We suffer??? Our OWN CHOICE!!!!
And Page 131
How Long before we Escape?
Let us attempt to comprehend the fact that it took Moses 40 years to complete a three day journey. Does this even remotely make sense at all?
Exodus 3: 18 ‘ . . . The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’
From Egypt to Canaan was a mere three day journey, which Israel could not reach after so many years. The same was with the wife of Lot craving after the pleasures of Sodom and Gomorrah, after God set them free. Israel was likewise longing to return to eat from the fleshpots of Egypt.
Where do we stand on our journey with God; are we stuck to?
Hebrews 3: 17 ‘17But with whom was he grieved forty years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?’
The journey to reach the Promised Land is still a three-day journey for all of us today. Moses remained in the wilderness for forty years and died without entering into the Promised Land. Israel walked in circles in the desert—to and fro. They, therefore, did not know whether they wanted to serve God or return to Egypt.
This indecisiveness is what kills all of God’s children today. We basically turn into a pillar of salt because we are not able to remain on the path until we enter the Promised Land.
The journey from Egypt to Canaan is a journey we all have to take—from darkness and captivity, to light and freedom. This is a perfect example of God leading captivity captive. Israel was slaves for Pharaoh in Egypt and was led captive in the wilderness by God.
How many years have we been in the wilderness, and how long before we will reach the Promised Land? Are we going to remain in the wilderness for the rest of our lives and die in our sins too?
The spiritually enlightened, should understand by now that Egypt, Israel, Jerusalem, and Canaan are all spiritual states of our minds. We may therefore find ourselves to be in these different cities at various times of our lives.
At the time that I am serving God, my soul will be free from being a slave of the darkness. The very next day I might place my soul back in Egypt when indulging in a conversation where people are saying bad or negative things about others; back and forth.
Recap: When my soul (Israel) is being held prisoner by Pharaoh (my human greed) in Egypt and its pleasures, it is my own choice. We are not rendering God the freedom of our bodies to control us the way that we should.
Isaiah 36: 6 ‘6Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.’
See how God warns us against Pharaoh who is the fleshly desires of the mind; is this not Satan who will always hurt and break our hearts when we trust in the flesh? (Pharaoh, is Satan)
Example: I am sure that many of us have placed the flesh before God at some stage in our lives. We might have placed someone in the form of a friend or lover before God and returned to the darkness to please them and neglected Jesus. Such a relationship would never last and I am sure that many have made this mistake. If we do not find a partner who is a servant of God, we should find someone who is willing to turn towards the light.
The day we decide on serving God, we will start moving out of Egypt and into the wilderness where we will be set free from the bondage of Pharaoh. We escape Pharaohs bondage by leaving Egypt where we used to gather with our friends in the world.
This is such a difficult stage to go through on our journey, but is actually a very quick process once we find a true son to lead us.
The three-day journey which takes us a lifetime to complete:
1) To abstain from partaking in the pleasures of the world.
2) Conquer the mind and the old man (First Adam).
3) Magnify Christ within to a full grown man. (The new Adam)
In short: 1. Surrender 2. Die 3. Be reborn into a glorified body with Christ.
This will render me the freedom to enter the Promised Land as conqueror over the darkness of my own heart.
Christ the Rock
Exodus 17: 5 ‘And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it that, the people may drink.’
Let us see what the rock is first.
Nicky Verster
Nicky Verster 