Ephesians 6 cautions us that the battles we face, though waged here on earth, are less about humans. That doesn’t absolve us from stupid decisions, but it invites us to check ourselves to see why we’re making any decision. What if pharaoh’s actions were about him listening to the wrong voice? Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Exodus 15:9 AFV
[9] The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them, I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’
Which Enemy
For sure, the Children of Israel’s hymn speaks about a visible, recently vanquished enemy. But even as it does so, we realize that something else was pressing the pharaoh forward. It was as if he were possessed with the desire to crush the Children of Israel. Maybe he felt he had something to prove, or he was at that time consumed with revenge for the death of his firstborn, or he simply wanted his property back… we don’t know. What we do know, is that he listened to the enemy’s voice.
Self-Check
Do we take the time to discern the difference between the voices that speak to us – literally and spiritually?
Application
Siblings, Y’shua was clear. The sole motive of the enemy of our souls is to steal, kill, and destroy (see John 10:10). In times of distress and grief, we need to ask ourselves whether what we’re thinking of will steal, kill or destroy
a) others with whom we relate, or
b) our very souls
If the answer to either is yes, we’re most likely being motivated by the enemy of our souls.
Pharaoh was confident that he was going after what belonged to him. He failed to remember that people can’t own people. His desire for more, his ‘lust’, was not naturally motivated. We are warned by Paul in Galatians 5, to live according to God’s Spirit, so that we do not yield to the lust of the flesh. The warning: is clear: lust lead away from God’s Spirit.
By yielding to lust, pharaoh made a conscious decision to submit to the enemy of our souls. He knew what he was doing, because God spoke to him directly before, through Moses. Deeming himself a god, he refused to yield to God’s Spirit. The enemy was easily able to establish a stronghold in his life.
So yes, the Children of Israel sang about their enemy, pharaoh. The decision to chase was his. But pharaoh was motivated by the other enemy, whose sole aim is to steal our joy, destroy our relationship with God, resulting in our eternal death.
As we celebrate God’s victory over the pharaohs in our lives, let’s also guard against becoming a pharaoh in the lives of others.
Point to Ponder
How do we guard against the plans of the enemy influencing us against others?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
