My topic today, I'd like to address a question that's often drawn my interest and tried to figure out what was going on, what seems to be the issue going on here. And talking to some of you, I know some of you have had the same thought, and it does go back, a question that goes back to the children of Israel and their exodus from Egypt. I don't know why that's such a popular topic today.

And as Mr. Bauman said, it is a very timely topic and well-suited, particularly for this season of Days of Unleavened Bread.

We are familiar with the account of the exodus of the children of Egypt from—the children of Israel from Egypt. And we've long known and recognized that that account offers us a very vital and important critical instruction and understanding to help us deal with our own exodus from slavery to sin and death. And so today, I'd like to address with you this critical question.

Why would the children of Israel want to return to Egypt?

In the title, the sermon is quite similar to that. Why would they return to Egypt? Why?

So, if you would, please turn with me to the book of Exodus. We're going to be spending a good amount of time here as I begin the sermon.

And as we turn to Exodus—go ahead, please, and turn to chapter 1—and we're going to recall a bit what Scripture tells us. A good place to start is to consider what were the conditions like for the children of Israel living in Egypt about 3,500 years ago. That takes us to about the time of the Exodus.

And it was the time of Moses. What was it like back in the time of Moses? Well, if I could be a little frank with you, if you were a descendant of Israel, Egypt was not a good place for you to be living.

Once, of course, Egypt had been a haven. It had been a haven for the children of Israel. Under God's divine guidance, Joseph had saved Egypt from a seven-year-long drought. Dr. Ward mentioned that in his message this morning. It seems to have been one of the worst droughts ever known in that ancient time. But then decades, maybe centuries later, another Pharaoh arose who did not know. He did not remember Joseph. Joseph, what he did for Egypt, meant nothing to him.

That Pharaoh, fearing for the mighty number of Israelites, had forced them into slavery, we remember. And he had set harsh taskmasters over them. And as we can read in Exodus 1, verse 14, we are told that the Egyptian taskmasters made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, in brick, in all manner of service in the field. All there in which they made them serve was with rigor. Rigor is one of those words that meant they weren't working 40-hour weeks. Let's put it that way. And because the children of Israel continued to multiply, the Pharaoh further decreed that every boy who was born to be cast into the Nile River, there to be drowned, eaten by the crocodiles, probably.

It's interesting, the first plague was blood in the river. Perhaps that was a bit of vengeance in God's part to remind them what they had done to the babies, the baby boys in Israel. And so again, I say, if you were a descendant of Israel in the time of Moses, Egypt was not a good place to live. Exodus 2, 23-25 tells us that the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out.

And their cry came up to God because of the bondage. And so God heard their groaning, continuing to read verse 24, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them. When God remembers, that means God is going to take action.

He's not going to remember, then get back to it in a few thousand years. When He remembers, He takes action. And that's what we're going to see. And just at the right time, then, God sent Moses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.

And through Moses, God also delivered this special message of promise and hope. The special message of promise and hope we find in Exodus 6, verse 2 through 8. In Exodus 6, verse 2 through 8. It's a very important message. Exodus 6, verse 2. And God spoke to Moses and said to him, and this is the message he was to report, I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty. But by my name, Lord, I was not known to them.

I have also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage. And I have remembered my covenant. Verse 6. Therefore, say to the children of Israel, here's their special message, I am the Lord.

I will bring you out under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

And I will give it to you as a heritage. I am the Lord. When we carefully read what God said to the children of Israel, verses 6 through 8, we will find that God makes seven promises, each beginning with, I will. The number seven in Scripture often signifies completeness, and it's almost always directly related to God the Creator. God the Sovereign.

And these seven promises are rather specific. Again, you can look up there again, look at them closely now. I will bring you out. I will rescue you. I will redeem you. I will take you as my people. I will be your God. I will bring you into the land I swore to your Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a heritage.

And moreover, most importantly, these promises are guaranteed by God's own name and authority. I am the Lord. And as we know, God's will will be done. Now, we would expect that this declaration of God's promises would have encouraged the people, would have encouraged the children of Israel. But that was not the case. It did not encourage them. Reading verse 9 now, same place we were at, verse 9. And so Moses spoke thus, he gave this message to the children of Israel. But they did not heed Moses. They didn't pay attention.

Because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage. Their bondage was extremely severe. The Bible uses the word with rigor. I'm not sure if we can fully grasp how severe their bondage probably was. I don't know if we can fully grasp how they're eking out a meager existence, hoping with endless days, months, years of sorrow and slavery, and living with little to no hope.

