God discusses delivering Israel from Egypt throughout the Bible. In fact, there is probably no other topic mentioned as much as this one.
Do we really understand what it means to be delivered from Egypt? Some have even referred to this deliverance as being “Our Exodus from Death.”
Many have some very strong ideas and opinions about being freed from Egyptian bondage. Some are in a state of fear, wondering whether God loves them. Others put themselves back into Egypt because they think doing good works is what is going to save them.
Thankfully, God has a plan for saving His people, and as His people, we understand this plan. It’s a wonderful plan, yet there are times we bring fear and trepidation to our own lives in the way we explain the plan.
Do some of us constantly put ourselves back in Egypt by thinking God hasn’t delivered us? Or, that we are always in our sins? Another way to examine our ideas about this concept is to ask, “Did Christ die for us? Didn’t God raise Him from the dead?” And, the answer is, “Of course, He did!”
As we march on to Pentecost, let us understand God gave us His Holy Spirit. And, let us not waiver in that conviction. After all, did we not repent and take part in the Passover?
God continually reminds us in His Word that we are not in Egypt anymore! We have been freed! He delivered Israel, and He has saved His Church! Maybe we need to remind ourselves of this and its applicable context.
Romans 2:6-10 (6) Who will render to every man according to his deeds: (7) To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: (8) But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, (9) Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; (10) But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
God is telling us that if we continually seek His way and His will, He will reward us with glory, honor, and immortality. Do we believe that or, do we continually question that?
One of the things God asks us to do during Unleavened Bread is to put leaven out. In a sense, what we are doing is repenting, trying to not practice sin in our lives. We are changing the way we do things as well as the way we think about things. We are also obeying the will of God. That is what He wants us to do. It may be a physical act, but it should picture what we are spiritually doing. In other words, not practicing sinning.
We are human and do fail at times. Let’s admit it. We sin. So we are not always doing God’s will at all times. But, let’s focus on what are we trying to do as a whole with our lives.
Are we trying to obey and do God’s will, or are we trying to neglect His will? If we have and use God’s Holy Spirit, then we are going to try to obey His will and do His will in our lives. We will get in line with His will as much as we possibly can. Of course, this means we have to study God’s will to see what He asks and commands us to do.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus described what defiles a man.
Mark 7:21-23 (21) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, (22) Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: (23) All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
These are outward things that can be seen. What we need to focus on is actually doing what God wants. His will! The outward things like casting out demons or doing “many wonderful works” is not evidence avoiding iniquity.
Matthew 7:21-23 (21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Think about it! Jesus said He will profess that He never knew them. Jesus pointed out that we are not doing God’s will by making it look like we are on God’s side. We are working iniquity, by not doing God’s will! You can’t be doing iniquity if you are obeying God’s will! You can’t be doing iniquity if you are putting righteous practices in your life.
Romans 6:12-13 (12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. (13) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
So, what is unrighteousness, and what is righteousness? Righteousness is simply obeying the “will of God.” It is trying to please, Our Father. Trying to do what He says. Trying to do what we read in the Bible. We’ve tried to say it simple by saying it is keeping the ten Commandments and the whole word of God. We reject having sin dominate us.
Romans 6:14-15 (14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (15) What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
We are not in Egypt anymore. Let us examine ourselves and ask what is our direction in life? Are we doing the will of God?
The next verses in Romans 6 show us that we are not to practice sin so we can have more grace! No! If we do that, we are presenting our bodies to unrighteousness.
Romans 6:16-18 (16) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (17) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (18) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
God instructs us, Israel, His Church, His people, about what He wants us to do. He has given us His Holy Spirit. We are the begotten sons of God. We will inherit the kingdom of God. He calls things as if they were so in the true spiritual sense we are now in the Family of God. This is the only way we will inherit the Kingdom of God. We can inherit because we are His sons.
God is telling us over and over again that we are in the family, if we do the will of God. So there is no reason to have fear in our hearts if we are doing the will of God. And continually getting closer to doing His will. That is called overcoming. And, we have God to thank for it. Romans 6:17-18 describes the thankfulness God expects from us. We are supposed to thank God.
Clearly, Egypt represents sin. And, God saved us from sin. He delivered us from it. He expects us to do His will, His works.
If we look at our works as if we are going to save ourselves with them, we are greatly deceived. No amount of works we do will even begin to save us. If we look at our works as trying to please God and do what is right, then God will reward (not save) us, because we are trying to do what God wants.
