Words of Wisdom #294: You Cannot Hedge Your Bet by Betting on All the Gods
An oracle against Egypt: Look, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. Egypt’s idols will tremble before Him, and Egypt’s heart will melt within it. I will provoke Egypt against Egypt; each will fight against his brother and each against his friend, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. Egypt’s spirit will be disturbed within it, and I will frustrate its plans. Then they will seek idols, ghosts, spirits of the dead, and spiritists. I will deliver Egypt into the hands of harsh masters, and a strong king will rule it. [This is]the declaration of the Lord God of Hosts. (As a result in summary the Scriptures reveal) The waters of the sea will dry up, and the river will be parched and dry. The channels will stink; they will dwindle, and Egypt’s canals will be parched. Reed and rush will die… [Egypt’s] weavers will be dejected; all her wage earners will be demoralized. Pharaoh’s wisest advisers give stupid advice! Where then are your wise men? Let them tell you and reveal what the Lord of Hosts has planned against Egypt. The Lord has mixed within her a spirit of confusion. The leaders] have made Egypt stagger in all she does, as a drunkard staggers in his vomit. On that day Egypt will be like women. She will tremble with fear because of the threatening hand of the Lord of Hosts when He raises it against her. The land of Judah will terrify Egypt; whenever Judah is mentioned, Egypt will tremble because of what the Lord of Hosts has planned against it. On that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the center of the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord near her border. It will be a sign and witness to the Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and leader, and he will rescue them. The Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and Egypt will know the Lord on that day. They will offer sacrifices and offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. The Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing. Then they will return to the Lord and He will hear their prayers and heal them. Isaiah 19:1-25 (HCSB)
From a historical basis, Egypt represented modern society today. There were so many gods in the land, who really knew what they believed, or whether they really believed any of them at all, but were just going through the motions. Egypt was ruled by everyone but Egypt in this biblical era – Libyans, Cushites, Assyrians, Persians, and eventually Greeks (whose last ruler on the thrown was Cleopatra, and we all remember how that ended). All this foreign intervention created plenty of opportunity for syncretistic worship. And when you worship multiple gods to hedge your bet on worshiping the right god by the odds, what god would accept their worship? Well, the Lord, the one true and living God would extend His hand upon Egypt to draw those who would believe to Him during this era. Egypt to this day, although Muslim for the most part, was likewise a center for the Christian community until the spread of Islam in 700 AD. Alexandria was one of the key Christian cities as the early church developed, and was where the Jews of the exile studied their scriptures and the Septuagint Bible was translated from the Hebrew into the Greek language – a great aid to the early Christian church.
How many of us use the secular philosophy of tolerance to allow themselves to water-down their belief in the Lord to allow room to believe in other religions and forms of other gods in our very syncretistic society? God may be using you to learn a lesson about faith, and seeking to use you in a mighty way. Take time to understand why and what you believe in the era of tolerance. Yes, be tolerant of others, but do not allow your own beliefs to falter as a result of that tolerance.
Coach
www.coachbrown.org
He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us!’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets!’ But He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from Me, all you workers of unrighteousness!’ Luke 13:23-27 (HCSB)