Transformation is partly about deliverance, partly about trust, and ultimately about entering into rest. It is a journey, and the story of the people of Israel leaving Egypt for the promised land is a great example of this journey.
DELIVERANCE
As God leads the people out of Egypt, they are delivered from bondage. It is easy to see the bondage of the Israelites as they were actual physical slaves to the Egyptians. What is more difficult is to see how we are slaves to sin (Romans 6), and how desperately we all are in need of deliverance. We have long understood that Christ came to set us free, but we barely understand our bondage. The Israelites often wanted to go back to Egypt as the journeyed through the wilderness, implying that they forgot the hopelessness of their former condition. So to we.
I fear that we have become anesthetized to the reality of our human our condition, that we have been deluded into feeling that we are actually well, implying the Jesus may have sacrificed himself needlessly.
TRUST
As the Israelites enter the wilderness they are challenged to trust God. He constantly reveals Himself to them, in fire and cloud, parting the sea, the provision of manna, water from rocks, victories…on and on it goes. Still they do not trust Him, for sadly, they have not come to know Him. (You cannot trust a God you do not know – who trusts anyone they do not know?!) This lack of knowing Him is a fatal error. The whole generation is prohibited from entering the promised land; from entering their rest. At one point, God brings them right to the threshold, the could enter the promised land, and sadly they turn away in disbelief. (Numbers 14)
Like the Israelites, we have received out deliverance, yet we wander in the wilderness, refusing to trust God with our jobs, families, friendships, finances, or our hearts.
REST
Finally the Israelites enter their rest: the promised land. We could see this as our “Heaven”…but another interpretation would be the peaceful rest of complete trust in and surrender to God.
We must come to know Him so well that trust becomes an automatic response. As this is accomplished in us, peace flows freely into our hearts and minds as we understand more of (though never the full magnitude) the capacity, competency, and HEART of our sovereign Creator.
Trust is not the mission, knowing God is. Challenge and trust are just points along our journey; our Transformation.
Posted under Transformation
This post was written by David E on February 6, 2010
