“From Egypt to Canaan” (Deuteronomy 11:8-17) - Roadmap to Renewal III -

Camino de Santiago

The Camino de Santiago (“Pilgrimage of Compostela”), known as the Way of St. James, is a network of pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the Apostle James in northwestern Spain. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the Middle Ages, along with those to Rome and Jerusalem. The number of the pilgrims has gone up and down since then, but still today, hundreds of thousands of Christian pilgrims and many others (over 300,000 in 2017) set out each year to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. Many people take this journey as a time of retreat for their spiritual renewal and growth, asking fundamental questions, “Where did I come from?” “What on earth am I here for?” and “Where am I going?”

This spiritual pilgrimage is not something that started during the Middle Ages. In fact, the Israelites were the ones who first started on their pilgrimage from the land of Egypt to the land of Canaan. Today we may not physically embark on our journey to Canaan, Spain, or Jerusalem. But no matter where we are on it, we are all on our pilgrimage, basically asking the same questions of our life. We, as a church, ask the same questions: “Where did we come from?” and “Where are we going?”

Egypt to Canaan 
Though they are not easy questions to answer, today’s passage gives us a better understanding where we are from and where we are heading. In today’s scripture Moses compares the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan. In verse 10, he says, “In the land of Egypt you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden.” In other words, Egypt is fertile ground for planting crops. Yearly floods bring soil rich in nutrients to the Nile Valley. The Nile basin is one of the birthplaces of ancient civilization. In this respect, the land of Egypt is a land flowing with milk and honey. That is why when Korah rose up against Moses, he said as follows, “Isn't it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert?” (Numbers 16:13) From a human perspective surely Egypt is a land flowing with milk and honey. The life in Egypt is safe, predictable, controllable, and self-sufficient. We are in charge of our life in the land of Egypt.

Then, how about the land of Canaan? In verse 11, Moses says, “But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven.” In other words, unlike Egypt, in Canaan we must totally depend on rain from heaven to get water. We must depend on God for living. The life in Canaan is dependent, unpredictable, out of control, and even humiliating. In the land of Canaan, not I, but God is in charge. Then, why is the land of Canaan called “a land flowing with milk and honey”? The answer is in verse 12. Moses says, “It (Canaan) is a land the Lord your God cares for. The eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.” Canaan is the land that the Lord takes care of. It is the land that the Lord himself is a Provider. So, God promises his people, “If you love me and obey my commands, I will send rain on your land in its season so that you may gather in your grain” (13-14). From a human perspective, Canaan is not a land flowing with milk and honey. But, from God’s perspective, it is the most fertile and blessed land because only when we have a right relationship with God, we are then able to live a prosperous life.

Impossible with Men
Our Christian journey is the journey from the land of Egypt (“my kingdom”) to the land of Canaan (“God’s kingdom”). The Christian journey is hard, frightening, and even impossible to complete for ourselves. One day a certain ruler asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?” Jesus answered, “No sexual immorality, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your father and mother.” The man said, “I have kept them all since my youth.” Jesus said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all your possessions and give to the poor. Then, come, follow me” (Luke 18:18-22). So what is one thing? The heart of the man. His heart is not changed. At the bottom, at the foundation, there is “self,” not “God.” Here Jesus was saying, “My son, give me your heart. You are still in charge. Give God control. Let God be the foundation of everything in your life” Here Jesus was inviting him to get out of Egypt and inherit Canaan. But sadly, this man was afraid of losing power and control of his life. He loved himself more than God. “Die to self” was unthinkable to him. So he went away sad.

The land of Egypt is a spiritual metaphor. When we live in the land of Egypt, we think that we live in freedom. We think that we can do whatever we want. We say we can eat whatever we like, just the Israelites said, “We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic” (Num 11:5). But the truth is that we are slaves in Egypt. The Bible says that we were living our lives as slaves to the fear of dying (cf. Heb 2:15). Jesus also says, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Just as the rich ruler did, it is possible to live a good, moral life without stepping down from the throne of our heart. It is possible to even keep God’s commandments without giving our heart to Him, without loving Him with all our heart. But the thing is, without first getting out of “my kingdom” (Egypt), we cannot enter “God’s kingdom” (Canaan).

