Journey so far II…
The embodiment of servant-hood/slavery
(This is the continuation of the Journey So Far Part I Read it Here)
And he said unto Abram, Know of a
surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and
shall serve them; and they shall
afflict them four hundred years;
And also that nation, whom they
shall serve, will I judge: and afterwards shall they come out with great
substance.
There are two things I will love us to put
in our heart as we begin to read this second part. These were highlighted in
the above verses of the scripture. The first is "SERVING" and the
second is "GREAT SUBSTANCE". Moreover, we should note that the
initiator of these two things is "GOD". It was Him that pronounced
this prophecy to Israel while they were in their father's loins, Abram. This
co-notes or shows that God has a purpose for sending His people into slavery
and the end result is "GREAT SUBSTANCE". With this is mind, we can
now go into this second part fully.
Moab hath been on ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity; therefore, his taste remained in him, and his scent is not change.
Some of the means that the great God has
created and made on this journey to the Kingdom are challenges and slavery;
without these means, the level of one growth cannot be measure in God's eye.
Just as an athlete is not worthy of a crown and a gold medal without passing the
test of race/competition, so also any Christian is not worthy of any crown or
being glorified with Christ without challenges and slavery.
If these two things are missing in a
believer's life then, degeneration is inevitable. This is why most men of faith
in the past had to pass through many challenges and slavery. They were not men
or women of faith by mere confessions but by what they went through. Was it
Abraham, Enoch, Moses? Was it Peter, Paul and the other disciples? Were they
not a slave or bondservant of Christ? Was it by mouth confession only? No! It
was a result of reality. I'm not saying you should not confess good things but
my emphasis is that those good things will and shall not come without
challenges and slavery; your confession are mere word when it lacks the reality
of the cross.
According to that scripture above in
genesis, the blessing of the children of Israel were tied to been a slave in
Egypt; if they refuse it, they would not experience the blessing. They cannot
refuse, it was/is the laid down rules and plans right from God's hands to all
his children. It was God that ordained it. Though they were yet to begin the
journey but the laws and road map had already been drawn and mapped out for
them; the foundation was laid in their father by God. And, I'm very persuaded
that Abraham would have declared the whole counsel of God to Isaac, then Isaac
to Jacob and Jacob to his children.
Jacob experienced slavery and challenges,
Joseph was not exempted nor spared from it, even Moses had his own share of it,
and then all the children of Israel partook of it.
If we call ourselves spiritual Israel
needless should we think that we are exempted or God will bypass his laid down
pattern for the sake of us. God maintain His standard in every generation, the
world may change, people may go and come but His standard is the same
yesterday, today and forever.
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