A FAITH-FILLED, PROPHETIC WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT!
January 24, 2025
BY CRYSTAL G.H. LOWERY
We all like to be free of chains of bondage. Sometimes, we can live in shackles for years and even decades longing for the day when we can be free. Over time, living in a state of endured bondage can become like normal life.
It’s amazing to me, and probably a lot of you have thought about the captivity of the Israelites in Egypt, how they got there, how long they stayed, and the eventual exodus out of Egypt. I have been thinking and meditating on this recently and it completely overwhelms me as to the circumstances, if we stop to really relate to the Israelites as people living through this experience, and not just read it as a story that happened a long time ago. It’s not just a Bible story with coloring pages for toddlers and young children. This is a true story, one that was experienced by thousands and thousands of Israelites that took over a little more than 400 years.
If we look to the whys of eventual slavery in Egypt, we find that the family of Israel (f/k/a Jacob) moved there during a time of prolonged and terrible famine. Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers because of their jealousy, but God had a plan for Joseph. Not only did God have a plan for Joseph, but this plan included a way of escape for his entire family which was keeping in line with His covenant with Abraham.
Joseph, through a long series of events, endured extreme hardship, even being thrown into prison unjustly being framed by his boss’ wife, forgotten by a fellow prisoner when he was released, but eventually at the right time was supernaturally promoted by Pharoah to second in command over all of Egypt. Joseph was something like the Prime Minister of Egypt, with power over all except Pharoah.
God was with Joseph. It was for this reason that Joseph was able to interpret Pharoah’s dreams which tormented him. The interpretation by Joseph revealed that there was to be seven years of plenty, but after that there was to be seven years of famine. Joseph not only interpreted the dreams to Pharoah, but he gave the solution to the problem of the famine. He proposed a solution of storing up a portion of the harvest over the years of plenty so that there would be an abundance during the years of famine. The famine wasn’t just concerning Egypt, but it was for the lands around Egypt as well, which included Canaan where Joseph’s family still lived.
Because of this interpretation, wisdom, and strategy, Pharoah elevated Joseph’s position to second in command of all Egypt. There, he carried out this strategy of storing up provisions for the famine as well as ruling in all other matters.
When the famine hit the land, Joseph’s brothers, out of desperation, traveled to Egypt to buy food. Joseph immediately recognized them and through several encounters eventually revealed himself as their long-lost brother. Joseph paved the way for his entire family to relocate from Canaan to live in the very best of the land of Egypt (called Goshen), to live near Joseph, to be provided for, and to have the protection of Pharoah’s kingdom during the famine and reign of Joseph.
However, as time went on, the Pharoah that esteemed and respected Joseph died and there was another Pharoah and another Pharoah. Joseph died. The children of Israel stayed and continued to live in Egypt. They had children and increased in number. Eventually, a new Pharoah began to fear the Israelites and their number of people. So, this Pharoah enslaved the Israelites and they worked daily in extremely harsh environments, producing bricks by hand for Pharoah.
This went on for 400 years. What was initially living GOSHEN became living in BONDAGE. The cries of the Israelites to God were heard and the faithfulness of Abraham’s was not forgotten by God. Through a series of unimaginable plagues that brought torment, devastation, and misery to the Egyptians, Pharoah eventually let the people go. Moses led the people on the exodus out of Egypt. As they neared the Red Sea, another unfathomable miracle occurred where God delivered the people, yet again, from the pursuing Egyptians, as the WATERS PARTED and the Israelites WALKED THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE RED SEA ON DRY GROUND. As the Egyptians began to follow through the Red Sea, the waters went back to normal and all of Egypt’s soldiers, chariots, and horses was covered and they were swallowed up by the raging waters.
I have often stopped at this point to just soak in each of the plagues and the misery that just one caused the Egyptians. But there wasn’t just one, there were ten. The last was the most devastating when the first-born son of each Egyptian’s family was killed, even Pharoah’s own first born.
Not only did the Israelites see and experience the plagues on the Egyptians, they saw and experienced how God had supernaturally protected them from those plagues. One of the ways of protection was the Passover in which the blood of a lamb was smeared on the doorposts of the Israelites’ homes and when the death angel passed over, that home was spared from the last plague of death.
There was so much supernatural activity, plagues and protection, that was experienced and seen first-hand by the Israelites. I would think that those people would be the most faith-filled people in all of history at that point. But, something I see and hear often, even in today’s world is that people have short memories.
