Egypt and Liberty – Biblical Commentary

Egypt and Liberty – Biblical Commentary

 I watched a video clip today – the cheering and dancing in the streets of Cairo. Mubarak is finally gone and the people will supposedly have attained freedom. This is an exciting time for Egyptians and more broadly for many people in the Middle East. Everywhere, men want to be free. Everywhere, they suffer at the hands of tyrants and posers for the good. None of this is new. History’s story is one of man’s brutal rule over man. People fight for liberty but rarely obtain it. Liberty is like an ornament on a tree too high to reach. It melts away like an ice bit in the sun.

 Why is this? Why is liberty so difficult to hold unto? Why is liberty so ethereal? After all, if everyone desires liberty should it not be common? But, it is not common. It is uncommon and it tends to be brief. Men quickly fall back into tyranny. Why is this? Why do men who almost universally long for liberty retrench toward tyranny so often?

 The question of freedom runs back a long time in Egyptian history. It was almost four-thousand years ago that Joseph became second in command to Pharaoh. It was Joseph who with God’s wisdom and blessing saved the Egyptians from certain starvation. It was also Joseph who brought those same Egyptians into slavery in their own land. “So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves” (Genesis 47:25) so the Egyptians said. They were willing to become slaves in order to have a safe supply of bread. Lately, bread has once again become expensive in Egypt. Egyptians import most of their wheat and grain prices are at an all time high. They have marched in the streets. Pharaoh Mubarak has left the country. Freedom is at hand. But is it?

 I read in my Bible, ‘And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free’ (John 8:23). The truth spoken of here is Jesus, the God of the Bible. This is the same God who freed the Israelites from the Egyptians. This is the same Jesus of whom it was said that He set at liberty the captives. This is the same Jesus who told His disciples that if the Son shall set you free you shall be free indeed (John 8). Now, we have Egyptians clamoring for freedom – only without Jesus. Unfortunately for them this is an impossible dream. There is no freedom without Jesus. They are rejoicing at the possibility for self determination. But, the self that will determine is a self lost in sin and unenlightened by the Holy Spirit. For the Egyptians at this time Democracy will lead to tyranny will lead to slavery. The only hope for Egyptians to find lasting freedom is to find Christ and to implant Him at the center of their society. This will be a bottom up change instead of a top down change. When the souls of the people are free then the bodies of the people can be free. They must have Biblical redemption, Biblical law, and Biblical obedience. Without these things there will not be liberty.

 Pray for the Egyptian people.

 For Christian Culture,

Don Schanzenbach    2-12-11   

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