Exodus 9:11
“The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians.…”
Up until this point the magicians were able to duplicate the miracles God demonstrated. That was impressive. I’m not sure which dark arts were used, but they turned a staff into a snake and turned water red (and possibly a couple more). God has given us competence. It is amazing what people have done through discoveries and technology. The advances in medicine and the diseases that once plagued countries now can be avoided. We can look at a city and marvel at the transportation, the efficiancy of the sewage system and how electricity powers homes and businesses for millions. I’m very grateful for all of this and more. However, we have to be careful that we don’t let these things make us independent from God. Think of the farmer who would pray for rain and more for the harvest. Today’s farmers can bring water in from afar. They can use pesticides to combat bugs. Life in earlier days wasn’t so automated. God was more of a factor. Technology is not bad unless we allow it to not rely on God. Back when the people built the Tower of Babel, God said this of them in Genesis 11:7, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.” This was a compliment to their ability, but God saw that they weren’t using it for good purposes. I have heard speculations about what they were doing wrong. Whatever it was God saw that they used their enginuity for bad purposes. So much so that He confused their languages and for the first time multiple languages were on the earth. (I’m curious what the original language was). This caused them to seperate and populate the earth, as God originally commanded. Pharaoh finally reached the end of what the his magicians could perform. May we voluntarily rely on God and not be forced by circumstances. Lord, thank You for the abilities You’ve given us and the great things people have been able to do with them. Help us to be dependant on You in spite of all of it.