Jannes and Jambres

Exodus 9:8-12

What would it take for Pharaoh to let God’s people go so they could serve Him?

Since Moses had approached Pharaoh months earlier, Egypt had suffered through five plagues. The Egyptians had been deprived of water, slept with frogs, been covered with lice, inundated with bugs and finally suffered severe economic loss with the death of their livestock.

If you will remember, Moses was an unwilling participant in these encounters. He had begged God to send someone else. Moses does not comment on his personal feelings about all of this as he records the events, but I wonder what went through his mind.

In Exodus 5:22-23, after Moses’ first encounter with Pharaoh, Moses records:

Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all." (Exodus 5:22-23 ESV)

I wonder if Moses did not also pray, “How long Lord, how long?”

Moses did not know the future. He knew that God was going to deliver His people, but God had not given him the details. Moses was learning as he experienced each new thing.

God’s people have always had to trust Him for what is next. In Revelation 6:9&10, we see saints who are already in heaven, asking, “How long?”

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:9-10 ESV)

Even today, we wait for the appearing of our Lord Jesus from heaven. He will return with the trumpet sound and the shout of the archangel and we will be caught up to meet Him in the air. While we wait, no man knows the day or the hour. Many speculate. The Scriptures explain the signs of the times, but we do not know the day nor the hour.

The god of this world has been judged. He is a defeated foe. And yet, He continues to operate in the world.

We have a picture of this in the plagues and Pharaoh’s refusal to let God’s people go.

While the god of this world has been judged, God is showing kindness to people. Remember Jonah? Jonah hated the people of Nineveh and was reluctant to go and preach to them. But, having been given the task, he preached to Nineveh that they would soon be destroyed and then found a hill from which to watch Nineveh’s destruction. When Nineveh was spared, Jonah threw a fit! He was angry with God. God asked Jonah a question. He said:

And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle? (Jonah 4:11 ESV)

2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God is not willing that any should perish, but He desires that all come to repentance.

This kindness and compassion of God is what prevented Him from squashing the Egyptians like a bug, and it is what delays Christ’s return. However, for those of us who wait for deliverance, we often cry out, “How long, Lord, how long?”

As we approach the sixth plague, I wonder if Moses was crying out, “How long, Lord, how long?”

Exodus 9:8-9 tells us:

And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt." (Exodus 9:8-9 ESV)

As in the case of the third plague, this time Pharaoh is given no warning. This is a judgment of the Egyptians’ pride. Pride is something we all have. Pride is universal and it is a sin when it causes us to rise up against God. Because it is ubiquitous, all the plagues could be said to be judgment on the sin of pride, but this one is particularly humiliating.

The Egyptians were fastidiously clean. They shaved their bodies to be clean, and their religious ceremonies and practices demanded strict cleanliness. The boils on their bodies would have made them unclean so that they would be like lepers.

Another instance of humiliation was of those who were directly opposing Moses. You will remember the humiliation of the magicians of Egypt when Aaron’s staff consumed their staffs. You will notice that the magicians are mentioned again in verse 11. The last time we saw the magicians was in the plague of the lice when they told Pharaoh that the lice were a result of the finger of God. But this time the Scriptures tell us:

And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. (Exodus 9:11 ESV)

Apparently, the magicians were in constant attendance of Pharaoh and had been there to oppose Moses and Aaron, but now they are personally judged. 2 Timothy 3 tells us that their foolishness was exposed.

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. (2 Timothy 3:8-9 ESV)

There have always been those who oppose the truth. Those who love the truth often cry out, “How long, Oh Lord, how long?” In every generation and every age, there have been the Jannes and Jambres of the day. Even the Apostle Paul started as an opponent of the gospel. This opposition to the truth is what 2 Timothy is talking about when it says:

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. (2 Timothy 3:1-9 ESV)

While this passage describes times of difficulty that will come in the last days, it could also describe the condition of mankind before the flood, as well as the people of Pharaoh’s day. It is describing Jannes and Jambres who were Pharaoh’s advisors, and it says they were “lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit and lovers of pleasure.”

These were the people who had risen to power in Egypt and who had the ear of the ruler of all Egypt.

Now, the judgment on their own persons was significant humiliation, but even more significant was the defeat of their god. Their pride and arrogance grew to the point where other humans were sacrificed to satisfy their desires. This is the significance of the soot or ashes. Several scholars and commentators commented on this. I will quote from a man named Fredrick Cook, who said:

There may possibly be a reference to an Egyptian custom of scattering to the winds ashes of victims offered to Sutech or Typhon.  Human sacrifices said to have been offered at Heliopolis under the Shepherd dynasty were abolished by Amosis 1, but some part of the rite may have been retained and the memory of the old superstition would give a terrible significance to the act.^[1]

This involves some speculation, but what is certain in what 2 Timothy says about Jannes and Jambres. They were swollen with conceit, brutal, lovers of pleasure.

