Local-Motion
. . . the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, . . . Deuteronomy 13:5 NASB
Brought you from – YHVH’s redemptive work in the exodus from Egypt is a constant reminder to the people. Again and again the text identifies YHVH as the elohim who “brought you from” the house of bondage. We must ask why it seems necessary to recall this historical event even hundreds of years after it happened. The answer is simple and profound: The meaning of the past is determined by what you do now.
YHVH reminds His people that the meaning of release from Egypt is not simply an historical occasion. The meaning of that event is determined by the actions of the people now. What they do as a consequence of His redemption determines the real meaning of the exodus. It is the same for us. A national celebration or a personal revelation is nothing more than an event on the calendar until it changes our behavior now. The Exodus means nothing if the people still worship foreign gods. The Fourth of July in America means nothing if Americans do not live according to the freedom won. Our experience of past redemption means nothing if we continue to make the same mistakes. What matters is not the event of the calendar but the change that follows from that event. Now is the day of salvation even though it was provided centuries ago. This day is the only day that can bring the past to life. The way that you act upon the past today determines what it means today. In this sense, the past is never fixed. The event might be written in stone, but the meaning of that event is a fresh and new as today’s sunrise.
YHVH is sovereign over all the earth, but you determine what that means by what you do now. Your actions do not alter His sovereignty, but only your actions demonstrate what sovereignty means in your world. Is He still YHVH in your life? Or does He share the throne with all those competing powers from your past? Did He bring you out of the house of bondage so that you might once again be chained to those powers? Or are you recognizing that He is present right now in the place where you sit reading this text?
The verb of emancipation in this text is yatsa’, “to go out, go forth.” Cassuto notices that this is the same verb used to limit indentured servitude in Israel. The reason for this limitation is past experience. “You have been Hebrew slaves in Egypt, and, therefore, you must act with love and compassion towards the people who are Hebrew slaves, even as you were, irrespective of their racial origin.”[1] We should apply the same logic. We were slaves to captive powers before our rescue. We will encounter others today who are still slaves to those same powers. How we treat them will determine the meaning of our past experience.
Topical Index: brought out, yatsa’, past, meaning, Deuteronomy 13:5
[1] Gilchrist, P. R. (1999). 893 יָצָא. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (393). Chicago: Moody Press.
Freedom. The world interprets this word almost exactly opposite from the Bible. The world defines freedom as freedom FROM responsibility; from relationships that bind; from caring; from economic uncertainty. Freedom, Biblically speaking, though, is about being free from the sin of a lack of trust and love TO be responsible; to obey; to relate; to trust that Someone Else will give us daily bread.
The world, however, to achieve its version of ‘freedom’, cuts deals with the devil. It sells its soul for that bowl of pottage, and the chance to cut the ties that bind. Responsibility, to the world, just means you got the bad end of the deal while someone else scurried off with all the authority. However, at every turn of the world’s road to its version of ‘freedom’ – in the process of selling its soul – it gives up more and more and more of its opportunities to choose. Freedom, bought in the world’s bazaar, will cost you everything! You will be left at the end of the day with no choices left, no opportunities for relationship, and no one to trust. At the end of the world’s day, “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose”.
“We will encounter others today who are still slaves to those same powers. How we treat them will determine the meaning of our past experience.”
Selah
I grew up being taught that “today is the day of salvation” means that someone who doesn’t acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior should, today, because we could die in the next moment. The process is to bow their head, walk that aisle, say those words and obey with baptism at a conveniently scheduled time of the church to dunk people (usually in dead water in an enclosed ‘baptistery’) so as to “be saved” now and forever. “Today” was the sure time to lock in that eternal salvation with a little cultic ritual that absolutely, never to have a worry about again, would seal the deal. Whew!
It’s amazing how different I look at “today is the day of salvation” these days.
“This day is the only day that can bring the past to life.” Well, said. Rich with real world application and genuine life. Remembering what YHVH has done in the past, the key to understanding life, and then interpreting it throughs my actions – today is our daily mitzvah. Today is the only time we have. Tomorrow isn’t real until it happens just now. Yesterday is a reminder of YHVH’s faithfulness and chesed. Today I can evaluate my actions against his character and then choose to walk in life or walk in death.
Looking back I move forward – in life.
Thanks, again, Skip.
In my little faith community we have to remind each other regularly to be gracious and merciful towards those who haven’t had the “paradigm shift” and are stuck. We remind each other that if they are His sheep He will lead them in His time and in His way set them free. We remind each other that if we think we have “arrived” than we might be the stuck ones.
Thank you Tanya for the reminder.
~ So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. “For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, and instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, and it will be a memorial to the LORD, for an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.”… ~
It is good for us to remember, He brought them out that He might bring them in! Into a land that was flowing with milk and honey, His invitational words to us are: “Enter In!” – “Draw near..” – “Come unto Me!”
“Did He bring you out of the house of bondage so that you might once again be chained to those powers? ”
Assuredly not! Should we continue to walk in deceit, not consciously living in awe of His Presence; not seeking to know Him in better light of His Word, to comprehend, to observe/ obey all His commandments, after having gone through such bitter enslavery in our past?
We are to remember every one of those agonies of walking in darkness and folly, transgressing against His ways, crying out to be set free!
And, then to remember HOW He brought us out, never to be in slavery again to any power other than Him alone.
Should we then continue to walk in pride and arrogance towards our brethren, or strangers to our community, and to the widows, the poor and needy?!
Any such attitude of rebellion would prevent us “entering the Promised Land”.
So, endeavoring to have that change is pivotal to our redemption from slavery to becoming the Whole man.