This morning I have been pondering the different expressions of the Lord found in scripture, particularly towards those who were not Israel, His chosen people. I was thinking about how amazing, and yet how confusing the different revelations can be, without looking at all of it as a complete spectrum.
Take Egypt as an example, it is mentioned 666 times in my NIV translation, so it is the subject of many scriptures. In Genesis Egypt serves as a place of refuge for Abraham, during a famine, and then again as a place of refuge, this time under Joseph. In Exodus, we find the Egypt has become a place of enslavement for Israel, and they are seen more as an enemy. In Numbers and Deuteronomy, Egypt is remembered longingly by the people at times (even becoming a rival for the peoples affections), but is referred to as the place God delivered them out of, a place they were captive slaves, and that the Lord redeemed them from that country. Later in Joshua, Judges, and the Books of Samuel we find God constantly telling the Israelites to not turn to Egypt for help, not to embrace their God's. We find God delivering Israel from them in battle. In Kings and Chronicles we find them occasionally as trading partners, sometimes attacking Israel and Judah, sometimes operating together as Israel would seek their aid, but throughout it all, it is clear that Egypt is more an enemy than a friend, and it is constantly referred to as a the place of Israel's enslavement. Within the writings of the prophets, we often find prophecies against Egypt, and it seems like they are being cursed by God, for their role in the downfall of Israel and Judah, and always referred to as the place God redeemed Israel out of, a place of enslavement.
However, this is not the only perspective of God towards Egypt recorded in the Old Testament. We find that there are verses of blessing for Egypt, which, while not necessarily hidden, are not in-line with the consistent theme I just outlined. Here are some verses from Isaiah 19:19-25 NIV:
[19] "In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border. [20] It will be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. [21] So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them. [22] The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them."
[23] "In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. [24] In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. [25] The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance. ”
I remember the first time I read this, I was shocked! It seemed so radically different than anything else I had read about Egypt. I was blown away that God would refer to Egypt as "My People" and that they were somehow part of His plan to bless the whole of the earth! This really caused me to take a different look at Egypt and how I thought God thought about them. I always read scripture with an understanding of Egypt being an enemy nation, and now I had to change the way I thought.
When we consider the New Testament and the revelation of Jesus, we know that Jesus was sent primarily to the Jews. There were specific times that Jesus ministered to other nationalities, but overall His ministry was to the Jews, so much so that the early church, even though they had been commanded to go to all the nations (Matt 28:19), they had focused almost exclusively on the Jews. Thus it was a great surprise to the Apostles and the early church when Peter was directed to go to the Gentiles and minister to them - see Acts 10.
The Egyptians were considered a gentile nation, even though there were Jews living there, as there were in many of the other countries surrounding Israel. Following the persecution that broke out after Stephen's martyrdom, the Jewish Christians scattered (Acts 8) to many places in the world and one of those places was Egypt, who by that time was under Roman rule as well. In fact previously, we find that God directed Mary, Joseph and infant Jesus to shelter in Egypt shortly after He was born (Matt 2), so we know it was not considered an enemy nation at that time. In Acts 2, we find that there were Jews present in Jerusalem from Egypt at the Pentecost event.
Not found in scripture is the fact that some of the strongest early churches were founded in Egypt following that initial persecution. In fact it is well established that Mark, the author of the Gospel, traveled to Alexandria and established a thriving Christian community there and was Bishop over that church. Thus we find God's revelation towards Egypt seemingly evolving over time. However, since God is always the same, its not God's attitude towards Egypt that has changed, just what He has revealed through His Prophets, and later His Son, and finally the Apostles and disciples of the early church. We find in Isaiah 19, God's heart clearly revealed towards Egypt, and that was written 700 years before the time of Christ, and yet it had never changed, and that word is still true today, even though Egypt is a largely Muslim nation.
So why this reflection? It seems to me that I need to pay very close attention to the way I think towards people. It is so easy for me to think of one group, one nation or one ideology as being my enemy, or being cursed of God, thinking I am in line with the thinking and revelation of God, even justifying my judgment. However, this is not God's heart! He desires us to go to all nations, tongues and tribes, every center of ideology and proclaim His Kingdom and His love for the people found there! God is creator of the whole world and every man, woman and child is created in His image. He loves us! Whatever our national alignment, our ideology, our theology, and even our proclivities towards sin, He loves us. As noted in John 3:16-17 NIV: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
We must, as His representative, embrace this same attitude, to the best of our ability. We must show love to those who are different, those who think differently, those of different nationality, those of of different ideology. They are not our enemies, nor are they God's enemies. While we do battle in our life as Christians, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." ( Ephesians 6:12 NIV). Thus, we must guard our hearts and minds and make sure that our thoughts towards our fellow brothers and sisters be in-line with God's thoughts towards them.
It is easy in this time of chaos, and upheaval and turmoil (at least here in the USA) to become jaded, hard-hearted, even hateful towards others. We find ourselves swept up in the battles, and lose sight of the fact that these people who represent opposing views, are just as loved of the Father as we are! Jesus came and died for them too. His blood was shed for their sins as well as my own!
So my encouragement today is to meet all of this turmoil with a heart of love, choosing to lower myself to a place of embracing people with other ideologies as brothers and sisters, rather than rising above them in judgment. I choose to turn towards them in love, pray for them, and pray for this nation that is being torn asunder by the powers and principalities that are inciting this all. My battle is in prayer and love, not in angry words or actions. My weapons are love and prayer, compassion and mercy.
May God's Peace reign in our hearts and minds.
Sam
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