Too Much About Idolatry?

And the LORD said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: You saw for yourselves that I spoke to you from heaven. Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me. [Exodus 20.22-23]

For anyone who would think or tell me I am making too much of the subject of idolatry, I simply submit the passage above as evidence that I am not. 

In the chronology of God giving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20.1-17), and, besides the fact that the first three Commandments deal directly or indirectly with the subject of idolatry, the passage above is God's effective "recap" of the Ten Commandments revealing the priority of avoiding idolatry. Why do you suppose that is?

The truth is, we overlook God's warning against idolatry following the Ten Commandments just like we overlook Jesus' warning against unforgiveness following the Lord's (Model) Prayer (Matthew 6.9-15). Even though God and Jesus (God With Us) reiterated these subjects respectively following two of the most well-known passages of the Bible, we conveniently downplay idolatry and unforgiveness because of their indictment upon our current society making repentance significantly actionable.

Unforgiveness itself is idolatry as it is a person's way of making a god of himself. If we will see it then, God's demand for "no other gods" - no idolatry - is the single most important mandate of the Bible. Can we then focus too much on that topic?

Jesus said it like this:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

The revelation of "giving up our own way" and "taking up our cross" is purely the work of the Holy Spirit making both Jesus' life and His death our own personal goals. This life "in Christ" is exactly what the apostle Paul spoke of:

If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. [Romans 14.8]

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. [Philippians 1.20]

So convinced of the claims above was the apostle Paul that he even referred to himself in the following manner:

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. [Romans 1.1] 

Is it just irony then that the very regulations God discussed with Moses following His reiteration about idolatry, was slavery?

“These are the regulations you must present to Israel. “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave, he shall leave single. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife must be freed with him. “If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave and they had sons or daughters, then only the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life. “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not satisfy her owner, he must allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. But if the slave’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave but as a daughter. “If a man who has married a slave wife takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first wife to food, clothing, and sexual intimacy. If he fails in any of these three obligations, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. [Exodus 21.1-11]

Is it just irony then that Jesus used slavery terminology regarding our daily self-needs?

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.24-34]

Like it or not, following Jesus (God With Us) is slavery. The Scriptures are compelling.

Like it or not, following idols is slavery. The Scriptures are compelling.

While idols allow their servants to serve many masters, God allows His servants to serve NO OTHER master... And so, for this reason, should we then not give as much priority to avoiding idols as God has in the Written and Living Word? (The correct answer is "yes.")

Anyone unwilling to prioritize avoiding idolatry, is in blatant and defiant disregard of God's 1st Commandment as "fleshed out" in Jesus' terms of commitment.

You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.3]

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Idolatry is cumulatively the single obstacle preventing compliance with both the 1st Commandment and Jesus' terms of commitment. You must not have any other god but God and this is "fleshed out" as you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. This can only be accomplished as we prioritize the categorical and methodical prevention and elimination of idols starting with the idol of "self."

Yes, the proverbial "Pandora's Box" of idolatry must be opened! Satan's every ounce of energy is expended in stocking up "Pandora's Box" in hopes we will avoid it at all cost... all intentionally to our own peril.

So am I talking too much about idolatry? No, in fact, I haven't talked enough about it! Neither have you.

Father, may we yield our will to avoid idols so that we might effectively have no other god but You. Help us see that idols tout "inclusivity" while You demand "exclusivity." Help us to see that we cannot serve You and also serve money (gold and silver) - the motivator of idolatry - the promoter of "self" - the love of which is the root of all evil. May Your Holy Spirit enlighten our eyes to see the truth of Your Word (in letter and in the life of Jesus) as this article attempts convey. So be it.

Work, Food, And The Sabbath

Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food. The LORD asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? They must realize that the Sabbath is the LORD’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.” So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day. [Exodus 16.27-30] 

The Sabbath is not a rule, but a person. The reality of the Sabbath is Jesus. 

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. [Colossians 2.16-17]

The distinction between the Sabbath and the other six days of the week has everything to do with food and sustenance. Unsurprisingly enough, Jesus had something to say about food and sustenance.

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.24-34]

When Jesus, the Sabbath gift from God, discusses food and sustenance, we must understand how appropriate that discussion is for Him!

