And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” Numbers 14:4 NIV
What what was life like for the people when they were living in Egypt?
- They had slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor. Ex. 1:11
- Their lives were bitter. Ex. 1:13
- They were forced to do harsh labor in brick and mortar and all kinds of work in the fields. Ex. 1:13
- The Egyptians worked them ruthlessly. Ex. 1:13
- The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him.” Ex. 1:15-16
- The people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Ex. 2:23
- Pharaoh made it impossible for the people to meet their quota of bricks by removing the supplies they needed, then beat them for falling short. Ex. 5:6-14
God’s people endured both physical and emotional abuse at the hands of the Egyptians. They cried out to God and He heard their cry and miraculously rescued them. Yet as they sat on the edge of the promised land, with the opportunity to finally have the life they’d always wanted, fear took over and they thought it would be better to go back to Egypt! How can that be? How could they so quickly forget the pain they endured while living in slavery?
It’s easy to shake our heads in disbelief at the Hebrews, but doesn’t that happen to us too? We are living in slavery to sin, the pain too much to bear, so we cry out to God and He hears our cry and miraculously rescues us. He gives us the opportunity to enjoy a life free from sin, but when the pressures of life set in, fear takes over and we run right back to the same sin God rescued us out of! It can become a vicious cycle that leaves us broken and full of pain. So how do we break free?
We need to trust God to take us into the promised land. Moses had sent spies to check out the land and report back to the community. Many of the spies returned with bad news, “The land is full of giants, there’s no way we can take it, we’ll die trying.” They simply didn’t believe God would give them a successful future. The life they wanted was right in front of them, but they couldn’t see how they could get there and just didn’t believe God would make it happen. They focused on the obstacles that stood in their way, rather than the God who rescued them from Egypt.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 NIV
When the enemy floods your mind with doubts about your future, remember that he is the father of lies! Stand firm in your trust that God has great plans for you! Why? Simply because you are His child. When you face the giants waiting for you in the promised land, and the pressure becomes intense, trust God to bring the walls of Jericho down in your life.
Keep your sinful past in proper perspective. Don’t romanticize it. You were living in slavery! It was painful! Don’t lose sight of that. At the end of the day, most of us have two choices: We can trust that God’s plans for us are good, and keep moving forward toward all that He has for us or we can turn back to our own harm. If the enemy is pulling you back and you feel like you’re losing the battle, cry out to your Father. He loves you and will help you stand firm.
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15 NASB
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Yes, child of God, that verse applies to you!