As soon as the people crossed THROUGH the Red Sea and were safely to the other side, they looked back and saw their enemy utterly and completely destroyed, they then looked around and saw that there was no water to drink. And so the complaining began.
It almost makes you take a deep sigh as you read the account. As I read the exodus account, I find myself getting irritated at the Israelites, shaking my head, and wanting them to be quiet. Moses is frustrated with the murmuring and complaining. God is also furious with the people. Over and over in the desert, the people complain and murmur, coming against Moses, who has been MEETING WITH GOD FACE TO FACE and obeying His instructions to lead the people.
Not once, but repetitively, the people complain and murmur and say things like:
“WHY DID YOU LEAD US INTO THIS FORSAKEN WILDERNESS, WITH NO WATER TO DRINK AND NO FOOD TO EAT. ARE WE TO DIE HERE? WE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF TO STAY IN SLAVERY AND BONDAGE IN EGYPT, TO LIVE IN THOSE HORRIBLE CONDITIONS, THAN TO COME ALL THE WAY OUT HERE AND DIE. AT LEAST BACK IN EGYPT, WE HAD FOOD AND WATER.” (my paraphrase)
The children of Israel looked at their surroundings in the journey of their exodus and failed to see through the promise of the covenant and through the eyes of faith. In spite of EVERYTHING that had happened, all the teachings handed down about the covenant with their father Abraham, the supernatural exploits of God, their very real protection, promotion, and escape, they only looked at the natural instead of the supernatural. In their hearts, they did not fasten to the PROMISE. So, with their mouths, they spoke in UNBELIEF AND DOUBT.
Because of their complaining in doubt, they did not advance in faith. So, instead of about an 11 day journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, they wondered in circles in the desert for 40 years (14,600 days). That is 14,589 days too long. What a waste of time and everything else. An entire generation died in the desert and wasn’t able to enter into the Promised Land because of the disobedience and complaining.
There are so many things I could point out about this exodus journey, but I want to stay on point. God had made a way of supernatural exodus and escape, a journey laid out to the Promised Land. But instead of walking by faith to the Promise, they were tangled up in the discomforts of the journey. Every time they complained about something, God supernaturally provided. When they saw no water, God provided gushing water from a rock. When they had no food, God rained down manna. When they complained about no meat, God sent an overabundance of quail. When there was scorching heat during the day, there God became the cloud to cover and protect them. When it was bitter cold at night, He became for them the fire by night to warm them.
Yet, they looked back and not only looked back, they desired and lusted for the comfortable captivity of Egypt.
Knowing what we know, we ask…HOW COULD THEY DESIRE THE COMFORTABLE CAPTIVITY OF EGYPT WHEN GOD HAD A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY FOR THEM – THE PROMISED LAND – THAT WAS SO CLOSE?
Taking thought of our lives, taking stock and inventory of where we are on our journey to where God has planned for each of us, I pray that we each learn the lessons from the Israelites’ exodus. Will we completely trust God with our destination and follow Him, not looking to the right or the left? Will we see gushing water by faith when we see dry parched land with our natural eyes? Will our stomachs be full of supernatural manna or will they ache for the pots of beef we had in our captivity? Will our past bondage be more comfortable, knowing the familiar provisions we received, although endured with chains?
I want to encourage you to get HIS PROMISE TO YOU in your heart, so that when you face challenges on your journey, you don’t look back to your comfortable captivity and long for those familiar provisions, but that you will boldly look forward, keeping your eyes on JESUS, who is your provider. He has wonderful plans for you. He loves you. Walk through the desert of your life, but don’t stay there. Keep walking and you will reach your Promise Land. Look away from comfortable captivity and focus your eyes on your Promise Land flowing with milk and honey. Based On Faith.
Crystal G.H. Lowery, Esq is a Christian Estate Planning Attorney and is the owner and founding attorney of Law Office Of Crystal G.H. Lowery, LLC. She is also an ordained minister who has a passion for sharing Jesus. Based on Faith is an organization whose vision is to become an international resource that increases biblical knowledge of faith within the Body of Christ through comprehensive teaching, discussion of law, and the prophetic.
Copyright 2025 ©, Crystal G.H. Lowery and Based on Faith. All Rights Reserved.