EPISODE 6 RETRAINING FORMER SLAVES

EPISODE 6 RETRAINING FORMER SLAVES

The Israelite slaves had only known the authority of slave masters who whipped them and even murdered their male babies to keep them from becoming too powerful. Their gods were unpredictable and didn’t communicate. For protection from their power, they had to be appeased.

If you were training former slaves, people who had only known the fear of authority and the gods of their oppressors, where would you begin?

The Creator began by demonstrating his compassion, power, empathy and love.

Following their escape they camped in a dry desert at the foot of Mount Sinai.

They had no water. The Creator instructed Moses to take a group of witnesses to a large rock and strike it with his walking staff. When Moses struck the rock water flowed out and formed a lake in the desert.  

Shortly after their escape from Egypt, the former slaves built an altar of huge rocks and constructed an idol of an Egyptian god. It was an idol of a calf. They worshiped it and gave it credit for leading them out of Egypt.

Their Creator’s anger burned against them.  They were assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai, and the Creator used the forces of nature to gain their attention. The mountain shook and trembled, smoke poured from its peak. There were loud blasts like the sound of blowing through a ram’s horn, thunder rumbled and lightning creased the sky. The people were frightened. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

Moses answered, “God has come to test you so the fear of God will be in you to keep you from sinning.”

The Creator now had their attention. He began His instructions with this statement, given through Moses. “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, have no other gods before me.”

Moses informed them of human nature’s flaws:

First, Human nature distrusts God.

Second, Human nature ignores His laws.

Third, Human nature makes Self its god. 

Fourth, Human nature is attracted by self-interests evil, it damages others.

Fifth, Our nature rebels against authority.

Sixth, Our nature joins others in its rebellion.

Seventh, Our nature makes excuses and blames others for its evil.

Eighth, Human Nature’s evil begins in our thoughts. It is a rebellion against our Creator that leads to death. 

At Mount Sinai the Creator gave Moses and the people Ten Commandments. The Commandments began with the importance of a relationship of trust with their Creator. It continued by defining the violations that damage relationships with others and with their Creator.

            Human nature’s sins begin in our minds. Hatred, lust, deceit, selfishness, are evil even if their final acts of hatred to murder, lust to adultery, deceit to false witness, and selfishness to theft do not find opportunity to reach their conclusion.

The Creator’s solution is unfolding a step at a time. It is the great drama of human history. Each of us is a recipient of the Creator’s plan in the battle of good versus evil.