The Corona Exodus

Sick and tired of the virus!

Let’s face it, who is sick and tired of COVID-19? It’s already been a year and a few months and we pray for it to be gone. We’re sick and tired of hearing about 1 or 2 cases in Sydney and then hearing that a snap lockdown is in place and it ruins our plans, forcing us to stay at home.

I mean, me and my wife still haven’t gone on our honeymoon because of the lockdown. So, that tells you something how the lockdown has restricted our travels. We want to be free, we want to venture out and explore and travel to various and vast places.

What’s happening outside?

But when we start looking outside our box, outside the shores and borders of Australia, and think about those countries affected by the pandemic, you get a different reaction, sure they too are sick and tired of the whole pandemic. But, outside our borders in places like India, Brazil, the UK, or even the United States and the rest of the world. These are the countries that are suffering the most, these are the countries that are looking for hope in any shape and form.

Everyone is suffering from a tiny micro-organism that is causing havoc with humanities future. But, you would have thought that humanity would have learnt its lesson about viruses and pandemics. How is it possible with post modern day science that an infection can get out of hand to spread to all the world?

Previous pandemics

In 1918, 103 years ago, in the final months of World War 1 to around April 1920 a pandemic was emerging and the origin was unknown. But this virus spread far and wide because in those times communication wasn’t as quick like today’s time not to mention at the start of the pandemic there was a war happening so a lot of people travelling from place to place. Estimates believe the death toll caused by this virus to range from 17 - 100 million. However, it can’t be compared to the Black Death (or the Bubonic Plague) of 1346 where they estimate the death toll was around 75 - 200 million.

The death toll so far for COVID-19 is at 2.4 million as of this month, the sad fact is that number isn’t just digits, they are people and the unfortunate thing is that this whole thing could have been avoided.

Exodus out of Corona.

It is such a tragedy and discomforting no matter how you put it, as sad as it is, this is what Jesus told us to prepare for, it was signs of things to come to prepare us for His return, and that is my destination, our ultimate honeymoon away from this sin filled earth to be received by our Jesus; King of kings and Lord of lords.

But for the mean time, we are to prepare for our exodus, the exodus out of Corona.

This doesn’t mean that I am asking you to take the vaccine, or that virus is a myth. I’m not talking about that, whatever you do with the coronavirus thing is of your own volition. However, just stay healthy and safe following the rules and regulations that the health officers are giving and government restrictions.

What does Jesus say.

But with all that is happening in the world, let’s have a look to Jesus in what He has to say about His return:

Luke 21:34–36 NLT

“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

What does Jesus mean the worries of this life? Refer back to a parable Jesus shared about a sower and the seed.

Luke 8:14 NKJV

Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

The pressure of work.

For some of us, or maybe most of us, the pandemic has changed the way we work. It’s pressured companies and busineses and this then affects employees of these various businesses.

People are affected - people are worried.

It is said that casual workers were hit the hardest during the pandemic and independant contractors found it hard to find work mid last year. But some good news is that people are getting back to the work force and our country has recovered slightly from a recession.

Still, the work pressure is still there for most people, and some might not know it, but it could eat away at your relationship with Jesus, I plead for those that are working office jobs or wherever work that you listen to what Jesus said: “...Keep alert at all times...”

So, the questions we should all be asking ourself is this, how are we “watching out”? Is the sower’s seed fallen on a field filled with thorns? Are you producing mature fruit?

There are various factors that choke and hinder the need for Christ’s righteousness. Jesus tells us to “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled...”

With the way things are going around the world, it’s growing in intensity, and evidentally humanity will grow more immoral but we are not to be dulled by the hearts of men, we should seek out the the character of Jesus and His love. For if we fix our eyes in Jesus, He will give us that strength to overcome this world and help us stand for that glorious and awesome day.

The beginning of the Exodus

Jesus referred to His coming to that of Noah and him entering the ark. I like to consider our present situation to that of the Israelites in Egypt. With the plagues falling on the Egyptians and the Israelites kept safe in the land of Goshen. Hence the title of my message; The Corona Exodus.

We are to learn what the Israelites got up to during the time of the plagues and at the end of the plagues and how we can apply these lessons for ourselves. Are we ready for our Exodus? Are we ready to “Watch out!… Keeping alert at all times?”

What were the Israelites doing during the time of the plagues? Was it just Moses and Aaron alone in their faith in God? We never consider what the Israelites got up to as the whole of Egypt was being affected by the plauges, the Bible only has the story of Moses and Aaron during their exchange with Pharoah.

Moses and Aaron meets with the Israelites.

After Moses had left Midian for Egypt, we find the first encounter Moses and Aaron had with the Israelites in:

Exodus 4:31 NLT

Then the people of Israel were convinced that the Lord had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

At first the Israelites were joyous to know that the God of their fathers; Abraham, Isaac, and Israel was concerned about them and had seen their misery and they worshiped the Lord.

Who was God to the Israelites?

Yet, for the Israelites, who was God that He was concerned for them. To the Israelites, they’ve only been told about God from their parents who was told from their parents, who was then told by their parents and so on.

The Israelites had been in the land of Goshen for 430 years, that’s about more or less four generations since the Jacob’s children settled in the land to the time the Israelites left Egypt and in all that time, God interacts with them near the end of those 430 years through Moses.

It’s amazing and a blessing to know that God was still concerned with the children of Israel during their time of slavery and that even though the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians, there were those that still worshipped God and called out to Him.

In the book ‘Spiritual Gifts, Vol 3, pg 197’ it says:

“The Hebrews expected to be delivered from their bondage without any particular trial of their faith, or suffering on their part. They were many of them ready to leave Egypt, but not all. The habits of some had become so much like the Egyptians that they preferred to remain with them."

