Snakes on the Plain

Exodus 7:8-13

So God instructs Moses and Aaron to go before Pharoah and if you're challenged for a miracle, throw down your staffs- and when you do, they'll turn into snakes. This seems like a pretty good trick- except that when Pharaoh calls on his own magicians, they can do the same thing.

This is a little puzzling to me- where does the magician's power come from? And does that same power exist today? Does it suggest that fortune tellers, diviners, sooth sayers, and other dabblers in the dark arts have power from another source?

Granted, much charlatanry exists and occurs on a regular basis. People learn how to read other people and use non verbal feedback to suggest supernatural things. Slight of hand and suggestion do much to decieve people into believing that something powerful is at work. But are there really people out there who can "turn the staff into a snake" and get their power from some dark and sinister outlet?

I'm not a boycot Harry Potter, refuse the fortune cookie, picket the comic book store kind of guy. But I do think that there is a realm of power that surrounds the "dark arts"- there's something out there that God doesn't want us to mess with- something that frankly scares me to death.

And maybe that's what we see here. God gives Moses and Aaron power- and he allows the magicians to do their thing. But ultimately, God lets everyone see where the real power lies as Moses' and Aaron's snakes eat the magic snakes. Yeah, there's power there- but nothing compared to God's power.

Despite it all...Pharoah is unmoved.