Exile

Have you ever really read into the story of Israel's first and second exile? Most of us know the story about God's chosen people, the Israelites, bound to slavery in the land of Egypt early on in the history of the world. We see that the Israelites were slaves Egypt for over 400 years. 400 years of slavery. 400 years of harsh treatment. 400 years of oppresion (Exodus 12:40) I had often wondered why God had finally "heard them after 400 years." Why hadn't God saved them early on? Why had God allowed them to be slaves in the first place? However God, in His aweseom power, broke the chains of the oppressed and set the captives free. He did this for His glory. He did this to show the world that He alone sets the captives free. This brought Israel out of

One thing I have noticed about this life is that many times we find ourselves under oppression. We find ourselves far from joy. A place where we are separated from true peace and contentment. This is the place of the oppressed. Though we may question why God would allow us to go through times of oppression, I can see how these times are sadly necessary. I have been seeing the fact that we can't experience true joy unless we have experienced true sorrow. How can we ever know what true contentment is until we have experienced oppression? These times of sorrow and times of oppression often bring us back to repentance, which leads us back to a restored relationship with God.

As I look at Israel's long history, I see two major themes. Theme #1 - Israel is unfaithful. Theme #2 - God is always faithful. Israel, just like myself, always seems to find its way back to being unfaithful. Time after time, Israel would rebel and turn from God. The interesting thing is that God sent many prophets and teachers who told them to turn back. Time and time again, Israel turned its back on God and His prophets. Finally, God allowed Israel to become captives by the Babylonians. It is ony after Israel lost everything it once had that they began to cry out to God for restoration. In exile, we find ourselves at a place where we realize that we are not independent. This is a place that is good to visit often. To the Israelites, it seems that there is no hope. God has allowed them to become slaves again. They now again find themselves in the land of the oppressed.

However, The story does not end here. Thankfully we have hope of restoration. Allthroughout Isaiah and Jeremiah we find God's promise to resotre His people. We have been promised that He will redeem us and reconcile us. Isaiah 54 tells us all about our new reconciled state.

Isaiah 54:5-8 "For your Maker is your husband - the LORD Almighty is his name - the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in the spirit - a wife who married young, only to be rejected, says your God. For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger. I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the LORD your Redeemer.

How does this apply to us today? Many of us are under some sort of oppression. We are in a land that is foreign and we are crying out for rescue. We are in a place of exile. A place of uncertainty. A place where we cant seem to find hope. However, we must hold onto the promise that help is on the way. Help has come; His name is Jesus. He has rescued us from oppression, and He has given us hope. Though we find ourselves in exile, remember this feeling of oppression. Because when we enter a reconciled relationship with God, we can only truly enjoy His glory when we reflect on how lost and in need we were before Him.

Andrew