But I believe there was another segment of the population,
of the religious population,
who thought they could also do the same exact thing, okay?
Now, here's the thing though,
there were phony exorcists is what they were.
They weren't real exorcists.
These weren't guys who actually had authority,
spake with authority,
had the power of God upon their lives.
They were phony exorcists in those days,
just as there's phony exorcists today.
And look, today in 2020,
you still have seven sons of Siva.
They might not be Jews,
but you know, they're also referred to as Catholic priests.
There's all types of religious segments in this world
who claim they can cast out devils.
They claim they can, you know,
ajour these demons by the name of their gods,
and they claim to be able to do so,
but at the end of the day,
they're phonies is what they really are, okay?
And I'm gonna explain to you why.
Now you're in Luke chapter 11.
I'm gonna read to you from Exodus chapter seven,
and verse number 10.
I'm gonna give you an example of this in the Old Testament.
Exodus chapter seven, verse number 10 says,
And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh,
and they did so as the Lord had commanded.
And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh,
before his servants,
and it became a serpent.
So this is a legitimate miracle
that was done by the power of God, right?
God said, he told Moses and Aaron,
you're gonna go into Pharaoh,
you're gonna get your rod,
you're gonna cast it on the ground,
it's gonna become a serpent.
That's done by the power of God.
He gave him another miracle.
He said, you're gonna put your hand into your bosom,
and when you bring it out,
it's gonna be leprous as white as snow, okay?
These were legitimate miracles
that God enabled them to accomplish, right?
And so they go before Pharaoh,
they take their staff,
they throw it on the ground,
it becomes a serpent.
Verse 11 says,
Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers.
Now the magicians of Egypt,
they also did in like manner.
What does that mean when they did in like manner?
They did the same exact thing.
They took a staff,
they cast it on the ground,
and that staff also became a serpent.
And it says,
Now the magicians of Egypt,
they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
Now what is enchantment?
That is strongly associated with sorcery, okay?
Magic.
Verse 12,
For they cast down every man his rod,
and they became serpents.
So you know,
God's men comes,
and he casts down his staff,
it becomes a serpent.
Pharaoh says,
My guys can do the same exact thing.
They do it,
they become serpents.
But here's the difference.
Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
So yeah,
they're both able to cast down their staff
and create serpents out of them.
But here's the difference.
God's staff,
God's serpent actually swallowed up their serpent.
What does that show you?
It shows you that God's authority is greater than theirs.