Egypt represents the world of spiritual slavery and bondage. However, because many of us have been born in Egypt and know the things of Egypt (world), we have become too comfortable with its customs and ways. Satan will not give up God's people without a fight. He will send the chariots or demons against us. The chariots may come in many different forms today. They are the obstacles, tests, trials, and tribulations of life as we enter a pivotal crossroad to either move forward to worship and serve God in the wilderness or continue to look back at Egypt. But if we look back and stop moving, the Egyptians will come to kill and enslave God's people once again. This is why so many have back slidden back to their old ways. They had given up to Egypt or back to the comforts of the world.
Moses and God's people were at the edge of the Red Sea with the Egyptians coming to kill and enslave them. Moses was a type of Christ but Moses can represent a pastor or any servant of God with authority. Moses can represent the husband, father, or mother of a family with authority. Moses can represent a person who knows the Word of God. The Lord asked Moses why are you crying? When we get into difficult situations, we tend to cry in dismay. But God said lift up your rod and stretch out your hand and divide the sea and move forward. The rod represents the authority given to Moses. Those who know the Word and have the authority must use their authority to manifest their way out. We must always be moving forward in our Christian walk. We are not allowed to go back to our old life. Yes, God is the one in full control. In fact, HE is the one who is hardening Pharaoh's heart so that Pharaoh may come after God's own people. But this is done to train your faith and to bring God glory. There is always a way out. HE will never give you more than what you cannot handle. HE has given us a way out even in the mist of trouble. If we stand firm, not be afraid, and know we have the authority of God, then we can open the door to our freedom and victory. Did Jesus not say we have the keys?
Once the Egyptians were destroyed by God, the people rejoiced and sang a song of praise. When we receive a breakthrough in life and we witness the manifestation of God coming through for us, we give praises to HIM and we rejoice! Perhaps, some of us have witnessed great miracles of God in our lives. God's people sang. It was a testimony to them. It is when we receive a breakthrough, we are sharing and testifying what God has done to us. In this moment, we are rejoicing. God's people thought they had overcome and everything was going to be fine now. But they failed to realize, their salvation is a process and a journey. It was only the beginning. It is not a matter of saying a sinner prayer, accepting Jesus, and then going back to business as usual. It is a race in which we must finish to the end. You must understand, it is God who leads us into the wilderness as the Holy Spirit had led Jesus into the wilderness after His water baptism.
But people tend to forget very easily as we fall back into the flesh so quickly and easily. God's people were led into the Wilderness of Shur by Moses. We must realize, once we accept Jesus, then we are required to forsake the things of the world and our old life. Our old life of fornicating, smoking, drinking, partying, lying, cursing, stealing, coveting, hating, unforgiving, disobeying, sedition, rebellion, harshness, anger, quick temper, lust, watching violent movies, drugs, addictions, gluttony, breaking the 4th commandment (now Sundays), having made offerings to the industries of death such as tobacco and alcohol, stealing God's money (tithes and offering) and glory and so on must all end. For such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. We must know we will be entering a wilderness. The wilderness is a place of testing and purging. This is a must and mandate for all of God's people. We must prepare for such a journey. The word "Shur" means wall. God was putting a wall between Egypt and where God's people were in order to move them forward.
1 Cor 10:1-6 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, that our forefathers were all under and protected by the cloud [in which God’s Presence went before them], and every one of them passed safely through the [Red] Sea 2 And each one of them [allowed himself also] to be baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea [they were thus brought under obligation to the Law, to Moses, and to the covenant, consecrated and set apart to the service of God];3 And all [of them] ate the same spiritual (supernaturally given) food,4 And they all drank the same spiritual (supernaturally given) drink. For they drank from a spiritual Rock which followed them [produced by the sole power of God Himself without natural instrumentality], and the Rock was Christ.5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with the great majority of them, for they were overthrown and strewn down along [the ground] in the wilderness.6 Now these things are examples (warnings and admonitions) for us not to desire or crave or covet or lust after evil and carnal things as they did.
After rejoicing and victory and only after three days, God's people were led to the waters of Marah. In the amplified bible, it states the three days journey consisted of 33 miles. God had ordered their time and steps. They had found no water in the three days. Water can represent the Holy Spirit. After accepting Jesus and being baptized by water, His Spirit, and Fire, we travel a journey of three spiritual days and we may want to hear God's voice, we may want more of the Spirit, and/or we may desire to witness another Red Sea part. We may desire more of HIM. But they were led to the waters of Marah. They could not drink the waters of Marah because it was bitter water. Was it God's intention to give His children bitter water? No, God had led them to Marah to show the bitterness in their heart. God brings us to a circumstance or situation to show what is in our hearts. Sometimes, we are asking God why this or that is happening but we look from our perspective and selfishness rather than the ways of God. In chapter 15 verse 24, God's people were complaining to Moses of their situation. We all tend to complain when the situation gets difficult. But God is trying to show us what is in our hearts based on how we react through the circumstances HE allows.
In any bitter situation, there is always a way out. God told Moses to throw the tree into the water. Once the tree was thrown into the water, the waters became sweet. The tree represents the Cross. When you are in a situation and bitterness is surfacing from your hearts, you must look to the Cross and die to yourself to make the situation change. We can continue to sow a seed of bitterness or you can die to yourself looking at the Cross and sow a seed of sweetness to receive the water. Looking at the Cross and dying to yourself gives you more access to the water or more of the Holy Spirit. The bitterness or other ugly things in our hearts is preventing us from His Presence.
Once the situation changed, God gave them His rules and statues. It was a place of testing. If we look to the Cross for our answers, then out of His Grace HE will change your situation. Thereafter, HE warns and gives us HIS commandments telling us to obey HIM. The warning is that if we obey HIM, HE will NOT put the diseases upon us which are on the world. Do you see who sends and puts the diseases? If we are not fully obeying but still in our bitterness state, then we will be sick and diseased like the world. Their diseases will be upon us and as most of God's people with Moses, they died in their wilderness because they did not have faith. They all had seen the Red Sea part, but is witnessing or experiencing a great miracle from God considered faith?
Exodus 15:24-26 The people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?25 And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There [the Lord] made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them,26 Saying, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and will do what is right in His sight, and will listen to and obey His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord Who heals you.
God's people need to stop murmuring and/or complaining in their difficult circumstances or wilderness. Perhaps, you may not be complaining vocally, but God sees the heart. The message of the Cross is Christ crucified. Many speak of this term but many have no idea what it really means. You must make choices to pick up your own crosses and die daily to yourselves as God allows circumstances to test your hearts. If you complain and continue to back slide, the diseases may be put upon you as the world experiences through their sin and rebellion against God. Look to the Cross and repent so that HE may heal you. In whatever situation you may be in, look to the Cross, hold your peace, and remain at rest for HE will go to work for you.
Jesus had passed His test in the wilderness in which the Holy Spirit had led HIM there. This wilderness is where Satan will also come and test us. Only through passing the wilderness and the three tests did Jesus come out with full power and anointing. Many are called into God's five fold ministries but many lack the full power as many are still stuck in their wilderness not wanting to complete the time and steps ordered by God. We must know that we have to journey through the wilderness and we must pass the tests in order to come out with power and do God's work as Jesus had done. There is a order to all things. God has an order to our lives and we must understand this so that we will not make the same mistake as the many who were slewed in the wilderness for their rebellion and lack of faith.
May you humble yourselves and pass your tests to glorify HIM.
Pastor Steve Yong Kim
Fremont, California - Branch of the Lord's Church USA San Francisco Area
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