EGYPTITIS - A STROLL DOWN EXODUS LANE...

Greetings -

Scriptures from the King James Bible 

This post was inspired by Sharon of www.SharonSharingGod.blogspot.com.  She mentioned, "holding on to Egypt," and suggested that I do a post relative to that topic.  Our Lord gave "witness" in my spirit that I was to go with Sharon's suggestion.  I salute you, my dear sister Sharon, and I thank our Lord that we are, to use your son's words, "Walking with JESUS!"  

Below is the piece, "EGYPTITIS - A STROLL DOWN EXODUS LANE." 

I go on record to confess that I have been afflicted, from time to time, with the dis-ease of Egyptitis - you know the place where we "wish" that the Lord had let us stay in "Egypt."  We "stroll" down memory lane and remember when we did this or that, had this, that, or the other, went wherever, and were with him, her, and them.  We even go so far sometimes as to deceive ourselves to believe that those were the good old days.  Yeah, right!

Today to help me here, our Lord led me to His Word.  There He reminded me of the Israelites who became afflicted with Egyptitis.  This is a stroll down Exodus lane which ends in the book of Joshua.  

In Exodus 3:7, the Lord tells Moses that He knows of the sorrows of the Israelites.  The Lord goes on to share with Moses in Exodus 3:8, "And I am come down to deliver them..." 

That is great wonderful news.  In verse 12, the Lord assures Moses, "...Certainly I will be with thee,...''

Those are comforting words indeed to hear from Almighty GOD.

We stroll further to Exodus 4:29 where Moses and Aaron gather "together all the elders of the children of Israel" and in verse 30 and 31, Moses and Aaron "spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people" and "the people believed" - "then they bowed their heads and worshipped."

So far so good.

Here the plot thickens.  In Exodus 5:7, we read, "Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves."

We travel on to Exodus 6:9 where it states of the Israelites, "...but they heark-ened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage."

This has shifted.  We just finished where the people believed and bowed their heads and worshipped.  What has happened to these foolish Israelites?!  The same thing that sometimes happens to us - saved, sanctified, "I love you, JESUS," - saints of GOD.  Lord, please help us all to keep our minds stayed on You.

Ok, let me get back on this stroll down Exodus lane.  Fast forward to Exodus 14:10, "And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord."

Huh?!  The Israelites witnessed all of the signs, wonders, and plagues from GOD back in Egypt -and they were afraid as the enemy was in pursuit of them?!  What were they thinking?  Probably some of the same things that we think when we allow ourselves to fear when we know that GOD has not given us a spirit of fear.

In Exodus 14:12, the Israelites say to Moses, "Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?  For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness."

Now skip to Exodus 15:1.  Here the children of Israel sing a song of triumph unto the Lord.  Later in the same chapter, verse 24, the people murmur against Moses for lack of water.  Add further insult in Exodus 16:3 where the children of Israel speak to Moses and Aaron, "And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

Are all of these different choices reflective of double-mindedness or what?!  Lord, please help us all!

Now the stroll leads to Exodus 32 where the children of Israel tell Aaron in Exodus 32:1, "...Up, make us gods..."  The result was a golden calf.  They have really lost their minds now!  Does that remind us of anyone - hint: in the mirror. 

When Moses questions Aaron, Aaron responds in verse, 24, "And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off.  So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf."  

Huh?!  What was wrong with Aaron?!  He was a Levite, and Moses' brother.  The same brother who GOD appointed as "spokesman unto the people" - Exodus 4:16.  Now Aaron knew  better, right?  So do we, yet... 

The word of deliverance from the Lord came to the children of Israel but when persecution, tribulation, and inconveniences surfaced, many of them became fainthearted, and were smote by GOD in the wilderness.  

The land of milk and honey was much desired but many failed to press on to "pass over unto the other side" - Mark 4:35. 

For purposes, I will stroll from the Old to the New - the New Testament that is - and park awhile in Mark 4.  In Mark 4:35, Jesus says to his disciples, "...Let us pass over unto the other side."  But before "the other side," "there arose a great storm of wind and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full" - verse 37.  The disciples woke up JESUS, verse 38, and asked, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?"

Recently, when I heard T.D. Jakes relate this Mark 4 story, he said something like, "I don't know what the disciples were thinking relative to "Master, carest thou not that we perish?"  Jakes said that they should have been of the mindset that "GOD can't drown."  He meant that they couldn't drown with JESUS in the boat with them because JESUS can't drown!  (Well, of course my attempt is feeble in regard to relating what Jakes expressed...but I hope that I did well enough with his story for you to get the drift.)     

At this juncture, I am strolling back over to the Old Testament.  

All of the children of Israel left Egypt but all did not enter the promised land.  But O Hallelujah! - there are two, in particular, who did - Joshua and Caleb.  One of my favorite scriptures about Caleb is Numbers 13:30, "And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it."  That sounds like warrior talk to me - Yes!     

These conclusion scriptures "speak" about Joshua and Caleb:

Numbers 14:6
And Joshua son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land,...

Numbers 14:8
If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

Numbers 14:24
But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him wil I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

Joshua 14:8
Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God.

Joshua 14:9
And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou has wholly followed the Lord my God.

Joshua 14:12
Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day;... 

We are wise to remember how our Lord responded to the murmuring and complaining of the children of Israel.  2 Corinthians 13:2, "...I will not spare:..." 

And - Glory to GOD - how our Lord responded about Caleb in Numbers 14:24, "...hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land..."

Finally, let us say as did Caleb in Joshua 14:12, "Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day;.." 

Copyright 2010
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Note: This "unexpected" topic bumped the one that I had scheduled for today.  Please return to read the originally scheduled post topic that I will place here later today under the separate tab titled, "TO EVERY THING THERE IS A SEASON."

Thank you for your indulgence.