How all that had made it apparently nearly impossible or impossible at this point for them to believe God's promises of deliverance. Perhaps all they have heard in their lives is words. And it was too hard for them to be encouraged by these words they heard.

But let's turn to Exodus 12. Let's turn to Exodus 12. And what we find is much easier to detect their joy and elation later. Later, after they have witnessed God's miraculous deeds, after they have experienced for themselves the effects of God's devastating plagues upon the Egyptians, not only had the plagues made clear to the Egyptians that God is the Creator, the children of Israel, were now much more fully aware of the fact.

Imagine now their giddiness in asking the Egyptians for treasure. And the Egyptians freely gave it to them. Look at verses 35-36. They've moved from being without hope, and depressed by bondage, to now suddenly they're elated. Verses 35-36, Exodus 12. Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they granted them what they requested.

And thus they plundered the Egyptians. Imagine walking out with your arms full of gold, silver, rich garments, things that maybe you can only look at or clean, but never have for yourself. Imagine their exhilaration and their hope now they had for a bright future. A bright future in the land God promised them.

Let's also read verse 37. And then the children of Israel journeyed from Ramses to Sukkoth, about 600,000 men on foot besides children. Now scholars argue still about the meaning of the words here, and about the actual number. But I've read estimates that there was over anywhere from 1 to 2.4 million people in this Exodus. Of course, that would include people of mixed races, other peoples that left with them. Another point I would make relates to their orderliness. In Exodus 13 verse 18. Exodus 13 verse 18. Here we're told that God led the people.

God led the people. Around by way of the wilderness by the Red Sea, and the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt. That this massive movement of people occurred in orderly ranks, that strongly suggests to me that this was no motley mob of depressed and sorrowful people. What we see here, I think, are clans of exuberant and victorious families whose God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt.

Totally different changed attitude. They were leaving Egypt. In fact, God, again, was leading them through the wilderness. God was leading them. Verse 21 through 22. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. So as to go by day and night, He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. He was always there, in a sense, always there for them to see.

They looked over their shoulders. They turned away. He was there. He was there. Why wouldn't these once oppressed and afflicted people now be exuberant? I would have loved to have seen the scene. I wouldn't have been in slavery back then, but I would have loved to have seen the scene, God leading them out. But now, with the sights and sounds of their jubilation filling our imagination, we must turn our attention to what happens next. Just as the weather in Texas could suddenly change, I've noticed, so do the hearts of humankind, don't they?

And so we find in Exodus 14, we read that God has the children of Israel encamped in a narrow place opposite Baal-Saphan, with no room to escape. In other words, their backs are cornered with their backs against the sea. And they appear to have made themselves an easy prey for Pharaoh's approaching army. And at this point, their attitudes change, don't they?

Their joy quickly turns to terror and then to animosity, and finally, bitter regret for ever leaving Egypt. Think of that. Notice what they say now, Exodus 14, verse 11. They see Pharaoh's army arriving, approaching, and then they said to Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Yeah, that's a sudden change in heart and attitude, isn't it? And I would add this.

The question itself also seems to be bitterly cynical. We heard a sermon about that not so long ago. It seems to be bitterly cynical and sarcastic in tone. Because there are no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? I say it's rather cynical and sarcastic because consider this. What was the most dominating aspect of Egyptian culture and religion? In other words, what was, and we don't even say, what still is Egypt famously known for?

It's tombs. It's tombs. The pyramids? They're tombs. The greatest structures in Egypt were tombs. In fact, much of its industry, much of life in Egypt centered on the making of tombs. Oh, not for slaves. They were just thrown in a shallow ditch. That's what archaeologists are discovering.

But the priests, the royalty, they were encased in great tombs. In other words, Egypt was almost literally a land of graves and death, a place of tombs. So that's why I feel this question may be rather cynical. Because there were no graves in Egypt, we got millions of them. You had to bring us out here in the wilderness to die? If I wanted a grave, I would have stayed in Egypt. They're very unhappy. Continuing on, verse 11, Exodus 14, 11 still, we pick up the next question.

Why, he says, why they say, why have you so dealt with us to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness. Well, now the question seems to be impinging more on the fact that they are accusing Moses of somehow tricking them, of somehow forcing them to come out of Egypt against their far better judgment.

They should have known this is a trick, I guess, is what they're saying. He has forced them out of Egypt against their better judgment and will. They are now wishing that they had remained as slaves in Egypt. They'd rather be slaves than dead. And even though, ironically, again, even though the Egyptians had been killing them and their bondage for decades, centuries perhaps, of course, their questions, their statements are not logical. They're not logical. Their statements, when we think of it, must be borne out of their fear of death.

