In Their Hearts
by David Gibson
In his address to the Sanhedrin, Stephen said, “Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him [Moses], but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt…” (Acts 7:39 NASB).
“We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic…” (Numbers 11:5).
“Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? . . . would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” (Numbers 14:3).
Egypt. Egypt. Egypt
- Never mind how they had groaned under Pharaoh’s taskmasters.
- Never mind God’s promise of a land flowing with milk and honey.
- Never mind that no other nation had such privileges as theirs.
- Never mind the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.
- Never mind the manna, the water from the rock, and the shoes God did not let wear out.
“…in their hearts [they] turned back to Egypt.” With such a mindset, God could not do much with them. Eventually, they died in the wilderness because they just wouldn’t put Egypt behind them and move on. Because of unbelief, they could not enter the good land God had offered them (Hebrews 3:19).
Lessons for Us
We who are Christians are also freed slaves—freed from bondage to sin (John 8:34, 36; Romans 6:17-18). Israel’s Promised Land can’t compare with ours! All we have in Christ far exceeds anything Israel had under Moses.
So, remembering that will help us sing “To Canaan’s Land I’m on My Way” with our hearts in line with our words (I John 2:15-17).
What corresponds to Egypt for us? No one can be a Christian who has not renounced the world (Matthew 16:26; James 4:4, 8; Hebrews 11:24-27).
Where are our hearts?