Don’t Go Back to Eygpt?What is Egypt? In Genesis, Egypt was the place where God used Joseph and the Pharaoh’s dream to save thousands of people from starvation during a 7-year drought. This is when ancient Egypt became wealthy because they were the only ones who had food and they sold food to everyone.
At the end of Genesis, the whole family of Israelites are in Egypt (about 64 of them) and they live in royalty because Joseph had saved the kingdom.
There is 400 years between Genesis and Exodus. Now the Israelites are millions and they are slaves. Slaves have no future. Their tomorrow will not be any better than their past. Their children have no future because they will be slaves also. They work and work and never get ahead.
In the Book of Romans, sin is called slavery. Un-forgiveness is a prison. It will keep you in chains. Hatred, shame, addictions, lust, gossip, sex outside of marriage, theft, pride, rebellion, resentment, jealousy, anger, rage, murder, laziness, and so forth are all slavery. They will bind you and keep you locked in your prison. Your sin will destroy you and your family. It will most likely pass on to your children.
Egypt, in the Bible, represents the life of sin. The world thinks of sin as fun and there is temporary pleasure in sin, but all sin leads to death. Separation and isolation from loved ones and separation from God. Sin leads to death for you and your children.
John 10:10 “ A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.”
Romans 6:23 “ When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives his people a free gift—eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:20 “ In the past you were slaves to sin, and you did not even think about doing right.”
God is always about deliverance, freedom, repentance and restoration. That’s what God does through Moses in the Book of Exodus. He comes to set God’s people free. That’s what Jesus does for us in the New Testament, Jesus breaks sin’s hold on our lives.
John 3:36 “ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. But those who do not obey the Son will never have that life. They cannot get away from God’s anger.”
Romans 8:1-3 “So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. 2 That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death. 3 The law was without power because it was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do: He sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that everyone else uses for sin. God sent him to be an offering to pay for sin. So God used a human life to destroy sin”.
Romans 1:16 “ I am proud of the Good News, because it is the power God uses to save everyone who believes—to save the Jews first, and now to save those who are not Jews.”
In chapter 16 of Exodus, the children of Israel have been free from Egypt for 45 days when they run into a problem and they start complaining about food and water. Exodus 17:2 “So they turned against Moses and started arguing with him. They said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why have you turned against me? Why are you testing the Lord?” Oh how easy it is for us to fall into a lifestyle of complaining. You can’t have joy and appreciation if you are complaining. We are to enter His presence with gratitude and griping will get you nowhere with God.
When God sets us free from sin, which is called salvation, you better believe that problems will come. Temptation, old friends, even family, will come after you. Problems will come in this world.
What is the first response of the children of Israel to their problems? We were better off in Egypt. What a lie! Your mind may fantasize the past life in sin, but that is a lie from the devil.
Satan is the father of lies. John 8:44 “ Your father is the devil. You belong to him. You want to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the beginning. He was always against the truth. There is no truth in him. He is like the lies he tells. Yes, the devil is a liar. He is the father of lies.”
Sin is death, but God gives us life. Jeremiah 29:11 “ I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.’ This message is from the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.” God wants to give you a future and hope.
Over and over in the Bible, God reminds the Israelites that He brought them out of Egypt. Remember that when you come to Christ, Satan lost control of you and goes after you to pull you back into sin.
Exodus 19:3 “ Then Moses climbed up the mountain to meet with God. The Lord spoke to him on the mountain and said, “Tell this to the Israelites, the great family of Jacob.” God tells Moses that His desire is for His people to be fully obedient and they will be a treasured nation. God wants you to be His own family. Remember that God loves you and He has the vest way for you – Freedom, love, peace, joy. When you come to Christ, there will be problems, but they come to test us when God tells us to trust Him. God’s answer for their lack of water, bread and meat was fully supplied when they trusted God – Exodus 16:7.