Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
THE THREE DAY GAP, No. 4 - COMPROMISE No. 4 - NOT A HOOF WILL BE LEFT BEHIND!
Exodus 10:24-26: “Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you. And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God.”
The was the fourth and final compromise Pharaoh tried to put on Moses in order to keep the children of Israel under slavery. Their cattle and sheep were their livelihood. Not only were they a source of food for themselves, but also for the sacrifices and offerings to offer to the Lord when they reached a three day journey out of Egypt.
I love the phrase, “THERE SHALL NOT A HOOF BE LEFT BEHIND”! Moses was steadfast in his confession: “We are leaving Egypt “lock, stock, and barrel. You have had more than your “pound of flesh” from us. We owe you nothing. Through slavery we have built your treasure cities, Pithom and Ramses. You have afflicted us with great and heavy burdens. We are leaving Egypt to start a new life of sacrifice to our God who has redeemed us from your bondage and slavery. From now on we serve only the Lord our God.”
Thank God for men like Moses who did not fear the power and glory of Pharaoh. We need more leaders and fathers today who will not bargain and compromise with the pharaohs of this generation.
Colossians 3:17: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” They could not offer sacrifices and offerings in the midst of Egypt for that was an abomination to the Egyptians ( Exodus 8:26). A life of sacrifice is still an abomination to border line Christians. The world believes that we should please our flesh, not realizing that it leads to bondage and slavery.
One of the greatest addictions of all is the addiction to our self life. There is only one way to break the chain of this addiction--to apply the cross of Christ to our self life. We may live in a Christian country, belong to a Christian family, and attend a Christian church, but still be in bondage and slavery to an Egyptian self life. It is a daily experience to apply the cross of Christ to our lives (1 Corinthians 15:31).
Jesus said in Mark 8:34-35: “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”
We now gladly offer our lives--our livelihood, our home, family, and everything we possess as a daily free will offering and sacrifice to the One who gave His all for us. If we use these things to only gratify our self nature, we have not yet left Egypt. We are still in bondage.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell.
