History Repeats Itself

 I love that history not only repeats itself, teaches us and tells a story we can identify with, it also reveals a truth allegorically about our walk with God.  Israel, especially and her history, is a prophetic history that keeps unfolding the plan of God for the journey of the heart.

I think of Israel's journey to Egypt.  They went in a time of need, and it was a place of provision for them, and they stayed in that place of provision, but it was far from the place of promise that God had given them.  Then, the place of provision became their place of bondage.  That which began good enslaved them because good things make bad gods.  Good things can keep us or sidetrack us from holding fast to the promise of God and then we live in a land - a facade of the promise that begins to enslave us.  And sometimes we can even come to love our bondage or cling to what's familiar even when it's crushing us. Then, God in His mercy reminds us that he has a promise for us, a place of authority, ownership and freedom. 

Sometimes, even then, even when longing for freedom and desiring deliverance from bondage, we resist the process of being set free because sometimes in the midst of that, things become harder, darker, more painful and bondage is released in the breaking and breaking free of our attachments to good things that have become bad gods.  God separates us from the things, the comfort and familiarity that we have come to trust in, put faith in.  God has to remind us that He has better things for us and when we give him our yes- to get called back to freedom, the enemy will rise up and resist our exodus into freedom, and it may get scary and messy, but He has made a way - through blood and sacrifice and passing through the waters so that we can set our feet on new ground in freedom, letting our old desires, bondage and enemy be drowned in the waters that allow us to rise up into newness of life, fixing our eyes on the promise and walking out and imperfect journey into freedom. 

I love baptisms and the beautiful picture of dying to what was, letting it wash away, burying sin and self-absorption and all other lesser things and being raised to newness of life.  It's like a seal on the decision: I have decided to follow Jesus.  I have decided to walk out of Egypt and into the Promise Land, to follow Him out of bondage and into freedom, come what may.  Freedom is worth living for, fighting for and walking out.