“The Egyptian Option”

Genesis 26:2; Jeremiah 40 - 41

Idea: making good decisions for the New Year


INTRODUCTION:

The new year of 586 B.C. dawned rather bleakly over Palestine. The King of Israel was Zedekiah. The Babylonian army that surrounded Jerusalem was led by King Nebuchadnezzar. The siege that had begun on another new year, January 15, 588 B.C., had now been in place almost 24 months. The new year of 586 B.C. looked to be a grim one. And indeed it was – numerous Jewish kings had made a host of bad decisions – now it was time to face the music. Robert Louis Stevenson: “We must all one day sit down to a banquet of consequences.” King Zedekiah’s banquet was served on July b18, 586 B.C. when the walls of Jerusalem were finally breached. So traumatic an event – recorded in 3 other parts of the Old Testament 2 Kings 25:1, Jer. 52:4, Eze. 24:1-2 – each one even noting the day of the month that Jerusalem fell. (king’s sons slaughtered before his eyes, king then blinded, bound, carried into exile with most of the people.) (king’s sons slaughtered before his eyes, king then blinded, bound, carried into exile with most of the people.) Yet even in the midst of such national disaster and darkness, there is hope and light and comfort for a remnant of Israelites left in the land. Whether they experience that hope, light, and comfort will depend upon a single decision they must make. They have two options before them – what I’ll call the Jeremiah Option and the Egyptian Option. How will they decide?

Shift gears for a moment –
The new year of 1991 is just around the corner for us. Another Jan. 15 looms big in most of our minds. I understand Saddam Hussein of modern day Babylon idolizes the King Nebuchadnezzar of our Jeremiah passage today. And even beyond Jan 15 and whatever happens on that day, no one knows what 1991 holds for all of us. However gloomy or bright it turns out to be, all of us will be making decisions in this new year that will become for us one day, a “banquet of consequences.” The options for us this year – with each decision we make – are the same as they were for the Israelites 2500 years ago. There will be the Jeremiah Option and there will be the Egyptian Option.

Let’s consider these options in their historical context and be prepared for making good decisions in this new year.

EGYPTIAN OPTION
= Remnant left behind in Israel =

Setting: (1) Jeremiah 40:12
(2) Governor Gedaliah is assassinated (ch. 41)
(3) 41:11-15 Johanan, son of Kareah, apparently an army officer, catches up with the governor’s assassin and rescues the people held hostage and scares the assassin off to the land of the Ammonites.
(4) Then they all prepare to flee to Egypt – read 41:16-17

What is the attraction of Egypt?
- place of safety, security, apparent strength, place where things were controlled, predictable, certain, visible. No rubble, no rebuilding, no chaos, no assassins, no uncertainties, no surprises, no anxieties. Everything is fixed and defined. There would be no war, plenty of good.

Everything about Egypt was defined, ordered in opposition to faith.
Eugene Peterson:
Egypt was defined geographically.
The great Nile River, a line of green life across the sere desert, divided Egypt. Along the river was life; apart from the river was death. There were no mountainous mysteries, no surprising valleys, no unexpected bursts of streams. There was simply this great river flowing in measured pace, predictable in its seasonal rhythms. All life, animal and vegetable, was ordered in relation to the river.
Egypt was defined architecturally.
The pyramids and temples stood out from the landscape in precise lines. The mathematical exactitude of their construction is a marvel still. Nothing was left unexpressed in those monuments looming up from the desert. The pyramids arranged and plotted the uncertainties of death.
Egypt was defined theologically.
The unseen was translated into the seen. All gods were made into images. Everything that might have been more than human was reduced to what was less than human: the cat, the hawk, the hyena, the bull, the ibis were the god-images of the Egyptians.
Egypt was defined socially.
Everyone’s place was defined hierarchically. The king was at the apex and the slave-serf at the base, with all others ranged in between. The diminishment of people was compensated for by the clarity of knowing where they stood. If there was less honor, there was also less responsibility. IF there was less to hope for, there was also less to have to deal with.

In the Scriptures, Egypt (after the exodus) is above all a snare, an object (symbol) of misplaced confidence for help. Every time the Jews looked to Egypt instead of to God, they found themselves ensnared, enslaved, impoverished.
(1) in wilderness – hadn’t they wanted to return to Egypt?
(2) wasn’t Hagar an Egyptian – mother of Ishmael? Paul says her son was born of human self-will, under law, not result of promise, of faith, of God’s gift.
(3) didn’t Moses reject the allurements of Egypt (Heb 11) for the call of God?
(4) hadn’t Moses (Deut 4:20) called Egypt “fiery furnace of death”?
(5) Won’t the two witnesses who are murdered in Rev. 11:8 lie in the street of a city figuratively called Sodom & Egypt??

