Wednesday: Taken Into Exile
Read Jeremiah 43:8-13. What did the Lord say through Jeremiah?
Tahpanhes was a town at the northeastern border of Egypt, which had significant fortifications and where a great number of Jewish colonists lived.
Image © Jeff Preston from GoodSalt.com
Here again, the Lord wants Jeremiah to act out a prophecy symbolically. Even though words are powerful, sometimes when things are done in real life, when they are acted out before us, the point comes through even more strongly.
How exactly Jeremiah was to bury stones at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house, we aren’t told. The point, however, was clear: even the mighty Pharaohs were no match for the Lord, and He would fulfill His word just as He had said. The refugees who thought that they would find protection and safety by going to Egypt were as wrong as those who, as we saw earlier, thought that they could find protection and safety by having Egypt come to them (Jer. 37:7-8). The Egyptian gods were useless, figments of warped imaginations; these gods were pagan abominations that kept the people in abject ignorance of truth. The Israelites should have known, as we should now know, that our only true protection and safety is in obeying the Lord.
When self-denial becomes a part of our religion, we shall understand and do the will of God; for our eyes will be anointed with eye-salve so that we shall behold wonderful things out of his law. We shall see the path of obedience as the only path of safety. God holds his people responsible in proportion as the light of truth is brought to their understanding. The claims of his law are just and reasonable, and through the grace of Christ he expects us to fulfill his requirements.
-Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, February 25, 1890.
Think about the symbolism, too, in the Israelites’ going back to Egypt in their desire to find safety. How ironic! In a spiritual sense, what are ways that we could be tempted to go back to Egypt
to find what we think we can’t find with the Lord?
(19)
Just as we expect our children to follow our guidance and advice for their own good, God the Father has the same expectations of us. When our children refuse to listen to us the parents and they choose to follow negative advice and bad counsel from friends or the culture we see the result of this. This is the reason we see the World the way it is now!
Going to Egypt is like to me going back to the life I used to live before accepting Jesus as my personal Saviour.It takes courage from the Power of God to leave my Egypt and to follow and obey the LORD.Now I don't have the friends that I use to have but I'm satisfied with the ones God has given me.I thank God for loving me so much more than I deserve and leading me to live the way He wants me to live,and I know that I need Him more now than ever before.
Amen! I myself the chief of sinners was called from darkness to light and I thank God he did not leave in Egypt nor forsake me in the cold dark world. Bless be his name for all eternity! Amen !!!!!!!!
Of note Jehovah delayed for ten days His reply to the prayer of the people who were not prepared to take no for an answer, in spite of their pretense of piety (Jeremiah 42:4-7). Instead of using this time for reflection and repentance (a change of attitude) they only intensified their will and hardened their position.
The furious reaction of the proud men to the word of God through the prophet had built up during the time which should have been patiently devoted to soul searching (Jeremiah 43:1-3). Fury may often be produced from impatience.
It is a sad feature too long associated with the people of God, from the days of ancient Israel down to this day that impatient believers have sought solutions to their problems through human plans, strategies, and policies where Jehovah does not act as quickly as they prefer (Numbers 21:4-5).
Not hearing from the Lord on their terms or soon enough the self-willed find an opening to proceed with what they long wished to do, to supposedly heal the world and make it better. Flattering themselves with the label of “change agents for good” they quickly take matters in their own hands and force the issue. The lesson of scripture is it never ends well.
There are those who think if they only pray their ideas will be blessed or they will immediately see clearly. Yet the Savior has made clear through scripture the way He works. Eye salve to discern right is made available only to the submissive and those who practice self-denial (Luke 9:23; Revelation 3:18-19).
Leaders need such disposition to point others in the right direction, and even see their own errors. As it turns out leading others may not be as hard as learning to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:19).
Any time we decide to go back to Egypt, we are trying to tell the Lord that our expectations have not been met by him . But what good thing did Egypt offered us ? We only need to trust and obey .
Going back to Egypt is the symbol that people were disobeying the Lord and the decided to go back in slavery. This is the same for us when we don't take into consideration the willing of God on us. Better to choose the right way.
The road back to Egypt is fraught with trails of destruction and death; that the Omniscient One only knows and in His great love and mercy sends repeated warnings to His people against that route. Notwithstanding, we like Israel of old, must like a little child warned against touching a hot stove, choose to learn the hard way. Why must we look back to the land of suffering and abuse where the knowledge and worship of the Almighty God is forgotten, where the worshipers of useless idols profane His name and lead us away from Him chaining us by shackles of mental, physical and spiritual slavery? Though we are so close to Canaan, we "look back" like Lot's wife to Sodom and Gomorrah,desiring the fleshpots of Egypt. It is the plan of the evil one but we need not be overcome because our God has guaranteed us the victory and by His mighty hand we SHALL OVERCOME! Thanks be to Jehovah who has given us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord! Let us be faithful as we onward trudge to the finish line of this marathon. Our God is more than able!
Well,my God is everywhere. He's in Egypt and Samaria and the Ukrainia! Wherever I go He is there.What "going back to Egypt is to me is doubting that His grace is sufficient for me to love as He loves. I believe thay all sin comes from covetousness. As I give myself to be used to bless the world around me, my time, my money my talents covetousness is starved to death. May God give me the grace I need to be a part of His goodness that overcomes the world. Bless your enemies children and do good to those who despite fully use you and you shall be the children of your Father.
Read Joshua 24 : 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Acts 5 : 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. Ladies and Gentlemen we ought to obey God. Obedience to God's word will keep us safe, When God's people speak let's not think that they are against us. All we need to do is obey.
this lesson teach us, that we should not go back to the bad things we were doing before knowing God.
I have had situations in life when God seems to answer. I see partly from this, that God, understanding what is in our hearts, may be giving us time to rethink our resolve and get back on the right path. But sometimes the wait is forever, and the answer two sided! In such an instance, I think the best is to surrender to God and patiently wait for him to answer in the best possible way He deems right.
We are no better then the children of Israel(ISREAL). The things that happen in their lives is for our example to help us (me) not to make the same mistakes or take God's grace for free. If we don't get our live in order or in line with the word of God we will get the same punishment that they received. God has not changed in mind nor in character. Lord help (me) us to obey your word when we know it is for our good no matter the price.