Exodus 12:31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, 'Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said.
Israel had just gone through a difficult time. They had been in bondage for 400 years, dealt with Pharoah making them work without stray, and going through the first Passover. Even with the “security” of knowing God would save their first born if they placed the lambs blood on the door, it must still have been a very anxious and stressful situation. Now they would have to embark into the unknown. Unknown timeframe and unknown direction. They had achieved victory but as scripture will show us, they did what some of us still do in the victory.
I can remember moments where God had saved me from something or helped me through a difficult situation. Throughout it I would lean on God, never doubting He would get me out of it. On the other side of the victory, however, my devotion became lax. I didn’t speak to Him as much because things were fine. “God’s got my back. I’m good.” A phrase we often take too much for granted. We forget the enemy is waiting for us to get comfortable.
In Exodus 12:31, Pharoah tells Moses and the people of Israel to leave Egypt. They had found their victory but Pharoah “commands” they go and do what they sought to do: “go, serve the Lord.” Many times in our victory, we focus so much on the win we forget who brought us there. How many of us pause on serving the Lord? We indulge in the win and hold a victory parade for weeks, forgetting there is work still to be done. The victory was God’s will for the intent of us continuing to do His will. The whole time I clamored to God, or Israel seeking deliverance, did God stop doing the work, whether I saw it or not.
As we give glory to God for each win, may we remember the task still at hand. The lives who need to hear your testimony that could bring them closer to God. He gives us the victory so we can share it with others. We often say it’s difficult for us to talk to people because we don’t know the word, forgetting we have a testimony right on our lips. Moses said he wasn’t good at speech and God responded that He would give Him the words. God does that with us today, not only through the Holy Spirit but through His glory shown in our lives.
The final thing Pharoah asked Moses was that they bless him. It can be difficult to want to forgive and bless those who do evil against us. If we are to imitate Christ, who while dying on the cross, asked to forgive them and as He gave up His life for our sins, but also for the sins of those who persecuted Him. Before He died, Jesus says in Matthew 6: 14-15, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” And to be true to His word, He showed it on the cross.
As we go through the highs and lows of life, counting up the victories God places before us, may we be ready to walk out of that Egypt, ready to serve the Lord. Rise up from the dust and serve. Let us imitate Christ, forgiving those who sin against us so that we may be forgiven for our sins. God holds the victory. Don’t withhold the testimony by focusing on the win and not the one who gave it to you.