Egypt…in scripture

I want to speak about our Help.  So many times we look to others, who we see as “stronger” than us,….or more experienced, or which we think have more of what we need.

        But…

        We are to look to the Lord, “….from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

From the earliest times in scripture, Egypt has been a temptation to the people of God

Egypt is a type of the world system (mighty, showy, and full of idols)……and Pharoah, a type of the devil (seeking to enslave the people of God.duet.6:21)

When Abraham came into the land God called him to, and there was a famine…..instead of trusting God who called him to the land,….or seeking direction for what he should do,….or for provision in the famine….

…Abraham went down to Egypt….to  seek relief from trouble. 

(And got into a whole lot of trouble down there. Genesis 12:9-20, 16:1)

When Jacob was told to go to Egypt (and he was told to go)….his children became immersed in the ways of the Egyptians….even to worshiping their gods. 

       Lev.20:7 “Then said I (the Lord) unto them,   Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with  the idols of Egypt:  I am the Lord your God.”

When Israel was delivered from the bondage…God did not take them through the land of the Philistines….because the people would go back to Egypt when they would experience war.    

(Exodus 13:17)

The Lord told them plainly….”…the Lord hath said unto you,  Ye shall henceforth return no more that way (to Egypt).” Deuteronomy 17:16

But  they kept wanting to return. 

Numbers 14:3-4 “And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey?  Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

     And they said one to another,   Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.”

Israel sought to Egypt even in treaties…

Isaiah 30:1-2 “Woe to the rebellious children, saith  the Lord, that take counsel, but not of Me:…

     That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at My mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt.” 

(Jeremiah 2:18, Jeremiah 35:5,7…many times they turned to Egypt for help….when God would have been their help, if they had sought unto Him) 

They  were warned so many times against this…for Egypt was no help….but like a broken reed to lean upon.

Isaiah 36:6 “Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into this hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.”

I want to say, that Egypt was a mighty nation.  As the world is now….it is a force to be reckoned with.    But….they were to come out of it…

…..and serve the Lord.

(I said before, that in the scriptures, Egypt is a type of the world, and Pharaoh, a type of the devil.   

        It is interesting to note that when Moses told Pharaoh,  “Thus saith the Lord,  let my people go that they may worship me.”….that when the might of God was shown….all Pharoah did was to compromise….wanting above all else to keep his power over the people…

….just as the devil does the children of God.

        At first it was….no….I do not know the Lord.

Then, it was with every judgment….Pharaoh hardened his heart….and refused to let them go.

       But when God made a division in the judgment….Israel had none, but the rest of Egypt had the judgments….then…

…Pharaoh began to bargain:  

First it was: worship…in the land.(Exodus 8:25)

Then it was….go ahead, worship in the wilderness….but ye shall not go very far away. (Exodus 8:28)

Then it was….only the men should go to worship (Exodus 10:11)

Then it was….the people can go, but their flocks and herds must stay (Exodus 10:24)

It is the same with the world and the devil’s wiles…..

…don’t be so fanatic.  

God can be worshiped at home.   You do not have to go to church.

     Sunday is a day off.   Your children go to school.  Go to church if you want,  but don’t make them go.

     Ok,  go to church on Sunday morning….but don’t give “too much” extra time,  or your money….remember you have to make ends meet for yourself….and those extra things the children want…remember them.

These might not be the words, or temptations that are used on all of us.   But the world and the devil do not like to give up their hold on us….

….but God delivers.

Psalm 140:1-2 “Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

     Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.”)

The Lord has told us:

2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 

     And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

     Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

But why are we to “come out” from the world?        To serve our God.

Jesus said,   “For what is a man profited….”

     (and “profit” is what the world is looking for)  “…if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Sometimes I believe, we Christians are like the children of Israel, when they thought about Egypt…..they didn’t remember the bondage and death….but the “flesh pots”, the cucumbers and leeks…(Numbers 11:4-5)

…the good stuff.

But let us consider for a moment….what we gain in Christ….

      First let us consider the kingdom of God:

Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink;  but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

This is our kingdom.   We belong to King Jesus, and as He rules in me,…

… He brings righteousness (a path that is right through this world that is wrong. And good works for me to do along the way.).

…He brings peace (peace with God…where I can come before Him anytime….and a settled calm in the midst of the world’s torrents and storm)

…He brings joy in the Holy Ghost (a bouyancy that keeps looking toward the Lord, and His Purpose for me…..amid trouble….and prosperity.)

Then let us consider our strength….for when we consider our enemies, our fears, and our troubles….we need Strength.

Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?…shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

    Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

    For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, not things to come,

    Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separte us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

     Let me just say,  that when we know the true love of the Lord for us, in this moment…we are encouraged, strengthened, empowered to do and be for Him.    

      For in the world we have persecution and tribulation, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12

Yet Jesus has already seen to us.  He said:

      John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace.   In the world ye shall have tribulation:  but be of good cheer;  I have overcome the world.”

Let us be “of good cheer”…which means “to have both comfort and courage.”

Let us not go back to the world…

…Egypt did Israel no good….and the world will yield us no blessings….

……but, since we have come out from it….let us cross this wilderness world….learn to trust in the Almighty God…..and enter into all that Jesus Christ has won for us….

….for this is true “profit”.

 The barriers we erect…have we become “comfortable” away from Christ?

