BE A SPOILER, DON’T BE SPOILED (Part 2)

By Dr. Tom John

December 30, 2008

(COGAF News Article) The Israelites made a BIG mistake in their choice, that is, not only did they allow the wealth of Egypt to go with them, but they also allowed some of the Egyptians to go along with them to the promise land.  The Bible speaks of a “mixed multitude” that went up with the Israelites (Ex. 12:38).   This multitude went along side of God’s people with their ungodliness, philosophies and humanism.  Although the Israelites SPOILED the Egyptians when the exodus began, the scenario turned around after a while that the Egyptians SPOILED the Israelites.  The loss to the Israelites was not just silver and gold, but their own precious life and the promise to possess the land of  Cannan.  What a tragedy?

The exodus along with the ungodly Egyptians was not a small matter, for this caused the wrong crowd to turn the heart of God’s people from their Redeemer.  The Israelites were delivered out of their bondage to be a unique people unto God. They were to know Him, live holy before Him and serve Him.  However, they failed in their calling, because they allowed the evil to persist among themselves and permeate in their personal life.  The ungodly among the godly brought great damage, even to the point of turning their heart away from God.  Many of the Israelites began to follow the ways and values of the wrong crowd, the Egyptians.  Those who spoiled the Egyptians before had become the victim now, not only to the extent of loosing their wealth and future blessing, but to a point of worshipping and glorifying the god of silver and gold that used to be only a God-given wealth to them.

A different set of values and morals of the mixed crowd caused the Israelites to move away from the path of righteousness into the way of  unrighteousness, ungodliness and wickedness. How sad to be spoiled by the ways, values, systems, and philosophies of this world?  Do not be spoiled by them, but make a spoil of them, choosing only those that are good for life and godliness.  Shun away from all that are wicked, wrong and questionable to Christian witness, value and norm.  May God give everyone of us the kind of wisdom we need to make the right kind of choices in our lives as we live for Him in the new century and the third millennium that, we may never be SPOILED of  the world, but always be SPOILERS of  the world.

Where does the world lead us, if we allow it?  To it own values, norms, and ways.  The lifestyle of Christians are not to be according to the world norm, but by the  Kingdom of God.  Kingdom lifestyle is always a life patterned after God’s nature and character.  This is an acceptable norm for all those who are born into the Kingdom of God.  However, compromise to Kingdom lifestyle is at stake when the wrong crowd is entered into the affairs of  the Christian life.  Commitment to the Kingdom and the Kingdom lifestyle is affected when the wrong crowd is followed.   They can influence the world view of God’s people tremendously, leading them away from God.   

This is what exactly happened to the Israelites in the wilderness, that, the wrong crowd corrupted them.  The Egyptians spoiled their values, morals, and their desire to live for God, who redeemed them from bondage and slavery of Egypt.  They the one who provoked the Israelites to rebellion.  Having had no right relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, neither acknowledging Him, they stirred up the rebellion in the camp of Israelites.  They succeeded very well in their scheme to the extend of reaching all but Joshua and Caleb.  How sad?  The  world view, value, moral, and the idol worship of Egyptians people infiltrated the hearts and minds of God’s people jeopardizing their lives to the point of death.  Having been reminded of this historical fact, how do we then conduct our lives in this present perverse world?  Will we be spoilers of this world for OUR BEST or be spoiled by it for OUR WORST?  Let our choices be clear as we continue to live in a world in which good and evil are coexistent.

Dr. Tom John is the pastor of Church of All Nations in Tulsa, OK.

© 2008 COGAF News