Swallowed up in victory

Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. Exodus 7:12

Going into the presence of the great Pharaoh must have been something of an ordeal for Moses and Aaron. No doubt when God described what to do when Pharaoh said to them 'Perform a miracle', as he surely would, they were greatly relieved to know they would have an answer. Moses, in particular would have recalled how God had done the very same thing when he first called him out in the desert. He may have remembered running from the snake. In a similar way the Gospel promises give believers confidence when they go out in his name. We believe in miracles. We believe that God can turn hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. We believe he answers prayer and can transform situations. When we see such things happening, we are very encouraged as Moses and Aaron surely were when they saw Aaron's staff turn into a snake before their very eyes.
How very disappointed Moses and Aaron must have been then when instead of acceding to their every demand, Pharaoh reacted quite differently. He sent for his wise men and sorcerers, and soon Jannes and Jambres and the whole crew were proceeding, one by one, to do what appeared to be the very same thing with their staffs. Again we can identify. The world constantly apes the best that Christians can do. They steal our best ideas, mimic our profoundest thoughts, counterfeit all our experiences and copy our every action. It can get quite discouraging at times. But then we read these striking words - But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. It failed to soften Pharaoh's heart, of course. That particular struggle was only beginning. But it must have put heart into God's servants and when we hear of the power of Christ's kingdom to swallow up all before it, as we do from time to time, then it ought to give us heart too. God is at work and no jumped up magician or pundit, for all his tricks, has a hope against the advance of his church. The gates of hell cannot prevail for Christ will have his way.