Exodus 5:3
The wilderness is a place where you can experience God. When we think of the wilderness, it is a place that is free from cultural crutches and comforts, but the wilderness is also free of distractions. God calls us to come worship him today and that means going into the wilderness so we can worship him free and wholly. It is in the wilderness we can worship God with pure hearts.
Egypt is subjected to plagues because Pharaoh will not submit to God
fully. We see a pattern of God hardening Pharaoh’s heart or Pharaoh hardening
his own heart and then Pharaoh asking Moses to remove the plagues. In some ways
Pharaoh wanted to submit to God, but more importantly Pharaoh wanted to submit
to God on his own terms. He did not want to fully follow God's commands. This
is unfortunate for the Egyptians because the only way to worship God is truly
and completely.
Moses and Aaron demonstrate the need for the complete worship of God by
not giving into the comprises of Pharaoh but also in their request to travel
for three days to make sacrifice to God.
Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us
go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to
the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the
sword.” Exodus 5:3 ESV
Three days of journey means getting away from sinfulness completely. In
the Bible, three represents a perfect number for completion. Just like the Israelites,
we, too, need to separate ourselves from sin. Not for an instant or a short
time, but completely.
We must go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the
Lord our God as he tells us.”
Exodus 8:27 ESV
In the New Testament, Jesus warns of the problem of serving two masters
or trying to serve God and your sinful desires. Later in Ephesians, it is declared
that those living sinful lives cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Yes, Jesus
takes away our sins, but we must also serve Jesus as He is our only master.
Otherwise, we risk rejecting Jesus and following another master to our doom.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and money.
Matthew 6:24 ESV
For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or
impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and God.
Ephesians 5:5 ESV
We must allow all members to join and worship God. Another one of the
compromises that Pharaoh wanted was to only allow the men to go and worship
God. This would never work because the men would return to Egypt and be slaves
again. We cannot partially worship God or leave behind our loved ones. We must
fully commit ourselves and families to God or risk going back to our old ways
and older masters.
No! Go, the men among you, and serve the Lord, for that is what you are
asking.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
Exodus 10:11 ESV
As Jesus tells us, salvation is for everyone. It is for every man, woman
and child who believes and accepts Jesus. Not only that, but we are also to
worship God together as a unified community of individuals and families.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried
out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
John 7:37 ESV
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Matthew 18:20 ESV
so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one
of another.
Romans 12:5 ESV
The truth is that each of us has a Pharaoh inside. The Pharaoh in us
wants us to put ourselves first and have control over our lives. This spirit
wants us to serve ourselves even if it means putting down others. Eventually,
we will start to despise others because of our inflated self-esteem. The only
way to defeat this inner Pharaoh is to submit to a higher power.
Worshipping God requires sacrifice. We need to give to God and give with
genuine hearts. We cannot go to worship without bringing something.
Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord; your little
ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.” But
Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we
may sacrifice to the Lord our God.
Exodus 10:24-25 ESV
For many people, this can create a problem because their financial situation
or resources may be lacking. However, Jesus tells us that it is not the amount
that is important but the genuine and sincere heart.
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting
money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor
widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said
to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those
who are contributing to the offering box.
For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her
poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:41-44 ESV
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 12:34 ESV
The Pharaoh in us wants to just do the service but without any heart. We
can go through the motions and look righteous. We may fool others and even
ourselves, but we will not fool God. It is the Pharaoh in us that makes idols
in our hearts because it his nature to find other ways to worship.
The good news is that Jesus has defeated sin and given us the Holy
Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit which has been given to us that will defeat the
sin that we still desire and displace the Pharaoh in us so Jesus may rule
supreme in our lives.
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