No Compromises!

 

The Egyptians have long oppressed the people of Israel and imposed harsh slavery on them. Moses and Aaron stand before Pharaoh and boldly demand: "Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ … So they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrificeA sacrifice/offering to God (or deities in pagan religions) that differed in occasion, purpose, and form. The most important sacrifices required by the Old Testament law include burnt offerings, grain... More to the LORD God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” (Ex 5:1, 3).

But Pharaoh brusquely refuses their request and even increases the pressure on the groaning laborers. As a result, terrible plagues fell on the land of Egypt: Water turns to blood, frogs descend on the land, mosquitoes plague humans and animals. When dog flies swarm out and invade the houses, God spares His beloved people in the land of Goshen. And for the first time, the proud monarch opens his iron fist and shows a willingness to compromise.

 

First compromise proposal: Serve God – but not in the Desert

"Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, ‘Go, sacrificeA sacrifice/offering to God (or deities in pagan religions) that differed in occasion, purpose, and form. The most important sacrifices required by the Old Testament law include burnt offerings, grain... More to your God in the land.’" (Ex 8:25). So, he allowed the Israelites to sacrificeA sacrifice/offering to God (or deities in pagan religions) that differed in occasion, purpose, and form. The most important sacrifices required by the Old Testament law include burnt offerings, grain... More – but they were to do so in the land of Egypt and not three days' journey into the desert. Pharaoh's motive? He does not want to relinquish control over the slave people.

Moses does not accept this lame compromise. How could Israel serve their God in a hostile and idolatrous environment? Moses tells Pharaoh that staying in Egypt would be against God's clear command (Ex 8:26).

The devil's tactics are no different today: when he realizes that he cannot stop believers from serving God, he tries to get them to at least do it his way. He wants God's children to have fellowship with his children. He wants us to accept and implement the principles of this worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More. If he cannot get us to separate ourselves from the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More, he can quickly gain control over us and do us harm. For example, if we worshipIn both Hebrew and Greek, the word "worship" can also be translated as "prostrate / bow down" (Ps 95:6). It is more than praise and thanksgiving because, in worship, honor... More God with unbelievers, we would be casting pearls before swine, with fatal consequences (Mt 7:6).

It is therefore essential that we strictly obey God and allow our worldly minds to be renewed by the Word of God (Rom 12:2). The "three days' journey" reminds us of Christ's death and resurrection after three days. This draws a sharp line between us and the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More. For by the cross of ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More we have been crucified to the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More, and the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More to us (Gal 6:14). And in Christ's resurrection a new creation"New creation" is mentioned twice in the NT (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15) and describes the result that God produces when a person is born again; a new type of... More has begun, to which we believers can belong, and which has nothing to do with the kingdom of darkness (Col 1:13). We are to realize in practice that we have been taken out of this present evil worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More (Gal 1:4).

 

Second compromise proposal: Serve God – but not so far away

When Pharaoh, tormented by the flies, sees that Moses is holding on, he loosens the leash a little. But he doesn't let go completely: "You shall not go very far away. Intercede for me", he adds (Ex 8:28). He agrees that the people of Israel should not sacrificeA sacrifice/offering to God (or deities in pagan religions) that differed in occasion, purpose, and form. The most important sacrifices required by the Old Testament law include burnt offerings, grain... More among the Egyptians – but he will not let them go three days' journey away. He wants to retain a certain amount of influence, which of course he can quickly extend to complete control. Moses does not even consider this compromise. He simply insists to Pharaoh that he really must let the people go. Moses graciously prays for him - and the dog flies disappear.

The devil fights for every inch. When he realizes that he cannot stifle our desire for separation from the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More, he tries to seduce us into a little fellowship with unbelievers, a little conformity to the ways of this worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More, and a little tolerance of evil. We are then inconsistent, preferring to go along with the wave that is currently sweeping through society because we don't want to stand out and cause offence. Satan knows that anyone who does not position himself as required by the position of a Christian can quickly be reintegrated into the "world" system and withdrawn from the service of God.