After this the people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. And as the sun became hot, the flakes they had not picked up melted and disappeared. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual—four quarts for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation. He told them, “This is what the LORD commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the LORD. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.” [Exodus 16.21-23] 

So the question looms over each of us: are we living in the sixth day or have we entered into the seventh? Are we in the day of man (the sixth day) or, are we in God's gift-day of rest, Jesus Christ? Jesus indicated in Matthew 6 that we cannot successfully do both. Accordingly, Jesus invites us into His rest.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”[Matthew 11.28-30]

Now, before the hornet's nest gets overly disturbed, yes, the apostle Paul gave some clarity about work. We must understand that "balance" is a human reasoning effort and therefore must never replace a command of God (Jesus). Here is where that clarity then is explained:

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. [2 Thessalonians 3.6-13]

The clarity of Paul's explanation above is purely in the context of the call upon every person's life to give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Jesus. This has no contextual application for an unbeliever. What Paul is speaking of is practical food and sustenance, not gluttony and materialism. Jesus' yoke (Matthew 11.28-30) is indeed a yoke. Wantonness is the idolatrous departure from working for the Kingdom of God to working for ourselves. Wantonness (and all manner of idolatry it leads to) is exactly what Satan appealed to in the Garden of Eden when he inspired man to challenge God - "Has God really said...?" (Genesis 3.1).

To seek first the Kingdom of God is indeed work for the Kingdom. It must never be mistaken as work for ourselves! Jesus, in every way, redeemed us from working for ourselves with the promise of every provision (Matthew 6.33). He is our Sabbath Rest from that burden, but His Kingdom work remains our easy-to-bear yoke.

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

There is a lot to digest here. There is a lot of revelation here. We should constantly allow the Holy Spirit to confirm God's Word (Jesus).

Father, I am grateful for Your gift, Jesus, Your Living Word, Reality of the Sabbath, as He brings to light to Your Written Word. I am grateful for Your Holy Spirit opening our eyes to see it all. May we all examine ourselves for idolatrous wantonness and make every effort to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.

Nothing Has Changed

“Who is like you among the gods, O LORD—glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? You raised your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies. [Exodus 15.11-12]

Israel's story is the story of God's people. In Israel's story, God's people throughout history (even to this day), find a picture of themselves as well as truths by which to live. The greatest of these truths is Jesus Christ.

The first and foremost truth of all Israel's history is, in fact, Jesus Christ.

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [John 5.39]

The second truth I wish to point out, as has been my proclivity to do the last couple of years, is that idolatry was a prevalent antithesis to God, and therefore, an enemy of God's people: "Who is like you among the gods, O LORD..."

As the Scriptures timelessly point to Jesus (God With Us) as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, so idolatry is the timeless nemesis to Jesus being honored in that position. It was then, and it is now: nothing has changed.

In time, it would literally be "written in stone" that God demanded undisputed, undivided, and undiluted lordship in His people. God always intends to be distinct and to make a distinction in His people. God expects and demands no less in return from His people:

I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.2-3]

Everything to do with Egypt was slavery and idolatry as is alluded to in the subject passage above:  "Who is like you among the gods, O LORD..."

But God did not risk misinterpretation of His 1st Commandment knowing man would have the tendency (at Satan's behest) to do so. So, God identified idolatry as the first indicator of violating the 1st Commandment in the 2nd Commandment:

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. [Exodus 20.4-6]

Who can guess what the first indicator of violating the 2nd Commandment above is? Yes, the 3rd Commandment:

You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.7] 

Satan's infamous words, "Has God really said..." (Genesis 3) should be remembered right here. God was specific in His instruction to Adam and Eve just as He is specific in His enduring instruction to us in the first two Commandments. However, Satan's same words, often cited in different form by God's own people, misuse God's name by willfully interpreting "no other gods" as "God uses [name any idol here]." This is, in fact, a blatant violation of the 3rd Commandment. Every such misuse of God's name is man's inglorious justification of his own ambiguous way for self-preservation and self-indulgence instead of God's specific way.

Unironically, Israel revealed just such a misuse of God's name in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading. Regardless what God had spoken through Moses (that Israel would be delivered from slavery in Egypt), in a "Has God really said" self-preserving, self-indulgent moment, Israel misused God's name in claiming the following:

Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” [Exodus 14.12]

Then, before it was actually written, Moses indirectly pointed the people to the first two Commandments. He mentioned the LORD (1st Commandment) and he mentioned the idol of Egypt (2nd Commandment):

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” [Exodus 14.13-14]

The way to get the 3rd Commandment right is to abide by the 2nd Commandment.