First sign of danger we resist God.

At the first sign of trial and tribulation the Israelites experienced their response was towards Moses and Aaron:

Exodus 5:21 NLT

The foremen said to them, “May the Lord judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!”

We’re just like them!

How similar it is for us when we as Christians encounter trails and tribulations that we question God “why have you done this to me?” Not knowing that

“...patience must have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Jas 1:4.

Sure, our journey with God is not always smooth roads and pleasant pastures. Sometimes we do need to face a bit of bitter to appreciate better things. So that through our patience with Him can have its “...perfect work. that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

God’s deliverance through the plagues.

You can imagine the joy in the Israelites to see God’s deliverance as the plagues fell on the Egyptians, how their hearts changed to happiness to see those that oppressed them are being oppressed by their God who heard them out of their afflication.

You can imagine the enthusiasm building each passing plague as the message to pack up, oh and take from the Egyptians their gold, silver, and other precious metals, and get ready to go on a trip leaving Egypt behind.

What do you believe was the reaction of the Israeiltes to hear that gospel phrase. “You are free”, after maybe 400 years of being a slave through pain and suffering, what a relief that will be.

Worship and reverence should have been given to God. However, how quick they were to forget the cloud by day and fire by night that was ever present before them. How quick they were to say ‘yes we agree’ to God, to breaking the vary thing they agreed with.

Reiterating the quotation from ‘Spiritual Gifts, Vol 3, pg 197’

“The Hebrews expected to be delivered from their bondage without any particular trial of their faith, or suffering on their part. They were many of them ready to leave Egypt, but not all. The habits of some had become so much like the Egyptians that they preferred to remain with them."

What lessons can we learnt from the Israelites while they were in Egypt? What of our current condition? Are we ready to break any promises?

The beginning of the Coronavirus

The conditions of the coronavirus at first was daunting, we had to adjust to this new reality of another added pressure in our society and community. The thoughts of cases growing in our very doors was unpleasent; the media was adding to the hype and hysteria of people frantically buying toilet paper, flour and other items.

Churches had to close their doors and church leaders had to find ways to run their services. Some churches ignored the rules of the land and decided to open their doors causing grief with the community and council.

However, once things started to settle down, it dawned on us that we’re going to be in lockdown for the long haul, how easy it is for us to be comforted by the convenience of our home?

I could also imagine as the plagues in Egypt became worse and worse, that the Israelites started to not appear for work as the Egyptians began fearing the Israelites more and more.

Think about it, the Egyptians are being targetted by God; the Israelites masters. So imagine day after day the Egyptian boss coming in scatching his body because of the lice, then the next day, a fly infestation, followed by another day boils and so on. I think they will just say:

“You know what, don’t come to work, have a long day off, you know how about take the year off. It’s all good we can take it from here. Thank you for your service, sorry if we did anything that offended you. Make sure you tell you God that! Bye.”

Stiff-necked people

They were many of them ready to leave Egypt, but not all. The habits of some had become so much like the Egyptians that they preferred to remain with them."

The Israelites, as you learn more about their behaviour in Exodus, Deuteronomy and Numbers. Would be later described as a stiff-neck (or stubborn) people by Moses and by God.

Exodus 32:9 NKJV

And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!

Deuteronomy 31:27 NKJV

for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord, then how much more after my death?

Some didn’t want to leave

There were many like Lot’s wife, advancing forward but looking backwards.

They were stiff neck because they had remembered the comforts in being in Egypt, even though they were a slave and down trodden by the Egyptians. How unfortunate it was for them to not realise that a better place was available to them if they had put their faith in Jesus.

Are we ready to leave our comforts?

How easy for us also to remember the comforts of home, than to advance forward in faith and journey with Jesus to a place where He would want you to be.

Well Pr Fabian, what are you trying to say? Do are you saying we should go back to church? Are saying that I am lazy?

I worry that the conditions of the coronavirus as well as the cares, riches, and pleasures of life will be a danger.

Society is making us comfortable and stationary and with our present situation it is making us more comfortable and stationary that I worry it’ll affect your relationship with Jesus “...and bring no fruit to maturity”. Just like Lot’s wife looking back at Sodom and the Israelites longing to return to Egypt at various points in their journey through the wilderness.

We need to be ready like the Israelites to be prepared to move when God moves. and “...pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

I don’t want us to be stationary, but I want us to be moving with His Spirit, following Jesus to a place that He has prepared for you and to not look back.

The Corono Exodus

The Corona Exodus is what we are going to do when the whole coronavirus pandemic disappears, already the number of cases are slowly getting lower as the world is somehow realising that there is a pandemic and the need to react. Here’s hoping and praying that the numbers will dwindle further and rapidly so we can put all this behind us. But, it is never going to be the same before the pandemic.

How then will you proceed when the pandemic is finished and things slowly go back to some what normal? Has your faith in Jesus grown? Has there been any change before or after the pandemic with your relationship with Jesus? In your exodus leaving the pandemic, are you closer now with Jesus or nothing has changed and why?

Getting out of complacency

Let’s not be complacent during the pandemic but let us further the work of the gospel and move where Jesus would want you to go in your exodus journey with HIm.

1 Timothy 6:11–14 NLT

11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. 13 And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

Jesus is coming again friends, Our Chief Commander and Friend, said that we are to:

“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

Conclusion

Here we are in the middle of a pandemic one that we would like to forget and move on. But move on to what? More work? More money? More worries?

Jesus said it’s a trap, because in those days or worrying we fall victim to the attachments of this earth and we may not be alert when Jesus approaches.

Let’s keep alert and pray, find your strength in Jesus and He will give you that strength to get you through the horrors that surrounds so you can stand before the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Amen.