They don't want to die. And they're desperate to save their lives at any cost, even at the cost of returning back to slavery. God, however, is faithful. God has always been faithful. God is faithful to fulfill his promises, and so, indeed, he rescued the children of Israel through the sea. Verse 21 through 22. And then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided, and so the children of Israel went out into the midst of the sea on dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

I always wondered as a kid if they could see fish swimming alongside of them or not. I don't know. Now, why would God choose to divide the sea in that way he did? He could have divided it any way, any possible way. But I wonder why he chose the strong wind that would blow all night. Could it be that God wanted to assure the children of Israel, and witness to them once more, as he would again and again and again, that he was God the Creator? He controlled everything. Except perhaps their choices and their attitudes.

But everything else, yes. And I think that may be part of the reason he did it with such a spectacular control, vivid control over the ocean, over the wind. The things that human beings have very little control over. And God also chose perfect timing in his judgment against Pharaoh's armies. And again, I believe this is another way of reassuring the children of Israel of his fidelity to keeping his promise to redeem or to deliver them. Let's notice again, starting in verse 27 now.

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. That's similar to the promise, one of those, I will promises he made, how God would stretch out his arm. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and when morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So morning's coming on so they could see this.

And when morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth while the Egyptians were fleeing into it, so the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.

But the children of Israel, what a contrast, had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were walled to them on the right hand and on their left. And so the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. And I said God chose perfect timing, and I think it's true. Obviously God only does things at the right time. If he had done this at night, if he had covered the Egyptians with water at night, the Israelites would never have seen this. They may have speculated, oh well, they could have come up with some other excuse of what had happened. But he waited till the light was shining in the sky, daylight approaching, and they could easily witness what God was doing, the judgment God was accomplishing against the armies of Pharaoh. It's already in this account we could say that God had already fulfilled most of his seven promises he had previously made and had read to the people, and what we read ourselves back in Exodus 6, verse 6 through 8. Again, God had indeed brought the children of Israel out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. He had rescued them from their bondage, and he had redeemed them, delivered them with an outstretched arm. That means a powerful and mighty arm. And God's actions confirmed that he had taken them as his people and that he was their God. And now that the children of Israel had passed through the Red Sea, think of it. God had brought them closer to the land he had promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob than they had ever been in the past 430 years.

That promise is so much closer to being fulfilled. Therefore, they should have been assured that God would give it to them as a heritage, that seventh of his seven promises there. Now, did they understand that God had already fulfilled these many promises to them? That's hard to say. Possibly no. And so we read these profound words then with Exodus 14.31. What they did know is what they did see. And what they saw was quite convincing to them. Verse 31, They saw, they believed. But now how deep was their belief? Well, we don't know. Well, we're going to find out on the other hand. We know the story. At least it was deep enough for them to see with their own eyes that God had saved them from immediate death.

And perhaps later, or perhaps not, they would be able to grasp the deeper fact that God was being faithful to them, even though their faithfulness to God seemed a little less sure. Whether our faith in God is strong or not, God's faith will not be shaken. God is ever faithful.

Regardless, they were grateful to God. We can't say that. And on that day, as Mr. Bauman mentioned, Jewish tradition believes that they crossed the past through the Red Sea on the last of the days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And of course, we understand that now as a type of baptism. They passed through the Red Sea, they were saved from death, and indeed, they rejoiced.

Mr. Bauman mentioned the Song of Moses. I just wanted to have us read Exodus 15, verse 2. Because in Exodus 15, verse 2, we capture the contrast of attitudes and experiences they went through.

On one side of the Red Sea, they were filled with dread and terror, and were assured of certain death. On the other side of the Red Sea, they rejoiced. They were alive. They rejoiced, and they were alive. And I'm sure their words were of full joy and heartfelt gratitude, because they deeply felt that God had miraculously saved them. They saw it. And here's just a portion of what they said. And notice, they too make a promise. They make promises to God in Exodus 15, too. They declare, The Lord is my strength and song. I think that's a nice way of saying God gives them reasons to sing, to rejoice. And He has become my salvation. He is my God. They've accepted Him. And I will praise Him. He's my Father's God, and I will exalt Him. They feared God, and they believed God.

And now they made promises to God to praise Him and to exalt Him.