The way to get the 2nd Commandment right is to abide by the 1st Commandment.

Now, watch this...

How do we get the 1st Commandment right? It's already been revealed above: Jesus!

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [John 5.39]

And, in no less exclusive language, Jesus revealed His continuity with - His very existence as - the Word of God demanding every bit of the 1st Commandment as it has always stood:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

The Bible has never indicated anything other than this! In fact, nothing has changed! Wholesale violation of the 3rd Commandment has confused and confounded man's relationship with God. The prevailing end result is "dead religion."

So... what is the first indicator of violating the 3rd Commandment? It is violating the Sabbath. 

Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. [Exodus 20.8]

In the brilliance of God, the Sabbath is, or it should be said "He" is, Jesus, the very reality of the Sabbath of God.

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. [Colossians 2.16-17]

Once again, nothing has changed! God's plan has never changed - His plan has been Jesus from the beginning and, in fact, before the beginning!

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. [Colossians 1.15-16]

When Jesus said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me" He meant it in all the scope and fullness of not only the first four Commandments, but all ten of them. Nothing has changed.

Again, the first indicator of violation of the 1st Commandment is idolatry. Let that soak in.

Father, Your Word is absolutely amazing. Jesus is absolutely amazing in that He commands all the same obedience as the Ten Commandments. As we see ourselves in the Ten Commandments, help us to understand that following Jesus allows idolatry in no way, shape, form, or fashion. Help us to get it right - to "just stay calm" to see that You (God With Us) fight for us relieving us of any responsibility whatsoever to self-preserve or self-indulge (Matthew 6.33). So be it.

Are We Distinctly God's? (Don't Answer Too Quickly...)

Moses had announced to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD says: At midnight tonight I will pass through the heart of Egypt. All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die. Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. [Exodus 11.4-7] 

The LORD makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites.

As will be seen following this time in the Old Testament, Egypt becomes symbolic of slavery and idolatry.

Israel is symbolic of God's Chosen People, the Church.

In plainest language, God makes a distinction between the slavery of idolatry and His people.

Why don't we see this distinction today? Why do God's people pretty much look like everyone else today? Why do they borrow the same money, experience the same losses, suffer the same diseases, and follow the same fads as the world? Does not God make a distinction today between those who are His and those who are the world's?

For our answers, let's look deeper...

While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the LORD gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. [Exodus 12.1-3]

The sacrificial lamb represents none other than Jesus. The Lamb of God distinguishes between those who are God's from those who are not. It should be furthermore noticed that the symbolic sacrificial lamb was chosen. Notice that choosing God means rejecting idols from Joshua's words:

But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” [Joshua 24.15]

Besides choosing a sacrificial lamb, there was another significant symbolic factor: 

That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. [Exodus 12.8] 

Bread without yeast. Let me say it again: bread without yeast.

Jesus said:

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. [John 6.35] 

Jesus identified Himself as the Bread of Life pointing to Himself as the direct and unmistakable fulfillment of the symbolic Passover bread. But there is much more to this than first meets the eye! In another setting, Jesus talked about yeast!

Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” [Matthew 16.5-11] 

In comparison to the two unexplainable, distinct miracles of the loaves and fish, Jesus warned the disciples of the yeast of the teaching of Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus does not define what the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees is, but the context of Jesus' warning tells us what the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees is not. The teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees is the opposite of (the nemesis of) the unmistakable, highly distinguishable miracle-working power of God that needs no help from man! Jesus brought this subject up in the context of the daily need of food. Just as yeast helps bread to rise, the worldly teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees helps the bread... except that Jesus, the Bread of Life needs no help!

So adamant was Jesus about the subject of not needing help - yeast - that He elsewhere made a further distinguishing mandate:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

What is presented here does not take away from widespread teachings about yeast representing sin. In fact, it only brings greater understanding that it is a sin to even think we could help God in any way. And this comes from the first three of the Ten Commandments:

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7] 

Man's idols are yeast. Man's idols are sin. Idolatry starts with "self" and from there presumptuously proceeds to help God do what God promised He alone would do... Think about what Jesus also said regarding daily sustenance (which God promises) and how the "yeast" of another master plays a detrimental role in it:

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.24-34]

Now, think about needs and the roles played by debt, insurance, medicine and technology... These (and other idols of man) are all yeast that Jesus warns against! To God's people, they are worldly religion, the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees that denies the miracle-working power of God by substituting man's help. Oh they claim association with God, but is that not exactly what the Pharisees and Sadducees did too?

