The power of Aaron’s rod

‘But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.’ Exodus 7:12

Suggested Further Reading: Revelation 12:7–17

What multitudes of foes has our faith had to meet with; but how it has swallowed them all up. There were our old sins. The devil threw them down before us, and they turned to serpents. What multitudes! How they hiss in the air! How horrible are their deadly poison-fangs, the gaping jaws, their forked tongues! But the cross of Jesus, like Aaron’s rod, destroys them all. Faith in Christ makes short work of all our sins, for it is written, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.’ Then the devil stirs up another generation of vipers, and shows us our inbred corruptions, our neglects of duty, our slackness in prayer, our unbeliefs, our backslidings, our wanderings of heart; and sometimes you and I get so tormented by these reptiles, that we grow alarmed, and are half inclined to flee. Do not run, brother, but throw down Aaron’s rod, and it will swallow up all these serpents, even though they were poisonous as the cobra, or fierce as the rattlesnake. You shall overcome through the blood of the Lamb. Jesus is able ‘to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.’ The battle is the Lord’s, and he will deliver them into your hands. The old enemy will throw down another host of serpents in the form of worldly trials, diabolical suggestions, temptations to blasphemy, ill thoughts of God, hard thoughts of his providence, rash thoughts of his promises, and such like, till you will be almost distracted. You will wonder how you can meet such a host as this. Remember to stand fast, and throw down Aaron’s rod—your simple trust and faith in Jesus Christ—and it must and shall swallow up all these rods.

For meditation: Pharoah’s magicians could to some extent mimic the work of God (Exodus 7:11,22; 8:7), but they were really no match for him (Exodus 7:12) and their power had strict limitations (Exodus 8:18–19; 2 Timothy 3:8–9). Satan and his servants can also do some amazing things (2 Thessalonians 2:9–10; Revelation 13:13–15), but the Christian trusts in and is indwelt by One who is greater (1 John 4:4).

Sermon no. 521
18 July (Preached 26 July 1863)