Possible with God
Then, how can we get out of Egypt and enter Canaan? “With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Lk 18:27). Human beings are spiritually blind, deaf, and hardened in our hearts. That was the condition of Israel, and that is the condition of all of us until God takes away our hardened heart. In Deuteronomy 29:4 Moses says, “But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear” (ESV). But then, we reach to one of the most glorious promises of God in Deuteronomy, that is, Dt. 30:6, “The LORD your God will change (circumcise) your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!” (NLT) Salvation belongs to our God. God will change our heart!

But how? God did change the hearts of Israel, God does change our hearts, and God will change the hearts of our children, through Christ Jesus our Lord! God sent his shepherds – Moses and other prophets, kings and priests – to lead his people and save them. But they were not willing to follow; instead, they had turned to their own ways. When the time had fully come, God sent his beloved Son to shepherd his people. He lived among us. He loved us. He laid down his life for his sheep. He was lifted up from the earth. Many people saw Jesus on the cross. They were convicted, moved, and drawn to him (John 12:32). As they turned to Jesus, God poured out his love into their hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). God circumcised their hearts. That’s what God did through Jesus.

In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian went down into the Valley of Humiliation after having a wonderful time at the palace Beautiful. There he met Apollyon, which means destroyer. The monster asked, “Where did you come from, and where are you going?” Christian answered, “I have come from the City of Destruction, and I am going to the City of Zion.” At first, Apollyon tried to persuade him to go back to the old city, but after it didn’t work, he made an assault by accusing Christian about just how unfaithful he had been. He counted his wrongdoings one by one. Apollyon pressed forcefully and persistently. But Christian stood his ground and said, “All this is true; in fact there is much more that you left out. But the Prince whom I serve and honor is merciful and ready to forgive. I repented. I turned to him. And I received a full pardon from my Prince!” This agonizing battle lasted for more than half a day, until Christian was almost exhausted. But at the end, Christian gave Apollyon a deadly thrust with his sword, and the monster drew back and ran away.[1]

Turn to God
So what is our part in salvation? What is our part to enter the land of Canaan? The answer is to receive God’s gift and to believe the good news of Jesus Christ. It’s to believe what God did for us through Jesus Christ. And turn to him with all our heart. That’s repentance. Repentance is to turn away from “my kingdom” and turn to “God’s kingdom.” Then, God will put his word, not on tablets of stone, but in our heart, and we will love God.

I still remember how a good friend of mine came to the faith. She always grew up in the church, but I could tell she was struggling with her faith. In her college years, one day she had a chance to attend a church prayer meeting. While praying, she saw a vision that Jesus was standing and waiting for her with open arms right before her. She said to Jesus, “Where were you when I needed you most?” Jesus said, “My daughter, I was here standing and waiting for you with open arms for 20 years. You didn’t turn to me.”

I want to close the way Moses closes in Deuteronomy 30:19-20: “Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life” (ESV). Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us choose life. Let us turn to God with all our heart. And he will do it. Amen.

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[1] John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress (Charles Foster Publishing, 2014), 65-70.

“Facing the Battles” (Deuteronomy 9:1-3) - Roadmap the Renewal II –

Into the Promised Land

We’re in a series on Sunday mornings entitled, Roadmap to Renewal, as we study the Book of Deuteronomy. Last week I briefly mentioned about the background of the book. The Israelites had been in the wilderness for forty years, and now they were about to enter the Promised Land. As God had promised, the land was a rich land flowing with milk and honey indeed. But to their surprise, the Promised Land was not an empty land. Several different tribes of people were already living there, and the Israelites would have to conquer each tribe one by one. The question is this: why does God give His people the land that has to be conquered before it can be divided and settled? Why not just give them an empty land? The answer is because God wants His children to learn to trust Him, love Him, obey Him from the heart through this process. The Bible says that even Jesus, though he was God’s son, learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do (cf. Heb 5:8 MSG). Conquering the Promised Land was not an easy task. It was a challenging, life-risking, long, tedious mission. If we read Joshua, it looks like the Israelites conquered the land at once, but it wasn’t. It took about seven years. These seven years gave Israel a more intense learning experience – learning to trust God.

