What Did the Magicians Confess?

The story of the magicians of Egypt appears prominently in the biblical narrative of Exodus, particularly during the plagues that God sent upon Egypt to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. Their confessions are significant because they reveal both the limitations of human power and the supremacy of God’s authority.

Context: The Role of the Magicians

Pharaoh’s magicians were skilled practitioners of the occult arts, trained in Egyptian magic and capable of performing impressive feats that could imitate natural phenomena. When Moses and Aaron first approached Pharaoh with God’s message, the magicians attempted to replicate the miracles performed by God through Moses. For example:

• Turning water into blood: In Exodus 7:22, the magicians used their arts to mimic Aaron’s staff turning the Nile’s water into blood.

• Summoning frogs: In Exodus 8:7, they were able to produce frogs through their magical practices, showing that some plagues could be superficially replicated.

However, as the plagues progressed, the magicians increasingly recognized that their own power had limits.

The Confession

The key moment of confession occurs in Exodus 8:18-19 during the plague of gnats:

“But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. So the gnats came upon man and beast. And the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’”

This statement, “This is the finger of God,” represents a remarkable admission:

1. Recognition of God’s supremacy: The magicians acknowledged that the plagues were not mere tricks or illusions but genuine acts of divine power that surpassed human ability.

2. Limit of human magic: Despite their training and skill, they could not replicate the plague of gnats, which highlighted that some aspects of God’s work were beyond human control.

3. Indirect testimony: Though they were servants of Pharaoh and initially his allies, the magicians’ words inadvertently testified to God’s sovereignty and power over creation.

Implications of the Confession

The magicians’ confession holds several important lessons:

• Spiritual Insight Can Come Unexpectedly: Even those who are initially opposed to God can recognize His power when confronted with undeniable evidence.

• Acknowledgment Without Conversion: While the magicians admitted God’s action, this did not necessarily mean they fully submitted or repented, illustrating that recognition of truth and obedience are distinct.

• Foreshadowing Divine Authority: Their confession serves as a literary and theological device to emphasize that God’s authority over nature and history is absolute, something no human skill can rival.

Conclusion

The magicians of Egypt, in confessing that the plagues were the “finger of God,” provide a dramatic turning point in the Exodus narrative. Their acknowledgment underscores the central theme of the story: God’s unparalleled power over creation and human affairs. Even experts in Egyptian magic, with all their knowledge and tricks, were forced to recognize the divine force at work—a confession that still resonates as a testament to the limits of human ability in the face of divine authority.

Which plague affected gnats?