…At least in Egypt, we ate all the food we wanted!

In this blog edition, I am reflecting on the song “Burn The Ships” by King and Country; click HERE for the video.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I read a story about immigrants who attempted to escape Europe’s religious tyranny a few centuries ago. I do not know if this is a true story, but I did enjoy what it was trying to teach us. The story says that when the immigrants arrived in the new land, they felt a sense of relief in America for a short time. However, once reality started to sink in, the immigrants began to miss their old life back in Europe and complained to the leaders. To avoid chaos and protect them, the leaders decided to burn all the ships they had used to get to America. This action forced the immigrants to work together and forge a new community free of tyranny.

Sometimes change is challenging but necessary. We resist change and lust after the easy things, the pleasures we had, not realizing how they were killing us. Thank God some leaders know better and lead us for our good. We also have a heavenly Father who wants to lead us into blessings if we allow Him.

Observation

Egypt enslaved the nation of Israel and mistreated them. God decided to lead them to a new land, bringing all His blessings. Yet even after witnessing God’s incredible power in their deliverance, they began to complain to Moses. They wanted to go back to Egypt, even if it meant returning to slavery:

Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?  We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;  but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” Numbers 11:4-6 NKJV

Interpretation

I love the Word of God! It is perfect to me because everything fits together. God always uses a type or a shadow to portray a heavenly or earthly reality. In this case, He uses Egypt to represent our sinful condition, our fallen state. God uses Moses as a deliverer to the new land, free from that sin (Egypt). Can you think about who he is portraying? Yes, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Lord Jesus paid the price on the cross to free us from sin’s bondage and punishment (Justification). He gave us the Holy Spirit to comfort and empower us to remain free from sin’s influence and corruption (Sanctification). Now, Jesus lives to intercede for us and sits at the Father’s right hand, full of glory and power. He will return one day to remove sin’s presence once and for all (Glorification).

With this in mind, do we who call Him Lord act as if we are free from slavery? 

Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:34-36 NKJ

Most of us want to return to Egypt (back to the sins that so easily entangle us, Hebrews 12:1) and enjoy our pleasures there. We readily give up the eternal for temporal pleasures here on earth.

Application

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

We need to forget what is behind us! What is behind us? Which ships do we need to burn?

No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren!  Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:8-11 NKJV

God washed us when we were like that, yet we sometimes forget those times in our past and fall for the devil’s lies.

As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly.
Proverbs 26:11 NKJV

A dog vomits because something he ate is making him ill; it is killing him. He feels better after vomiting, yet after a short time, the dog forgets his trouble and re-eats what was killing him, for he remembers how good it was.

Like the Israelites in the wilderness, we forget what God has done for us through His Son’s sacrifice, and we dishonor His name. When we return to our old ways, we do not display a spirit of thanksgiving for what He has done for us. We forget to praise Him daily and to worship Him as if we were about to meet Him.

Let us consider Esau, who gave up his eternal rights for a bowl of soup, as a warning.

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done. Hebrews 12:15-17 NIV

My friends, let us consider what is short-term and what is eternal. The flesh and its pleasures are short-term. Let us not trade the eternal for the short term. Yes, we are saved by grace through faith, but be careful; only God knows who is His. Do not be self-deceived; we must run the race. That is our part.

…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, Hebrews 12:1

If we are sons and daughters of the Most High, we are free. We must believe this in our minds and hearts and act accordingly (run the race). Others will come to the truth and be saved by seeing Christians run the race and focus on Jesus. Setting an example is the best way to witness and confess the Lord Jesus.

As the video says, flush the pills (give up our addictions), face your fears, step into a new day, and let us dance through heartache. Dance, love again, wake up, and say good morning to God daily. The Holy Spirit is the power that enables us to burn our ships and step into a new day full of blessings in Christ.

Abba Father,

We come to give you thanks for our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is our leader and our Master. We sometimes complain and are enticed to return to our old ways. Father, give us the Holy Spirit daily, so He can empower us to live for you and make our bodies the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Let us bring honor to Your name.

In Jesus Christ’s name, we pray!

Amen!

PS

I cannot forget that writing this blog applies to me first. Often, I returned to Egypt and forgot my God and what He had done for me. I bathed in my pride and arrogance. My wife, my home, my animals, my property, and my health suffered the most. Thanks be to God; He gave me a praying wife. God pursued me and brought me home again. My goal now is to praise my God at all times, at sunrise and sunset. I will trust in the Holy Spirit for the power I need each day. I will continue to run the race by the grace of God. Let us do this, brothers and sisters!

To God, be the glory!

Everything was created By Him, For Him!

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-25

Disclaimer

When God inspires me, I write or post articles that glorify God. I invite you to view this post as a Bible study. Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, I encourage you to search the Scriptures to determine whether what I have posted is true. Always consult your church ministers regarding biblical matters. I am not a professional writer, so there may be grammatical or spelling errors. I strive to write as clearly and efficiently as possible. My prayer is that this message will inspire you to seek the Lord with all your heart and bring glory to His Holy name. Your brother in Christ, Ricardo.