We are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. But notice 2 Timothy says we are to avoid those who oppose the truth.

After repeated warnings, Pharaoh would not turn. Now, in Exodus 9:12, it says that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. This is consistent with what the Scriptures tell us in Romans 1, where it says that the Lord turns people over to their sin when they refuse to acknowledge Him.

Pharaoh passed the point of no return. This happened to ancient Israel when they refused to repent after repeated warnings. 2 Chronicles 34:15-16 says:

The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:15-16 ESV)

There was no remedy.

After a point, there was no remedy for Israel. Judgment was coming.

After a point, there was no remedy for Pharaoh. Judgment was coming. As Exodus 9:12 says, it was just as the Lord told Moses. Moses might have been wondering how long, but it was decided.

We might be wondering how long, but there is no remedy for those who refuse the offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The god of this world has been judged. God is patient not wanting any to perish. But, judgment is coming. It has already been decided. For us, it is our blessed hope, our deliverance. For those who like Pharaoh harden their hearts, it is a terrifying prospect. But every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. We will either humble ourselves or be humiliated.

I hope and pray that you will accept Jesus as your Savior so that what is coming will be your deliverance and not your judgment.

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^[1] Cook, Fredrick Charles. Exodus: Or, The Second Book of Moses, with an Explanatory and Critical Commentary, 1874. pg. 283.

The Hand of the Lord

Exodus 9:1-17

Exodus 9:1 says:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.’” (Exodus 9:1 ESV)

As we begin chapter 9 of the book of Exodus, we are in the middle of a story. Exodus 1 begins by telling us of the enslavement of the children of Israel by the Egyptians. The first chapters cover hundreds of years of history in just a few words, and then the account slows down and increases in detail so that the events of chapters 7-14 happen over a period of months instead of years.

Hundreds of years of slavery and patterns of life are being challenged. Many more hundreds of years of religious practices and traditions are also being challenged.

When Pharaoh, king of Egypt, was confronted with the statement, “Thus says the Lord...,” he responded, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?” (Exodus 5:2) With the first four plagues, God demonstrated who He is. In a few short months, centuries of Egyptian beliefs and teachings were unraveled, and God impressed on Pharaoh why he should obey the voice of the Lord.

However, four plagues were not enough. The first three caused discomfort and possibly some property loss. The fourth plague caused severe discomfort and considerable property loss. In spite of this, after the fourth plague, we are told:

But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go. (Exodus 8:32 ESV)

Chapter 9 continues the story with God once again instructing Moses to go and speak to Pharaoh. After four plagues, we recognize a pattern. Moses says, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let my people go!’” And, Pharaoh refuses. Each time Pharaoh refuses the next plague escalates, and the severity of the consequences increases. Along with the consequences, each plague was targeted to demonstrate the powerlessness of the Egyptian deities.

Since the Egyptians refused to acknowledge God, He turned them over to the empty imaginings of their hearts. They worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator. Their worship was shaped by their appetites and their understanding of the world.

Let us go back and look at Exodus 9:1.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.’” (Exodus 9:1 ESV)

Notice with me that God says, “Let my people go that they may serve me.”

The Hebrew word Moses used for “serve” in this verse is the same word he used for “work as slaves” and “hard service” in Exodus 1:13 & 14. The Israelites were being forced to serve the Egyptians, and God was saying, “Let them serve me.”

The conflict between worshiping and serving the creature or the creator continues to this day. The same conflict that was destroying Egypt runs through each life as each person chooses whom or what they will serve. We may not experience the plagues, but we all experience the conflict of appetites and the will of God.

This fifth plague is relevant to us because it involves wealth. Wealth, its accumulation and use, has always been an issue for us as humans. Jesus warns us against overvaluing wealth when He states, “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15, ESV)

As we look at Exodus 9:3, we see that it says, “...a very severe plague upon your livestock...”

Why “livestock?”

First, livestock were the number one indicators of wealth. For example, in Genesis, Abraham’s wealth was stated in sheep, camels, donkeys and cattle. In Job, Job’s wealth was measured in sheep, camels, donkeys and cattle. Sacrifices were made with cattle and sheep. One of the reasons for this is that such sacrifices were costly, so that part of the meaning of the word sacrifice is giving up something valued.

A second reason why livestock is that livestock, especially bulls, were a significant religious symbol for the Egyptians, representing one of their gods.

