God has chosen us to sit together in heavenly places above the mist and
fog and spiritual malaria of this sin-laden world. With the palm tree
blessing in our souls, we are not yearning for the flesh-pots of Egypt.
The leeks and garlic and onions of the past Egyptian diet have no
charms for such a one. He has risen to heavenly heights, where he
catches the smiles of his Savior and is enabled really to look down on
things terrestrial.
When Pharaoh was pressed by Moses and Aaron to let the children of
Israel go, he first refused, then tried to compromise by letting them
worship the Lord "in the land." When this failed, he tried the second
compromise and said he would let them go, "only ye shall not go very far
away." Pharaoh was certainly a long-headed schemer. He knew if they did
not get very far away, he would not have very far to go after them.
Then, again, he knew if they were not very far away, and had a hard time
to get something to eat, they would not have far to get back and fill up
on garlic and onions.
It is just that way with Pharaoh's antitype, the Devil. He first refuses
to let his subjects go. Then if they are bound to go and be Christians
he tries to get them to do their religion "in the land;" that is, remain
in the world and be worldly professors. How many are really deceived at
this point! When the Devil sees that this compromise will not take, he
tries the next one and says if they are bound to be Christians, all
right and good, but "ye shall not go very far away."
How many poor deluded souls bite at this bait! They do not get very far
away from Egypt, and certainly the Devil has not very far to go after
them. Then, when they fail to get enough in their religion to satisfy
the longing desires of their hearts, they naturally turn toward the
flesh-pots of Egypt, and should they feel abashed because of their
church profession in going outright to the theater, dance, card parties
and other worldly amusements, they get them up in the name of the church
and religion, and have a fourth class performance in the church, or
enjoy the fun and frolic of strawberry festivals, bean suppers, oyster
stews, grab-bags, fish ponds, and so on _ad libitum_. They may try to
hide the smell of their Egyptian diet, but anybody can tell when one has
been eating onions and garlic.
Thank God some folks got such a boost when they left Egypt, that they
never long for any of the former life. Like the palm tree, they are
above it all.
Imagine the Apostle Paul attending the performances which some churches
have these days! There are pilgrims scattered over the world today so
lofty in their spiritual makeup, that to stoop to the level of the
pleasures of the worldly professors would be so utterly incongruous that
it would border on the ridiculous.
The palm tree blessing is a high blessing. It is the "higher life"
indeed. "And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called
the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it" (Isa. 35:8).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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