1.21.26 – Borrowed Powers

 In this counterfeit system of Egypt, we have learned that the magicians of Pharaoh were able to replicate the miracle of Aaron. Whatever Aaron did, they did the same thing. This itself is a very symbolic teaching. What if, symbolically, it is teaching us that there are two sources of power? There is direct power from the source—that is true power. And there is borrowed power. A lot of power you see in the world around you is borrowed power. Could that explain passages like Matthew 7:21–23, where those who prophesy, cast out demons, and do many wonderful works are rejected? Could the lying signs and wonders of 2 Thessalonians 2 be more of the same?

Borrowed powers are also symbolic powers. What does that mean? It means that the person or the institution does not of itself have this power naturally. But the power is symbolic, and because it is symbolic, it is symbolically attributed to that person, that group, or that organization. So in this case, the borrowed power can imitate real power—a nice counterfeit. Ironically, that is something that the Torah wants us to know. God does not underestimate borrowed power. It still can be loud and it can be threatening. It can intimidate. It can dance. It can do whatever you want. It can inspire. But when it comes down to it, what happens when it has to face off with true source power? It eventually has to yield to the true source. This borrowed power repeats itself throughout history, again and again and again. When borrowed symbolic power has to confront and face off with true source power, it falls flat on its face. True source power always wins. Borrowed power gets swallowed, gets absorbed, loses its importance, loses its power—or its power is gone, diffused, and it gets reabsorbed back into its true source.

Light does not fight darkness. It simply reveals it as absence. The swallowing of the staff is the metaphysical principle in action. What has no source cannot endure in the presence of what does! Now, between you and me, for personal truth to conform our lives to, how do we use source power that comes from the realm of truth? The answer is found in the same story.

You noticed that after the serpents of the magicians—the Egyptian serpents—are swallowed, Aaron's rod (matte), his staff, returns back to its original place. Now think about the crocodile serpents of Egypt. They were unleashed in a manifestation of true power. But after the manifestation makes its noise, it does not stand. It does its magic and its tricks. It does not remain in that active power. They get consumed by Aaron's rod.

Aaron's rod (matte), on the other hand, does not become a bigger dragon or a larger crocodile now that it wins. It does not assume that the power itself grows larger or more threatening. It does not forget to go back to its original condition. I think this is called humility—making sure God gets all the credit for your God-centered actions (Matt. 5:14–16).

Anytime you are doing well, anytime you have a wave of success, or you get compliments—whatever it might be—do not become the enlarged version of yourself, but return to who you are in alignment with the original source. Return to the simplicity of being a staff (matte). Return to that simple piece of wood that, while it is simple and basic, is chosen as an instrument to work God's work—God's miracles in a world that needs His name declared.

To be humble, you need to come back to who you are. When we return to our simple state of alignment, that is alignment with the source of true power. And when we do not get discouraged when the noise of the world's magicians grows louder, we can rest assured that at the end of the day, their parlor tricks masquerading as authentic will diminish when the time comes that they have to face off with truth.

Have a shalom-filled day!

Alan

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4.4.26 ~ Can You Count to Three?

Image
Today, Saturday 4/4/26, many will celebrate the day that Yeshua was visibly seen risen from the grave (John 20:1; Matt. 28:1–10; Luke 24:1–10)! The day after His resurrection, Yeshua would be out ministering to the doubts of His disciples, helping them realize that He is alive and that the purpose of His resurrection would be catalyzed by their lives. For the disciples closest to Yeshua and those who stood at a safe distance away, it was a time of doubt. The enemy was in hot pursuit. They were fearful for their lives, but just at the God-appointed time, their salvation appeared.  Does that sound vaguely familiar? It should. Earlier this week, on the day after Passover—the 15th of the first month—the natural-born Israelites and those who joined them through the blood of the Lamb exited Egypt and headed toward the sea. In just a few days, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pharaoh would not be happy that he let the Israelites go; he felt betrayed, and he was hot (Ex. 14:5–9). Mose...
Read more

3.20.25

Good morning! Yesterday, we learned some essential truths about how to 'be still and know that He is God (Psa. 46:10). Today, I want to ask you a different question based on life's ability to throw a wide variety of circumstances at us!  One of the most difficult situations is when we are threatened by someone or some circumstance. Have you ever been threatened?  Oh, maybe no one came up to you with a gun, or shouted at you with malice, or told you that you were going to be tortured or punished.  Maybe all the threat you ever had was the innuendo of rejection, or the social snub or something much less violent than jail time.  But my guess is that if you are traveling the road with Yeshua, living a Torah lifestyle, you know what it means to be threatened. Every time the circumstances of your life look as though they are about to cave in, you are threatened.  It might not be a threat from a physical enemy, then again...but we all know that in one form or another t...
Read more

3.22.25

Good morning! Shabbat shalom! Although the portion of Vayakhel/and he assembled is almost entirely focused on the construction of the tabernacle, it begins by reminding the children of Israel that no work may be done on the Sabbath (Ex. 35:2,3). Why does it begin here rather than jumping right into how to construct the Tabernacle? Enquiring minds want to know :-) By placing the topic of the Sabbath against the construction of the Tabernacle it's God's way of defining the boundaries of the Sabbath...that even the most intimate work for the Lord needs to be put aside for His 'Date Day'. However, upon further investigation, there’s another layer to understand that connects us back to the golden calf (Ex. 32). As we know, while Moses was up on the mount getting the instructions from God the children of Israel decided to make an object that would replace Moses, their deliverer; The object, later known as the golden calf, originally intended as a 'necessary' means to ...
Read more