Fighting the Spiritual Battle

Some of us may wonder if the story of Israel’s battle 3,400 years ago is relevant today. We may not engage in physical war. But, as Christians, we are in a spiritual battle at all times whether we like it or not. In Ephesians 6:12 the Apostle Paul exhorts God’s people to be on guard and alert, saying, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (NLT). The truth is a fierce battle is raging around us 24 hours per day. And the most intense battlefield is our minds. So if we read through all the books of the Bible, we find a recurring theme about our minds – guarding our minds, strengthening our minds, renewing our minds, submitting our minds, bringing our thoughts into captivity, and so on. It is the battle for our minds. This principle applies to not only individuals, but also families, communities, and churches. As I shared last week, our church just embarked on the journey of the church revitalization and renewal. On our journey we have been facing different obstacles along the way, and we will continue to face more challenges. And as we do, we need to remember this: our struggle is not against people or circumstances. Our struggle is against the Devil and all his evil forces behind them. The questions is, “Are we ready for battle?” and “How do we fight?”

Are You Ready for Battle?

In Deuteronomy 20, before the Israelites engage in battle, God commands the officials to address the troops in this way: “Is anyone afraid or disheartened? He should go back to his house, or he might cause the heart of his comrades to melt like his own” (8). After this announcement, then God commands the captains to take charge of those who are willing to remain and do battle. We find same principles in other places through the Bible. For example, when Gideon calls the troops, 32,000 people respond. But compared to their enemies, the Israelites are few. The Midianites and the Amalekites are as thick as locusts, and their camels are as numerous as the sand on the seashore. But God says to Gideon, “The troops with you are too many… you will take all the credit, saying, ‘I did it all myself.’ Now therefore announce to the people, ‘Whoever is timid and afraid may return home.’” So 22,000 people return, and 10,000 remain. But God says, “The troops are still too many.” Then he gives them one more test, and finally only 300 men remain. Then God says, “With these 300 men I will save you.” The Bible says, “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love” (Ps 147:10-11, ESV). The eyes of the Lord constantly search the whole earth to find those whose hearts are fully committed to Him (cf. 2 Ch 16:9). When God finds one, He anoints that person with his holy oil (cf. Ps 89:20), and helps him or her to fulfill all His will (cf. Acts 13:22). Our victory in the battle is not in how many we have or how much we have. Our victory is in how much and how fully we are committed to God and surrendered to His will. John Wesley once said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.” The church today needs these holy people – even one. My prayer is that you and I may be the ones.

War Room

Are you ready for battle? If the answer is “yes,” the next question would be, “How do we fight?” In this invisible war Jesus Christ our Lord is our perfect example to follow. First, we win battles through prayer. Before beginning his ministry in earnest, Jesus was first led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There he fasted and prayed for forty days (Matt 4:2). Before beginning his day, very early in the morning Jesus got up and went to a solitary place and prayed there (Mark 1:35). Before making important decisions, such as choosing the twelve apostles, Jesus prayed to God all night (Luke 6:12). Before engaging in intense battle, Jesus prayed fervently, and his sweat felt to the ground like great drops of blood (22:44). The life of Jesus provides the models for our prayer lives.

When we work, we work. When we pray, God works. When we pray, God softens our hardened hearts and His love is poured out into our hearts afresh. When we pray, God guards our minds, strengthens our minds, renews our minds. When we pray, God opens to us a door for the word. When we pray, our ministry is anointed and becomes fruitful and life-giving. It’s not that we keep prayer, but that prayer keeps us. Prayer saves us, delivers us from ourselves. In the movie War Room, Miss Clara says to her mentee like this, “Elizabeth, there’s not room for you and God on the throne of your heart. It’s either Him or it’s you. You need to step down. If you want victory, you have to first surrender.” Yes, to win the fight, we must first surrender. We need to get out of the way and let God do it. How is it possible? Prayer! When we pray, we are surrendered to God’s will. “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done!” (Matt 26:39). We need to do our fighting in prayer.

