There are consistent parallels between our own personal spiritual journeys and the Israelites's Exodus. It is a six day walk from Egypt to Israel. So, why did it take them 40 year? They had been in slavery for over 400 years. They needed to learn how to live as free people.
6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment." Exodus 6:6
They had to be reeducated/taught how to live as God's people. This happens to us as well. We start on our spiritual journey when we say yes to Jesus -- that is just the beginning. We need to learn how to live as God's child.
Back to the Exodus --- they complained from the start. First, they complained because they didn't feel safe.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Exodus 14:10-12
God proved to them he was mightier than their old master!
Then, they complained because they weren't having their basic needs met.
3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:3
3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” Exodus 17:3
God proved to them he would meet their needs!
Every time they encountered a challenge/problem they wanted to rush back to slavery where everything was guaranteed and comfortable rather than trusting God.
God took care of everything. Instead of seeking God when a problem would arise, they went to Moses and complained.
Are we praying or complaining?
God led them out to get them away from all the worldly influences. They had to be taken out of their slave environment to learn a new way of life, to learn how to follow God. Sin is a comfortable place to be -- lots of people there to encourage you to stay in sin. But that isn't what God wants for us, for any of us.
He is offering us a life to the Promised Land, to a place of Abundant Life from the very first moment we say yes to him, but it will take faith and being uncomfortable at times because we have to grow into the people he created us to be to live that abundant life.
The Israelites were impatient; they didn't want to wait.
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods[a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Exodus 32:1
They refused to believe. Instead, they wanted their own way, the way of destruction.
They rejected the Promised Land!
26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” Numberse 13:26-29
2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” Numberes 14:2-4
Are we rejecting the Promised Land, the Abundant Life Christ has for us?
Our own Exodus:
"For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did."
1 Corinthians 10:1-6
God is consistent -- same yesterday, today and foreverf. We are all starting from the same place -- starting from sin -- he will save us out from sin and death and self. When we say yes, we begin the spiritual journey.
Saved by the Blood of Christ!
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace" Ephesians 1:7
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." 1 Peter 1:18-19
Where are you on your spiritual journey? God's love and grace leads us out. Will we allow him to continue to lead us?
16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[a] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." John 1:16-18
7 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17
The Entire Old Testament is for our spiritual instruction.
“If you love me, keep my commands." John 14:15
Jesus completed it all. The Grace of God is there for you.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
"After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.'" John 17:1-3
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?" Matthew 6:25
11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11
How much time do you spend with Jesus?