Coming Out of Egypt

Coming Out of Egypt - The Real Cost of Revival

I have been reading a lot about revivals past and long past. I have gleaned a few morsels from them and from today’s revivals that make an interesting comparison with Israel’s flight from Egypt. I don’t want to clutter this post with too many references though so you may have to check the Exodus for yourselves. Coming out of Egypt was always going to cost much for Israel, and it will cost us much today too. Many of the real costs for Israel were personal, just as they will be for us. Many of the costs were very far reaching, as they will be for us today.

1 Every person involved will have to give up their own plans in favour of God’s plans. I imagine that, for Israel, this may not have been much as slaves don’t have a lot of freedom t plan very much. However, when the time came to leave Egypt, all their plans had to be surrendered. They came out of a life of bondage, of routine, of security in exchange for what? A life that would change almost daily, not knowing whether they would be travelling or staying where they were; not knowing if they had time to make those little gifts for someone special. All because the Lord was now calling all the shots. It will be the same for us today.

2 They had to change their whole persona and identity. They had to leave behind the persona of slavery, worshipping foreign gods, in exchange for  one of a free people, modelling themselves upon their own God, doing what their God asked, following Him daily wherever He led them. Just as they began to look more like God, so today we will naturally and deliberately begin to look more like Christ. We will become His reflection as this is what will attract the unbeliever.

3 Because of this new persona they had taken on, they found they had to start building their lives around His purposes rather than their own. It was no good trying to retain old stuff, old aims and purposes; these had to be left behind with their old masters. They had a new master now and His purposes were now of paramount importance. So it will be in times of revival when God becomes our Master and we will have to surrender all other ‘priorities’ to bow to His purposes.

4 As did the Israelites, we will also experience wandering. Just as God rarely told the Israelites where they were going, He simply directed them the way He wanted, so we will have to surrender our map and compass in order to be completely reliant upon God for our direction. Many times it will seem like we are simply wandering around in circles but God will always know our destination and He may or may not make this clear to us while we are on the way there. We will simply have to trust Him and have faith in His directions.

5 Every now and then, Israel settled down for a time. Then, every time they got settled into familiar surroundings, so God told them, “Move on.” He caused them to exchange the familiar for the unfamiliar. We must be prepared to do just that – probably more than once - when revival comes. It may mean going into new areas (land or ministries). It may be simply changing the way we do things. After all, repetition becomes boring after a while and a rut becomes tedious. As did the Israelites, we must fix our eyes firmly on the cloud by day and the fire by night in order to stay in God’s will and leading for us.

6,7&8 Revival will not suit everyone and there will be a falling away followed by some possibly very disruptive grumblers. As Moses once did, so must we – battle both for and against the grumblers. Battle against them and their overall effect upon the rest of the people and battle for them against the enemy who will be whispering and luring them into more grumbling. In this way perhaps we will be able to handle opposition and dissent. We will need, again as did Moses, to fight and struggle for unity in the camp.

9 Ultimately, the flight out of our Egypt – that place of safety and security – into the place of revival – the Promised Land – will be a hard one and a severe test of Pastor and Flock alike. However, success brings with it the privilege of enjoying the fruits of obedience. Obedience to God and to those who lead us there in a worldly sense.

10&11 There will come a day of reckoning. God will expose unrighteousness and sin. As this is soon to happen, we must encourage and associate with the wonders – the miraculous – of Gods Kingdom. There will come an hour when a line will be drawn in the sand. At that very moment, all that is not of God will be thrown down, pulled up, or shaken – maybe to extinction. In days gone by, many have taken the steps needed to achieve deliverance from their Egypts. If they can do it – so can we – and we will. God has already promised that through His prophets both old and new.

I know which side of the line I wish to be stationed in that glorious moment.