“So! You Want to Go to Egypt!”

Courageously Committed to God!


INTRODUCTION:

A. Week ago Saturday … Leadership … Sex book
Oh brother …
I didn’t like that feeling of lack of control. But life is that way, isn’t it?

B. Dr. Ravi Batra … Great Depression of 1990!
Don’t like the idea of things affecting me that I can’t predict or see coming. But there is much in life that is that way, isn’t there?

C. Anxiety within body re: new senior pastor. Anxiety steams from what is unclear. What will he be like? Will he get the job done? Will he fit in here?
And like that which is unpredictable and that which is uncontrollable, we also don’t like that which is unclear / uncertain. Appetites can’t control. Immaturity in others – unpredictable; inadequacies in ourselves.

SO WHAT’S NEW!! 2575 years ago, Jeremiah and children of Israel lived in same kind of ambiguous, chaotic, untidy world.

Jeremiah – whim of Jewish leaders or so it seemed, one day – cistern, sinking into mud. The next – chained in courtyard.
Children of Israel – under siege by Babylonians, daily felt pressure on that onslaught – future looked bleak

In that day of 586 B.C., both Jeremiah and Israelites were challenged by God to trust Him for the unpredictable, the uncontrollable, the unclear. Both were given the option of being courageously committed to God for to God, nothing is unpredictable, nothing is uncontrollable, and nothing is unclear.

Jeremiah did and was!! Children of Israel did not and were not!!
Made the commitment did not make the commitment

EGYPTIAN OPTION – read 43:4-7
Babylonian appointed governor, Gelaliah, assassinated 41:1-3
Describe geographically 39:8
Small remnant left
Led to Egypt
Given God’s promises if they would stay in land.
Rejected then and gone to Egypt
Preferred the visible appearance of strength in Egypt to the invisible reality of strength in God.

Attraction of Egypt??
Clear, controlled, predictable.
That way geographically, architecturally (precise, math uncertainties of death.), socially (less influence, responsibility, less to hope for, less to deal with), theologically (reduced to images). Johanan and remnant go to Egypt. Israel is following experience of forefathers! Abraham – Egypt – Hagar – West Bank/Gaza today is result of Abraham going to Egypt.

Egypt - always a fatal attraction! Still is today! Egypt is symbol of clear, controlled, predictable. We exercise that option when we walk by sight rather than faith, when we fail to trust God in face of unknown, unclear, the uncontrollable, when we take flight (toward visible appearance of strength) instead of staying to fight (on the invisible reality of God’s strength)
1. Servant in Damascus
2. Like coming to church, but not getting involved, sit in worship service only – safe in here – no jeans today, no boots, but – might be asked to be involved in children’s ministry. Don’t know how to answer. Still time to give up that fatal attraction and help us with the ministry.
3. Like hearing of need of street people and choosing to not get involved.
4. Like knowing of church’s financial needs and being concerned more for personal investments, bigger houses, children’s education. Amazing statistic – 50% of church-goers give nothing to church! The more and more that satisfies less and less. Still time to give up those fatal attractions.

Many other dimensions to Egyptian attraction
Avoiding confrontation to resolve a problem
Succumbing to fear
Refusing to grow, be stretched.
Suffice – Egyptian Option – boredom, slavery, underachievement, life on fringes, stunted growth, wasted life, death!


JEREMIAH’S EXPERIENCE = FAITH OPTION 40:1, 4a
65 years old, facing 200 mile forced march to Babylon, in chains for being faithful servant of God! ½ day out, found & released. Offered retirement in Babylon! Imagine – no chains, hunger, abuse, ridicule, protective custody, personal bodyguard, Babylonian pension, honor in Babylonian court. Every thing he would ever need! In other words, no uncertainty, nothing out of control, nothing unclear.

Jeremiah rejects this version of Egyptian attraction, courageously commits himself to his God 40:5b-6. Doesn’t go to Babylon – certainty, clarity, control is illusionary. The only control, clarity, certainty is found in God!

Stays in land – with dregs of society 39:10. Stays to start over in brutal environment with little resources, wrecked city among people not even worth of being made prisoners!! Never calculated chances by counting resources! Rather counted on God’s grace and mercy, “new every morning”!

Would be no mistaking God’s presence in Jerusalem now. Material possessions gone! Status and prestige non-existent. National pride – 0 - Glory of religion – gone. No apparent certainty, clarity, or control, But God would be present! 40:12b

Jeremiah leaves those matters to God who controls, who understands, who clarifies. And if that wasn’t all, SUDDENLY, governor assassinated, people reject God, Jeremiah’s carried off to Egypt against his will.


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