The Sword of the Spirit

Secondly, we win battles by taking the sword of the Spirit, that is, the word of God. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, each time he defeated him by using the word of God. Particularly, Jesus used the book of Deuteronomy. The Apostle Paul tells us the right way to fight, saying, “Therefore put on the full armor of God… take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:13, 17). God’s word is an indispensable and the most powerful weapon in our spiritual battle. Right before the Israelites engage in war, God says to Joshua, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8). More than anything else, God’s primary concern is our holiness. God wants us to be holy and sanctified through His word. Then, everything else will fall into place. God’s commandment to Joshua is still relevant today. Let us not God’s word be out of mind for a second, ponder it and meditate on it day and night. Let us hear the word and do the word. And we will win battles and be prosperous in God’s eyes.

Fighting from Victory

When we face a spiritual battle, we need to remember this: our battle is already won. Our victory is not in our performance – how hard we pray, or how much we know the word and do the word. Our victory is in Jesus – his finished work on the cross. The Apostle Paul powerfully proclaims this truth in Colossians 2:13-15 as follows:

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross (NLT).

 Sometimes it’s hard to embrace this truth, especially when we watch the news, see loved ones struggle, or face our own difficult circumstances. But, no matter what the enemy tries to throw our way, we must never forget that our victory in Jesus is secure. About a month ago we had 2019 FIFA Under 20 World Cup. This year South Korea did a good job, got into the finals and finished in second place. In particular, in the quarterfinals Korea and Senegal were neck and neck all the way. The game was decided in the shootout. When I watched the game for the first time, I was so nervous. But when I watched it a second time, I was much more relaxed and enjoyed the game, because I knew how it would end. In the same way, although the battle might be fierce, we can always have confidence in the victory because Jesus already conquered the power of sin and death. So now we fight from victory, not for victory. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor 15:57). Amen.  

“Into the Wilderness” (Deuteronomy 2:7) - Roadmap to Renewal I –

Why Deuteronomy?

I have visited my family in Korea after nine years. One of the highlights was to visit my grandfather. Now he is 94 years old and has become more and more forgetful. The day when we visited him was my mother’s birthday (that is, his daughter’s birthday). But now he didn’t remember his own daughter’s birthday. But I was impressed because he did still remember what God had done for him as he was planting a new church. He did still remember how God healed him from a fatal disease. And at the end of our conversation he said, “Always give yourself fully to God’s work. Always be devoted to prayer. Always hold fast to God’s word.” Similarly, John Newton once wrote at age 82 in this way: “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”

That’s what Moses does here in the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy means “second law” or “repetition of the law.” The Israelites had been nomadic for 40 years, and now they were about to enter the Promised Land. The older generation already passed away. So Moses wanted the younger (second) generation to remember the things that were really important. Moses knew that he would not enter the land with them. And he knew that the people would face new challenges along the way. As their spiritual leader and father, Moses was now delivering his farewell speech. That’s the book of Deuteronomy.

I believe Deuteronomy is a very timely message for us today as we as a church endeavor to move forward and as we face challenges within and without. My prayer is that the Lord may equip us and give us a sense of clarity as we study the book of Deuteronomy together.

Remember

The essence of the message can be summed up in two words: love and obedience. Throughout his message Moses urges his people to love the Lord with all their hearts, because love is the greatest motive for true obedience. Jesus said it well, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). Obedience proves love. Love and obedience go hand in hand.

However, the Bible diagnoses our natural human nature in this way: there is no love for God in us. 1 John 4:10 says, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Our hearts and minds has to be supernaturally transformed in order to love God and obey his word. Then the next question is, “How can our minds be transformed?” “How can we be equipped to obey everything God commands?” 

