God was specifically calling the Israelites out of and away from Egypt. They were not to take “Egypt” with them. For the Israelites, Egypt was both a land of physical bondage as well as spiritual bondage. God was calling them not only out of their physical captivity, but He deeply desired for them to have freedom spiritually. It was His desire to have a relationship with His children. He was calling them into a land of spiritual liberty, a land far from the clutches of Egypt. Or was He? Let’s take a look at the second part of Leviticus 18:3 again. “You must not do as they do in the land of Canaan.” The reality that the Israelites faced in Canaan was no different than Egypt. The level of evil was just as twisted and perverted. If you need proof of this, feel free to continue to read on in chapter 18 of Leviticus or head over to chapter 20. God lays out a very clear list of “don’ts”. Why would God give them such an exhaustive list before they ever set eyes on Canaan? These very things listed happened to be the exact behaviors that were taking place in their beloved promise land and it was God’s desire to forewarn them of these harsh realities so they knew exactly what to do when faced with them. Have you ever found yourself in a situation that you only wish someone had given you a heads up so that you could plan better, but instead found yourself completely blindsided with no idea how to handle it? The Lord wanted His people to be prepared to fight the spiritual battle that lay ahead of them. He didn’t want them to be caught off guard.
While God gave the Israelites plenty of warning about what lay ahead of them they still managed to adopt many of the detestable practices of both Egypt and Canaan. There were times when the Israelites had assimilated so much that they were virtually unrecognizable as God’s chosen people. The Israelites broke God’s heart time and time again. The Lord would plainly lay out His expectations only to find His people worshiping other gods (2 Kings 17:7), rejecting His law (2 Kings 17:15), and imitating the nations around them (2 Kings 17:15). For a more detailed list of the ways the Israelites evoked God to anger read 2 Kings 17:1-17.
Like the Israelites, we too are called to “come out from among them.” (Isaiah 52:11, 2 Corinthians 6:17). We are aliens and strangers in this world (1 Peter 2:11). We are called to be in this world and not of it (John 15:19). We are to be the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14). So, here is the question...do we have enough “God” in us that people around us can actually taste and see that the Lord is good? (Psalm 34:8) If the people around us can not taste the goodness of God, or see the light pouring out of us, then something is amiss. The Israelites had looked so much like the nations around them that when those nations looked at God’s chosen, they saw nothing different. They could not taste the salt in their lives. Salt has the ability to make a normal run of the mill fruit or vegetable become savory, making it more desirable. It creates a craving in people to want more. Can people taste the savory flavor of Christ, or are we leaving them tasting nothing different then the rest of the world has offered?
Just as we are called to be the salt, we are also called to be the light (Matthew 5:14). We are not to be hidden (Matthew 5:14). We are to let our light shine before others, that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:15). Can people actually look at our lives and physically see that we are one of God’s chosen, or do we blend in with everyone else? There is a Newsboys song entitled “Guilty” and every time I hear that song I find myself asking the question… “Is there enough evidence to convict me of serving God?” Is there enough visible, tangible, hold up in the court of law evidence to convict me beyond a shadow of a doubt that I serve the Lord? Can people physically taste the salt and physically see the light to the point that it could put me in prison? These are tough questions. How about you? Can people physically taste the salt and see the light in your life? Would there be enough evidence to convict you of serving God?
Call to action
I leave us with this today, let’s spend some time praying that the Lord puts His finger on the very things that are dimming our light from people seeing God’s goodness and stealing our salt from people tasting that the Lord is good. What a rejoicing there will be in heaven when those around us come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (Luke 15:10) all because we made a stand to come out from among them (2 Corinthians 6:17) and be the physical, tangible palatable salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14).
For similar posts visit: Being Ready and Where is Your Heart?
Father, I thank you that you ordained us to be on this earth for such a time as this, to be the salt and light, for others to see our good deeds so they can glorify you. We pray that you begin to place your finger on the very things that are hindering others from tasting and seeing that you are good. We lay our lives at your feet, to be teachable and pliable so that our loved ones who do not know you will come to the saving knowledge of your son. We pray this in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
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