What's Your Egypt?

If you have had an opportunity to study Old Testament, you understand the trials Moses encountered in trying to lead God's Chosen People out of Egypt and through the wilderness.  Consistently Moses faced a rebellious people who failed to remember with clarity what their bondage in Egypt was truly like.  Rebellion would be answered by the Lord with visible consequences.  Multiple times Moses interceded with pleading for the Lord to restrain from destroying the rebellious and the Lord answered Moses' prayers.  Recognizing that there is purpose in every word that is recorded in Scripture, we need to grasp why the Lord gave us such a detailed record of rebellion in the face of His favor and blessing.  We all encounter seasons of our life when we look back to our Egypts instead of ahead to what the Lord has waiting for us.

Numbers 16:12-14  Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they replied, "We refuse to come!  Isn't it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects? What's more, you haven't brought us into the land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Are you trying to fool us? We will not come."  These three verses are packed with truth that we need to understand.  First we need to remember that at this stage, the Lord is not speaking directly to the tribes of Israel.  He is using Moses as His representative.  He has demonstrated multiple times that Moses hears Him and He is faithful to fulfill that which He communicates to Moses.  But the people refuse to obey the instructions given to them through Moses.  Rebellion.  

Second they describe Egypt as a land flowing with milk and honey.  Really?  We do not have to go back very far in scripture to read about the horrendous treatment they received as slaves to the Egyptians.  Exodus 1:13-14 The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.  Exodus 2:23  After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God.  Something does not connect here.  If they were so happy, so fulfilled in this land of milk and honey, why did they groan and cry out?  Forget the additional fact that their sons were all being murdered upon birth.  Why would they even consider going back to that, nevertheless cry out to return to slavery when they had received freedom?

Let me pause here for a moment before moving on.  There is so much here for us to learn.  Most of us have been held in spiritual captivity before accepting the freedom offered to us through the blood of Jesus.  However many of us continue to battle with captivity issues even after accepting Jesus' offer of salvation.  Battling the bondage is a daily part of our walk because we live in an atmosphere of spiritual warfare in which our enemy has one goal - to stop us from operating in the freedom which is ours.  The master of liars speaks lies into our lives convincing us that we need to go back to our Egypts.  The distortion of what that was really like is a strategic weapon that he utilizes.  

So why in the world would anyone consider returning to slavery once they have experienced freedom?  Fear of the unknown.  Fear growing from being unable to see the future that God has prepared for us.  Fear rooted in the wounds of our past and the lies with which we have lived all of our lives.  Why would we experience this fear?  Verse 14  What's more, you haven't brought us into the land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards.  While we are in this transition or this journey to our God given land of milk and honey, we are required to operate in faith.  2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.  The promises of the Lord are true and steadfast, yet we often have to walk in faith for a season before we begin to see the manifestation of those promises.  Just because we have yet to see them, does that mean that they are not going to happen?  Absolutely not.  We just have to KEEP WALKING in order to walk into them.

To return to our Egypts, we must turn away from the direction God has destined for us.  We must turn away from God Himself and His promises.  What was that I heard you say?  "But you don't understand.  Egypt is what I know and there I know how to operate.  I know what is expected of me.  No matter how bad it may have been, at least I know it.  I am comfortable there."  Comfortable in slavery?  Comfortable in turning your back on God and all that He has offered to you?  God has His arms outstretched in front of you, urging you to walk forward.  Urging you to trust Him and believe the future and hope for you.  Jeremiah 29:11-14 11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.  When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes.   

My brothers and sisters, life is a journey for all of us.  Many of us have taken detours that were not God's best for us, but He is faithful to continue to pursue us, to guide us, to urge us to come to Him.  He delights when we persevere and move towards the milk and honey that He has set aside for us.  We must be patient and wait on Him and His timing.  The one thing that we must not do is turn away and return to Egypt.  We have free will and He will not stop us from making that decision.  But rest assured that He will never give up on us even when we give up on ourselves.  Hang in there, please, and don't delay in running to Him and embracing whatever He has for you.