Freedom! Part 3

This week, we wrapped up our “Freedom!” series. We’ve finally left the captivity of Egypt – or so we think we have.  It is actually difficult to leave the slavery of Egypt. You would think that the Israelites would have RUN out of Egypt when the opportunity arose, but there is a reason they didn’t. They had been enslaved for 430 years, and it had been many generations since any of their ancestors had known anything but captivity. It may not have been a pleasant life, but it was safe and secure. It was a known commodity. Fleeing was a step into the unknown and into uncertainty.

God had Moses inspire them with the image of the Promised Land – a land flowing with milk and honey. That may not sound appealing to us. As a parent of small children, I could use a little less milk and honey in my house. But there is a bigger picture. The word for milk in Hebrew was chalab. It literally meant to suck the milk of nations. That is quite an image. Think of a nursing baby. Has that baby had to do anything to enjoy its nourishment? No, mom has. The baby simply eats. Deuteronomy 6:10-11 talks about enjoying cities we did not build and wells we did not dig.  This doesn’t mean we don’t work, but we follow God’s way diligently, and then things we didn’t even put in the work for will be given to us.  We seek God, and we are given more.  This is not money falling from the sky, but labor multiplied through God’s blessing.

Honey represents the delicacies of nature. In other words, the good things of this life – sensual pleasures, even! (Wait a minute! We Christians aren’t supposed to have those things or even admit we want them, right?) Actually, God wants you to have those things – just so long as we have them HIS way. For example, sex is not a bad thing and we should desire it – with our spouse alone and with no one else. Food is good for nourishment and even pleasurable at times, yet we should not abuse it or make a habit of eating poorly.  There are sensual pleasures there for us to enjoy (food, sex, etc), which if we do it God’s way we will truly enjoy them and all their benefits, blessings, and results.  We also need to develop character to prepare us to handle the blessings God sends properly.

Next, notice that God did not tell them about the wilderness and the many battles facing them in the Promised Land. Why? Well, for one, who would have left what they knew for a promise that was going to require a lot of danger and work to obtain? It is also true that, when we truly know God and His character, that the obstacles between us and His promises are irrelevant. If God promised it, then He is going to help us get over any obstacles in the way.  That’s really all we need to know. 

So, you finally decide to leave Egypt. For us that means leaving the old, sinful nature behind. That can be hard because it has been all we know. But even when we make the decision to leave it behind, it’s not over. Just like with the Israelites, Pharaoh is going to chase you. Your sinful past is going to try and pull you back in and it is so easy to just go back.  As an example, make a decision to leave lust behind and suddenly every person of the opposite sex is flirting with you (or, so you think anyway). Decide to stop the partying lifestyle and you will get invited to the party of the century – as the guest of honor. Pharaoh is not going to let go easily.  Sometimes we try to leave but we end up there still.  We will be tempted to go back to slavery.  Some never leave Egypt and many keep trying to go back.  Sometimes the work we have before us seems to hard, but remember it’s not our job to do it but God’s.  We have to keep remembering why we want to move forward and trust God to take us where He wants us to go. 

When God had the Israelites leave Egypt He took them in what seemed to be the wrong direction, but He had a plan. He then had them pop a u-ey (U-turn) making it look to Pharaoh like they were lost. That was part of the plan too. Then, they found themselves pinned – a mountain on one side, the Red Sea on the other and Pharaoh and the Egyptians bearing down on them.  It looked bleak. The Israelites were angry with God and angry with Moses. They believed they might be better off back in Egypt as slaves than dying here. But God answered their cry in an interesting way. He reminded Moses that he already has the authority to win in this situation. God has given him the special staff. That staff was his authority. God, basically tells him to stop crying and use the authority he has been given. Now authority only goes so far. The authority is not what will save you. It is the power that you have the authority to use – and that power is the power of God.

 We see in Exodus 14 that, if we take that authority to use the power we can literally destroy that power of sin that is chasing us down so that we “never see it again.” We may not have the power to do the things God gives us to do, but we DO have the authority.

 To listen to the entire sermon go to http://ahwatukeechurch.com/ and click on online media.  To learn more about Living Word Ahwatukee, visit http://ahwatukeechurch.com/.