Song of Solomon 2:8-10 “The voice of my Beloved! behold, He cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.

       My beloved is like a roe or a young hart:  behold, He standeth behind our wall, He looketh forth at the windows, shewing Himself through the lattice.

       My Beloved spake, and said unto me,  Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.”

Here is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ coming and calling us on.   

       But there is a barrier….a wall that separates us from the Lord.

(I talked with a woman once about knowing Christ Jesus in a more personal relationship.  As I was dealing with her, she finally stopped the conversation with:

      “I am comfortable where I am with Christ.”

Have we gotten comfortable where we are with Christ…or are we pressing on? Philippians 3:12-14)

The next thing we need to see….is that it is His Voice which awakens us to our condition.

      And how many times does He use His Word, spoken by preachers, teachers, or through devotions…to awaken us to His call.

      He calls us to “rise up and come away”….indicating that there is something to leave….and something to go on to.

This wall is our spiritual experience…up-to-date.    It is “our wall”….not my wall or His wall…but a wall that is built by the things we go through because we are the Lord’s.

Some of these things leave us feeling exuberant….some of these things leave us feeling wounded….some of these things are simply building blocks we are to use to go on…but we don’t. 

Now let us deal with that wall.  

     A wall is made up on stones, bricks….pieces of things in our lives….which begin to pile up.

For the most part…they are simple commands which have not been obeyed.   Things that just need to be done….or seen to.

For some, it is a matter of destroying certain blocks of the wall.  Things that you must give up!  

     (Here is where personal conviction comes in.   Things that may be alright for others to do….but I can not….because the Lord will not let me. 

     The places we go,  the things we allow, are they part of God’s plan for me…..do they help me grow in grace….or am I walking on the edge, next to the world system?

     1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient:  all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”    [Also in 1 Cor. 10:23.]

      Expedient  means here to contribute, to give advantage.   

Not everything contributes to my spirituality….my growth in Christ.

     I would mention here, as well,….that some believe there is no gray area in our spiritual life.  It is either God’s Will,  or not (I believe this).    Some believe in a gray area.   

     There are certainly lots of pursuits which are not right.   Those we need to give up right away.

But there are others….which are pleasurable which are not wrong….yet need to be sanctified or set aside to God.

For others, it is a matter of discarding certain things of your spiritual childhood…and going on to more mature things, with Him.

Putting away childish things.

1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child,  I spake as a child,   I understood as a child,  I thought as a child:  but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

Paul has been speaking of the love of Christ which should separate us from many things we would normally feel or do.

     Love suffereth long and is kind!   Love does not envy others!  Love seeks not her own, is not easily angered!

     Whose love acts like this?

     It is only One….the Lord Jesus Christ’s love…in us, and through us.

Then Paul speaks of the doing away of…“things in part”….

…prophesies will be fulfilled and become history.

…every language will be done away with….when Christ comes.

Then comes the statement….”When I was a child…”

     Paul wanted the Corinthians,… who were acting childish….going off into cliches….taking sides and not acting for the whole group….to know, that he too, had to grow up into Christ.

And how had he done that?    By “putting away” childish things, in speech….in his understanding of God’s dealings….in his thoughts about others.    

And how is that done?   By Christ’s love replacing my thoughts, attitudes, and reactions to everything which the Lord sends  my way.

(My  husband preached on this verse….

       Childish speaking…..”it got broke”.     When a child is playing  ball, and the ball breaks a glass or vase….a child will say, when asked what happened….”the ball hit it!”

       But when we become a man,   we take responsibility for our actions….and their consequences…”I broke it”.

Childish understanding….is limited to the experience that the child would have had., and often is limited to what they want to believe.

      Paul had known the same scriptures before and after the martyrdom of Stephen….but he got “exceeding mad” at the new understanding that Stephen’s message gave him.   He did not want to believe it….so he refused it.    Till the blinding Light of Christ made him give up his childish refusal….and surrender to God’s love.

Childish thoughts….are always putting us in the center of everything….in the foreground of all reactions.    How does this affect me?   How will I look if I do this?   What will people think?

     But when we put away childish thoughts….we begin to seek the glory of the Lord,  first….and leave ourselves in the Lord’s hands.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIs righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” )

There are many pieces of our spiritual experience up-to-date that we need to see done.

We need to place ourselves into the mighty flood of Christ’s love….and hear the call to let them go….and go on to more fuller experiences with Christ.

Song of Solomon 2:8, 10 “The Voice of my Beloved!  Behold, He cometh leaping upon the mountains…”

(Have you started leaping over those impossible difficulties in your feelings, in your conversations, and in your actions toward others?)

“….skipping upon the hills.” 

(Have you begun to know true victory over the little irritants and frustrations which attack you every day?)

“My Beloved spake, and said unto me,  Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.”

(“My love”….how much we need the more mature manifestations of HIs love to us…that constant fellowship of peace and joy.)

Have we heard HIs voice? Are we ready to see to “our wall”?

Redeeming the time

Ephesians 5:15-16 “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

How can we “redeem the time”?

“Redeeming” here, means “to rescue from loss, to improve opportunities”.

Here in Ephesians,….

…(in a book written to explain the privileges we have in Christ…”who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”)

……we have a warning.

We are not to let time slip through our fingers….

….we are, in fact, to rescue each day from the loss of natural pursuits….to the gain of spiritual walking in the Spirit.

Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

We each have so much time….

Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

This is not asking for the certain number we are going to live…..

……but rather for an understanding that we are created for a purpose.

We all have a “reason” God created us….therefore let us get His wisdom (guidance) to fulfill it.

The Holy Spirit is given us to be our Comforter….Paraclete, or Someone who comes beside to help.

But He comes with grace: the unmerited favor of power….grace which gives us ability, and knowledge, and strength.

Grace He gives us, to use our time wisely.

The saying, “we are in the world, but not of it”….should hold true.

We are not to share in its interests or opinions,….but rather let the Word of God mold us into HIs servants….faithful to Him.

Romans 13:11-13 “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light,

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”

Here is a picture of a Christian, who having heard the alarm clock of God to wake up….does so.

(How many times has God tried to awaken us! To get us to see the importance of our time. Maybe we think we are of little importance….but God does not think so.

If we gave one person the Word of God….only one person saw the Light and came to Christ….

…now think if that one person was your child, your spouse, your best friend….your neighbor.)

Well, this Christian jumps up out of the chair he fell asleep in….and sees that the light is shining….

…he is late! He best be going! For he is not sure for how long the light will continue to shine….there might be clouds rolling in.

But before he goes, he realizes that he is still wearing yesterday’s clothes….still wearing the muddy shoes from yesterday….

….he needs to change….clean himself up….and prepare himself for the day ahead….

Once he is cleaned up…..he realizes that he is going to do God’s business…..not his, so he better find out how the Lord wants him to dress.

(What is the “armor of light”?

1 Thessalonians 5:8 “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”

Our armor is the graces we have acquired under the training of the Holy Spirit.

We are given faith at new birth….but it is a covering for our heart and will….only as we use it to keep close to the Lord….in love to Him.

The Holy Spirit gives us hope (the confident expectation that God will do what He said)….to cover our reasons and thoughts….to keep us thinking….not with the world….but with the Word of God.

Faith, Love, Hope……These are enlightening….Light which shines and illuminates the dark places we must travel in this world.)

Once dressed, the Christian prepares to walk, and work…..in honesty. Determining to do….only what is fit to be seen in the light of day….

…in other words….dress in the character of Christ.

Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

And….he begins to redeem his time….this day….

Ephesians 5:14 “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Are you awake? Or still half-asleep?

Are you prepared with the armor of light? Or still wearing the “clothes” of yesterday?

The days are certainly “evil”….full of hurtful influence to us, who want the Lord’s Will.

Let us awake….open our eyes to Christ and prepare ourselves…by putting on Christ….

…and let us redeem the time the Lord has given us.

Obedience

God is Sovereign…..and He claims His right….His prerogative, to rule.

Sometimes His rule is unseen, with those who are unthankful, and disobedient….for He rules and overrules in all circumstances.

Sometimes His rule is seen, with those whose obedience to His commands bring down peace, love and joy.

Obedience then is the one thing in life that will decide man’s destiny.

In the life of man, to obey God is the one thing needful.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep HIs commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

In our obedience, we “side with” God,…..or in our disobedience, we “side with” the Adversary of our souls, and his principal of rebellion.

(He said to our first parents……“Ye shall not surely die”. Genesis 3:4

“It won’t be like God has warned,…don’t worry….just do what you want…and I will tell you what you want.” So the Adversary tricked Adam and Eve…..and so he has tricked us down through the ages. Are we still listening to him?)

1 Samuel 15:22-23 “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected thee from being king.”

No amount of religious activity can ever take the place of simple obedience…..no matter what it costs you.

To fail to obey is to reject His Word to us……whether it is for a “better” idea, or reason, or just going after our lusts…..to fail to obey God is a rejection of His Word.

Jeremiah 7:21-23 “Thus saith the Lord of hosts,…

For I said not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:

But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”

When the Lord first brought Israel out of Egypt, He did not give them a system of sacrifices, at first (actually it was months later, at Sinai)……but He told them to obey Him (Exodus 15:26)

And this is what He requires of us, as well…

…….because we love Him.

◦ John 14:21 “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me:….”

Obedience is our choice to follow Christ…..to give unto Him our hearts and hands….

…not just in words, but in real love, which believes His Word, holds on to it, and does it, though the whole world refuses Him.

Jeremiah 7:28, 9:3 “But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction:…..

And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth…..for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not Me, saith the Lord.”

They do not receive correction….and they know not Me, saith the Lord.

One criteria for spirituality…..is to be able to receive correction. (Hebrews 12:5-8)

God corrects those He loves…..for how much we need it! So that we may walk with Him closer,….with more blessing.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

The expected end for His purpose for us.

Though His purpose goes through trials, or storms, or corrections, or blessings….He does it to lead us to our expected end:

The Lord’s “well done, thou good and faithful servant”.

Will we be obedient and choose Him?

The Words that I Speak unto you are Life

John 6:63 “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

Many times in the scriptures, Jesus spoke to those that “hath ears to hear”. ( Matthew 11:15, Mark 4:23, Like 8:8)

It is one thing to hear with the ears attached to the sides of your head…and another altogether, to hear with the “ears” of your spirit.

(In the Old Testament, The Lord often reproves Israel for their lack of hearing Him. He says, “You did not even incline your ear.” That is, you did not even try to hear Me.