If God makes a distinction between those who are His and those who are not, then we must cooperate with God! We must avoid yeast! We must avoid the idols (the ways) of man insisting that what we receive is from God and God alone without aid from any other source. We must understand that idolatry is slavery - it is Egypt - and God will not have His people mistaken for Egypt!

God's distinct people today MUST get rid of idols and must choose the Bread of Life without yeast.

Father, help us to see and understand that giving up our own way is in fact getting rid of yeast. Help us to see that taking up our cross is in fact dying to that sin. Help us to see that following Jesus is a simple obedience of faith requiring no help from us whatsoever. So be it.

How To Deal With Circumstances

But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn. Because his heart was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the Lord had predicted through Moses. [Exodus 9.34-35] 

If we can see it, Pharoah's story can very easily be our story. It all has to do with how we deal with our circumstances.

How do we deal with our circumstances?

First, we must understand what our circumstances are! Are our circumstances merely "circumstantial" or, is there a reason behind them? Does every circumstance have a meaning or, do things just happen? Our answers to these questions reveal our knowledge and/or belief in God's Word, the Bible.

It wouldn't be long after Moses' and Pharoah's interactions regarding the Israel's release from Egypt, that Moses would be given, and would write volumes of information on many topics, all of which pertained to "relationship with God." Included in this plethora of information, Moses was given very specific and detailed information about circumstances. These circumstances were categorized by whether they were good (blessings) or bad (curses). 

In Deuteronomy 28, God demonstratively states that good circumstances are the direct result of obeying Him and that bad circumstances are the direct result of disobeying Him.

While the story of Moses and Pharoah should serve as evidence enough about the distinction between good circumstances and bad circumstances, God, knowing man's heart-inclination toward hardness, went on to confirm this distinction in Deuteronomy 28.

The difference between Pharoah and us today is that Pharoah understood his circumstances. Pharoah and his magicians tried to explain them away, but they eventually conceded that God was working against them through their bad circumstances (plagues). Even still, as soon as the bad circumstances subsided or went away, Pharoah once again rebelled.

In contrast today, and as would be expected of a God-less and Word-less society, no association is made between obedience or disobedience to God as it relates to good or bad circumstances respectively.

However, there is a catastrophic failure among "God's people" today in that they too, just like the God-less and Word-less people of the world, do not interpret their circumstances according to God and His Word. They resign their understanding of circumstances to randomness as if God no longer makes a distinction between those who are His and those who are not.

“Go back to Pharaoh,” the Lord commanded Moses. “Tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go, the hand of the LORD will strike all your livestock—your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats—with a deadly plague. But the LORD will again make a distinction between the livestock of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. Not a single one of Israel’s animals will die! [Exodus 9.1-4]

Jesus' Advent brought a renewed picture of the distinction between those whose circumstances were cursed and those whose circumstances were blessed. Jesus demonstrated God's enduring desire to bless mankind with good circumstances in every miracle He performed. Jesus made a clear distinction between bad circumstances and good circumstances.

The same Bible that makes the distinction between blessings (good circumstances) and curses (bad circumstances) tells us that Jesus suffered the penalty for disobedience (that yields curses) when He submitted to the Cross:

But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” [Galatians 3.13]

The benefit of Jesus' work on the Cross however is reserved only for those who believe. Jesus was not unclear about what believing in Him looked like:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

And, just like Pharoah had to make choices about his hard heart, a would-be follower of Christ has to make choices about his hard heart: 

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.15] 

The distinction between a hard heart and a heart submitted to God is evident in circumstances. Jesus said that the person who abandons their hard heart will experience good circumstances - they will be healed. 

Jesus also said a person submitted to God and His Kingdom will experience no lack:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]

Even though God was very clear about blessings and curses, and even though Jesus spoke directly to that same end regarding good or bad circumstances, the idol of religion makes all manner of claims otherwise but does so at the peril of having turned blind eyes and deaf ears to God's Word. Blind eyes and deaf ears are among the defining characteristics of idols and those who trust them:

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8]

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have  mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18]

How indeed do we then deal with our circumstances?

