I’m reading through Exodus again as we begin this new year. It is such a familiar story that I have to be careful not to assume I have learned all that can be learned from the reading. Jesus said, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old” (Mt. 13:52). In other words, every time we search the word of God, we will affirm old truths we have known, but will also discover new insights that have great value as well. There is always more that fresh digging will uncover.
In Exodus 12, God begins to give instruction about the Passover. He has already decimated Egypt with nine of the ten plagues. The final plague and the breaking point for Pharoah will be the death of the first born of every man and animal in Egypt…except for the Hebrews. Speaking of this final judgment, the Lord says, “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Ex. 12:12-13).
Until this chapter, God had spoken about bringing judgment on Pharoah and the nation of Egypt. But in summary, he says, I will bring judgment on “all the gods of Egypt.” One of the most important revelations of scripture is the spiritual realm that exists and powerfully influences the physical realm. Even as Christians, who have been given a greater revelation than the Old Testament men and women of faith received, we often forget that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual rulers and powers in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6:12).
The Old Testament does reveal that behind every idol was a demonic spirit drawing people away from God through false worship. We tend to think of demons as spirits who always torment and bring devastation into the lives of people they touch. Ultimately that is true, but in the beginning these spirits can bestow power, fame, riches, relationships and all the things people hunger for, believing that their happiness and even salvation will be found in those worldly pursuits. But after a while, the demons take control and control their followers through fear, threats and intimidation. Their end game is destruction, but they often begin with things perceived as blessings.
People follow the demonic because they believe that Satan is more powerful than the God of the Bible. Many who have fallen deep into the occult, are amazed to discover that Jesus has more power and authority that Satan. When they discover the truth, they often renounce Satan and give their lives to Jesus.
Ultimately, God’s plagues on Egypt were displays of his power and authority over demons or the false gods of Egypt who claimed to be all powerful. The showdowns that took place in Pharoah’s court time after time, were between the one true God and the false god’s whom Egypt worshipped…the Nile that was turned into blood, the sun god that was blocked out by darkness for three days, the first born of Pharoah who also claimed to be a living god, and so forth. Each plague either directly or indirectly demonstrated God’s power was greater than the power and authority of a “false god.”
In a secular world, we don’t think in terms of false gods because we don’t erect idols to them or build temples to them…but they still influence the culture and create their own worshippers. There are demons behind wealth – Baal, the god of fertility and prosperity. There is Molech, the god who prompts his followers to offer their children in sacrifice to obtain blessings. There is Ishtar, the goddess of sex, immorality, and gender confusion whom some worship for an entire month in June each year. How many of us treat celebrities and power brokers as gods and pursue career, fame and success as if it provided some form of eternal salvation?
Eventually, these gods must fall to either the gospel of Jesus Christ who brings men to faith and banishes false gods from their hearts or to the judgment of God on a nation that demonstrates his power and authority over each one. Our God is a jealous God who hates the enemy because he draws those whom God loves into eternal punishment. In America, we need to recognize the reality of spiritual warfare…not just in the lives of individuals but also in the life of the nation. We need to pray. We need to speak out against sin and corruption. We need to declare the Lordship of Jesus and vote for righteousness. We need to share the gospel with those we encounter. The future of our nation lies in the spiritual realm not in the realm of politics or Wall Street. In this year to come, we must remember that more than ever.