“So Johanna the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah.” (V.4)
The great irony in this chapter is, God had rescued His people out of Egypt, the land of slavery, and brought them to the Promised Land, the land of freedom. And now they were leaving the Promised Land, by their own choice and against God’s word, and going back to the land of slavery. Their decision to walk “back to Egypt” was astounding! This is the sad and tragic history of the people of God, who had once known the life of the Spirit of God, giving it up to return to slavery. Egypt was a place of such unbearable bondage that Scripture often uses it as a picture of the old life in the flesh, the life of bondage to sin.
It is just as sad to watch individuals in our lives who were freed from sin, turn around and go right back into the bondage God had delivered them from. Yes life can pack a tough punch, knocking us down and maybe even causing us to question, why me? But that's no reason to blame God and deliberately turn your back on Him. Life comes with difficulties, disappointments, even disasters, but that's the result of living in a fallen world, one that man brought on himself through sin, not God. His desire was the garden of Eden, but that didn't last long, as man disobedience brought sin into the world.
Lord help us to trust in You in all things, and not go “Back to Egypt,” for Your ways are true and righteous leading to salvation.
The Truth: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
The great irony in this chapter is, God had rescued His people out of Egypt, the land of slavery, and brought them to the Promised Land, the land of freedom. And now they were leaving the Promised Land, by their own choice and against God’s word, and going back to the land of slavery. Their decision to walk “back to Egypt” was astounding! This is the sad and tragic history of the people of God, who had once known the life of the Spirit of God, giving it up to return to slavery. Egypt was a place of such unbearable bondage that Scripture often uses it as a picture of the old life in the flesh, the life of bondage to sin.
It is just as sad to watch individuals in our lives who were freed from sin, turn around and go right back into the bondage God had delivered them from. Yes life can pack a tough punch, knocking us down and maybe even causing us to question, why me? But that's no reason to blame God and deliberately turn your back on Him. Life comes with difficulties, disappointments, even disasters, but that's the result of living in a fallen world, one that man brought on himself through sin, not God. His desire was the garden of Eden, but that didn't last long, as man disobedience brought sin into the world.
Lord help us to trust in You in all things, and not go “Back to Egypt,” for Your ways are true and righteous leading to salvation.
The Truth: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