Jeremiah 11:7-8 “For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey My voice.

Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked everyone in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.”

Actually there are eight verses in Jeremiah which say pretty much the same: Jeremiah 7:24, 26; 11:8; 17:23; 25:4; 34:14; 35:15; 44:5)

It is the Spirit that gives life. And the Words that Jesus speaks unto us, are Spirit and Life.

That means that the Holy Spirit within us gives us understanding of what Jesus is saying to us.

And He gives us awaking, light, ability….all the things that spiritual life demonstrates, to us.

John 6:51, 61, 64-66 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured at it, He said unto them, Doth this offend you?

But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him.

And He said, Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father.

From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.”

Hearing Jesus and obeying Him is the price of discipleship, and many did not want to pay it.

They were “offended” at His words. It was not just that they did not understand them….but that they saw these as “hard, “harsh”, and “narrow”.

So they let their emotions rule, and became scandalized, or offended.

Isn’t that what Israel thought of the covenant? That it was too hard?

Isn’t that what many people think today, of Christ’s way of Life? Too narrow?

Jesus was speaking of Himself as the Bread of Life:

John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.”

The disciples knew He was talking about being the Messiah, the Life-giver to Israel…but did not like the “I will give My life for the world”, part.

That seemed a bit extreme….too extreme for some; for it meant that they, too, would be walking in the same way, with Him.

To live for Jesus, we must be empowered to do so: you can not, of yourself, come to God, or follow Him. We must be empowered to do so.

But He has it for us….He really is the Bread of Life.

We don’t need to be “hungry”, or “thirsty”. For He is Life for our life, and Strength for our weakness, and Help for our troubles, and Knowledge for our inexperience. (And so much more)

I have been laughed at, especially when I was first called to preach….me? A preacher? (Well, I could have laughed with them…the way I had been!)

But I was really trying to learn to hear everything the Lord wanted me to say to everyone. To incline my ear.

I tried to say what God wanted me to say, about my testimony, and my calling.

That was not always easy…but necessary. I was told to preach to people who did not “approve” of my calling. And some who did…because it was like theirs.

But the word the Lord gave me, or showed me for the situation was to be honored; above all.

It did not matter what I felt, or they felt; but what the Lord wanted said.

His Word by His Spirit will “quicken” us. The written Word of God, and the spoken word, by His Spirit, within us.

He has promised us life, and He will give it to us, in each situation. It is His life.

And if it is not so quickening us, then we ought to see just what is stopping the flow of power to us.

Maybe we have become “offended” at something.

John 6:67 “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?”

This is the only gospel that tells of this trial for Jesus. The crowds were always following Him for what He would do for them…

But those, and there were quite a few at first, who followed Him thinking Him to be the “One who was to come”, The Messiah. Yet did not “believe” it.

(Believe is a favorite word of John. It is written four more times in John then in each of Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Here it means to “have faith, to entrust one’s spiritual well-being to Christ”. “Believe” says: Christ Jesus, You are my goodness of life; with You I have everything I need; without You, my life is a mass of sin sickness.)

John 6:68-69 “Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to Whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.

And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

You gotta love Peter….so many faults, but Peter had a zeal for Christ.

And at the end of his second epistle, he wrote, warning the believers; that we do not understand everything at once….but the Lord will teach you….just continue believing the Lord Christ.

2 Peter 3:16-18 “As also in all his epistles, speaking of them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (pervert), as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.”

Let us yield to Christ’s Words and learn to live His life through us, by His Holy Spirit.

Jacob: “All these things are against me.”

Genesis 42:36 “And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.”

But were they, really, “against“ him; or was God just working His purpose through this difficult time?

Jacob had twelve sons: but there was jealousy among them.

Joseph was his favorite.

Joseph loved the Lord, and Jacob made him a coat of many colors, which signified his love for him….which only intensified the jealousy and hatred his brothers had for Joseph.

Joseph was sent by his father to find the older brothers who were herding cattle.

Because of this jealousy, he was taken by them, and sold to a passing caravan going down to Egypt.

That coat of many colors was dipped in the blood of goats. Then they told Jacob that they just found it. (They had wanted to kill him; but God would not allow that.)

Horrible story! Jacob was heartbroken.

Years past: Joseph, the boy, became Joseph the man, in Egypt. (His story of when he was a slave in Egypt is an amazing story of God’s goodness, even in a terrible situation. Genesis 39-41)

Joseph had a gift of interpreting dreams. And after years in prison, he is brought out to give the interpretation of a dream Pharaoh had: there would be seven “fat” years, or years of plenty. And then there would be seven “lean” years, or years of famine for the whole world.

Pharaoh was so grateful for the interpretation, he made Joseph second in command under him.

Seven plentiful years came, and Joseph saved up the excess for the famine to come.

Now, the famine was here, even into Canaan, where Jacob and his family was.

Hearing that there is corn(grain) in Egypt, Jacob says to the older sons, “Take money and go buy some, that the children may live.”

But, after losing Joseph, he would not send his youngest son, Benjamin.

So they came to Egypt, to the very one they had so badly treated years before:

But they knew him not.

Genesis 42:7-8 “And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but he made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.”

Joseph speaks through an interpreter, so they would not know he knew what they were saying. He speaks roughly to see what they would do.

They protest their innocence; telling him where they come from, who is their father, and that they have a brother at home.