As we do the Father’s will, we won’t be workers of iniquity.
As God continually works with us throughout our lives, God will point out sins to us. There are often things that we should know are sin, but somehow do not recognize fully. And, sometimes when we don’t seem to get the point as God is teaching us, we may have to have our attention drawn to the lesson in very strong ways. Being beat on the head with it, so to speak. Thank God for the merciful way He continues to work with us.
We can be very stubborn and “hard of hearing” when others tell us about things we should be considering. Eventually, when we find out they are right, then we wonder why it took so long for us to listen. We can be just that stubborn toward what God is saying to us, also. But, God is patient.
Eventually God will have his way be in us, or we will become workers of iniquity.
Do we submit to God’s will? It takes commitment and action on our part. Having already been set free from sin according to Romans 6, how do we live our lives now? We cannot be workers of righteousness if we just come to services on the Sabbath as an outward show and then live a different way of life the rest of the week.
Righteousness is a 24 hour job. Seven days a week. What kind of example are we setting? Are we living according to the will of God?
At one time we lived the way we wanted. We did not care if what we did was righteous or not. We were sinning and did not care. Perhaps we were not even aware. This is not how we are supposed to be now. It is not the type of life we should be living.
Let us consider the kind of fruit we have now. Is it LIFE or DEATH?
In the past, we have done things that would make us ashamed or red in the face. Do we practice those things now? Those things are worthy of death! But, now having been set free of sin… everlasting life is our future.
God is positive in what He tells us. He wants us to understand He is not an Ogre! He is not dangling us over the precipice of the Lake of Fire waiting or wanting to drop us in if we sin. He does not want to take eternal life away from us. He is far too invested in us. And, He WILL save us unless we don’t want to do God’s will. Because, as God’s people, we have the Holy Spirit, then we are going to want to do God’s will.
Paul lists some evil practices in 1 Corinthians 6. These practices are not righteousness. If some of these things are in our lives, are we working at changing them.
I Corinthians 6:9-11 (Not doing God’s will) (9) Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
What were we washed with? We were washed with the holy blood of Christ, not some face cloth! Then, just as God raised Jesus from the dead and accepted Him as the wave sheaf, we too will be raised (symbolized by our baptism). This is how we are given access to everlasting life. God gives us the power to follow on and become sons of God as we are given the Holy Spirit pictured by Pentecost. We become accepted by God.
Brethren, we are sanctified. HOW? The Church cannot sanctify us. Only God can sanctify us. God is the only one that can make this happen. He sanctified us by what He and His Son Jesus the Christ did for us.
2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (4) So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: (5) Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
God deals with His people appropriately. He gives righteous judgment to His people that obey his will.
The word “worthy” in verse 5 is not saying you have to be worthy. What God is doing in our lives makes it a worthy and righteous judgment to accept us and give us the Kingdom of God.
If God wants to give us eternal life and has delivered us out of Egypt, why would we continually behave as if we want to put ourselves back into Egypt under unrighteous slavery?
Perhaps it is because we put too much emphasis on what we do, our works! This, of course, is one of the things that has been emphasized over the years to many of God’s people. The emphasis on our own works is out of focus.
Absolutely, God emphasizes that we are to be righteous and do His will, keep His commandments, His word. And, at the same time, we are to remember and emphasize that He only saves us through faith in the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And, God even gives us the faith!
God has given us great promises!
Matthew 5:3-6 (3) Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (4) Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (5) Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
God teaches various and sundry things in the next two chapters. How many of us ignore them, or do we try to do the will of God as explained in these verses?
If we try to do God’s will, God will work with us. Paul wrote in Romans that if God is for you, who can be against you. God is for His people.
He has delivered us out of slavery and brought us out of Egypt. His own son, Jesus the Christ died for us so this could happen. This is pictured in Passover. Christ died for our sins on Passover.
It is a grave mistake for us to think that God did all this for us yet we still can question and ask, ”Did God really deliver us from our sins?” We are wrong to say, “God couldn’t want me. I’ve done such and such. I can’t be forgiven.” Of course, God wants you! Look how much He has paid for you!
And, on the other hand, let us not rationalize ourselves into a ditch on the other side and allow ourselves to disobey God by thinking we can just do what we want. God wants us to serve Him, and He wants us to do His will.
Remember, He did deliver us out of Egypt!