(Audio)
The Egyptians, then, dreaded the children of Israel
and reduced them to cruel slavery,
making life bitter for them with hard work in mortar and brick
and all kinds of field work—the whole cruel fate of slaves.
Life can be very difficult. We often feel like slaves to our circumstances. We see circumstances reduce the perceived dignity of many well beyond that of slaves. The ruler of this world, of whom Pharaoh is an image, wants to stop our increase. He wants to prevent others from being added to the kingdom of God. He wants to prevent those who are in it from bearing fruit.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
God is the one who delivers us from the kingdom of darkness and transfers us into the kingdom of his beloved Son (see Colossians 1:13). The trouble is that we still have Egypt in our hearts. Even though this world is no paradise we have selective memories.
We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic (see Numbers 11:5).
There can be no compromise with the kingdom of darkness, no compromise with the spiritual Egypt of sin.
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
What comforts we gained by dwelling in Egypt must be abandoned. And if we have to choose between remaining in sin and even our own family we must choose Christ. If we have to choose between remaining in sin and our own lives we must choose Christ.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
In this world, prophets and righteous men must receive what favor we can offer them precisely because the world's default orientation is against them to oppress them. Laborers deserve their pay, especially those who labor for our sakes. So let us offer prayers and whatever other assistance is appropriate to those who are at work building the kingdom of light.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.
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