But Joseph throws them into prison, claiming they “are spies” for three days. (Not the years he was)

After three days, he says that they can go home with corn, but one of them, Simeon, will stay in prison.

And one more thing: they would need to bring the youngest brother, before Simeon could be free.

What?! Oh, no. They can’t believe it! What would this do to their father?

The oldest son then speaks to the rest: This is a judgement upon us for Joseph. We heard his pleadings, yet would not be moved. Now his blood is required at our hand.

But they do not know Joseph is hearing all of this confession.

So, they go home, with the corn that they went for; but sadly, for they knew this would tear Jacob up to hear what happened.

Then Jacob cries, “…all these things are against me.”

“You will kill me, if anything happens to Benjamin. No, he will not go.”

But the famine worsens. There would be several years of depravation to come. They could not hold out.

(The thing is: God had allowed all of this. He had purposed the saving of Jacob’s family by Joseph, and had allowed their hatred of Joseph to go so far….and no further.

Joseph would go before them into Egypt, and God would protect him, and in God’s time, raise him to the powerful position he was in.)

But Jacob did not know this. He looked at the circumstances around.

Famine, and death for all his family.

Or send Benjamin, and maybe lose him, too.

What to do?

Genesis 43:2, 13-14 “And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, and buy us a little food.

Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

So they went to Egypt.

But there would be one more test of the loyalty to their father, that Joseph would give:

He had them in for the noon meal with him, seeing Benjamin for the first time, in years.

Joseph filled their sacks with corn, but also slipped a gold cup of his into Benjamin’s sack.

He let them go just out of the city, and sent his men after them, saying that one had his cup!

When they found it in Benjamin’s sack, Jacob’s sons were terrified. What would happen now? Death? Slavery? What would become of their family in Canaan?

Joseph said that only Benjamin would become a servant: this is quite a test! Would these brothers that sold him into slavery, care about Benjamin, and the heart of their father?

They did. They had learned their lesson.

So Judah stepped forward and begged Joseph (though they did not know it was him) to take him as a servant, and let Benjamin go.

Then Joseph tells them who he really is, and sends for Jacob and the rest of his family to come and live near Joseph; and be provided for.

All that they could need, was provided by God beforehand, only they just did not know it yet.

Genesis 45:28. “And Israel (Jacob) said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.”

Genesis 46:2-4 “And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

And He said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will make of thee a great nation.

I will go down with thee into Egypt; I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hands upon thine eyes.”

Jacob had said, “All these things are against me”, when God had purposed his good, after the trial of his sons.

Everything seemed wrong; but God’s Ways led him right.

Psalm 107:6-7 “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.

And led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.”

The Lord will always lead us the right way: through trials, troubles (and yes, it is through them), and joys. He is God Almighty still.

Miserable 

Revelation 3:17 “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched,  and miserable,  and poor,  and blind, and naked:”

Paul when he saw the sinner that he was….cried,   “O wretched man that I am”.

      Romans 7:24 “O wretched man that I am!  who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

But here in Laodicea….we are wretched….and are totally unaware of it.

Let us consider sin:

     Romans 14:23 “…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

     James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

These are the two definitions.

So we see two things from these….our faith is active against our sin, and will keep us out of it, if we yield to it,…..and sin is very personal.

But there is more said of us Laodiacians than… we are wretched.

We are miserable.  Here that means to be pitiful.

     We are so far below the standard of true spirituality….that we are seen in our pitiful state, by God.

We are seen as poor 

     Lacking true spiritual riches…

…..we are blind 

     As Peter said, “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” 2 Peter 1:9.    

     But lacketh what things?  Virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, love.    All these we add to our faith by diligence….which is the true measure of growth…..how diligent are we in getting  the promises of God, to us, in our lives,…now?

….we are naked

     When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden…they knew they were naked…no longer clothed with the innocence God gave them.   But we often sin,…(perhaps in our eyes,  small ones)…

……but  when we do not seek the forgiveness and cleansing from it…..this leaves us “naked”….unable to have the sweet fellowship and communion with Christ that we once had.

These are God’s descriptive terms for us.    And they make Him sick of us.

Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,  I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick:  but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.”

(When my husband preached on this theme,  he spoke of the sickness of heart the Lord has over His church.   He is standing outside His church….sick of heart over the miserable way we are…and how we are not using His means and grace to be different.    And as he was considering this,  my husband felt sick, himself….like he was going to vomit.)

God’s desire for us….is a life of nearness to Him,…through Christ Jesus. 

 A life of godliness (so Jesus counsels us to get “gold tried in the fire”….the fire of our everyday lives….living for Him.)

A life clothed with Christ, worked out in righteous acts by obedience. (so Jesus counsels us to put on the purity of Christ’s life in me.  Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”)

A life of sight by faith (so Jesus counsels us to use the eye-opening salve of honesty…given by the Holy Spirit, when we yield to Him)

I started this with the title “miserable”.    From God’s view point we are pitiful.   

      But now I wish to talk of us…..miserable us.

(Years ago, my brother, on his farm had a fire in the large round bales of hay that were lined up together.   A few of them burned, and he and my mother, who lived there, got out  and started moving the other bales around them away.  

      Well, they decided that they would move the others too.   My brother had to go to work, so the job fell to my mother….who picked his little chore tractor to use.   She started off loving this!  picking up the bales and zooming down to the place they were storing them now….keeping them seperate by so much!  She loved doing this!

