Exodus or Egypt

Text:

Ex 14:10-12

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.

11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

12 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.

 

For 480 years, all Israel had known was bondage.

·        They had bread, but yet with bondage.

·        They had quarters, but yet with captivity.

·        They had clothing, but with confinement.

·        They had existence, but with anguish.

·        They had being, but with beating.

·        They had sustenance, but with sorrow.

·        They had presence, but yet with pain.

·        They had life, but no liberty.

·        They had provisions, but no privilege.

·        They had farce and no freedom.

The choice was Israel’s.

To stay in Egypt with its humiliations and it’s poverty…

…or to attempt the exodus and chance the wilderness.

-Bondage with bread?

-Or freedom with uncertainty?

Exodus or Egypt?

To the Hebrew, the Wilderness was an unknown.

What would they encounter?

How long would they be there?

Would they make it to the promised land?

Were there any guarantees?

They, like us wanted promises, guarantees, and no surprises.

There is no order in the universe that can guarantee your safety and well being.

Life is very much, a journey into the unknown.

A Seminary once advertised in their brochures that they were at least 7 miles away from any known sin. But that’s just it, its usually not the “known” sins that catch people, it’s the unknown.

The most certain thing about life is its absolute uncertainty.

·        Seven astronauts making a routine descent back to earth, never anticipated massive failure and the breakup of their ship.

·        The almost 3,000 people, whether in the WTC or an airliner, never suspected the fiery catastrophe at the hands of Muslim extremist.

·        A major league pitcher attempting a quick weight loss through a diet pill never anticipated 108 degree body heat and massive heart failure that would not only end his career, but his life.

Sometimes people would rather continue to tolerate an almost unbearable present than to venture into the unknown future.

Since the children of Israel were slaves, being savagely abused by cruel and sadistic taskmasters, then why not take the chance of an exodus into the unknown?

Since some of you that I minister to this morning have long been enslaved by the cruel and destructive chains of sin, then why not take the chance today of a Divine exodus into the unknown through the New Birth?

 

·        I’ve known people who were drunks and were miserable, but because it was the only life they’ve ever known, and it was familiar, they were afraid to try and change.

·        I’ve know wives and children who were subjected to terrible abuse at home, and were miserable, and the father who beat them was miserable, but because it was the only life they knew, out of fear, they continued in their pitiful existence.

·        I’ve known people who exist without joy, they face each day without peace, and they’re terrified of the time frame of eternity, but because of the fear of the unknown, they plod along in their miserable lives, wanting change, but at the same time afraid of the risks.

Two caterpillars were crawling across the grass when a butterfly flew over them. They looked up, and one nudged the other and said, “You couldn’t get me up in one of those things for a million dollars.”

With the beatings, the humiliation, and a lifestyle of deplorable poverty, the only comfort that much of Israel felt that they could depend upon in Egypt was the comfort of familiarity.

The wilderness only promised the desert heat, the shelter-less, dreary nights, the foodless marches, and the gnawing, haunting sense of the unknown.

But according to Exodus 16:10, Moses records that Israel “…looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord…”

 

I took courage to leave Egypt and plunge into the wilderness.

It took heroism to abandon the usual and the normal for the unknown.

It took boldness to forsake the painful existence of slavery to pursue an ambition in the desert.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained!”

 

Israel had to make the choice, Exodus or Egypt?

And after the choice had been made, the adversary still tracked them down to return them to their captivity.

At the Red Sea, some were still wishing to go back to bondage and slavery rather than to pursue a dream in an unknown wilderness.

It was at that point, God had to pose the question to Israel again.

What will it be Egypt or Exodus?

God is calling to somebody here this morning, “What will it be?

Exodus or Egypt?

Bondage or deliverance?

Misery or the miraculous?

Satan or the Savior?

Hell or the Holy Ghost?

Gloom or the Glory?

Pain or the Promise land?

Blood and sweat or milk and honey?

What will it be this morning, Exodus or Egypt?

Egypt is your past. It’s time to draw a line of demarcation and separate yourself from your past.

Phil 3:13-14

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

            Its time for somebody this morning to have their own personal Exodus, and come out of Egypt.

2 Cor 6:17-18

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

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

 

Acts 2:38

Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Oh, I know it takes courage to leave behind the only life that you’ve ever known.

Oh I know that there is much about living for the Lord that you don’t understand.

Oh I know that much about the New Birth and this Pentecostal experience may frighten you.

Oh I know it almost seems impossible that God could give you a life of incomprehensible joy and peace.

Oh I know that finding the courage to leave Egypt and its bondage is an immense challenge as your stare into the uncertainty of what lies ahead of you…

…But with the cruel chains of sin weighting down your spirit, with your heart broken by the constant captivity of your soul, as you languish in your hopeless existence, why not take the chance today of an exodus into the unknown?

“But Pastor, though I’m so displeased by what I am now, I’m more afraid of what I might become should I take the leap!”

The Word of God has already answered that fear-

1 John 3:2

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

2 Cor 5:17

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

            You see, Jesus came to be like us, so that one day we could be like Him.

            The store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read, “Puppies for sale”. Signs like that have a way of attracting small children, and sure enough, a little boy appeared under the store owner’s sign. “How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.   The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.”

            The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. “I have $2.37,” he said. “Can I please look at them?”

            The store owner smiled and whistled and out of the kennel came Lady, who ran down the aisle of his store followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?”

            The store owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn’t have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame. The little boy became excited. “That is the puppy that I want to buy.”

            The store owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.”

            The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store owner’s eyes, pointing his finger, and said, “I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have paid for him.”

            The store owner countered, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies.

            To this, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands.

                                                            -Dan Clark

Weathering the Storm

(From Chicken Soup for the Soul)