So why should these Israelites of the remnant stay in a war-torn, devastated, rubble if Palestine when Egypt was just south of the border? Only logical, reasonable thing to do – especially since Babylonian soldiers were killed when Gedeliah was assassinated.

There was another option:

JEREMIAH OPTION:

Consider his circumstances –
(1) 40:1 – 65 years old, in chains, facing 700 mile forced march to Babylon
(2) 40:4 – offered retirement in Babylon!
Imagine – no chains, no hunger, no abuse, no ridicule, no war, protective custody of personal bodyguard, pension, honor in Babylonian court.
After 40 years of vile and harsh treatment – rejection and humiliation – his looked like a pretty good offer – not a bad option. In other words – very Egyptian – everything in order, nothing out of control, everything defined, clear, certain.

Jeremiah’s decision?? 40:5
Rejected all that had the appearance of strength and security and stability for what had the presence of God (40:12) the promise of God, the provision of God. Jeremiah accepted what the remnant rejected: 42:7-22 Jeremiah never calculated his chances by counting his resources – he rather counted on God’s grace and mercy. It was Jeremiah who had said – “His mercies are new every morning.”

Jeremiah left the uncertainties, the control, the anxieties, the definition, the understanding that he needed in life to his God. He was too wise to seek them in any other place – His commitment was to the God who was in the restoration business!

LESSONS FOR US TODAY ==

Our God is a God of 2nd chances – Jer. 42:12: we rejoice – God is in the restoration business! He is a God of new mercies.

And yet it is still possible to make fatal mistakes 42:20.

Egyptian Option comes to us in many forms today.

(A) Materially, financially – Egypt is everywhere today
Heb. 11:26 – ‘Moses regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt.
Allurements of treasures have led to many bad decisions.
(1) just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean we need to buy it.
(2) our desire for so many things has – bondage of debt – so many young couples mortgaged to hilt. Amazing statistic – 50% of church-goers give nothing to the church. More and more satisfies less and less!
(3) don’t buy it unless you need it and you can afford it – may avoid a fatal mistake.

(B) Socially, relationally – Egypt is prevalent today as well
1. When did you last meet someone new here in this building? Always easier, more predictable, more comfortable to greet and visit with those you know. We don’t take any risks, chances. How does the new person break in?
2. Problem solving, conflict resolution in our relationships has an Egyptian Option – cover it up, avoid it, pretend it didn’t happen, go separate ways, stay that way. Don’t rock the boat!
Egyptian option in social relationships is succumbing to fear – “Hi, I’m Jerry. Tell me your name. You’ve probably been coming here longer than I have but I don’t know your name yet.” Egyptian Option – it is refusing to grow, it resists being stretched. “Home Alone” grandfather next door – 26 years estranged from son. More real in life than in movie.
3. Let’s make the new year a year to deal with relational situations. Honesty, heads up, face-to-face. May avoid a fatal mistake.

(C) Personally, spiritually – Egypt is a powerful force today.
1. Spiritual disciplines are not very important. Don’t have time to study the Scriptures, other appointments are very important. 42:3 – How will we know where we should go and what we should do without inquiring of the Lord?
2. It is easy to (Mrs.)place our confidence in the wrong objects. 42:14 – Egypt looked strong/safe/prosperous/peaceful. In reality it was anything but. To what are you looking for security, peace, confidence? Our spouse, finances, background, job, connections, reputation, health, etc. etc.
3. This year, let’s all read thru the Scriptures,
To be daily reminded of where our confidence should rest,
To be daily reminded of what’s important and what is not,
To be daily reminded of our dependence upon the Spirit.
The Scriptures remind us that God is in the restoration business, that His mercy is new every day, of the direction we should go, and that we need to be involved in life of this body.

It is quite fitting that book of Jeremiah closes with our prophet’s fate unknown. Flannery O’Conner thought nothing happened in a story unless someone got married or got shot at the end. Jeremiah neither married or got shot! His courageous commitment to God lands him in Egypt where he didn’t want to go, with people who treated him badly, but where he remains faithful.

He learned to run with the horses
He lived a life of distinction.
He was courageously committed to God in the face of Egypt’s fatal attractions. In a universe where every square foot is contested by force of God and forces of evil, where will you be? Running with horses, living distinctly, courageously committed to God? Fleeing to Egypt, conforming to crowd, giving up at every turn?

DISCLAIMER: These messages are offered for your personal enrichment. There is no legal copyright on this material. You have my full permission to use any of this material as long as you cite the source for any substantial amount used. Enjoy!