8 August Exodus 8

God wants us to fully commit to Him

Exodus 8:25-28 (NIV) 25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.” 26 But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commands us.” 28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”After experiencing the first four plagues, Pharaoh agreed to let the Jews worship God. But he tried to force them to worship in the presence of the Egyptian slave masters. God doesn't want you to compromise your worship or morals when His teachings clash with the world's views. Churches, for example, should not change God's Word to attract more people. If a church starts following popular opinions instead of God's guidance, it will stray from His path. It would end up like the Jews who were controlled by Egyptian slave masters, afraid to stand up when the world challenged it. "To offer a pleasing sacrifice to God, we must keep ourselves apart from what is wicked and unholy." Matthew Henry’s Commentary. “Evil is always suggesting some compromise. To listen to it, is to remain enslaved. The only way into liberty is to leave the land of evil; to go accompanied by the women and the children; and to take all property also. It is when that attitude is assumed, that men pass out from all bondage, and find the liberty which is in the purpose of God for them.” - Morgan's Exposition Bible Commentary.Go sacrifice and serve God, but do it in the land of Egypt. This seems like a reasonable request. The Hebrews can both serve God and serve in Egypt. However, Egypt in the Bible symbolises the World most of the time. Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.Moses responds to Pharaoh this way. Exodus 8:26-27 (MSG) Moses said, “That would not be wise. What we sacrifice to our God would give great offense to Egyptians. If we openly sacrifice what is so deeply offensive to Egyptians, they’ll kill us. Let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to our God, just as he instructed us.”If they worship the right way, they will be hated by the world, and if they worship the wrong way, they are not worshipping God at all. God wants us to fully commit to Him without giving in to our desires or the world's ways. Worldly pleasures should not tempt us; we should stay determined to follow His path. Deuteronomy 5:32 (ESV) “You shall be careful therefore to do as the Lord your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left”. The psalmist describes a godly person in Psalms 119:3 (NLT) “They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths”.God is holy, and His ways are right. God is good, and His ways are life-giving. Concerning matters God has addressed, we do not negotiate, bargain, or compromise. The better we know God, the better we can resist temptation and compromise.So don’t hesitate to assert your position on right and wrong, truth and lies, sin and righteousness. Our job is to hold fast to the Word of God, be resilient, steadfast, and confident in the gracious God we serve, and be unwilling to compromise your relationship with Jesus Christ.