That They May Serve Me

God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt (told from Genesis 37 – Deuteronomy 34) is a picture of His deliverance of His people from sin and evil, to the Promised Land. The Israelites had traveled from Canaan to Egypt willingly, seeking nourishment and secure living. They had no idea that they were traveling into bondage. Sin is like that.

After that generation had passed away, the slavery started (we never know how our actions will affect our children). The Israelites were forced to serve the Egyptians. (We wonder how the Israelites accepted this – were they suddenly taken over? Was it a gradual occurrence? We may see many parallels in the Germans’ treatment of the Jewish people.)

Note that, either way, God’s people are serving. God designed us that way – all of us. We are designed to serve. As Joshua later stated: Choose you this day whom you will serve. We choose whom we serve: self (flesh), satan, others, or God.

God emphasized this in Exodus when He was preparing His people to go. What was the reason for going? In Exodus chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10, Moses and Aaron are directed to tell Pharaoh to let His people go, “that they may serve Me.” God recognized that His people were serving the wrong king. They were in slavery, in bondage, and miserable. God desired to free His people so that they may serve HIM. God knows that, in serving Him, we may live to our fullest joy and contentment.

If we are serving the wrong king, be it self, satan, or others, we are in bondage and making ourselves miserable (whether we know it or not).

“So that they may SERVE Me.” Yes, we must serve.

“So that they may serve ME.” Choose you this day whom you will serve.