"out of the land of Egypt"

As much as I would like to be a child of the promise land the reality is that I'm more of an Egyptian. I mean I wonder if they said things like, "You can bring the man out of Egypt, but you can't take the Egyptian out of the man." Even as slaves, the culture of Egypt would inform the Israelites (Israelites...That's funny. I thought they were Egyptians) way of being. As the story is read we read it through the eyes of God. We see his working out his providence amongst a people. From God's perspective we wonder why they build the golden calf, are desirous about the fruits and vegetables of their "home" land, and refuse to enter the "promise land". God calls them a stiffnecked people. As a reader it is easy to condemn them, why don't they simply straighten up and fly right? After 400 years of slavery I am beginning to wonder if they would need more time than 40 years to transition. You can't be God's people if you are secretly still Egypts. It is simply not possible to serve two masters.

I would imagine that as a "Egyptian" people they had morals and a way of living. I'm sure however that the commandments came as a shock. At their base the commandments seek not to inform what we do but to Whom we live.

I must admit I'm an Egyptian. I am stiffnecked. I am an American grown up in a time of incredible indulgence and power. "Slavery" while sounding harsh is a good word for it. At every turn it informs who I am. It takes great courage I find to do the other. It takes great courage to stay out in the desert. Thankfully I am not alone.

As a child of God I pray that when the breath of life falls short someone will be kind enough to say, "He was heir to the desert."