     Then…..she started to think that she was doing all the work!   and shortly, she was miserable!  Nothing had changed….she was sitting, zooming along…..yet she was miserable.

     We are often that same way.   God gives us a call….and we are gung-ho for a while.   Then we look around….and begin to feel “alone” in the work [forgetting those that pray, and encourage us]….and we get miserable.)

I, too, would like the days of “mounting up with wings as eagles”….feeling the Holy Spirit’s influence in all that we do!

But the days of walking….sometimes plodding along….are days of feeling the slowness of my progress in spiritual things….days of seeing the same things happen again and again….days where I begin to look down at my feet, rather than beside me, where Jesus walks, too.

What is the answer?   How can the joy of the Holy Spirit be consistent (not constant, but consistent)? 

We must remember that joy is the second fruit of the Spirit.   Love is first….and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge (Ephesians 3:19) we are all called to.

     But joy is next.   Do we have it?   For joy is the Presence of God in my life….not just my heart and spirit….but my life.

We Laodicians have lost our joy…..and tried to exchange it for happiness.   

    But that leads us astray….for happiness is always about what affects us or ours.   Joy comes to us by the Presence of God in any….and all (good and bad) situations….for it is Him which comes to us in a special manifestation.

So now the Word of our Counselor….we’ve heard it before….but let it sink down into our souls….

      Revelation 3:18 “I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; 

and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;

and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

Our Advocate is giving us the best advice, if we want to leave our miserable state.

    We can have the Holy Spirit’s fruits flowing through us….love, joy, peace,…

…but are we willing to “buy”….through devotion to Christ above all others (and yes, sometimes that is very hard)…..and obedience to His Word?

One more reminder:   In every church age,  Christ approves,….and He corrects.   

      But then He offers to those that overcome by faith….a token of HIs special love for them.  

To the first age, He offers the tree of life.  Not to be under the influence of the tree of good and evil….but to know true life, healing, satisfying life.

(For our troubles in the church are usually from the inside, out.

      In the first church, which lost their first love….leads into the next age which suffered much persecution under the Roman Caesars.   That persecution drove all but the zealous lovers of God out of the church,….and that age manifested the true love and devotion to Christ, before the arena of Rome.)

      To the second church age,  which were persecuted, He offers to not be hurt of the second death.   They may die as martyrs, (“hurt” is an important word, for many were thrown to lions, and many were tortured)….but they shall never die again.   Life is promised, with all the attending joys.

      (All these promises to those that overcome,  are very interesting….and how it shows the Lord’s knowledge of our personal troubles and the Lord’s sympathy with our infirmities. Hebrews 4:15-16)

And so on through the ages of the church….down to now, in Laodicea,  where He offers us…who are lukewarm and miserable….

Revelation 3:21 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.”

      …if we will get zealous, repent,…and overcome.

The Lord Jesus offers us throne authority with Him, now in this life.

     (Think of the apostles after the filling of the Holy Spirit.  Acts 4:8-13 “…perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”)

      This throne authority also speaks of honor.   The Lord plainly will honor those who honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30).

And how do we overcome?  We overcome all that stands in our way of doing His Will….whatever it is.

Miserable is what Christ calls us…..but we can overcome and become zealous (boiling hot for Christ)…repent…and have that authority in our lives, that He offers.

      In Christ’s life we have all things….love, joy, peace,….and His Word, and Will, by His authority.    Are we repenting our ways…and  overcoming the things that hinder, that we can  become zealously in love with Christ Jesus our Lord, again?

To Experience the Call of Christ

Matthew 4: 18-20 “And Jesus walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.”

When Christ Jesus calls someone to follow Him into a work, He says “Follow Me”.

Then He adds the job that He calls you to.

It is of first importance, that we know we are following Him, for He will ever be with us in the work, as He was with His disciples of old.

He empowers us by His Holy Spirit for the work we are given to do; as we follow Him.

His call, first, takes us away from something. They were fishers, and they left their nets and followed Him.

We are not necessarily, to leave the jobs we have; but we are all to leave the lives we have, in ourselves; and follow Him, into the lives He has for us.

This is said many ways in Scripture:

Matthew 16:24-25 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

Paul said about the same experience:

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith

of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

So when these fishermen were called of Jesus; they answered, leaving all their lives: what they had, and did; to be disciples of Jesus.

The call of Christ is away from our way of doing things; to obedience and subjection to our Lord.

But it is not just away from our old lives. It is a call to lead you on to something else: your life in Christ, as His servant, and friend.

(Christ Jesus never asks you to “give up” something; without giving you something to replace it.)

John 15:14-17 “Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.

Henceforth I call ye not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.

These things I command you, that ye love one another.”

You can see that a life of faith, is a life of obeying His commandments, in love to our Friend, and Lord, Jesus Christ.

This call from Christ to us, begins a way of discipleship and fellowship.

Matthew 13:17 “For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you have seen, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 “As it is written, Eye hath not seen, or ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of the heart.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given us of God.”

The Lord loves for us to be in constant contact with Him. To be listening to His Holy Spirit within, and talking to Him through our day.

We are to learn how to hear aright. We are to learn how to walk in the Spirit; and we are to learn how to love one another, as He loved us.

