What is your Egypt?

Repost

What is your Egypt? (The first half is a repost of an earlier blog please read this and the comments after then you will understand why I felt the need to repost.)

Ok, I felt the need to share this with you. I am sitting here this morning thinking. "Here we go my first day of unemployment" Then I thought "Wait I'm not unemployed I have a task so what should I call it?" Then I thought MY FIRST DAY OF FREEDOM! "I hope I don't go running back to slavery" It's clear God was leading me to the old testament his children Israel. As they were roaming through the desert every time a struggle or trial would come along they would start complaining to Moses. "It would have been better to stay in Egypt (In slavery) but now you have led us into the desert to die." How often are we on the verge of being set free only to run back to Egypt before giving God a chance to show up? I know I have quite a few times over the years and now that God has given me another chance to escape I pray that I don't run back out of fear.

I feel I must ask. What is your Egypt? I'm not saying it needs to be as extreme as leaving your job. But what is it that is holding you in bondage, afraid to break free? Has God given you the opportunity to escape only to run back for fear of what lies ahead? I pray that God gives each of us the strength to break free and the courage to live in that freedom.

The above post came after reading through the book of “Exodus” and the thoughts it prompted. It is what Israel was dealing with as they were wandering through the desert looking for the “Promised Land” Now I have just finished reading through “Isaiah” and it has been over seven hundred years since entering the promised land. What could the two possibly have in common with 700 + years separating them? While in Egypt they saw God bring plagues, famine, and death to Egypt to entice Pharaoh into letting them go. While wondering through the desert God led them with a cloud by day and fire by night. He gave them Manna daily, parted the Red sea, Water from a rock, etc… Yet each time something went wrong they wanted to go back to Egypt, back under pharaoh’s protection back into slavery. Despite everything they saw God do for them “They trusted Pharaoh more than they trusted God.” Now lets fast forward a few years they have now taken control of the promised land (I wont even go into all God did for this to happen.) They have made it through the time of Judges (Again God showed up big time with each and every Judge) and into the time of Kings. Lets sit and camp on David’s reign for a while shall we. During this period David killed a giant with a slingshot, Jonathon (Saul’s son) and his Armor Bearer killed an entire division of Philistines (Both before David became king) In David’s army we have “The mighty men of David” (2 Samuel 23: 8-37) Josheb-Basshebeth who killed 800 men at one time, Eleazar who attacked the Philistines by himself and won, Shammah who defended a field against the Philistines and won, Abishai who killed 300 men at once, the list goes on. Certainly these men were skilled men of war but there is no way they could have accomplished any of this without God on their side. God has a history of proving himself to Israel. Lets move on to Isaiah 30: 1-3 “Woe to the rebellious children, says the Lord, who take counsel but not of me, and who devise plans but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin (Here it comes) Who walk to go down to Egypt, and have not asked my advice, To strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, And to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall be your shame, And trust in the shadow of Egypt shall be your humiliation.” Do you see that? They are depending on Egypt for protection. Not God who has proven himself time and time again but on Egypt the country that held them in slavery. Did you know that while Pharaoh had given Solomon his Daughter in marriage he was also sheltering two of his enemies (1 Kings 11: 14- 25) Edad, Pharaoh gave him his Sister in Law as a wife. And (1 Kings 11: 40) Jeroboam. It seems ridiculous when you read it. EGYPT!! Israel is depending on EGYPT!! The country that has been a thorn in their side from the beginning. EGYPT is their chosen protector over GOD who had proven himself. Why? What is it that continually brings them back to Egypt? Egypt was a “Super power” The obvious power house of the region so when you look with your eye’s it only makes sense. But God gave them something else to view their world with. He gave them his “Covenant” and he gave them prophets to remind them of the covenant and the consequences of ignoring it. Yet it seemed easier to chose Pharaoh. I think it was because Pharaoh didn’t ask anything other than money. God asked for their lives. We can see the consequences of that choice. Later on Egypt was destroyed and Israel was brought into slavery.

So I must ask once again “What is your Egypt? Despite God showing his love to you time and time again what is it you find yourself running to continually for protection, provision, comfort instead of God? Is it your job? Maybe parents, boyfriend/girlfriend, mate, savings account, Intelligence? What is it? We all have an Egypt in our lives! It’s time to identify it and ask God to move in and PERMANENTLY replace it. Israel couldn’t seem to do it. But we have something they didn’t. We have Gods ultimate proof of love, provision and protection in his son Jesus Christ who came to this earth his death offered up a permanent shield against Egypt will you chose to use it?