THERE AROSE A NEW KING
In reading the opening chapter of Exodus this morning, I was struck with the parallel here between the children of Israel under a new pharaoh who did not know Joseph, and our own sojourn in a ‘land’ whose authority does not know God.
I’m not speaking of a political head, but a principality and power in the heavenlies deeming itself a new king that chooses not to know God … though in reality they know Him well.
Does not this principality, led by the prince of the power of the air, know the same truth about us? Speak from the same fear of God’s own?
“Look, the people of the children of God are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us ...”
Thus those powers go to work, shrewdness their weapon, because we are engaged in war, and they know it. Better, even than Paul when he wrote, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
So they go about setting up cruel taskmasters over us, to afflict us with troubling burdens of worldly cares, and trials, and hardships, through illness, and disaster, discouragement … each orchestrated to take our eyes off our true Sovereign and the stage of Job 1 and 2 on which our lives here, in our own temporal territory, live themselves out.
Sadly, when our eyes become blinded to the reality of warfare, those powers are far too successful in making our lives bitter with hard bondage … for that is what they’re about, our bondage. Our adversary, with all his minions, remains cruel, heartless taskmasters. So why do we expend so much energy each day serving them when our bondage breaker stands before us?
I’m reminded, in a new way this morning, we cannot serve two masters. And while there are powers and forces at work against our life, there is One Who would rule in our life … One Who takes what would be bitter, and by His grace makes it sweet. His yoke is easy. His burden light. And resting within His yoke, under His burden, we truly find rest for our souls.
May we ever remember to be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. May we always be in a state of preparedness, of readiness, choosing to put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Somehow, the Israelites had forgotten that Egypt was not their home. They had chosen to stay in the land after Joseph died; slowly, step by step, submitting to a bondage that soon became so total it cried out for a redeemer.
Praise God, not only has our Redeemer come, but He liveth still. And a day is coming when we will be impervious to bondage, and live solely as a bondservant to Almighty God, standing with Him on a land retaken for His glory evermore.
(Reflections of Exodus 1)
© 19 April 2006
DeAnna L. Brooks
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