My last blog ended with these words, “Change is Coming!”.
An obvious question is, Why? or What does that mean?
To answer that question, I would like to engage our thinking in the Book of Exodus. I have always enjoyed reading Exodus. I find it a very informative book regarding the continuation of the history of the nation of Israel, and the foreshadowing of Christ. The Book of Exodus, I believe, parallels the walk of a believer in Christ out of the kingdom of darkness and progressing to the promised land. Israel, I believe, also foreshadows the Church. In the New Testament Paul tells us in I Corinthians 10:11, (NKJV), “Now all these things happened to them (Israel) as examples, and they were written for our admonition (Church, believers) upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (Parentheses mine)
The Book of Exodus begins with the names of the families of Israel that came into the land of Egypt. There were 70 of them, with Joseph already established in Egypt.
Verses 6-8, summarizes for us what happened over the space of 400 years from the time of Israel’s entrance into Egypt to the time that triggered Israel’s Exodus from Egypt. Exodus 1:6,7 says, TLV, [Tree of Life Version, Hebraic emphasis], “Then Joseph died, as did all his brothers and all that generation. Yet Bnei-Yisrael were fruitful, increased abundantly, multiplied and grew extremely numerous–so the land was filled with them.” Sounds like, 70 people had become innumerable. However, verse 8, introduces a new dynamic; “Now there arose a new king (Pharaoh) over Egypt who knew not Joseph. (At face value, I wonder why? It appears that the new king did not know the historical relationship between Israel and the nation of Egypt. Historically Israel, through Joseph had been a blessing to Egypt (this had been a literal Godsend); but over time that influence declined, and it no longer was benign as time passed. It’s been 400 years. As stated, this new king did not know the influence of Joseph or evidently the history of Israel; the new king visualized Israel as a potential serious problem especially if they decided to take sides with Egypt’s adversaries (verse 10).
It seems, that rather than seeking out the history of Israel’s existence in Egypt, the new king saw Israel’s blessing of prosperity and increased population as a problem too large to deal both numerically and powerfully. In short, if these people decide to go to war against us, ‘we’re toast’.
What was the king’s solution? verse 11 says, “So they set slave masters over them to afflict them with forced labor…”; they incarcerated them; took away their freedom; and subjected them to harsh manual labor and bondage. Verse 12 says the king increased their inflictions “more”.
However, the result of this affliction did not produce the kind of result that he anticipated. As we know from Church history, the greater the storm of affliction, the greater the growth and development of the Church. This is what happened to Israel. Verse 12 records, Because Israel continued to multiply “…the Egyptians dreaded (trembled at, were fearful of) the presence of Bnei-Yisrael.”
(This is just my personal opinion; I wonder if Putin visualizes the nation of Ukraine as the new king of Egypt visualized Israel. A potential threat.)
In verses 13-14, the Egyptian king chose to handle the problem by: a) working them harshly; b) making their lives bitter with hard work; c) having them do all sorts of work in the fields; d) worked them with cruelty.
(Putin has sought to regain the land that they possess; and to put them under his servitude.)
Verse 15-16 tells us that to make matter worse the king commanded the infanticide of male children (sound familiar, what other king did this in the New Testament?). Why? obvious, so that the population of the nation would not grow. But the Israeli mid-wives disobeyed the king (verse 17) because they feared God.
(What has Putin done? He is killing the people of Ukraine mercilessly.)
In verses 20-21, God “was good to the mid-wives and the people multiplied growing very numerous.” Because the mid-wives feared God, “He gave them families of their own.”
(The analogy is difficult here; yes, the killing is continuing; but the people (like the mid-wives are resisting against Putin. They have not bowed down to Putin. They are fighting for their lives. They are resisting him.
The king did not relent in his pursuit of having the infanticide of the male children. He “charged all his people saying” (verse 22) “you are to cast every son into the river, but let every daughter live.”
(In spite of Ukranian resistance, Putin has ordered his soldiers to pursue killing the people of Ukraine.)
As the Book of Exodus begins, the narrative of events reveals that God has permitted an oppressive governmental environment to be in control of the nation of Egypt through a king who came into power ‘who knew not Joseph” and apparently has no personal knowledge about the nation of Israel that dwelt in his land. The nation of Israel had been dwelling in Egypt for over 400 years.
Question: Are God’s people, the Church, the Israel of God living in a world that is growing increasingly hostile to its presence? Is it possible that the knowledge of the Church in the known world is waning? Is it possible that a person has grown up in our nation and has no knowledge of Christianity?
If there is any truth to the aforementioned questions, we need to ask why is this so? Has the Church lost its influence and its voice in this nation? in the world? Has it been silenced?
