In Numbers 14:4 the Children were going back to Egypt. The spies had returned with a bad report and the Tribes were going to pick a new leader and leave. The Children had tested God ten times, and He was ready to start over. I have heard many preachers say that they were ready to go back and be slaves in Egypt, I do not think that was on their mind. The people had trained for two years as a military force. These were not the beaten down slaves that passed through the Red Sea. My feeling is they did not want to fight giants, but Egypt had lost much of its army. Israel was going back to capture Egypt and rule it.

Egypt is mentioned thousands of times in Scripture, both Old and New Covenant parts talk about it. Abraham was the first to go into Egypt and that laid the ground work and pattern for his children since then. He came out rich, but there were problems (Ishmael). It became a place of refuge for Jacob and the family but that turned to bondage. Solomon acquired wealth from them through trade, and sinned. Jesus went there as a child to mirror Abraham and Israel coming out of her. Egypt bullied Israel until Nebuchadnezzar ended their bad boy ways. Even with them being a problem not all the books of the Old Testament mention Egypt. Do a search with a Bible app, that is interesting.

Why was going back to Egypt a problem? Why did God not want His children going back to Egypt for help? Bondage is the favorite answer and that is hard to argue with, but what sort of bondage? Ezekiel 23 describes Israel’s relationship with the gods of Egypt as prostitution. The ten plagues that got Israel out of Egypt were focused at their gods. Each plague struck down a deity that Egypt worshiped. Egypt loved the created thing-water, sun, plants, animals, and Pharaoh. Aaron and Jeroboam made a god for Israel that looked a bull, because of the influence of Egypt. Part of Eve’s problem in the Garden was because she made a big deal of the fruit on the Tree.

Abraham, the Children of Israel, and Jesus came out of Egypt. Analysis of this fills volumes of books. I would like to offer three ideas about coming out of Egypt. 1) You were in Egypt because of a problem, it may have been a refuge for a season. 2) Once you are gone, there will be a time of peace. Trials and test, however, are coming. 3) Leaving will open you up to your Promised Land or destiny. Once you are called out of Egypt the Father wants you to look to Him for your help. Worship the Creator and not the created, and stop going back to Egypt.