Tag: slavery

Food for Thought (40 Years of Muttering with Moses Pt. 6)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “Hope or Hopelessness”, click here; Part 2, “Between an Army and a Watery Grave”, click here; Part 3, “Bitter Sweet”, click here; Part 4, “Worth the Wait”, click here. Lastly, for Part 5, “Spies and Lies”, click here.

The long days of the Israelites’ divinely-ordained road trip ate at them. After weeks of consuming manna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the people complained to Moses, “‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna’” (Numbers 11:4b-6)!

The Food They Used to Eat

Egypt clearly had its perks: homes to live in, luxuries to enjoy, and delicious food to munch on. But by maximizing the good, the Israelites neglected the horrific aspects of Egypt. Egypt had been the source of their suffering, oppression, and decades of slavery.

For all of us sequestered away in lockdown, we’ve lost access to some key joys of life. We miss hangout nights with our pals, glorious getaways to faraway locals, and coffee breaks with colleagues. But as we lament our current circumstances, we may be making the same mistake as the Israelites. When God plucked us out of Egypt and placed us in the wilderness, He may have rescued us from the bad influences we used to surround ourselves with or the expensive trips we financed with credit cards and Hail Mary prayers or the gossip we inhaled as we sipped our cappuccinos.

The Food They Were Eating

More than neglecting the bad God rescued the Israelites out of, the Israelites neglected the good the LORD provided for them in the wilderness. Manna was bread from heaven, a consistent source of sustenance in the middle of a barren wasteland. The LORD fed the Israelites faithfully day by day for the forty years they were unable to feed themselves (Exodus 16:35).

We also may be sniffing our noses at our God-given bread from heaven. We’re lucky to be able to spend our isolation alone together, with sophisticated communication technology to bring our far-flung loved ones one click away. We’re fortunate to have an advanced infrastructure that allows our children to receive a modicum of education from the safety of our homes. And we’re blessed that almost half of America was able to transition to working virtually at such short notice.

The Food They Would Eat

Lastly, the Israelites forgot where they were going. The Promised Land was a country flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8, 3:17, 13:5…), a land of “wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates and olive oil” (Deuteronomy 8:8). It was a bread basket even deeper than Egypt (Deuteronomy 11:10-12).

The LORD God gives good gifts, and He adds no sorrow with them (Proverbs 10:22). Even though He may have taken us away from the luxuries of Egypt and is leading us through the waterless desert, He will deliver us into a better country. In this new homeland, we’ll be free to live and eat without the shackles of our past slavery.

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten– the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — My great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will My people be shamed.”
(Joel 2:25-26 NIV)

Hope or Hopelessness (40 Years of Muttering with Moses Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

The Israelites suffered under the heavy hand of the Egyptians for 400 toilsome years. But through a miraculous series of events, the LORD raised up Moses to deliver them. (Exodus 2:1-10). He commissioned Moses from the midst of a blazing bush, equipped him with miraculous powers, and supplied him with his older brother to speak on his behalf (Exodus 3-4). Together, they stormed into Pharaoh’s palace and uttered these famous words for the first time, “Let my people go! Let them hold a feast for me in the wilderness” (Exodus 5:1).

But Pharaoh said, “I won’t let them go. Why are you making these people rest from their burdens? They’re obviously idle. That’s why they want to hold a party in the wilderness.” So he commanded their taskmasters to stop giving the Israelites straw to make bricks (Exodus 5:4-9).

The overburdened Israelites grumbled at Moses, and he, in turn, grumbled at God, “‘Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued Your people at all’” (Exodus 5:22-23 NIV).

God Promises

God said, “‘I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob…I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners’” (Exodus 6:2-4 NIV). God began by reminding the people of the promise He’d made them.

 Hundreds of years earlier, He’d told their ancestor Abraham, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be slaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions’” (Genesis 15:13-14 NIV).

Even before their slavery, God knew the hard times His people would face. And He had already prepared a rescue plan for them. The LORD never makes a promise He cannot keep.

God Listens

Secondly, God said, “‘You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of My covenant with them’” (Exodus 6:5 NLT).

Sometimes prayer can feel like futile shouting into the empty void, but be assured: God hears you. King David once asked, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:7-8 NIV). From the depths of Marianas Trench to the tip of Mount Everest, God’s presence fills all in all. He is watching over us, listening to us, and knows what we are going through.

God Provides

Lastly, the LORD said, “‘I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession.’” (Exodus 6:7-8 NIV). God always desires to take us from where we are to a better place: from hunger to fullness (John 6:35), from striving to peace (Matthew 11:29), from slavery to liberty (Isaiah 61:1). By providing us the hope of heaven, God has cemented a positive trend to our existence. We know that things are going to get better soon.

Conclusion

The Israelites responded to the LORD’s heartfelt speech by refusing to listen to Him anymore. “They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery” (Exodus 6:9 NLT).

The LORD has a message of hope for each of us. He keeps His promises, cares about our situation, and desires to deliver us to the Promised Land. We must cling on to these truths as our lifeline in these battering times, lest we also succumb to hopelessness.

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again—my Savior and my God!”

(Psalm 43:5 NLT)

Freedom (Unreliable Idols Pt. 3)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

This the third article in a series on unreliable idols. For Part 1 on Fame, click here. For Part 2 on Fortune, click here.

Freedom is the bedrock of the United States. From the Declaration of Independence to the Bill of Rights to the Emancipation Proclamation, citizens of the United States have experienced tremendous freedoms, both collective and individual.

As an American nomad, I’ve especially grown accustomed to the free life. I bed down in a location for a few years, accomplish what I’ve come to do, and move on to the next. In the past ten years, I’ve moved five times, and I’ve maintained my freedom: I have no girl back home, no children to return to, no strings attached.

Idol of Freedom

According to dictionary.com, freedom is “exemption from external control”, the ability to do what you want to do when you want to do it. Freedom is a blessing, one that many stuck-at-home mothers are understandably craving right now. But the moment freedom becomes tantamount, it become an idol.

When your own personal freedoms become more important than anyone else’s (eg watching what you want on TV even when it’s inappropriate for your children, eating what you want even when your spouse is concerned about your weight, or working when you want even if it’s inconvenient for your coworkers), you have made your personal good your god and become a slave to your desires.

True Freedom

Living a life dedicated to yourself ultimately leads to death. It will poison your friendships, your marriage, and, ironically, your personal well-being. But living for others leads to life in these same areas (Romans 6:20-22).

I wasn’t completely truthful when I said I have no strings attached. I have family I visit, friends I call, and a community I serve. These connections do drain my resources and restrict the way I live my life, but they give so much more than they take. I would be adrift without them.

Conclusion

A morning spent sleeping in, an afternoon wasted lazing around the house, or an evening devoted to a good movie is not innately sinful. A disproportionate amount of people today are genuinely in need of these things. But we must also remember to play with our children, romance our spouses, and love our neighbors.

Galatians 5:13 says, “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” Freedom is found in service to others specifically because it frees us from the “tyranny of me”. Selflessness expands our circle of care beyond ourselves and provides us the joy and satisfaction we are truly looking for.

“Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, ‘You are truly My disciples if you remain faithful to My teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

(John 8:31-32 NLT)