The Egyptians, like most people throughout history, valued wealth, and as a consequence, wealth and its symbols became objects of their worship. Worshiping and serving wealth is an insult to God. We see this insult in the way God announces this plague. Exodus 9:2-3 says:

For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. (Exodus 9:2-3 ESV)

Please notice with me that this passage says, “...the hand of the Lord will fall...” The hand of the Lord is used to speak of the Lord’s might, His work and His provision. The Scriptures tells us that all we have received comes from the “Hand of the Lord.” 1 Chronicles 29:14 in particular says:

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. (1 Chronicles 29:14 NIV)

All that we have comes from the Lord, and when we worship those things instead of the Lord, we insult the One who has provided everything. Not only do we lack gratitude and proper respect, but our thinking becomes confused and debased.

When the hand of the Lord is with us, we have all that we need. But, to have His hand against us is terrifying. With the plague of livestock, God strikes the wealth of the Egyptians, and also He states that His hand will be against them. When God met with Moses in the wilderness, He said He would bring out His people with a mighty hand. Now, God tells Pharaoh that His hand will fall.

God later tells Pharaoh that He raised Pharaoh up to demonstrate His power. However, the plagues also were designed to give Pharaoh the opportunity to repent. Pharaoh’s refusal to repent is the point behind repeating the fact that he hardened his heart each time. This also explains the escalating nature of the plagues.

As a representative of wealth and also because of their great strength, livestock became a common symbol for deities in Egypt. A website on ancient Egypt had this to say about cattle as deities:

There were many bovine deities in ancient Egypt, Hathor simply being the best known, but Apis was the most significant because he represented the core cultural values and understanding of all Egyptians. Each individual deity had their own sphere of influence and power, but Apis represented eternity itself and the harmonious balance of the universe. Other bovine deities such as Bat, Buchis, Hesat, Mnevis, and the Bull of the West, no matter how powerful, would never have the same resonance as the incarnated deity of the Apis bull.^[1]

It is significant to note that when Israel was at Mt. Sinai, they built a golden calf to worship. Moses was on the mountain for 40 days, and they did not know what had become of him. So, Aaron built a golden calf to be their god and then said, “This is the god that led you out of Egypt.”

Hundreds of years later in Israel's history, civil war divided 10 tribes from two tribes. The northern kingdom was called Israel, and the southern kingdom was called Judah. The northern kingdom did not want to send their people to Jerusalem to worship, so the king had places of worship built in two locations. And, the objects of worship were ... you guessed it ... calves, or bovine deities.

The Egyptian bovine deities had a long-lasting and powerful influence even over the Israelites, who should have known better. Such is the power of wealth.

When we have something that takes the place of God in our heart, not only does it cause us to be confused and darkened in our thinking, but it hardens our hearts. To address this issue in Egypt, the Lord takes away their wealth. He strikes their livestock with a plague.

God, once again, marks a difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites and protects the livestock of the Israelites. Exodus 9:6-7 explains:

And the next day the Lord did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go. (Exodus 9:6-7 ESV)

Notice that Pharaoh sent and confirmed the word of the Lord. The Lord said that nothing that belonged to the Israelites would die, and Pharaoh sent and made sure that the plague had happened the way the Lord had said.

Pharaoh understood. The word of the Lord was clear. His actions reveal that not only did he understand, now he is showing he believes what the Lord has said will happen.

This is huge! Pharaoh believes. He knows that there is a God of the Hebrews. But wait a minute! This knowledge and belief does not save Pharaoh. Please think about this. Intellectual assent does not save anyone.

Consider the statement, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31)

This is the promise of God, and it is true. Now, let us consider James 2:19.

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. (James 2:19, NKJV)

This also is the word of God, and it adds to our understanding of what it means to believe. We must understand. The Bible does not say believe and ..., as if to say there is something we must do in addition to believing. However, it does say if one’s faith does not affect their works or behavior, it will not affect one’s destiny. (The message of James 2)

Faith that saves surrenders to God.

The Israelite slaves represented too much wealth to be surrendered. Pharaoh holds onto them, eventually to the point of death, because his hope and trust were in the vast wealth and might of Egypt. By this plague, the Lord is trying to pry Pharaoh’s heart away from his trust in wealth, might and their attendant deities.

Our hearts have the same struggle. Writing “In God We Trust” on our money, does not take away the problem. Each of us must answer for ourselves what we are trusting in. The plagues represent this struggle of the human heart and what it holds onto or trusts in. They show us in graphic terms the difference between having God’s hand for us or against us.

The Scriptures say:

The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. (Psalms 33:17-19 ESV)

Each of us must ask the Lord to examine our heart and show us anything that we have placed our hope in.  Are we trusting in a job, a person, people, wealth, nature or anything other than God? Any such object of trust must be surrendered to the Lord and confessed. Trust rather in the Lord and in His hand.

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^[1] https://www.ancient.eu/Apis. Accessed August, 27, 2019.