Reflection on Exodus13:3–10
The
spiritual truths that God wants to ensure are never forgotten are often
memorialized in a ceremony—frequently involving a meal. The Passover meal and
the Festival of Unleavened Bread are filled with symbolism designed to commemorate
the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. God never wanted the people of
Israel to forget what he had done for them. The New Testament counterpart is
the Lord’s Supper, in which believers eat a ceremonial meal (also filled with
Passover symbolism) to commemorate the deliverance of God’s people from sin.
When we observe communion, we celebrate a meal that has been observed in
unbroken succession for two thousand years.
THE PRIDE OF LIFE
The
boastful pride of life is not from the Father, but is from the world
The
third channel of temptation is at the heart of the New Age Movement: the
temptation to direct our own destiny, to rule our own world, to be our own god.
Satan tantalized Eve concerning the forbidden fruit: "The day you eat from
it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and
evil" (Genesis 3:5). Satan's offer was an exaggerated appeal to our
God-instilled propensity to rule. "Don't be satisfied ruling under
God," he seemed to say, "when you have the potential to be like
God." When Eve was convinced that "the tree was desirable to make one
wise" (Gen 3:6), she and Adam ate.
Satan's
promise that the couple would become like God was nothing more than a lie. When
Adam and Eve yielded to his temptation, they didn't become the gods of this
world as he claimed they would. Instead, they fell from their position of
rulership with God, and Satan became the god of this world by default--exactly
as he had planned.
Satan
tried the same ploy with Jesus: "All [the kingdoms of the world and their
glory] will I give You, if You fall down and worship me" (Matthew 4:9).
When you think about it, Satan's offer was pretty ridiculous. Why would Jesus
be tempted to worship Satan in exchange for the world when He already owned the
universe? So He replied, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall
worship the LORD your God, and serve Him only'" (Matthew 4:10).
The
temptation of the pride of life is intended to steer us away from the worship
of God and destroy our obedience to God by urging us to become our own god.
Whenever you feel that you don't need God's help or direction, that you can
handle your life without consulting Him, that you don't need to bow the knee to
anyone, beware: That's the pride of life. Whenever you stop worshipping and
serving God, you are in reality worshipping and serving Satan--which is what he
wants more than anything else. Instead, your life should be characterized by
worshipful humility and obedience to God (1 Peter 5:5-11; John 15:8-10).
Prayer: Father, help me
resist the temptation to be more than You have called me to be when I
wrongfully assume Your role as captain of my soul.
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