Pharaoh demands a miracle. Exodus 7:8-13. God, who knows the thoughts of people's minds, also understands the intents of their hearts. “All things are open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Moses and Aaron knew what to expect even before they entered Pharaoh's presence. His request for a miracle did not surprise them because God had revealed it to them beforehand. When those two old men confronted Pharaoh again, there was a quiet confidence that whatever happened—success or failure—they would leave the results in God's hands. The miracle of the rod turning into a serpent, even though Egyptian magicians duplicated it, was clearly a work of God. The other serpents being swallowed by Moses' rod-serpent demonstrated God's supreme power over all the gods of Egypt.
A miracle is a temporary suspension of some natural law or the control of natural forces, like the weather, over which humans have no authority. In the Bible, miracles had a specific purpose as signs of God working in a situation. The Lord Jesus Christ healed people with a goal in mind that was more important than their physical health. Faith in Him as the Son of God is necessary before anyone can be saved from their sins and the consequences that will inevitably follow.
The word of God forms the foundation of our faith, so we understand that any miracles will never go against the teachings of God's word. Miracles can be mimicked to some extent through sleight of hand or by dark forces. When Aaron threw his rod to the ground, it turned into a creature different from the one it was before. The reptiles produced by the sorcerers were no match for “the rod of God,” which swallowed them all up.
Divine power does not come through deception or trickery. Occult practices of any kind cannot withstand the power and authority of God because they are of the devil. God’s authority over the Egyptian gods and Pharaoh, who saw himself as a god, was defeated in the days and weeks that followed as the signs revealed who the God of heaven truly is. Despite the power of God being demonstrated when Aaron’s rod-serpent swallowed the other serpents, Pharaoh hardened His heart just as the Lord had said.
All power in heaven and on earth belongs to Him, and it was demonstrated time and again in Egypt until the entire nation recognized that the God of the Israelites holds ultimate authority over nature, events, and even life and death. God remains the same today. He is our God, and I will trust Him whether I experience success or failure.