And so they did fear God, and they believed God, and they believed Moses. And again, I want to point out to us, and stress, and imagine their exuberance. Once again, they're accelerated. Nowadays we say they're pumped up. They're fired up. Young people are going, yeah, okay. But, sadly, three days later, that's what Scripture says, three days later the children of Israel found reason to complain against Moses. Now ironically, I find it, their complaint occurs immediately after their songs of praise to God are recorded. We see it in Exodus 15, verse 23. After the song of Miriam, Miriam's little song, we find out, verse 23 through 25. Let's get the sense that they've no more and stopped rejoicing. They're back to complaining. Their complaint now is Exodus 15, 23. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, what are we going to drink? What are we going to drink?

What's happening? Again, I'm trying to get in their heads and understand what's going on. Just three days ago, they had witnessed what God could do with water.

And now, three days later, they're complaining because they're at the waters and they're brackish, perhaps filled with salt and minerals that are undrinkable. And they're complaining to Moses. Maybe they should have talked to God a little bit more. And then a few weeks after that, they're back again to wishing they had never left Egypt. Exodus 16, verse 3. We can read about this in Exodus 16, verse 3.

O that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, and when we ate bread to the full. That sounds... Wow, that's slavery? That sounds pretty great, doesn't it? Pots full of meat? Plenty of bread. Of course, Egypt was known for being that part of the world. It was its wheat basket. Later on, the Romans would get almost all their wheat from Egypt. So, yeah, there was lots of bread to eat in Egypt. Doesn't this sound like a wonderful place? Kind of like Club Med or something, perhaps. I'm not sure. We had pots of meat, and when we ate bread to the full. For you, instead, you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Well, now you're just trying to starve us to death. And again, I'm wondering, what's going on? What are they thinking? In Egypt, they had been severely afflicted under the hands of these harsh taskmasters. Their infant sons had been tossed into the Nile. Did they really feast with plenty of bread and pots full of meat? Surely, they were romanticizing, we'd call it. They were being nostalgic. I don't know if you ever get caught in bits of nostalgia, but suddenly everything has a nice golden hue to it, and the edges get softer. They haven't been out of Egypt that long, but it seems like they're misremembering things rather severely. It seems that they're purposely glossing over the far more bitter and cruel reality of their former enslavement. Life was miserable then, so why are they glossing it over now? And then later in Rephidim, they again complain about leaving Egypt. Exodus 17.3, next chapter, almost becomes a regular pattern. The way later editors divided the scroll into chapters and verses is almost like a regular thing here with them. Exodus 17.3, why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?

Once more, they're lamenting for having ever left Egypt and again that land of tombs.

Now, the title and the question we're looking at addressing here is, why would they want to return to Egypt? And so again, why would the children of Israel want to return to Egypt? After all they've experienced, after all they've seen, despite these absolutely incredible, well, I shouldn't use the word incredible, absolutely amazing miracles in the mounting evidence that God the Creator was directly and intimately involved in their lives.

How could they and why would they still want to return to Egypt? Now, this is not merely an academic question. This is not a question we should approach as scholars doing a research paper. Because the answer to this question has profound spiritual implications for all of us. Because remember, we too, as a type, we too are leaving Egypt. We too are on an exodus from lives of sin and death or former lives before we were baptized. The putting off of slavery and the putting on of freedom, I believe, goes far beyond historical events and declarations in legislation of law. The putting off of slavery and the putting on of freedom is also a matter of the mind and heart, you see.

It is not readily accomplished in seven days' time as the children of Israel experienced. That's when they started complaining. They left on the 15th, on the 21st, at the Red Sea. They're wanting to go back. They're wondering, why did you take us out? Seven days' time, they're already wondering what they've done. Moving from slave to free doesn't always occur that quickly. Being freed from slavery has its own challenges, deeply personal and individual. I'm reminded of the experience of Booker T. Washington. Have you ever heard of Booker T.

Washington? Young people, have you ever heard of Booker T. Washington? When we're done today, Google him. I don't know if I trust Wikipedia, but I'm an old teacher. Go to a reputable source and look up Booker T. Washington. He has an absolutely amazing life. He's one of the most profound American educators. President of Tuskegee Institute, a profound leader, American. I am reminded of Booker T. Washington when, in 1865, he and his fellow slaves learned that they were free under terms of the Emancipation Proclamation. I'd like to read to you a little bit of what he experienced the moment he moved from slave to free.

This is from his autobiography published in 1901. It's entitled Up from Slavery. If you haven't read it, I recommend it. It's truly fascinating and very encouraging. Here's what he wrote. After the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, we were told that we were all free and can go when and where we pleased. My mother, who was standing by my side, leaned over and kissed her children while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She is very wonderfully excited. She kissed her children while tears of joy ran down her cheeks.

