This passage is interesting in that it isolates the first two miracles that God performs. These miracles were copied however by the Egyptians. For someone who just started reading Exodus 7, I can't help but wonder what this means or why was it that God performed miracles that the Egyptians could copy just as easily by their "secret arts" And ultimately, why did God perform miracles? Was it so that we can believe? Or was it so that He can demonstrate sovereignty over all things? I believe this passage answers these questions.
How do we come to a point where we'll see in miracles God's presence or providence? It's through obedience. Notice that it is Moses' obedience in the face of pharaoh and the Israelites that he was able to witness God's power manifested in nature. Now how does it work? If you ever come to a point where you're sinning (which can be defined as disobedience from God), reflect on what you're telling yourself. Either we tell ourselves "God, this can't be wrong or it's ok for me to do this because I can't help it" or "God, you're not really there so I'll go ahead and do this anyway", we end up convincing ourselves that God is not here or there or wherever it is we're sinning. And it is that mindset that gets us to disobey Him. To get ourselves to disobey an all powerful, omniscient, loving, perfect, omnipresent, jealous, and fair God, we need to go as far as to say "God, you're not really omniscient" or "God, you're not being fair". We end up denying the attributes of the God of the Bible and that is exactly why we cannot see Him.
So what's the point of miracles? It's so that we will know it's by God's sovereignty and power. Remember how Jesus performed miracles. It didn't convert non-believers into believers. The pharisees actually hated Him even more because of the works Jesus did. Rather it affirmed the faith the disciples had and it made them glorify God. In the same way, Moses and the Israelites were the primary target for these miracles. It was so that they will know their God is sovereign.
Why does God perform miracles that were matched by the Egyptians? In a modern context, why is it that God performs miracles that are easily mimicked by human effort? It's to show us where our faith really stands. In the passage, pharaoh's heart was hardened by God. But in the hardening of pharaoh's heart happened after the sorcerers and magicians copied God's miracle. God enables others to copy His miracles through mere human ingenuity to reveal to us where our faith is founded. Is it founded on merely what we've seen or witnessed? Do we believe because God, in all of his infinite power, decided to limit Himself to showing His power through a simple magic trick of turning water red? Do we believe god the magician or God the creator?
If we look at the Gospel, the disciples were not able to go into ministry even after seeing Jesus' miracles. Most of the time they were too scared. It wasn't the witnessing Jesus overcoming the storm that made them want to live out a life for God, it wasn't Jesus feeding the five thousand, it wasn't Jesus' raising Lazarus from the dead, it wasn't even Jesus' presence after the resurrection that moved them to go out and preach the Gospel. It was Jesus offering them the gift of the Holy Spirit that moved them to preach knowing they will be persecuted. In a broader context, it is God who will give us our faith to do His will. If we ask ourselves that if it's God given, then why does He still need to perform miracles? Because we forget, in our finite perspective, that our faith comes from Him and we get ourselves to think our conversion is our own miracle. But let's look to the cross and the grave, and ultimately the resurrection that it's a miracle that really sets our hope on a God who goes beyond the mere tricks and illusions we can create for ourselves.
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