In the Wilderness

The answer is the wilderness school. God often uses the wilderness to transform and equip us. In Deuteronomy 4:20 Moses says, “Remember that the LORD rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today” (NLT). In the wilderness we are born anew and transformed. In the wilderness we are equipped. In the wilderness we become the children of God, the people of God.

At first, with the mighty hand and outstretched arm God rescued Israel out of Egypt. And with God they crossed the Red Sea valiantly. Then they were taken to Mount Horeb, where they saw the glory of God and received God’s commandments. It was their mountain top experience. But then God said to them, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain” (1:6). Then they were led into the wilderness. On the way to Kadesh-Barnea the Israelites grumbled and even wanted to turn around and go back! At Kadesh-Barnea, the gateway into the Promised Land, they were rebellious. Ten leaders, out of the twelve, gave the people a bad report about the Promised Land because of their fear and unbelief. So God commanded them to journey back into the wilderness.

Wilderness Is Love

Our interest is to enter the Promised Land. The sooner, the better. But God’s interest is for us to become his holy people and to live worthy of our calling. From God’s perspective wilderness is love. Wilderness is a blessing. In Deuteronomy 2:7 Moses says, “Surely the LORD your God has blessed you in all your undertakings; he knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.” Yes, God’s grace is enough. In the wilderness God shapes us, transforms us, equips us to become his holy people.

While I was in Korea this past Sunday, I attended my parents-in-law’s church service. They had just moved into a new place used to be the Buddhist temple. I realized that they had gone through a lot during the moving process. Even though my parents-in-law were always faithful and devoted to God’s work, they had faced many hardships and trials. And compared to all their labor, they seemed to bear little fruit. Then I had a chance to have some conversation with my mother-in-law. At the end of the conversation she said, “In my early years of ministry I was so stressed out and concerned about successful ministry. But as I go through this great wilderness, these thirty years, I have learned that church ministry is not the end. It’s just a means to equip me to become God’s holy people. So now I enjoy much more freedom and joy.”

Return to Essence

Wilderness is love. Wilderness is a blessing. Entering the Promised Land without the school of wilderness is not a blessing. Do you feel like you are walking through the wilderness? Meet God in the wilderness. Recollect, remember what God has done for you all those years in the wilderness, and be thankful!

I believe our church is also in the wilderness school. For all those years we have been through a lot. But the truth is: “God has been with us. And we have lacked nothing.” Recently, our church participated in “Discovering the Possibilities” study. And now, as a follow up we work with our coach. It’s not another program for the church growth. It’s our effort and endeavor to return to essence, return to basics, return to the early church – the word and prayer.

In the wilderness a map is no use, because the geography of the wilderness constantly changes because of the wind. What we need is a compass, or in today’s terms, GPS (“Global Positioning System”). It provides navigation via satellite, so that we can stay on track toward our destination. But in order to use our GPS, we need to have a strong signal. Spiritually it refers to the word and prayer. By hearing the word and doing the word, by listening to God and talking to God, we receive a sense of clarity and strength that we need.

Ebenezer, Jehovah-Jireh

Wherever he lived, missionary Hudson Taylor put up a plaque that read: “Ebenezer—Jehovah-Jireh.” These Hebrew words mean, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us—the LORD will see to it” (1 Sam. 7:12; Gen. 22:14).

On my plane flying back to the United States, I had mixed feelings – happiness, loneliness, gratitude, fear, worry, etc. I was grateful to see my parents and grandparents, but at the same time, I was worried and concerned about their failing health, my parents’ life after their retirement, our separation and upcoming deaths. In my distress I silently cried out to God. And I heard the Inner Voice saying, “Ebenezer. Remember that the Lord has been faithful. He who has helped you will take care of you.” Yesterday I visited Dellie and Georgia. Dellie was failing. In my sadness I prayed. And I heard the same voice, “The God of Ebenezer will take care of you.”

What we need today is to only trust God and stay the course in this wilderness school. Let us look back and remember what the Lord has done for us for all these years, and be thankful. Let us look ahead and trust God. He will provide. He will see to it. He will take care of us. Ebenezer, Jehovah-Jireh. Amen.