She explained to us what it all meant. I think he was a boy of nine. He wasn't quite sure what this meant. She explained to us what it all meant, that this was the day for which she had been so long praying, but fearing that she would never live to see. Well, for some minutes, he describes, for some minutes there was great rejoicing and thanksgiving and wild scenes of ecstasy. You can imagine the children of Israel doing the same. The wild rejoicing on the part of the emancipated colored people lasted but for a brief period.

For I noticed that by the time they returned to their cabins, there was a change in their feelings. The great responsibility of being free, of having charge of themselves, of having to think and plan for themselves and their children, it seemed to take possession of them.

It was very much like suddenly turning a youth of ten or twelve years out into the world to provide for himself. You understand what he's saying. It's like taking a ten or twelve year old and saying, okay, you're on your own, get out there. No more time for fun and games. Suddenly you have the full weight of responsibility of all you do in life. It's now on your shoulders. He's pointing out that the slave owners used to take care of a lot of their lives. Now they have to take care of themselves. It was joyful, but suddenly the weight of that responsibility and accountability pulls down on them.

Was it any wonder then, he continues, was it any wonder that within a few hours the wild rejoicing ceased, and a feeling of deep gloom seemed to pervade the slave quarters? To some it seemed that now that they were in actual possession of it, freedom was a far more serious thing than they had expected to find it.

It's very interesting. Very interesting. Freedom takes work. As the experience of Booker T. Washington suggests, turning from slavery to freedom can certainly be an experience filled with joy, quickly followed by dread, and even a dislike for the new responsibility and weight of accountability suddenly thrusted upon oneself. His experience can perhaps help us understand the childlike reactions to the new challenges the Israelites faced.

They rejoiced upon leaving Egypt, but when faced with defending themselves against Pharaoh's army, or finding water for themselves to drink, or missing and wanting that food that they were so accustomed to eating, they began to experience that very much unaccustomed weight of new responsibilities and accountability. In addition, of course, I think we could add to their thoughts of wanting to go back to Egypt.

I think in addition, we might understand that from our own experience, we know what a sudden change in lifestyle can do. How a sudden change in how you do things is not always an easy experience, is it? No. Injure your elbow, put it in a sling, and what do you find out? That sudden change is not easy. Think of the children of Israel. Leaving Egypt meant exchanging their houses. Remember they had houses? They had the blood on the lentil and the mantle, or the threshold. Leaving Egypt meant exchanging houses, gardens, grain fields, pastures.

Yes, even though they slaved in them, I get it. And also a settled way of life. It was miserable, but it's kind of like they'll say it ain't much, but it's home. That was their home. That was their settled life. That was their experience. That was all they ever knew. They exchanged all that for tents. You can talk to me after service as to how much I enjoy camping.

I've done a fair share. They exchanged all this for tents, an arid wilderness environment, and the less settled ways of a more nomadic lifestyle. Think about it. Such change in their lives would not have been easy.

So, yes, I can understand why they might lean that way. But on the other hand, that should have been all the more reason for why they should have trusted God, instead of immediately wanting to return to Egypt. As miserable as it was.

Now, that being said, please, I'm not trying to create excuses for the children of Israel, particularly the older generation. I'm not trying to give excuses for their being fickle, vacillating, and unfaithful to God. However, what I am saying is that we all must be wary of turning back to our comfortable, our carnal, and our sinful ways, which at one time enslaved us.

We dare not make excuses for behavior that is ultimately sinful. Excuses do no good in the judgment of God.

Excuses do no good in the judgment of God. Only repentance. Only repentance in seeking God's forgiveness count, not excuses. God, undoubtedly, was very patient with the children of Israel, and He kept, and will keep, His promises to them. Yet, as we saw in the few examples we've read, and there are many others in the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, even those first few examples are enough to make clear the pattern of not truly believing God. They didn't really believe God. And they didn't always do their best in obeying God. That, again, that pattern is already appearing in what we've seen. But God is most loving, most just, and compassionate, most patient, merciful, and faithful. And if that weren't true, none of us would have hope for salvation. None of us would have hope for salvation if God weren't God. As long as we believe God and repent of our sin, including repenting of our lack of faith, God will forgive us, and then help to improve our belief. He will help to improve our obedience, and He will help to improve our trust in Him. We don't have to make excuses to God. Just confess, help me. I need more belief. Help me to trust you more. Help me to obey you more. And He will certainly help us.