It is all by fellowship with Christ Jesus, and maintaining that fellowship; by confession of sins, and being cleansed from the power of them. (1 John 1:9)

They go together: forgiveness, and cleansing.

(What good would forgiving a small child for getting his new clothes into the mud, if you did not cleanse him from it? So, Christ does not just forgive us from sin, but cleanses us from it. And from this cleansing, we learn to love purity, and the right way.)

And then our call leads us to being filled with the Holy Spirit:

We are filled with the Spirit to the degree we are emptied of ourselves.

Ephesians 5:17-20 “Wherefore be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord:

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

This life is a joyful one, not without trials, or afflictions: but with Power and Strength which comes from the Lord Jesus being present with us in all our days and nights by the Holy Spirit within.

The call of Christ is a call away from the world, and onward to fellowship and joy by the Holy Spirit through Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is a life of discipleship, and learning. We learn Christ, and that learning will/can go on for all Eternity; for His Life is Endless.

Have you heard His call? Saying, Arise, and follow Me? It may not come in those words, but He will speak to you, your name, for He knows it; He knows you.

John 10:2-3 “But he that entereth by the door is the Shepherd of the sheep.

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep heareth his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.”

The call of Christ is never away from Him, but a drawing closer and closer to Him.

For that is the life He has for us.

Our Place in the World

Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

This was written in a day when Rome and the Caesar’s ruled. Their reign was often terrible. The soldiers could be cruel, or kind. Their judges could imprison or set free, at a word.

Yet, as Christians, we are to respect authorities,…..because of their office. And be subject to them. (God always has His due order. Think of the chaos without the police, fire department, and government.)

1 Timothy 2:1-4 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

For kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

This is the secret for a quiet life: Prayer for all.

We should pray for our family, our city, the church on the earth,…..for our nation, and it’s leaders.

It is not because we believe, necessarily, in what they do; but rather it is what the Lord wants.

And when we pray, God hears.

Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will.”

The Lord can turn the heart of any ruler, politician, judge, etc. as He turns the rivers in there course; to do what ever He wants.

(There are times He allows rulers to go on in there wicked way; simply to increase their punishment, or to make the deliverance of His people from their hand even more amazing!)

Our place in the world is to be lights for Jesus Christ.

To shine God’s life in us.

To do this we are to pray for those we know, who are Christians; and those who have not yet come to Christ Jesus.

To seek the good of our family, neighbors, and city by prayer.

And to pray for our country.

That revival might come to our churches, schools, institutions that are suppose to do good; and to all….

To seek the good of all, in prayer; is a down payment on a peaceful life.

The lessons of the wilderness

Now I want to start out by saying….the Israelites going to Canaan is a great study to the Christian.

They had been redeemed from Egypt and bondage….like when we are born again….we have crossed a great Sea, which drowns all our old enemies in the cross of Christ.

They sang the first song written in the Bible….a song of praise to their Redeemer:

Exodus 15:13 “Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy Holy habitation.”

They were then to go into the wilderness…..go to Mt. Sinai….become a nation under God’s rule and law (where they spent a year, learning these, and setting up the Tabernacle)……..and go to Canaan.

The whole trip should have taken about two years……but…..unbelief made the journey…(or rather wanderings till the unbelieving generation died)……a lot longer.

Our journey from the time we are born again,….till we begin to realize all our portion and inheritance in Christ….having His power and stability in our lives…..varies.

It depends on our belief……will we learn the lessons of the wilderness?

Or murmur,…in unbelief….?

What are those lessons?

First, (and I think most important)……just because we are in God’s Path, does not mean we won’t have problems.

The children of Israel left their praise to the Lord after the Red Sea,…..and three days later began murmuring because of water troubles….their barrels of water were empty…and the water they came to….was bitter….undrinkable.

Here, at Marah (bitterness)….they found that it is what we do about the troubles that matter…

…..for they murmured….but Moses cried unto the Lord…

….and the Lord turned the bitter waters, sweet.

There the Lord told them, trying to get them to see the value of learning lessons:

Exodus 15:26 “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord they God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.”

Second, that the Lord uses everything to teach us lessons…if we will learn…

A month and a half later, they are in a wilderness, far from everything…and they are running out of food….

….instead of praying, seeking God, remembering God provision from before….they murmur (it seems they have learned how to do that, very well)…

God uses this time of testing, to give them Manna,….a miraculous bread from heaven, which is outside their tents every morning to gather….

…to show them the importance of the Sabbath,….for they were to gather double the Manna on the day before, so they would not gather on the Sabbath….for it was a day set aside to fellowship with the Lord…

…..and to give them an abundance of quail….providing a delicacy in a wilderness.

Exodus 16:12 “I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.”

Third, that warfare was necessary to defend what God gives you.

Israel came out of the barren wilderness and started ascending into a mountainous area….where there was no wells of water.

The Lord gave them water from a Rock (which speaks of Christ, crucified….opening a well of living water for us John 7:38-39)…

…but that brought an enemy which wanted to drive off Israel from the water….so they could have it. They attacked Israel….

Understand, these Israelites were a slave people….they were not warriors;..

….yet they were going to have to fight to obtain the land God would bring them to….and God would begin to show them how to fight….God’s way:

Exodus 17:9-11 “And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek:…

And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.”

Joshua fought with sword….but Moses prayed with the rod lifted up to God.