 

Third compromise proposal: Serve God – but not Everyone

Despite all the miracles Pharaoh has seen, he stubbornly refuses to let the people go. More plagues hit Egypt: cattle plague, boils and hail cause enormous damage and suffering. When the eighth plague – the plague of locusts – is announced, the Egyptian servants urge Pharaoh to give in! The Egyptian monarch summons Moses and Aaron. He wants to let the people go, but he wants the women and children to stay behind. Only the men are allowed to go, to celebrate a festival to the Lord in the desert (Ex 10:7-11). Pharaoh realized that the men would soon return to their wives and children and thus come under his control. Moses also responds to this compromise proposal with clear words:

"We will go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we will go, for we must hold a feast to the Lord" (Ex 10:9). Pharaoh was outraged: "Then he said to them, 'The Lord had better be with you when I let you and your little ones go! Beware, for evil is ahead of you. Not so! Go now, you who are men, and serve the Lord, for that is what you desired'" (Ex 10:10, 11).

If the devil fails in controlling all of God's people and using them for his purposes, he will try to do so with at least some of them. He targets those who are weak. This includes especially the children who are not yet aware of the dangers of serving "Pharaoh". If SatanThe Bible introduces us to the great adversary of God in Rev 20:2 under four terms: • Dragon • Old Serpent • Devil • Satan Under the term 'Satan,' the... More succeeds in deceiving the children with worldly ideologies and in making the world's course of time palatable to them, his influence on God's people will remain strong and will probably increase.

 

Fourth compromise proposal: Serve God – but without SacrificeA sacrifice/offering to God (or deities in pagan religions) that differed in occasion, purpose, and form. The most important sacrifices required by the Old Testament law include burnt offerings, grain... More

After the ninth plague, the three days of darkness, Pharaoh makes a final compromise: he wants to let the people go completely, but small livestock and cattle are to remain in Egypt (Ex 10:24). But Moses rejects this option too: "But Moses said, ‘You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrificeA sacrifice/offering to God (or deities in pagan religions) that differed in occasion, purpose, and form. The most important sacrifices required by the Old Testament law include burnt offerings, grain... More to the Lord our God. Our livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.’" (Ex 10:25,26).

If SatanThe Bible introduces us to the great adversary of God in Rev 20:2 under four terms: • Dragon • Old Serpent • Devil • Satan Under the term 'Satan,' the... More cannot keep God's people from consistently separating themselves from the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More to serve God, he will at least try to rob them of what they need to serve Him. He wants to overwhelm us with earthly obligations so that we don't find time for the Bible and don't offer spiritual sacrifices to God – our worshipIn both Hebrew and Greek, the word "worship" can also be translated as "prostrate / bow down" (Ps 95:6). It is more than praise and thanksgiving because, in worship, honor... More should become a formality. SatanThe Bible introduces us to the great adversary of God in Rev 20:2 under four terms: • Dragon • Old Serpent • Devil • Satan Under the term 'Satan,' the... More also tries to control our purse strings so that we don't make the material sacrifices that are pleasing to God, and he retains a beachhead for his temptations. Separating ourselves from the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More must be accompanied by serving God with all our hearts and with all He has entrusted to us.

 

Resistance to the End

After the tenth plague, we read: "Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, ‘Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.’" (Ex 12:31, 32). But after the people have left, Pharaoh's heart hardens again, and he pursues the defenseless Israelites with a huge army. Only when he and his army sink into the waters of the Red Sea does his fanatical hatred cease.

Only when Satan is "crushed under our feet shortly" will he no longer set snares for the faithful to take them captive to his will (Rom 16:20; 2 Tim 2:26). In heaven we will be free from his attacks and cunning compromises forever. Until then, let us separate ourselves from the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More and serve God as He wills.

 

Separation

We find three important passages in the New Testament about separation: 2 Corinthians 6, 2 Timothy 2, and Hebrews 13. These passages show that outward separation from the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More must be interwoven with inward separation and that it is not an end but leads to dedicated service to God.

Our task is to serve God. Separated from the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More. Together with God's people. And with everything we have. There can be no compromise. Not even when the social pressure to conform increases and the enemy's proposals for compromise seem plausible and acceptable. What God has said is binding on us. He has spoken – that is enough.