Exodus 7-13

<p>By the statement in the revelation on spiritual gifts, ". . . it is given by the Holy Ghost to some to know the diversities of operations, whether they be of God . . . and to others the discerning of spirits" (D&amp;C 46:16,23) it appears that there are some apparently supernatural manifestations which are not worked by the power of the Holy Ghost. The truth is there are many which are not. The world today is full of counterfeits. It has always been so. Away back in the days of Moses, when Aaron's rod became a serpent, then Pharaoh's wise men, sorcerers and magicians ". . . cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents" (Ex. 7:11-12). Isaiah warned against seeking ". . . unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter" (Isa. 8:19).</p>

<p>In Chapter 4, we saw how God demonstrated a sign to Moses by turning his staff into a serpent. Aaron demonstrated the same sign before Pharaoh: he threw down his staff and it turned into a serpent. Pharaoh was not impressed and had his own magicians duplicate the act. They succeeded, but Aaron&rsquo;s staff &ldquo;swallowed up their [staffs].&rdquo; In ancient Egypt, the serpent represented deity. Pharaoh was shown who the true deity was: the Lord. The sign of the staff would be followed by ten plagues.</p> <p>Source: Book of Exodus Minute by W. Breitenstein</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Author:</strong> Wally Breitenstein<br /><strong>General Editor:</strong> Taylor Halverson<br /><strong>Associate Editor:</strong> Morgan Tanner<br /><strong>Senior Editor:</strong> Sarah Whitney Johnson<br /><strong>Assistant Editor:</strong> Sam Lofgran<br /><strong>Assistant Editor:</strong> Verlanne Johnson</p>

<p>Marianna Richardson, &ldquo;Pharaoh Hardened His Heart (Week 14, Part 1/6) Exodus 7&ndash;13 | Mar 28 - Apr 3 Exodus 7&ndash;13,&rdquo; Book of Mormon Central Video, 2022.</p>