Return to Egypt

Once upon a time in a land far, far away there lived a man named Abram. Abram was married to Sarai. God told Abram to take his family and move to a foreign place where he was to become the father of a nation. Their names changed. They had a son. He got married and had twins. One of the twins had twelve sons, but the one named Joseph was the favorite. In their jealousy, the other brothers schemed against Joseph, and he ended up a slave in Egypt. After many years, he rose to power and reunited with his family who came to live under his provision. Fast forward a few hundred years and this reasonably small family multiplied into a very large group, including a man named Moses. The Egyptians treated this group with extreme cruelty, so God used Moses to set these people free from Egyptian captivity.

Yay!! Don't you just love a happy ending!

Wait, so why is the name of this blog titled "Back to Egypt?" Let me explain.

There's this phenomenon that happens whenever humans are experiencing hard times. We always wish we could go back to the time before the present pain began in order to experience "normalcy" again. Interestingly though, many times we have amnesia regarding past struggles, and we tend to romanticize the time before the present pain set in.

Let's take the Israelites for example:

"So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor."

"They worked the Israelites ruthlessly and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them."

Exodus 1:11,13-14

"And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."

Exodus 14:13-14

"All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron..."

"So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”

Numbers 14:2,4

Let's review the language used in the verses above. Oppress. Forced labor. Ruthlessly. Bitter. Difficult. Somehow though, only a short time into their newfound freedom from what was undoubtedly a miserable existence, the Israelites were ready to return to captivity because they were experiencing a fresh season of hardships. No matter that these new hardships paled in comparison to being cruelly oppressed and beaten into forced labor. They were hungry, dad-gum-it! They thought, "I'll take a harsh beating any day in order to make sure my tummy is nice and full of meat!"

It's so easy to read these stories from scripture and think to ourselves, what is wrong with these people?!? The Lord himself fought their entire battle and literally told them to just be silent. Did they seriously think he couldn't cook them a meal?

Well, maybe we shouldn't be so hasty to judge. Maybe we're not so different.

If you are anything like me, you have caught yourself a time or two (or twenty) over the past couple years thinking about "life before..." Don't get me wrong, these past years have been the pits in many ways. In fact, in some ways they've been the toughest in my life to date. There are so many things that I wish hadn't happened and other things that I wish were still happening that are no longer. It's just the way life shook out.

But here's the truth. For many people, some really tough stuff occurred before Covid and for others, even tougher stuff is happening now. Those that faced trials pre-Covid likely had a unique perspective of "this too shall pass." Those that are facing trials unrelated to Covid now have also been given a unique perspective that nothing (this side of heaven) lasts forever.

In both of these scenarios, wishing for "life before" would essentially be wishing for a return to Egypt. It's so interesting how we as a human race can so easily forget past pain and the healing that came from it when we're experiencing present pain and the healing that hasn't arrived yet. For Christ followers, we need to be even more cautious of this. Trials have always existed, and we will constantly be in a state of moving in and out of them. So before we say, "I just wish things could go back to the way they were before..." let us consider what we're really asking to go back to. Sometimes, like the Israelites, we fail to remember that we've already gone through and recovered from the adversity before this present one and maybe it was actually much worse. Are we really asking to go back there?

Instead, let's consider that Mordecai had a great point when he said to Esther, "Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this." Like Esther, let us not forget to consider that the same God is present in the middle of this fresh hardship, however excruciating it may be. I know it's hard, but Mordecai was on the right track with his simple suggestion of who knows.

Who knows what God is actually up to? (see Daniel 4:35)

Who knows what characteristic God is trying to reveal about himself? (see Exodus 34:6, Leviticus 11:44, Psalm 33:5, Psalm 34:8)

Who knows how we may be called to offer comfort to those who face similar afflictions after us? (see 2 Corinthians 1:4)

Who knows how God is working all things together for good? (see Romans 8:28)

Even when we're smack in the middle of Egypt... who knows?

Here's a reminder and encouragement before I go. For believers, this earth is as bad as it will ever get. If we can just persevere a while longer and serve others even when our hearts are breaking, we can make it all the way for the remembrance of the glory that awaits. Hallelujah this isn't our home!

Sadly for unbelievers, this earth is as good as it will ever get. Human limitations, fallibility and our natural inclination to mess things up is the best they'll ever have. Find someone in this category and share your hope with them. Maybe they will listen, maybe they won't. Either way, it might be your "for such a time as this" moment.

Going through and recovering from stormy seasons serve as placeholders of remembrance if we allow them to. The Israelites failed to see this in their rescue from Egypt. The result was an irrational desire to return to what had been, even though it was exponentially darker than their present circumstances. When you face your next bout of foul weather, gird up those loins, press forward and remember that this battle is also the Lord's! Not a moment of grief or a tear that falls will be wasted. Absolutely pray and ask the Lord for a lighter load, but don't miss the endurance building, the character development and the hopefulness he's shining down on you even while it's still raining.

"And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope."

Romans 5:3-4