“Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.”
(Exodus 9:1)
The Israelite exodus from Egypt is one of the most thrilling accounts in all of written history. For hundreds of years, God’s people were helpless and harassed. On outward inspection, these people were locked into a pitiful existence; all hope of experiencing real freedom or lasting joy had been lost. God, however, had other plans. According to His promise and at the preordained time, the LORD called forth His secret weapon, Moses, to lead His covenant people out of their bitter bondage and into a good land (Exodus 3:7-10). The account is of course a parallel to our own redemptive histories. Whereas the Israelites identified with God’s chosen liberator, Moses, to lead them out of Egypt, we identify with Jesus, Who led us away from our bondage to sin (John 8:32-36; Romans 6:17). It is important to recognize that in both liberation programs, God presented Himself as the ultimate authority, the One Who uniquely possesses the supreme right to be believed and obeyed. His perfect word (Proverbs 30:5), with all its declarations, commands, warnings, and promises, stands as the final authority, the ultimate court of appeal. In other words, the God Who has magnified His word above His name (Psalms 138:2) will not tolerate people editing, adjusting, “amending,” or adding to His perfect self-disclosure in Scripture (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19). Admittedly, the temptation to compromise our understanding and application of the Scriptures can be very great at times. During the present evil age (Galatians 1:4), the whole world lies in the sway of Satan (1 John 5:19). Just because God’s word is the liberating truth we need (John 8:32-36), the enemy of our souls has been working extra hard to move us to disbelieve, deny, question, or reinterpret certain portions of the Bible. Like Moses who was “faithful in all his house” (Hebrews 3:2, 5), we also must resist the temptation to give in to compromise. On three occasions, the Pharaoh of Egypt promised to let the Israelites go if only Moses would make certain concessions (Exodus 8:25-28; 10:24). For most people, the temptation to strike a compromise would be very great. This was not God’s plan for His people, however, and Moses knew it. God’s covenant nation, along with the tyrant who oppressed them, needed to know, clearly and unmistakably, Who was in charge. As we traffic through this life, the temptation to compromise with the world in matters of doctrine or morality will present themselves from time to time. Let us strive to be faithful to the God Who cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2), being “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord”, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain(1 Corinthians 15:58).
Walk strong, dear saints, and God bless,
Pastor John
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