Tag Archives: Egypt

January 24
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“Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.” (Exodus 9:20-21, NIV)

Today’s scripture from the account of God’s liberation of the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt serves to remind us of two critically important things: (1) God’s invitation to life and salvation is for everyone; and (2) acceptance of that invitation through obedience leads to life, while the refusal of that invitation through disobedience leads to destruction.

The disciple of Jesus does well to remember that God loves all of His creatures, and the measure of that love is the extent to which God goes to provide the alternative to our certain destruction and death.  The key to life is our acceptance of God’s way through obedience, as was the case with the Egyptians who chose to obey God by doing a singular, common act: Recalling their slaves and the livestock to the shelters for refuge from the hailstorm they believed was coming.

Never underestimate the power of a singular, seemingly common, act of godly obedience.  – Luther

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December 27
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“So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called My Son.’” (Matthew 2:14-15a, NASB)

Egypt.

Time and again in the Bible, Egypt becomes the place of exile and pain. Joseph (of many-colored coat fame; please see Genesis 37 for details) found himself in Egypt after being sold by his brothers. The Children of Israel were delivered from slavery in Egypt in what is known as the Exodus. And now, the Christ child is taken to Egypt by His parents to escape Herod’s slaughter of children.

Exile may have its purposes, but it, nevertheless, also had its own proximate difficulties: Loneliness, unfamiliarity, suffering.

Have you ever been exiled to your own “Egypt”?  Are you there today?

If you are, be resolute in the knowledge that God is in “Egypt” with you; that God will never forsake you; and that God will, in the fullness of time, deliver you.  – Luther

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January 16
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“Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.” (Exodus 1:8, KJV)

These 13 words describe how easily life can be transformed from mountaintop to valley; from “can do no wrong” to “can do nothing right”; from the big house to the dog house. 

We do well to remain mindful of how quickly the externals of our life can change; and to grasp lightly our health, wealth, and personal relationships.  Egypt — although gracious and hospitable for a time — was not God’s destination for the Children of Israel; a much better land awaited them. The “new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” was the catalyst for the beginning of the next phase of God’s plan for the Israelites. 

Changes await all of us, and some changes may not be welcome changes.  Fear not.  A change in circumstance provides the “elbow room” in our lives for the growth that is to come.  

God did not desert the Children of Israel, even in their distress; and God will not desert the disciples of Jesus.  As we are reminded in Romans 8: Nothing shall separate us from the love of God!  – Luther

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