Father, I have willfully and hard-heartedly ignored Your clear and distinct messages through my bad circumstances calling me to repentance. In my idolatry I have, in blindness and deafness, failed to rightly see my circumstances and consequently failed to experience all the blessings Jesus secured for me on His Cross. May I be strengthened today to give up this my own way, take up my cross, and distinctly follow Jesus. So be it.

The Vernacular Of Idolatry: "More"

But Pharaoh shouted, “You’re just lazy! Lazy! That’s why you’re saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the LORD.’ Now get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you must still produce the full quota of bricks.” [Exodus 5.17-18] 

FACT: Slavery is very basic: if a person wishes to eat, they must work.

FACT: There are a couple things Egypt is notable for throughout the Old Testament: slavery and idolatry.

The ultimate goal of all idolatry is slavery. Unironically, slavery fosters increased idolatry. Every negative aspect of slavery is the intended outcome of idolatry. Idols are the work of Satan, the deceiver, to lure people into idolatry and trap them in slavery. It should be understood that the people of Israel had not cried out to God for deliverance, but to Pharoah, resulting in the subject passage of this article.

The oppressive nature of idolatry that leads to slavery is seen in the subject passage above. Once idols have established their slave drivers, they demand "more" to prevent people from effectively worshiping God.

We must remember that "Egypt" was, at first, seen as a "better option" for Israel. It was much more convenient for Israel to move to and settle in Egypt (where the food was) than to continue the inconvenient trips back and forth just to eat. And, besides that, Joseph was in Egypt. In the emotion of being reunited with Joseph, what Jacob's family failed to realize is that, as powerful as Joseph was, he was still a slave to Pharoah. For Israel to relocate to Egypt was a willful submission to slavery - oh it was unoppressive at first and the food and fellowship were good, but, as we saw in Exodus chapter one, that would change.

Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.” [Exodus 1.8-10]

Idols are presented to us today in the exact same way. They lure us with convenience and emotion. What idols offer us today seems at first to be a much better option than current circumstances. All the while, idols are working overtime to "claim" us. But first, the "honeymoon" period... followed by oppressive slavery!

Before even giving the Ten Commandments, God revealed His intentions that Israel (His people) not have idols and the consequent slavery they bring:

“Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the LORD. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. [Exodus 6.6-7]

And then, when God started laying out the Ten Commandments, He used exclusive wording Israel was already familiar with:

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. [Exodus 2.20]

What followed then was the first three Commandments forbidding polytheism by singular focus on God alone (1st Commandment), forbidding polytheism by forbidding idols (2nd Commandment), and forbidding polytheism by name "association" (misusing God's name, allowing the name of God to be associated in any way with idols - 3rd Commandment). The strict wording of the first three Commandments reveals God's absolute and unmistakable intolerance for man's trust in or allegiance to anything or anyone but Him.

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7]

God knows that every idol of man, and particularly those of his own making and ingenuity, eventually, intentionally and relentlessly enslave man. Starting with the idol of "self," progressing on to debt, insurance, medicine, technology, and eventually even the idol of religion, man demotes God from His rightful first and only place in his life rendering himself a hopeless and helpless slave to those idols.

As depicted by the Egyptian slave drivers, idols always oppressively demand "more." In contrast, God always demands "all." To bring this to date for our generation, Jesus demanded "all." His words are not allegorical:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

And, it is not at all ironic that in Jesus' demand for "all" there is freedom: 

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” [John 8.31-32]

We should all survey our lives particularly noting everything that demands "more" of us. Whatever demands "more" should be highly suspect as an idol. Idols rarely, if ever, initially demand "all" as that would completely blow their cover. It starts off as, "I'll just do this one thing for "me,"" or "just so many payments of $xxx." Some even advertise, "low introductory rates!" Other "must-have" products and services without shame relentlessly and methodically raise rates. More subtly, other idols offer great convenience, but that great convenience is not quite enough when the next 'latest and greatest' comes out. "More" is the tell-tale vernacular of idolatry. As Israel found out, "more" became the demand of their slavery.

Unlike the overbearing slave drivers of Israel's inadvertent idol, Egypt, Jesus, Who demands "all," actually reveals that His "all" is less than idolatry's "more":

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [Matthew 11.28]

The irony of all this is found in the fact that we as humans tend to want "more" and, in the pursuit of "more" unwittingly become enslaved to idols that then demand "more" of us! Ever hear the phrase, "I've got bills to pay!"?

Jesus's words indict most all:

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.24-34]

"Self,"  debt, insurance, medicine, technology, and sadly, religion all, in their own way, demand "more" of us. Jesus, on the other hand, demands "all." We DO have a decision to make - it can't be both ways.

