What are you willing to leave in Egypt?

The Bible frequently makes references to the exodus from Egypt as a sort of spiritual analogy. One aspect of the exodus story that really strikes me is the way that Pharaoh tried to bargain with Moses. Moses requested that the entire Israelite people be allowed to make a three-day journey into the wilderness to hold a festival to God. Several times Pharaoh promised to let the people go and then changed his mind as soon as the most recent plague had ended. Then, at the insistence of his officials, Pharaoh  finally agreed to let the men go- but only the men. No women or children.

That wasn't what God wanted, so He sent two more plagues. Then Pharaoh called Moses and said that everyone could go, including women and children, but they needed to leave their flocks and heards in Egypt. Moses said "no," they needed the animals to offer sacrifices. Pharaoh refused, so God brought His final plague. At last Pharaoh set the people free. The Egyptians were so terrified of God and so relieved to see the people go that they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for on the way out.

My question is, what would have happened if Moses had accepted one of Pharaoh's offers? What if he had agreed to have a men-only celebration? What if they decided to go and dedicate themselves and their children to God but leave their possessions in Egypt? Pharaoh knew that in either case they were almost certain to go back to slavery in Egypt. If Moses had given in, if he hadn't trusted God enough to hold on when it got ugly, the world would have never seen the full extent of God's might demonstrated against the Egyptian dieties and the nation of Israel might not exist today.

What kind of spiritual analogy is there?  We are always tempted to accept God's salvation on our own terms. We see that we need Jesus and we are willing to leave some of our sinful life behind in order to follow Him. But some things are harder to submit than others. It is one thing for me to follow God myself, but what if that has an impact on my loved ones? As my values change, dare I allow that to change how I lead my family? What if it means that our lifestyle changes? Can I do that to my kids? Isn't that shoving religion down their throats? They might resent it. What if God calls us to be a missionaries in Africa?

While you probably won't become missionaries in Africa, following God can be scary. If you remember that the other option is slavery to sin and death, however, the cost doesn't seem significant. The key is learning to trust God with your loved ones, something which is even harder than trusting God with your own life. When you marry you make your vows to God first and each other second. As such you are united by God and for God, and He expects you to prayerfully follow His leading together. If God  leads the parents to something, He will be faithful to guard and guide the children just as much (or more) than He does the parents.

As for possessions, how often do I sing "I surrender all" and then decide how much of my wallet is "all" this week? Jesus did not say, "give to Ceasar what is Ceasar, to God what is God's, and keep what is Yours." There are only two categories. One is Ceasar's, that which is demanded by the authorities God has placed above us, and the rest is at God's disposal. That doesn't mean that He will never let me use any of the money, property, talents, and resources that He has given me. It means that I need to view them as His, invest them as His, and treat them all as a loan from Him- and realize that He expects interest on it! Otherwise I will be investing my resources in Egypt and eventually they will drag me back into slavery.

No Place Like Home

It is so strange how I navigate in a mental world that is quite different from the actual one. I re-read my last post and noticed several lines that demonstrate this:

"I will need to clear a little space for it on top of my bookshelf" - I don't currently possess a bookshelf. I have a two-level shelf with books on it, but I don't think it qualifies. It's too narrow and too low. It's more of a nightstand. If someone were to theoretically give me a snowglobe (and I'm pretty sure they don't even exist here), I would probably put it on my dresser instead. But in my theoretical world, I own an actual bookshelf onto which I could put my theoretical snowglobe.

"If somebody just dropped the box on my doorstep"... It would probably be picked up by one of my neighbors! I am living in an apartment building. Our "doorstep" belongs to everyone in the building.

" if the owner of a bicycle shop puts the bike on my porch..." My apartment building doesn't really have a porch. When I wrote this, as well as the line above, I was imagining the "typical" American house with a front porch. Not only do I not live in one now, I never have! Why do I write this way, then? To a certain degree I am just using figures of speech that are established in the (American) English language. To another extent I think I am instinctively trying to identify with "my" culture, without really knowing what "my" culture is. I have left it behind, in a certain sense, but yet I still carry it around with me and probably always will. So far, despite two years overseas, American life is still my idea of "typical." We'll see how long that lasts.

One thing I know, and I am increasingly grateful for it, is that God is constant. His nature is constant, His love is constant, His righteousness is constant, His justice is constant, and His kingdom values do not change. David did a lot of wandering, but I think he realized that when he was in God's presence he was always home. That is why He wrote "Better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere." (Psalm 84:10)

Don't Squander Blessings

Isaiah 30:22,23 "You will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing, and say to them, 'Be gone!'  Then He will give you rain for the seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plenteous; on that day your livestock will graze in a roomy pasture." (NASB)

When they finally destroy their idols, God will send the rain that they need and all of the other blessings. If we trust an idol and all goes well, we give credit to the idol and our souls wander ever farther from the God who loves us and doesn’t want to see us ruined. Perhaps sometimes in His love for us He witholds blessings from us in order to keep that from happening. Maybe that is why God says to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and [then] all these things will be added to you.” (Matt 6:33)

There is a practical aspect to this as well. All gifts bring complications. Small gifts bring small complications. If I get a snow globe I will need to clear off a little space for it on top of my bookshelf. Bigger gifts bring bigger complications. What kind of complications might a new puppy bring into my life? It is immensely helpful to know the origin of a gift so that when these complications arise, you know where to go for help.

Let’s say somebody gave me a new bicycle. That’s fantastic! But it is still in the box, it needs to be assembled, and there is no instruction manual. I need to know where the bike came from, which manufacturer, so I can figure out how to put it together. Later I’ll want some extra parts, like a rack and mud flaps. As the bike wears out, eventually I’ll need replacement parts.

If somebody just dropped the box on my doorstep I would be quite at a loss about how to deal with these things. However, if the owner of a bicycle shop puts the bike on my porch and gives me his phone number, I can call him whenever I need help. He can supply me with parts, give me advice, help me to put it together, and fix it when it breaks.

This is how God is. He not only manufactures the bike, He wants to help us put it together and show us how to keep it in top condition. If we refuse to acknowledge that it is from Him and instead put it together our own way, ride it however we want, and repair it with whatever seems to work best to us, the bicycle will never be what it should have been. I think marriage is like that, as are many other of life's greatest gifts. The only way we can properly benefit from them are through an ongoing relationship with the Giver.