Many Egyptians believed in the God of Moses. But, they didn’t take any proactive steps toward aligning themselves with Him or serving Him. They could have had their families circumcised; they could have gotten rid of their household idols; they could have put blood on their doors, but they didn’t. Therefore, they suffered the same fate as Pharaoh and the unbelieving Egyptians–or did they? Evidently, there WERE Egyptians who “saw the light” and became proselytes of Yahweh–right along with most of the Israelites.

¹⁹ Listen, my son, and be wise,
    and set your heart on the right path:

³⁷ And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. ³⁸ A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. Exodus 12:37-38

⁷ Do not despise an Edomite, for the Edomites are related to you. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you resided as foreigners in their country.⁸ The third generation of children born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord. Deuteronomy 23:7-8

It has been postulated that most of the Israelites had been sucked into the Egyptian culture. Israel DID have a penchant for worshiping whatever gods were handy. The problem is that we have the same problem! Our gods are not so obvious, but they are there just the same: Fame, fortune, power, security, health, family name, honor, pride, pleasure, and a host of other ones. The Egyptians had gods that they served, and the gods “gave” the Egyptians license to do whatever they wanted in the name of religion (someone assigned the religious duties and mandates, and we know that “someone” to be Satan), just as the Assyrians did, and the Babylonians did, and the Medes and Persians did, and the Greeks did, and the Romans did, and right on up to today.

Yahweh (the LORD God) has standards that befit His character. He asks us to have that same character. In Old Testament times, the power had to come from the person; in New Testament times, the power comes from WITHIN the person. It’s why Jesus came! God sent His Son to accomplish His will: to pay the price for our sin so that He could have us back. He gives us His Spirit as a deposit, “When you believed, you were marked in him [Christ] with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13

Let’s live our lives according to God’s Word, Christ’s Redemption, and the Spirit’s Leadership. The best way to know God is to seek Him in the pages of His Word. He will reveal Himself to us as we read, ponder, and put into practice.

Abba, I pray for my readers that they will “set their hearts on the right path” by learning who You are. May the Scriptures come alive to them as You reveal Yourself to them. “Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us.” Recreate Your character in us so that we will look Just Like Jesus. Amen.