By: Curtis Baker
When the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and entered the freedom of the Arabian wilderness, the difficulties of their life were not finished. Yes, it is true that the freedom of the wilderness was superior to being a slave in Egypt, but at times they had serious doubts about this. On more than one occasion the people asked Moses why he had led them out into the desert. Life was hard in the desert. In Egypt, even though they were oppressed by slavery, there was at least some form of structure in the slavery. They slept in the same place every night; they knew when meals would be provided; their children all grew up in a place that was familiar to them. The Israelites hated that oppression when they lived under it, but…when they were taken away from what they knew, and were brought into a land that is appropriately called “the wilderness,” the unknowns of the wilderness scared them more than the slavery that was known in Egypt.
In many ways this seems ungrateful, and indeed, that was often the case among the people of Israel. God’s anger frequently smoldered against them because of their lack of gratitude for his salvation. But there is some cause in being sympathetic to Israel’s new struggles. After all, the people of Israel had been slaves in Egypt for nearly 400 years. That means generation after generation was born into slavery, and when that comes to be part of your DNA as a people, it is hard to suddenly move from the rigors of slavery into the different rigors of freedom. In truth, they were giving up one kind of slavery for another. Their original slavery was to the Egyptians…now, in the wilderness of the Arabian Desert, they were learning to be slaves to God. The transition was not as smooth as we would like to think.
In a similar way, as we move from a life that was bound in slavery to sin, and learn what it means to live a life in obedience to God, we too face some of the same obstacles the original Israelites did. For those who have truly been slaves to sin, they know there is nothing admirable about a life that is dominated by pride, anger, lust, or greed. These things have a power of their own, and given enough time, they will take away a person’s power to choose. It is then that a person is truly in “slavery” to sin, and the person is often captive to whims that their sin imposes upon them. Almost everyone thinks this will not be the case in regard to them. People assume they have power, and they are watchful over their actions, and therefore they are too smart to be caught captive to sin. But out of sins many characteristics, deception is among its best, therefore those who think they are smart are truly in the greatest danger.
Thankfully, God is merciful. Just as he provided a way out for the Israelites, so too will he offer us a way out. Indeed, God cares about nothing more than providing you a way out. As we have seen over the last two weeks, baptism is our “exodus” moment. Just as the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and were delivered into freedom, so too in baptism do we pass through the waters in order to come into the new life as redeemed children of God. However…just as there was a wilderness that awaited the people of Israel, so also is there a wilderness that awaits most redeemed children of God. We have learned the way of slavery for many years, and now those old habits must be purged from us. It is when we encounter these strong temptations to go back to “slavery” that we really begin to be sympathetic to Israel’s longing to go back to Egypt. Whatever bad things we might have experienced in our slavery to sin, it is certainly true that our old life was routine, and habitual, and therefore had a certain kind of ease to it. When we first come into the wilderness of our redeemed life in God, that life of ease seems appealing once again. But we must not turn back. Paul says the most important thing we can do after our baptism is “count ourselves dead to sin.” This means a purposeful intention to not live as slaves anymore. This is not easy! Failures will happen! Habits die hard! However, intention is necessary. We must decide to live in the new land of freedom, and not in the old land of slavery. But we are not alone in this…God will be with us every step of the way. More next week.
(Don’t forget to join me for A Message From the Heart radio program Sunday evening at 8:00pm on KJAK 92.7FM, or streaming live at www.kjak.com) (curtisbaker@hotmail.com)
Write to: P.O. Box 157, Slaton, TX 79364