(Has the Church lost its voice in Ukraine? No. Pastors have chosen to stay. Believers have chosen to stay. As one Ukrainian Pastor said, If the Church has no credibility in the time of danger, what credibility does it have in the time of peace? (My paraphrase) So he chose to stay, and minister to his congregants.)
I am asking these questions regarding the Church as it exists in our nation. if these questions can be answered in the affirmative in the United States, then are their governmental restrictions that have contributed to the silencing of the Church?
(When I was composing these thoughts, Russia had not invaded Ukraine. As you will see in the next paragraph, my thoughts were centered on the Covid Pandemic. But there is a full-scale war in Ukraine. A whole new change has come to planet earth in March 2022. This change has brought and is demanding ‘get used to different’ (The Chosen)
It appears that the Covid Pandemic has been taken of the people’s radar, except in the United States. Therefore, I will proceed with what I composed earlier.
Question: What restrictions are the Church wrestling with? Isn’t it interesting that the Covid pandemic has stirred the Church to wake up and think about its place and purpose in society. The Church has wrestled with governmental restrictions. Believers and non-believers have questioned the mandates of our governmental officials at all levels. Why? What has been taken for granted has been taken away. Yes, there has been a struggle. But the bottom line for each individual is when do I stop doing what I am being instructed to do?
The moral and ethical question is when do I believe that my liberty and freedom as an individual has been taken away and I choose not to abide by what the government officials have instructed me to do? Many will say, that one should always do what those in authority has instructed you to do. I understand that; but I also understand that as a Christian my obedience is first to the Lord and His written Word.
Will the Church, one-day, find itself in the same position as the Israeli mid-wives in Egypt, disobeying the command of the king, because they fear (reverence) God more than the king who told them what they must do? I believe that will happen sooner than later.
The tragedy that is taking place now in Ukraine is also awakening moral and ethical implications for us as nation. We are watching a nation being stripped of its freedom and liberties at the whim of one man. We are witnessing world leaders groping with making moral and ethical decisions in response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine. I struggle with this. I understand their dilemma. But do we allow EVIL to go unchecked? What responsibility does the Church have in this ‘hour’?
For those who have read my previous blogs, what I am about to say is not new, but it is still true.
Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV), “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, and against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Stop! Consider this, Satan is called “…the prince of the power of the air…”(Ephesians2:2 NKJV).
President Zelensky has been begging the nations of this world to put a ‘no fly zone’ over Ukraine. The nations of this world are reluctant to do this. The nations are concerned about the ramifications that it might cause in the thinking of Putin. He has said that a nuclear response is a possibility.
There is one nation in this world that can provide a ‘no fly zone’. That nation is the Kingdom of God. It is composed of an innumerable amount of people. The leader of this nation is the Lord Jesus Christ. This nation has a voice and it needs to use it, now.
Therefore:
We, the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, can give the nation of Ukraine the ‘no fly zone’ that it is requesting. How, you ask? PRAYER, asking the Lord to clear the skies over Ukraine. We bind the forces of darkness that fill the sky from Russia, hell-bent on bringing destruction, and loose the skies over the nation of Ukraine from the principalities, rulers of darkness and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. We, the Church, have been given these keys of authority. Satan is the “…prince of the power of the air…” (Ephesians 2:2 NKJV). Satan’s power has been broken by the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus made an open shame of him. Colossians 2:15, (NKJV), “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He (Christ) made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it (the Cross).” Hebrews 2:14,15 (NKJV), Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same that through death He might destroy him (Satan) who had the power of death that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Matthew 16:13-19, (NKJV), Jesus was asking His disciples what the local people were saying about Him regarding His identity. The disciples told them what the people were saying. In verse 15, Jesus says directly to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter (verse 16) speaks up and declares, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds and says, “Blessed are you, Simon-Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
The Church, built upon the confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, has been given authority to bind and loose on earth. It is that authority, that the Church, the Body of Christ, the members of the nation of the Kingdom of God can use to exercise spiritual authority over the defeated enemy, Satan, who is the prince of the power of the air. Jesus said the “gates of Hades shall not prevail”, meaning, “the power of death cannot prevent the advance of the kingdom, nor claim victory over those who belong to God.” (Notes from NKJV Study Bible)
We, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, are called to exercise its spiritual authority over the ‘prince of the power of the air’; we are called to intercede for the nation of Ukraine and bind the principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness that are over Ukraine. We are called to loose the airspace over Ukraine and free it from the evil forces of darkness so that there is a ‘no fly zone’ over Ukraine.
I believe that the nation of believers has been called to intercede for Ukraine and create the ‘no fly zone’ that President Zelensky is asking the nations to provide. The Body of Christ, using its authority in Christ, can do just that.
Pray. Bind and loose, in Jesus’ Name.
blessings, deo
Living Words of Encouragement 