Both are necessary to win the Lord’s battles.

Fourth, God is Holy….and it is in acknowledging that….that we can have fellowship….as God draws us to Him.

Israel went on to Mt Sinai…where they camped before the mount.

The Lord said to Moses…to tell the people:

Exodus 19:4-5 “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagle’s wings, and brought you unto Myself.

Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is mine:”

Here was an invitation to be the people of God, which was promised to Abraham….

….but God would first show them His holiness…

Exodus 19:10-12 “And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow; and let them wash their clothes.

And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about…”

Why? Because God is not our “buddy”….He is our God…Holy and Almighty.

A right relationship with our Lord begins with us seeing ourselves as sinners…then….as His people, with the privilege of fellowship.

Exodus 24:1, 10-11 “And He said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.

And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in His clearness.

And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.”

(We, too, can “sup” with Him….Revelation 3:20 “…I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with Me.”

But only as we,…”be zealous therefore and repent.” Revelation 3:19)

But what did they do with these privileges?

To be His people…they agreed.

Exodus 24:7 “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said we will do and be obedient.”

But to have that personal relationship….

…they refused…another lesson they would not learn…

Exodus 20:19-20 “And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God has come to prove you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10)…..that awe of His Person, that reverence of His Ways…leads us to complete surrender and trust.

But they chose….again…their way…not God’s.

Fifth, time is in God’s hands…and we should be in step with Him, even when we can not see what is going on.

(I might add here, if they had learned the other lessons…even the lesson of personal reliance on the Word of God for themselves…they would not have suffered such a chastening.)

Exodus 32:1 “And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”

Let me say, this is so wrong on so many levels:

The term “delayed”, is wrong….for the timing was God’s not theirs.

They were in a very pleasant place to wait…water, food, their families….what delay?

Then, they had just heard God say…several times…not to make idols, or worship any other god, but Him.

Moses was not the One who brought them out of Egypt….but God had saved them from Pharaoh, slavery, and the Red Sea.

What were they thinking?

(Yet, can we say we have not failed, by looking at what we consider a delay…rather than to the Lord?)

Aaron makes an idol…which they had seen in Egypt…and they make themselves naked and defiled before it (Exodus 32:19, 25)

God sends Moses back to camp to deal with the people…

Exodus 32: 26-27 “And Moses stood at the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.”

This is the first judgement on the people where a fellow Israelite has to do the punishment.

Here is where God separates the Levites for the priesthood, because they were “…on the Lord’s side”…..repenting of their sin…

They went through the camp….and those that did not run and hide in shame in their tents…were slain as these met them. (Three thousand died because they heard God, but refused to honor His claims upon them)

Sixth, When God is ready to bestow a blessing, do not ask “to check it over”……but believe Him, and enter into it.

Israel had left Sinai, after building the Tabernacle and seeing God’s glory come down upon it,…..and had crossed another bit of wilderness….

….they had come to Canaan, the promised land….to a place called Kadesh-barnea…..

…here, they were to make their entry into the land.

(They would not cross the Jordon, next to Jericho (as the next generation did)……..but instead were about 100 miles south of that….coming into a beautiful fertile land….a land that, when taken, would reap great benefits…supplying all Israel with food and water, till they conquered the rest.)

It was a beautiful place….mountains on one side, and the fertile land on the other.

Moses tells them that we have arrived….it is now time to possess all that God has for you!

Deuteronomy 1:21 “Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee: fear not, neither be discouraged.”

God was reminding them that He had promised the land to Abraham….and He had brought them to it….He would surely give it to Abraham’s children.

But….Israel had other ideas….

Deuteronomy 1:22-23 “And ye came near unto me everyone of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by which way we must go up….

And the saying pleased me well:….”

In Numbers 13:1-2, it says, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men, that they may search the land…”

When the Israelites came to the land…..they refused to go and possess it at once…..but spoke to Moses about sending men to “search out” the land….

….oddly, he thought it a good plan….he should have recognized their hesitation to obey……

….but he asked God about it…

….and God allowed it….telling Moses to do it.

But that was not the original idea. They were there to possess…..not to search. “Go up and possess it..”

Dividing the land was after the conquest….

….yet, it seemed like such a good idea….

….let everyone know the beauty and plenty of the place!

Yet….it turned out all wrong….for all they saw……was the strong people that lived there….so when they returned….they made all the people afraid…

Numbers 13:31 “But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.”

There was only two men that believed God….and wanted to go in to possess,….now.

Numbers 13:26-27, 30 “And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me?…

Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.”

Israel was to turn back into the wilderness,….and all that generation….twenty years old and older, except Caleb and Joshua….would wander for thirty-eight more years…till they died.

(The next generation came in, and under Joshua, they got the land, as God had said.)

The lessons they could have learned….they refused.

The land they could have had….they refused.

The God they said they would obey….they refused to believe….and so refused to obey.

“…and how long will it be ere they believe Me, for all the signs which I have shown among them?” (Numbers 13:11)

What about us? Are we learning the lessons which come to us?….

…lessons which show us about our God, and about the Way He would lead us.

They are often hard….but necessary to walk in…..

…and we should always remember: we are walking in this Way, with Him.

Our Christian walk here, is about growing in grace….to grow up into Christ….and have all those blessings He has for us (Ephesians 1:3)….if we will believe Him.