refers to royal advisers, such as political advisors, who counsel Pharaoh. Then, it talks about sorcerers, who are people that concoct potions from herbs and plants and perform their works with these materials. The magicians, on the other hand, are those who have mastered reciting spells, casting them, and activating the gods to work.
These groups surround Pharaoh, but apparently, all of them, aside from their various roles, also have the ability to influence things. Pharaoh sees what Moses has done, and he tells his courtiers to show this guy that they also have power. So, they did the same thing that Moses had done; they cast down their rods, supposedly, and they also turned into snakes. It is likely that the magicians of Pharaoh were accustomed to these things; probably they even competed among themselves to see who could catch Pharaoh’s eye more impressively. For them, this was a normal and spiritual power play.
The important lesson we learn here is that there is a counterfeit to God’s power; it exists alongside God’s true power. Pharaoh is not worshiping the God who made heaven and earth, nor the same God that Moses worships, but his people are performing some feats. There is always a counterfeit. Another aspect to note is that not all supernatural acts are from God. Sometimes, we are easily swayed when we see people demonstrate something, whether it’s a prediction that comes true or a successful action, leading many Christians to declare it must be from God just because it works. We must find some other way to validate that something is truly from God, apart from merely its effectiveness.
If «it works» is the only way to determine something is from God, then many things that work cannot be from God. This is illustrated here: Moses has worked miracles, and these magicians, sorcerers, and wise men have also accomplished extraordinary feats. To all intents and purposes, if you were watching, it would seem they produced the same results. However, the passage clearly states that they did that with their enchantments, making incantations, declarations, and then, voila, something happened.
The critical lesson for every Christian is that there are other ways to validate the work of God beyond simply saying it works, or that it blessed me, or that I felt good about it, or even that I saw it with my own two eyes. Yes, you may have witnessed it, and it may have solved a problem of yours, but what was the source of the power? Is it an enchantment outside of God or is it by God’s Spirit and God’s authorization? May the Lord help us discern correctly regarding the acts we see around us.
Let us pray. Say with me: Heavenly Father, help me to rightly discern between what is right and what is wrong, the right spirit and the wrong spirit. In Jesus' name, amen.