No Shortcuts!

The election is over (but hopefully the quest to bring forth the truth is not).  Some are in despair and some are just putting it all behind them, but as for me, I asked the Lord to help me get the lessons we need to learn from all this, and to REFOCUS ON HIM, the True Savior, and the only One with the Truth and the Answers!

Reading in this morning's Torah parsha, I believe the Holy Spirit showed me quite a few of the lessons the Israelites had to learn when they were in their "Red Sea moment".  I noted that quite a few of the Christian prophets referred to the American Presidential election as a "Red Sea moment" and I too prayed a prayer a few blogs ago that said, "Even as we are in the Torah portion of the plagues in Egypt and the great deliverance through the Red Sea, O God, show a mighty sign and wonder again to the Pharaoh and all his armies and make this nation come to their knees in repentance and fear of YOU. Do not let us be completely given over to Pharaoh, O Lord!"  Well, brothers and sisters, I do not believe it's because God did not hear our prayers over this nation and this election that we are in the terrible place we're in. I believe it's because God ALWAYS HAS A RIGHTEOUS MOTIVE FOR EVERYTHING HE DOES, and usually that includes teaching His people lessons that must be learned before we can move on.  

In Exodus 13:17 we read, "When the Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, 'If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.'"  Do you see it?  God doesn't give us shortcuts!  He doesn't give us a "quick fix" because He knows we will probably go right back to the sin we were operating in before.  Take 9/11, for example.  Americans were shocked and terrified at those horrific events and for two weeks our churches were packed and people were finally on their knees crying out to God for help. But after those two weeks, most folks just went back to their "Egypt," their lives unchanged, unrepentant.  That was 19 years ago.  The sin of this nation is exponentially greater and God's cup is now full and spilling over. Though we thought perhaps we could change His mind if some of us stood in the gap, I now believe it was too much, too late.  We didn't get a short cut. 

Going back to the book of Exodus in Chapter 13, verse 21, we read, "By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people."  It is important to note that even in this perilous journey to escape from Pharaoh's army, the Israelites were kept and surrounded by the Cloud and the Fire, the very real manifestation of Yeshua/Jesus! And we can glimpse some of our Lord's strategy with His people. He says to Moses, "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. "  We can glean critical understanding when we know what these Hebrew words mean. Pi Hahiroth means "mouth of freedom."  Baal Zephon is a pagan god and the literal meaning of Zephon is "the destroyer."  I am overwhelmed at the marvelous picture we are given when we understand where the people of Israel were to camp while they were waiting for their miraculous deliverance from the wicked Pharaoh and all his armies.  Isn't this what the King of the Universe is saying to all His people today?  "You need to set up camp at the Mouth of Freedom, taking a strong stand in opposition to the Destroyer!  You must spend time in this camp vanquishing the works of the devil, getting the sin out of your lives, and turning back to Me, Your Creator and Redeemer, and THEN freedom will be returned to you!"  

I feel like we are in this camp right now and we can spend the time in prayer, taking a stand in opposition to the Destroyer, Baal Zephon, and the demonic influences on our government, our leaders, and so many of our people; but I also feel like our prayer, our passionate cry, should be that of "Maranatha Yeshua!"  Come quickly, Lord Jesus!  I will say it again: no man and no political party will bring our redemption.  The Righteous Judge of all the Earth is going to take whatever time it takes to bring many to their knees in repentance so that they can live forever with Him.  We know that in the First Exodus it took many plagues and judgments before the people feared God and were delivered.  Then - as now - there are no shortcuts!  But in Joel Richardson's awesome new book, Sinai to Zion, his words remind us of what we will finally experience in the "Second Exodus."  He writes, "Just as it did throughout the Exodus, at Mount Sinai, and at the tent of meeting, the pillar will come down. All will stand in awe, gazing at the glory of YHVH's presence as the penny finally drops, as they come to recognize the One they have pierced. For within the cloud will be the Son of man, Jesus, the Radiant One, Israel's only Savior."