“The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it.” (Acts 13:17 NASB)
Monday, preparing to teach our Bible study classes, which by the way we call “Victory Class” because God’s word helps us experience victory; I was looking at Paul’s message to those assembled at the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. One verse in particular, our opening verse today, stood out, shining like a bright light imprinted on a dark background. I saw what God did in times past, during the children of Israel’s stay in Egypt under bondage for 400 years, indeed a long time. Then, the Spirit helped me see some good news for our times, where we have stay at home orders and are experiencing a different type of bondage; a bondage that seems very long in our perspective.
During Israel’s bondage, God was making the people great by teaching them how to maintain their faith, hold on and wait for their deliverer, and bond together as a people chosen by God. God was developing leaders and he was working on followers. God was teaching them how to persevere in hardships, and prevail by looking toward promises fulfilled. I’m sure that one of the ways that the people were made great was to learn how to care for one another and even though there would be loss of life during the 400 years, they would never lose sight that a better day was ahead. Healthy interactions, in their held back situation, had to be one of the great things that took place during their stay. Carrying on the best they could and not letting, in most cases, the worst come out when tensions would arise was surely something they learned to do during their stay. God made them great, not just by numbers. I know that God made them great during their stay as they multiplied greatly from the time Joseph brought the sons of Israel into Egypt and a new Pharaoh leading Egypt lacked the wisdom necessary to do his job benefit all.
During our “stay;” we are bound in our homes, bound in circumstances where we cannot go to work, bound and ordered in some cases to observe curfews. You can call it quarantined, quite alright, but for my purposes, I’ll refer to it as our “stay.” What I want you to realize today is that we are being made great during our “stay” caused by the spread of a deadly virus. This is what is happening! Families are spending more time with family. Fathers have to be coaches in the front yard and mothers have to be teachers at the dining room table. I imagine parents will have a greater respect for the job teachers do when it is all over. We are being made great during our “stay!” There are more people praying, more people looking to the hills from whence commeth our help, knowing our help comes from the Lord. People are developing both their communication and interaction skills! We are learning how to keep from elevating crisis when tensions grow. People who never helped clean the house are doing their share. The gift of creativity has families entertaining themselves in a way that does not cross the line when it comes to maintaining godly behavior. Church folk are witnessing those once doubtful, quoting such verses as “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.” Christians are finding out that they are the church and not the building where we assemble and that discovery defines their thoughts and behaviors. Okay, I was long, but wasn’t it worth it! Well, here is one more thing! Just as God with an uplifted arm led Israel out of their stay in Egypt, He will lead us out of our “stay” as well! Be blessed!
“But ye are a chosen generation.” (I Peter 2:9a KJV)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King