Lessons from Exodus V

Lessons from Exodus V

Exodus 14:11-12: Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness."

As we draw our week to a close, let us consider yet another observation from the exodus of the people of Israel. Why are we so quick to return to our sin, our own Egypt where bondage has the upper hand? What does our own exodus look like? Does it parallel that of Israel? Do we race headlong towards freedom with our arms outstretched like a child running to her daddy, until we hit the wall of suffering? It is bound to come. The reason we are in bondage in the first place is because when suffering came into our life we choose the path of the least pain (though it may have still been exceedingly painful) rather than the path of faith and truth. Every time the opportunity arose to choose between the two, we choose the path of least pain which resulted in tighter, suffocating bondage.

Why do we return to our 'addictions', our besetting sins? To avoid the painful death of self. The death that comes when we choose God's way over our own. We must die to ourselves, our choices, our agendas, our wants, our way. This dying results in suffering. Dying to self is painful because, in the flesh, we want self to live. We must consistently accept the pain that goes along with the dying if we are ever going to experience genuine, lasting freedom.

So what do we do? It is by His grace and His strength that we can ever know freedom. It will not be by sheer determination on our part that we will know victory rather it will be by faith.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America's KESWICK, Biblical Counselor, Conference and retreat speaker, Victory Call editor, wife, mother, grandmother, and nut and not necessarily in that order.