The Wild - Living Out Of The Wilderness Series

There is an incredible gravitational pull trying to pull you back into the World. Egypt beckons. The Egyptians tried their hardest to stop Israel pulling out – to the point having been beset by plague upon plague because they were maltreating God’s people. You would think that when they lost their firstborn they would have said just let them go- for heavens sake.

But they didn’t. They pursued Israel and trapped them on the edge of the red sea.

Here is some scriptures to support this:-

Deuteronomy 1:40

'But as for you, turn around and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.'

Exodus 14:27

So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

Exodus 14:28

The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh's entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained.

Incidently Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry announced that a team of underwater archaeologists had discovered that remains of a large Egyptian army from the 14th century BC, at the bottom of the Gulf of Suez, 1.5 kilometers offshore from the modern city of Ras Gharib. The team was searching for the remains of ancient ships and artefacts related to Stone Age and Bronze Age trade in the Red Sea area, when they stumbled upon a gigantic mass of human bones darkened by age.

Scientists lead by Professor Abdel Muhammad Gader and associated with Cairo University’s Faculty of Archaeology, estimate that more than 5000 other bodies could be dispersed over a wider area, suggesting that an army of large size who have perished on the site.

It was hard for Israel to get out of the grip of Egypt – and it is hard for Christians to get out of the grip of this world because friends I want to tell you that this world will pursue you. This world will pursue you it wants to drag you back the moment you commit your life to Christ. It will reach out to you with its flesh and its money with promises of power and prestige that inevitably will drag you into hell.

We are called to escape the gravitational pull of the world. And it is hard because we live in an incredibly dark age. We are taught that the love of self is paramount.

Sociologists are saying this is the most narcistic culture in all of human history – by a long way we are growing up in the most self centered culture in all of history. That is what they are saying – It is so strange to the rest of history but we think it is Ok that everyone lives in a world based on their own facebook page. 1 Timothy 3 says in the last days this is what will happen.

(Francis Chan.)

Thirdly – We need to learn when we live in the Kingdom of God, apart from the world, God will meet our every need.

When the Israelites left Egypt their thoughts about their provision led to murmuring

Exodus 16:1-36

The Israelites come to the wilderness of Sin. They murmur for food, God promises bread from heaven. (1-12) God sends quails and manna. (13-21) Particulars respecting the manna. (22-31) An omer of manna to be preserved. (32-36)