Now, we know the rest of the story. Paul Harvey used to say that. We know the rest of the story when it comes to the fate of the older generation of the children of Israel. Let's be turning to Hebrews 3, verses 16-19. Here in Hebrews we find a nice synopsis of what happened and why.

Hebrews 3, verses 16-19. We know this is part of what we rehearse every year, this account of the children of Israel and the Exodus. We know that the older generation of the children of Israel were not allowed to enter into the Promised Land.

And why was that? Well, ultimately, as it says here, it was due to their disobedience and their unbelief. Hebrews 3, verse 16. For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now, with whom was God angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but those who did not obey? And so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Faith, I'm sure we know and must remember, faith is composed of both belief and obedience. It takes both. You believe God? As Dr. Warders so many times told us. If you believe God, then do what he says. It's rather simple. I wish I had learned that many, many years ago. I'm glad I did.

Let's also turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

Here Paul explains what the children of Israel did. He gives a little more detail, a little more elaboration. His perspective centuries later. 1 Corinthians 10. He says, Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea. Talking about the red sea. All were baptized in the moses, in the cloud, and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. Yes. Here's the word. He was with God.

The rock was with Christ that followed them. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Again, this reminds us, and should remind us, that though freed from slavery, they had to learn to be accountable for what they did. But again and again, because of their unbelief and their disobedience, and essentially their lack of faith in God, they were not allowed to enter in. Verse 6, Paul continues, and this is important for us to remember and recall, These things, their experience, these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters, as were some of them. As it was written, the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. And they weren't plane checkers. Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did. And in one day, 23,000 fell. Nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents. Nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition. They were written for our admonition, too, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

Do we truly stand with God, or do we only think we do? That goes back to part of that self-examination process. By the way, we need to keep doing that after sunset tonight.

24-7, 365. Keep examining ourselves. See if we truly stand with God. Do we take seriously these examples from the past to examine our own responses when God allows us to face situations we really don't want to face? I've never faced an Egyptian army of chariots, but I do face some pretty big challenges that I'd rather not have to deal with.

And you do, too.

Do we ever try to save ourselves from things that are necessary for our spiritual growth, such as volunteering? Do we just walk away, not try it? Or loving our neighbor? Fixing relationships with our spouses, with our children, with our brethren. Or is that too hard? And we just want to go back to what's comfortable. Maybe what's sin for not dealing with these things we need to be dealing with. We ought to remember Christ's warning. You can jot this down, Luke 1733. In Luke 1733, Christ tells us that whoever seeks to save his life will lose it. And whoever loses his life preserves it. That's a really good thing to think about.

We can face the army's affair with God's help, so to speak. We must not give any time to returning to our former and carnal lifestyles and ways that we buried upon baptism. That's a big point of these days. Instead, turning back to our enslavement to sin to Egypt, we must be moving forward toward God and salvation. To do this, Paul tells us in another place, Romans 3, verse 7, Paul urges us to recognize the time. To recognize now it is high time to wake out of sleep. For now, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. I never thought I'd live this long. I know some of you are looking at me. I'm a young guy. But you know when you're a teenager, 30 seems pretty old. And I'm past 30, I know.

But the point is, now is the time, not waiting till tomorrow, to finally deal with what you've been putting off for weeks, days, months, possibly years. Now. Tomorrow's not guaranteed. And certainly we'd be wise to be putting into action Paul's admonition in Philippians 2. Let's turn there, please. Philippians 2, verse 12-16.

In Philippians 2, 12-16, powerful Scriptures. Philippians 2, 12-16. Paul writes, Therefore, my beloved, Paul truly, sincerely loved his brethren.

Won't he be amazed when one day he realizes what he wrote thousands of years ago is still being communicated, still being used? Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing. Yeah, we don't want to be like the children of Israel in the wilderness. Do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Is that true? And among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life. Holding fast the word of life, the Bibles in your laps, at your fingertips on your phones. That's the word of life. And as we've been learning all week, we have to keep eating it. We have to keep eating the bread of life. So, do you ever wish that you did not know the marvelous truths that God has revealed to you?

Do you ever wish that you did not know the marvelous truths that God has revealed to you? Would you, or would I, ever want to return to Egypt? Would we ever want to return to a life of slavery to sin in death?

I say, perish the thought. Let us not love our physical lives so much unto death. Let us instead love the new lives we have in Jesus Christ through the abundant grace of God our Father. And let us continue on unto perfection.