Father, please continue to reveal everything in our lives that prevents us from being 100% devoted to You. So be it.

The New Egypt

So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king. But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread, and the more alarmed the Egyptians became. So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy. They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all their demands. [Exodus 1.11-14] 

As simple as this may sound, slavery is associated with work.

As we see in the opening passages of Exodus, the work of slavery for the Israelites became highly oppressive. This increasing oppression happened because Israel was noticeably blessed by God and the Egyptians felt threatened by it.

Now, we should pause here to understand that God ordained work. Along with work however, God promised abundance and blessing, but within certain parameters:

The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the LORD God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” [Genesis 2.15-17]

We should also understand at this point that the work God ordained had everything to do with man's most basic need: food. And, it is in this most basic need where we find that God placed a limitation upon what man could eat. Abundance of food was was the result of man's work, but there was a limitation.

At the point man disobeyed God, eating the forbidden fruit, man's work first became oppressive.

And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” [Genesis 3.17-19] 

As the history of mankind progressed, it was the basic necessity of food that landed Israel in Egypt. God indeed used this set of circumstances to accomplish significant Bible history, but we are also afforded the opportunity to see an undeniable principle at work along the way. That Biblical principle is this: the pursuit of food put God's people in bondage.

We should furthermore understand that God designed man with the need to eat. He particularly engineered the male human body for physical labor to this end. However, just because Adam tended the entire Garden of Eden did not give him permission to eat of every tree. He and the woman were forbidden to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In all the abundance of the Garden of Eden, man was allowed to eat freely in return for his work and no other fruit was forbidden, just that one fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Just that one. But human selfishness and pride do not deal with prohibitions very well...

So also, Jacob's family needed to eat. In a particularly bad weather pattern, all their labor yielded no food and so they had to consider their options if they were going to eat. Egypt had food. They went to Egypt to get food so they could live. And, food they got. However, rather than getting the food and going back home to stay, the emotion (son and brother Joseph was there) and convenience of moving to Egypt (they were invited, interestingly enough, not by Joseph, but by Pharoah) led to God's people being oppressed more so than ever in their work for food. Innocently enough, Israel made a simple decision that ultimately yielded brutal slavery. They could have chosen to only buy food in Egypt and keep their residence in Canaan, but they chose to move to Egypt.

What was seen in Israel's encounter with Egypt should be seen as it relates to Adam's encounter with Satan: it was all about food with a "garnish" of emotion. Adam's and Eve's emotion was that of feeling mistreated by God (Satan's baited words "Has God really said..." elicited a selfish emotion) regarding food. At that moment, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil became an idol. Jacob's (Israel's) "emotion" was Pharoah's invitation to come be with their family member, Joseph, again, in the setting of food. At that moment, Egypt became an idol.

Satan is a deceiver. His most effective tool is to enlace his bad advice in our basic need for sustenance. Yes, we all need food, but just because a poison mushroom may taste good doesn't mean it won't kill us! God-followers are somewhat on the lookout for Satan's temptations but most are not looking in the right place. That right place is our most basic need: food. It is in our need for food and basic sustenance that Satan plants thoughts of selfishness and pride that ultimately land us in oppressive slavery to idolatry. Satan uses our basic needs to enslave us to idols.

No wonder Jesus came on the scene with profound words about our basic needs:

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.24-34]

The moment our basic needs become more important than our obedience to God, we are a slave to those needs - they have inadvertently but effectively become idols in our lives. Our insistence upon meeting these needs for ourselves has yielded the broad-category enslaving idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology. In fact, religion can also be added to this list.

The story of Joseph and Egypt makes a great and popular entry-level Bible story. However, as one watches carefully for the mention of Egypt following Joseph's story, "Egypt" becomes synonymous with two things: idolatry and slavery. Imagine that! As practical as "Egypt" started off to be, it ultimately set in motion a large-scale pattern of slavery and idolatry in the history of God's people that is more prevalent today than ever before. Man's systems of debt, insurance, medicine, technology and even religion are cumulatively "the New Egypt."

Father, as Your Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see the truth of ancient "Egypt" in the Bible, may He also open our eyes to see the truth of "the New Egypt" in our day and time. May Jesus's words in Matthew 6.24-34 weigh heavily upon our hearts in conjunction with His call to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Him. So be it.