Originally posted: 7/31/2021
“And it will never again be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing to mind the iniquity of their having turned to Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God,” (29:16).
A picture of a very long line came to mind. I was reminded of a time about fifty years ago, arriving at a movie theater hours before the scheduled start of a greatly anticipated film on its day of release. We were college students with our blankets and snacks, parking out to beat the crowd so we could be a part of this historical event.
It was a horror film dealing in the supernatural. I shudder now even thinking about it. And what I had so anxiously awaited left me terrified to the point that I, along with one of my girlfriends, had to get up and leave. It was not at all what I was expecting; just too much terror to handle. And time was so wasted waiting in that line, time I would never get back; but at least I had the option to leave.
Not so for the people of Egypt; people who waited in great anticipation and hope of taking part in the great things Pharaoh, their king, was sure to unveil. For their Pharaoh had exalted himself and was in fact worshipped by his polytheistic people as a god and creator.
…“Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
The great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers,
That has said, ‘My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it,’” (29:3).
But all those who had waited for the manifestation of his deity would be confronted with dismay, devastation, and destruction.
And the Lord would make it clear: leaning on the support and help of mere men is not only dreadfully impotent… it is decisively injurious.
“Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the Lord,
Because they have been only a staff made of reed to the house of Israel.
7 “When they took hold of you with the hand,
You broke and tore all their hands;
And when they leaned on you,
You broke and made all their loins quake,” (29:6-7).
And His judgment would come against Egypt. And once again, in His judgment, as people witness the deadly outcome of misplaced confidence, He would make Himself known as the LORD, our only hope and support forever.
Egypt had once been the place of deliverance for God’s people, when He had sent them there to survive the severe famine that had spread across the face of the earth.
When the famine was spread over all the face of the earth, then Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 The people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the earth, (Genesis 41:56-57).
But it would not be long before a new Pharaoh, who did not know Joseph, would sit on the throne; and God’s children would need deliverance from the miserable bondage they found themselves enduring under this new king.
Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph… 11 So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor… 13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; 14 and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them, (Exodus 1:8, 11, 13-14).
This history of Egypt is often viewed as a picture of the history of the world; created as a paradise of perfect provision until a new power arose when man rebelled against God’s rule. And those who continue to trust in the world’s way remain under the rule of the enemy and held in the bondage of sin. Only through God’s perfect provision can we be delivered from the cruel taskmaster of sin.
And in His amazing grace, the promise comes that His people will be released from the bondage of false hope and turned away from the impotent promises of man as they turn and place their faith in the Omnipotent Promise-Keeping LORD, Our Eternal Confidence.
“And it will never again be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing to mind the iniquity of their having turned to Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God,” (29:16).
Consider Him, Our Eternal Confidence
- He Is Our Eternal Confidence, that we have been given eternal life.
- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16).
- He Is Our Eternal Confidence, that we will not face judgment.
- “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life,” (John 5:24).
- He Is Our Eternal Confidence, that we will never be cast out or lost.
- “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day,” (John 6:37-39).
- He Is Our Eternal Confidence, that we will never perish or be snatched out of His hand.
- “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand,” (John 10:28).
- He Is Our Eternal Confidence, that we will never be separated from His Love.
- For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 8:38-39).
- He Is Our Eternal Confidence, that He will perfect His good work in us.
- For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus, (Philippians 1:6).
- He Is Our Eternal Confidence, that He will keep us from stumbling and make us stand before Him in His glorious presence forever.
- Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen, (Jude 1:24-25).
How do we respond to Him, Our Eternal Confidence?
I kept coming back to two passages that will surely prompt our response.
As we remember our propensity of placing our reliance on something other than God and His Word, we will be reminded that He alone is the LORD God and He alone is Our Eternal Confidence.
“And it will never again be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing to mind the iniquity of their having turned to Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God,” (29:16).
And as we remember the pain we were caused in our search for support from the world, we will return to Him, Our Eternal Confidence.
“Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the Lord,
Because they have been only a staff made of reed to the house of Israel.
7 “When they took hold of you with the hand,
You broke and tore all their hands;
And when they leaned on you,
You broke and made all their loins quake,” (29:6-7).
Self-examination time: Are we certain we are not wasting our life standing in the wrong line? For when the final curtain of this life is drawn, if we find ourselves in a place of supernatural horror, a place we wish to flee, it will be too late. For unlike my friend and I who were able to get up and leave that frightening film, there will be no exit from His terrifying judgment on those who reject His Son.
Today, let us seriously consider where we are placing our confidence for this life, and the next. Only in Jesus can we be set free from the bondage of sin and death. Only in Jesus do we have Eternal Confidence that we will not find ourselves in line for condemnation.
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death, (Romans 8:1-2).
Today, let’s spend some time remembering the propensity we have to lean on the world’s way, and remembering how very much He has done for us that we would be delivered.
We thank You Jesus for redeeming us with Your precious blood. And because of Your perfect, spotless blood, we have the absolute certainty that we are in line with You. Thank You for being Our Eternal Confidence, today and every day for all of eternity.
knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God, (1 Peter 1:18-21).