Today’s thoughts are from Exodus chapter 3. So much has happened up to this point. The Israelites are in Egypt, in bondage under the new king. Joseph has died, the Israelites have grown in number, and the new king is intimidated and threatened by their size. His answer is to enslave, control, and mistreat them. He clearly does not realize these are God’s people.
Moses is born, hidden, and saved by Pharoah’s daughter. When he is 40 years old, he sees the Egyptians mistreating the Israelites, so he steps in to defend his people, killing this Egyptian man, and hiding the body. The Israelites have been here about 400 years at this point, for most of them, this is all they know. This is their home. I know there is a remnant left because the midwives feared God and Moses’ mother taught him about the Lord. However, we don’t see any worship of God publicly. There are no priests, sacrifices, or feasts happening.
The chapter begins with God calling Moses by name. I love this. God is so personal that He knows and uses our names. Moses was a regular working man, yet God chose to use him. God just needs us to be willing to say yes to Him, even in our work and busyness. Moses was caring for his father-in-law’s flocks. He was not in a position of high regard. But that didn’t matter to God.
God speaks to Moses, telling him what He will do, and showing Moses the part he has in this plan. Moses, like many of us, has questions. Often, when God calls us to do something for Him, there are parts we do not understand, and that is okay. Remember. Moses was a regular person just like you and me. The reason we look up to him and see him as a great Christian/man of God/example is that he simply trusted and obeyed God, which allowed God to do great things through him. Friend, God wants to do the same in and through you!
I’m going to digress a little here from the main point. Moses had sin in his life. He was not perfect. He killed a man, got drunk, and made poor decisions. Yet, we still look at him as a great man of God. Why is that? Because he didn’t stay in those poor choices, he repented, he didn’t live life as a murderer or a drunk. Most of all, because God didn’t emphasize those sins. God emphasized his obedience. I want to remind you to do the same for yourself and your spouse. We aren’t perfect either, but we must learn to give grace and forgive one another. Stop focusing on and highlighting your failures or your spouse’s failures. Focus on the goodness of God, what He is doing in your lives, and move on for Jesus!
Anyway, the Israelites are being mistreated by the Egyptians. God sees and knows this. He said it would happen. I want to remind you that their pain and affliction were never unnoticed by God. He was well aware of the situation the entire time. He could have stopped it at any time and by any means He chose. He is God. He has all power and might. He could have chosen to just speak the word and wipe the Egyptians out all at once in a second of time. But He didn’t. That is what I want to look at today. Some of you are facing great pain, confusion, and carrying heavy burdens. It may feel like God is not there or that He doesn’t care. You may be asking why He is allowing this and when will it end.
Think of the Israelites. This was their home, their normal, their everyday lives. They didn’t like it, but they didn’t know anything else. Imagine living in one place for 400 years, even though it’s not the best conditions and circumstances, and someone that you don’t really know comes to you speaking about a God you don’t really know, and tells you that God said to leave. Would you do it? Probably not. There are too many unknowns. You’ve never been anywhere else, you don’t have any skills other than constructing buildings for the king, you know you have food and shelter here. I mean, sure it’s not great, but it is familiar and feels safe.
Many of us are in Egypt spiritually. We are in sin, away from God, yet doing anything different is scary. We don’t know where to go, we don’t know God anymore therefore we have no reason to trust Him. So when He sends a friend, family member, or preacher our way, we don’t accept the offer to get out of the bondage and affliction. We don’t necessarily like our sin, but we can’t imagine a life without it either. This is how the Israelites felt. It’s easy to read the Bible and say they were crazy for staying. But many of us are choosing to stay, too.
So, to get them to a place of being ready and willing to leave, God had to go through a process of the plagues. Through this, the Egyptians and the Israelites witnessed the power of God firsthand. Sometimes God has to make a drastic move for us to see and remember who He is and why we should follow Him. God can and or change any situation at any time, but if we aren’t willing to leave, what does it matter?
God called them to leave Egypt. He could have killed the Egyptians and let the Israelites stay. But when we are in sin, in Egypt, God wants us to leave that place. We have to separate from the people, places, and prompts to sin. Sometimes it’s finding a new route home from work so you don’t drive by that bar, liquor store, or person’s house. Whatever it takes, separate from the things that keep pulling you in.
The Israelites lived here for over 400 years, it was not easy to trust a God they didn’t know, or to leave the only home they had ever known. But they did it. And so can you. You can trust God, you can break the cycle of sin, and you can be free from the things that are holding you hostage. You can leave your spiritual Egypt.
This is why we have the Bible. We get to see that we aren’t alone in our struggles, hurt, or confusion. We get to see God use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. We get to see God break the chains of sin. We get to see God provide and care for us when we leave Egypt.
He is worthy to be trusted, He is faithful, and He loves you.
Leave Egypt. It’s not worth it anymore.
Stay in the Word, stay close to the Shepherd, and let Him lead you in paths of righteousness.
With Hope in His Service,
Heather
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