Exodus: The Tale of Freedom
For a while, I haven’t been in the best state, and I think I fell into the trap of believing that my message was dependent on how I felt, rather than what the Lord was leading me to share. But Abba has been faithful through it all, and I’m more convinced than ever that when life seems to be doing the most, that’s precisely when you need to let go and let God. And that’s exactly why I’m writing this, to highlight the clearest example of what happens when you do, because this God?? He doesn’t just show up, He shows out!!!!
Many people are aware of the children of Israel, or at least they know the country. But I know something else about this set of people that I think most believers agree with; They were something else entirely! They were the absolute worst set of children anyone could have! For thelife of me, I honestly can’t understand the Israelites 90% of the time, because explain to me how you have first-hand experiences with the God that literally waged war to get you out of captivity, and you’re still bold enough to be trying some type of behavior?! But then again, I honestly think that they were the origin of the sheep and goat analogy used a lot in the Bible because hmm… But anyways, I digress. And don’t think you’re in anyway better than they were, because we’ve all acted as badly as they did, if not worse sometimes, but Grace abounds in Mercy’s seat.
Today, before we even get to all the wahala that they even caused as a generation of human beings, I would like us to take a moment to marvel at the wonder that is our God in Exodus 11. For those who missed Sunday school or cathecism classes, let me provide a little back story for context. So remember Joseph, the boy with the coat of many colors?? Yeah, him. Remember how he was essentially promoted to the number 2 position in all of Egypt and he had his family move in with him?? Yeah, so after that, the original sons of Israel (Jacob) all grew old and died, but they had children who had children, who seemed to have a vested interest in having even more children than their fathers, because the Bible says that they were exceedingly strong, such that the land was filled with them (Ex. 1:7). So anyways, unfortunately for these highly fertile people, there was a new king in Egypt who had no idea who Joseph was, what he had done, and tbh, seemed a bit paranoid about having all these foreigners in his land. He made them slaves, mostly construction workers and maids without the rights to pay, sick leave and all of those benefits we have today. So they cried out to God and God sent them an insecure young murderer who had a speech disorder. Shocking, right?? But relax, he didn’t go straight from the scene of the crime to being a hero. God did some intensive rehabilitation and grooming before that even happened, about 40years worth of therapy if I’m not mistaken. And He still had to talk him through it. And he made sure that those who would kill him were dead before He sent him.
So this man’s name was Moses, and I can’t even start talking about this because we’ll be here for ages. Anyways, God sent Moses and his brother, Aaron, to speak to Pharaoh, the King of the Egyptians to let the Israelites leave Egypt to go and worship God.
Now this is another person that can win the award for Most Stubborn Human to Ever Exist, because oga what’s the issue?? God caused plague upon plague upon plague to hit the land, animals and people of Egypt, still, this individual said no; He had the mind to actually act fickle with the same God that turned all the water in your country to blood?? Am I the only person that thinks it was crazy? I mean, blood for goodness sake! But then again, it was all to show forth the power of God, so okay. But people do use to do some crazy tinz sha.
In any case, Moses and Aaron had come time after time to show signs and speak the Words that God had asked them to, and although Pharaoh and the whole land of Egypt had suffered greatly because of his stubbornness, his heart remained hardened to the plight of the Israelites, and more importantly to the instruction of God. Maybe, just maybe, it stemmed from the fact that the Egyptians regarded their Pharaohs as the physical embodiments of the gods Aset (Isis) and Amun-Ra, so perhaps it was a stubbornness born from pride, or from the mistaken belief that he was on some level a god himself.
At any rate, he was stubborn, and when we get to Chapter 11, God just had one final plague to cause in Egypt, the death of the first borns. But before he does, he gives Moses a very interesting instruction.
“Speak so that all of the people [of Israel] may hear, and tell every man to ask from his neighbor, and every woman to ask from her neighbor, articles of silver, and articles of gold.”
(Exodus 11:2)
The oddity of this instruction is seen when you take the time to think about the status of the Israelites at that time in Egypt. They were slaves, and of course, were subject to the stigmatization and abuse that comes with that station. As if that was not bad enough, because of them and their worship, the land of Egypt had been subjected to the most devastating economic and ecological plagues to ever hit the country. Animals had died, crops had been destroyed, land had been lost to hails and locusts, and people had been victims of the plague of boils and darkness. And now, they had lost their children. All the first born offspring of both man and beast had died. There was not a single Egyptian household that was not in mourning, ready to see the back of the Israelites for the last time, ready to even help them to pack their loads, if that would get them out faster. And you’re telling them to go and ask these same people for their wealth?? Because get this, the Egyptians had nothing else, absolutely nothing, except for their money. No food, no animals, nothing. Well, save the few that actually listened and might have saved something. But at that point, their money would have been everything to them, and you’re telling the source of their problems to go and now collect the small one that they have?? And what’s more, they’re realistically expecting them to give??? But this is where the miracle happens. This is where Jehovah shows up asEL ROIAND SHOWS OUT!!! The Bible says that, not only did He cause the Israelites to find favor in the sight of the Egyptians (Vs 3), but that they let them have whatever they asked for and in this way, they despoiled the Egyptians (Ex. 12:36).
Despoil; to strip of belongings, possessions, or value.
Synonyms; pillage, plunder, loot.
They took everything. The Egyptians let them have every single thing they asked for, and they left Egypt with the wealth of the Egyptians, in addition to their own possessions, and most importantly, free…
God delivered them in a way that nobody, not them, not Moses or Aaron, not even Pharaoh himself could have predicted. He completely ruined Egypt for their sake. God went to war for the Israelites, and not only did he win the battle, but he completely eliminated the enemy and changed the way the entire world would view the Israelites forever. He made it very clear; these were His people. His children. His own. To fight against them was to fight against Him.
Today, many of us are still bound by chains, slaves to the hold of fear and worry. Completely tied to the anxieties and desires that are as old as the world power that held the children of Israel captive. And although we know that we are God’s children, oftentimes as believers we say the words without hearing the truth in them. “I know who God says I am.” Do you though?? Do you really?? Do you believe Him when he says He loves you??
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?”
Isaiah 43:19 NLT
For many of us, the truth is that we don’t. We don’t see it, we can’t see it because we don’t even know where to look for it. We are so busy just trying to survive, trying to stay alive long enough to actually live, and we exist as slaves to the very time that God intended us to use to His glory. It’s easy to declare that God is making a river in the desert for you (Isaiah 43:19), a table in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5), that you are precious, honored and loved (Isaiah 43:4). It’s very easy to speak words over yourself, but are you reciting words on the pages of a Book, or are you speaking Life?? Are you talking and walking in the consciousness that the same Pillar of cloud by day, and Fire at night is at work on the inside of you?? As you recite that your body is a temple, do you even understand that you literally house God, that you carry Him in your heart?? For what is a temple without the tabernacle of His presence?? Do you trust God enough to believe that His words are literally Spirit and Life to you, or were you just a good Sunday school student??
The same God that showed up for the Israelites, that freed them from a captivity that lasted four hundred and thirty years, is the exact same God that’s waiting for you, waiting on you, to just trust Him. Just. Trust. Him. And watch Him show up and do like only He can do.
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
(Isaiah 43:19 ESV)
Greetings from the foot of the Cross…
Gabrielle…
