The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled. Egypt was glad when they were gone, for they feared them greatly. Psalms 105:37-38 NLT
David composes a psalm to thank the Lord when the ark of the covenant was brought into Jerusalem. He quotes identical verses in 1 Chronicles 16:8-22 which David also wrote. These short summaries are interesting because they become a commentary on the original story of Israel’s exit out of Egypt. This intentional, repeated story is clearly positioned as praise to God! David cuts to the core, taking multiple chapters of the Exodus, and reduces it down to just several verses.
David’s highlights are all about God’s supernatural provision, God supplying: protection, a cloud above them; a nite-light in the desert with a great fire; meat, flown in with quail; nutritious manna—bread from heaven; water flowing from a rock, out to form a river through the dry wasteland. The way David sees it, God watched over and provided everything they needed for one reason: God remembered his sacred promise to his servant Abraham. It’s all POSITIVE. None of David’s comments mention the mumbling, grumbling attitudes of the people, that constantly threads in and out of the original story. Then, David brings it home with a crescendo closing – “So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing. He gave his people the lands of pagan nations, and they harvested crops that others had planted.” What a reminder for us! David writes, “All this happened so they would follow his decrees and obey his instructions. Praise the Lord!”
Every time I read the long story of the Exodus, I see so many conflicting behaviors coming from the people. I can’t imagine shifting heart and mind out of 400 years of slavery and a multigenerational settling into the norms of captivity. Yes, God freed them, but everyday brought massive change filled with the fear of the unknown. They were forced to be 100% dependent on God.
In those scenes we see the results of the oldest generation who felt so uncomfortable and displaced that it continually expressed a lot of negative complaining. But mixed with all that, there was also a weird free expression of completely unacceptable of idolatry seen in sexual revelry – obviously picked up from Egyptian culture. God wasn’t just leading them out of slavery, he was leading them into a new state of freedom forming new beliefs and behaviors.
Prayer
Dad,
David’s psalm really helped me see the difficult dynamics of this massive cultural change the people experienced. They were far more than just physically enslaved, they were emotional and spiritual slaves as well. The only way out, the only way to get Egypt out of their hearts was through obedience to a new master, a good and faithful Lord. The old generation just could not deal with the changes and because of that, they could not enter into the land promised to them. Forty years of struggle to learn obedience and faith and they just couldn’t soften their hearts fast enough. It’s a warning and an opportunity for all of us as we get older and struggle with change. Help us keep our hearts open and obedient Oh Lord.