E3-12: The principle of THE LAST WILL BE FIRST originated in Exodus 3

“Moreover, I will make the Egyptians so well-disposed toward this people that when you go, you won’t go empty-handed.   Rather, all the women will ask their neighbors and house guests for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, with which you will dress your own sons and daughters. In this way you will plunder the Egyptians.”-Exodus 3:21-22

Yesterday when I talked about why God told Moses to ask the Egyptians for only a 3-day pass instead of a permanent release, I said the reason was because God saw the need for a warm up period for His people in preparation for what lay ahead.

However, it just hit me there’s another really important reason and it touches on something Israel will continuously struggle with throughout their long history.

I’m talking about syncretism.

The dictionary definition of syncretism is “the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion”.

This definition can be aptly applied to the Israelites because we’ll see that they’ll constantly be flirting with idolatry while at the same time affirming their allegiance to YHVH.

From YHVH’s perspective, this is spiritual adultery, pure and simple.

Israel wanted to keep one foot in Egypt and the other in the promises of God.

God had to show them through this 3-day request that this was not only possible but fatal.

When Pharaoh refused to allow the Israelites to separate for even a mere 72 hours, the elders of Israel would come to the realization that the only path that lay before them was a complete and no-compromise separation.

They would come to understand that Pharaoh wanted more than just their manpower, he wanted their mind, body, and very souls, which is what Satan wants.

This is the same struggle all believers today go through.

I know for myself that I’ve tried many times to keep one foot in the world and the other in God’s kingdom.

Man, it just doesn’t work.

Yeshua was right.

Either be hot or cold, or be spit out.

This is a life-long process we’ll all go through as the Lord will step-by-step continue to show us things in our lives that we need to separate from.

Finally, at the end of chapter 3, God tells Moses that after He has laid waste to the Egyptians, the Israelites are to plunder Egypt.

Another spiritual principle is brought to the fore here.

Notice that the slaves will plunder their masters.

 In other words, “the first will be last, and the last will be first”.

This isn’t some New Testament principle.

This God-pattern began right here in Exodus 3.

In fact, every fundamental God-pattern begins in the Torah.

That’s why if we’re going to have any hope at all in ever properly understanding the NT, we’ve really got to study our Torahs!

I’ll never be able to say this enough.

NEXT TIME WE BEGIN EXODUS CHAPTER FOUR