Out From Egypt: From Slavery to FreedomSample

Out from Egypt: From Slavery to Freedom

A Heart of Stone

We would not normally equate Pharaoh with grace. When we meet him he is the proudest of the proud, defiant, and unconcerned with his people’s suffering—and he just gets worse after that.

One by one, Yahweh attacked the false gods of Egypt, from the gods who guarded the Nile, to the gods that ensured the fertility of the land, to the gods that promised health and protection, to the supposed eternal Sun-god Ra that made the sun rise each day. But instead of falling on his face in worship of the God who obviously was infinitely more powerful and who afforded him amazing grace by not eliminating him, Pharaoh still refuses to surrender. Yahweh offered chance after chance, withholding his judgment until Pharaoh’s heart was of such immoveable stone that he, in effect, asked for his own destruction.

We want to be like Moses. A faithful servant, a humble man who said ‘yes’ to Yahweh even as he struggled with doubts and fears, a strong warrior and an inspiring leader. But unfortunately, many times we emulate Pharaoh more than Moses.

We act as though we are the lords of our own lives and by doing so, label ourselves as gods. We gloss over the immeasurable suffering of Yeshua on the cross. We glide through our days not bowing in reverence to the Creator who breathed life into our bodies. We forget the miracles that color our existence; from the beat of our hearts, to the inexplicable complications of our brains, to the laugh of a tiny baby, to the mystery that is love. The miraculous surrounds us. We don’t need to see the rivers turned to blood or the sun blotted out to comprehend the power and majesty of our God. We need only consider the magnificence of Creation.

And like Pharaoh should have done, we should hit our knees in worship, in gratitude, in surrender. We must daily put aside our natural bent toward believing in our own divinity and lay aside the human labels of “good” or “accomplished” or “worthy.” Our identity is not found in our skewed perceptions of who we are, not by our own efforts or by human achievements. We are not gods. We are utterly reliant on the Creator for every breath, every heartbeat. He alone numbers our days, and it is by his grace alone that we are made free, through the precious sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

Questions to Consider:

In what areas of your life is Yahweh graciously calling you to repent of trying to "be your own God" or accepting the world's labels?

Have you stopped to acknowledge the greatness of Yahweh today? Spend some time with Him in surrender and worship for being gracious, loving, and slow to anger, and for the forgiveness He lavished on us through Jesus.