In this article we would like to study the four conditions that Pharaoh gave to Moses before he could free the Israelites from their slavery; and see how these conditions are being used by Satan on God’s people in our time.

The children of Israel had been in Egypt for just over two hundred years where they were made to work as slaves. The time drew nigh when they should go back to the land of Canaan, so God sent Moses with a message to Pharaoh to let the Israelites go.

God warned Moses of Pharaoh’s hardness of heart and that he would not easily let the Children of Israel go; hence God would execute judgments against the gods (or princes) of Egypt through a number of plagues until Pharaoh submitted and agreed to set God’s people free. The Egyptians regarded quite a number of things as sacred and worshiped some of them; these included the Nile River, Frogs, Cattle, the Sun, and the Pharaoh himself. The plagues would be directed towards these very things held sacred, to lay their glory in the dust, so that the Egyptians could see that there was only one true God—the God of Israel, and that He alone deserved all the glory.

Upon his arrival in Egypt from the land of Midian, Moses informed the Israelites of the purpose of his return and then, accompanied by his brother Aaron, went to meet with the Pharaoh to deliver the message from God. The message was straight and to the point, “Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness,” said Moses (Exodus 5:1). But Pharaoh replied with arrogance and said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go” (verse 2). So, instead of hearkening to God’s command, Pharaoh decided to increase the burdens of the Israelites. From Exodus 7:16 we actually learn that God’s message to Pharaoh was that he should set the Israelites free so that they may not only hold a feast unto the LORD but also “serve” Him. As long as the Israelites were serving Pharaoh, they could not serve God freely; and this is why God wanted their freedom. This principle applies to all people including those in our time: If we are servants of sin, we cannot serve God; if we love the world and its pleasures, we shall have no room for God’s love or holy things in our hearts (1 John 2:15). This is what Jesus meant when He said, “no man can serve two masters,” in Matthew 6:24.

Pharaoh’s defiance against God’s authority called forth God’s judgments upon his nation. First came the plague of blood upon the Nile River (Exodus 7:17), second came the frogs (Exodus 8:3), third came lice (verse 16), and at this point Pharaoh’s magicians had to admit that this was not magic, but the finger of God (verse 19). Fourth came the swarm of flies (verse 21) which made Pharaoh reconsider his position for he was now getting a little bit of sense of just how mighty God was.

First Condition: Serve God within Egypt

Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and told them that they were to go and sacrifice to God within the land of Egypt (Exodus 8:25), but Moses replied that they could not sacrifice to God within Egypt because that would corrupt their service with the abominations of Egypt. Furthermore, the Egyptians would take offence at the Israelites if they saw them sacrificing things that the Egyptians considered sacred; hence in order for their service to be accepted, the Israelites had to be separated from sin and sinners (verse 26–27).

Does Satan use a similar argument today? Indeed he does! When many are confronted with a call to righteous living, they make claims that it does not matter how one eats, dresses, or lives—what matters is the heart and that we are saved by grace. But what they forget is that the grace of God teaches us “that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:12–13. Many times people fail to realize that separation from all that pollutes is the first law of God’s kingdom in order to be accepted as sons and daughters of God.

Paul states in 2 Corinthians 6:17–18, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” Very often when God has called for reforms and made explicit calls for people to separate themselves from Babylon, which symbolizes all forms of false and apostate religion, we hear sentiments such as, “No, you don’t have to separate from the church, stay within the boat and reform within, let’s all love one another.”

Many seek to carry out reformations within corrupt systems which show no signs of reform at all. This question begs consideration: how possible is it that one who knows what God’s will is can serve and fulfill that will within a system that does not recognize God’s authority or at least pretends to recognize God’s authority when in practice the opposite is true? Moses’ response to Pharaoh tells us just how impossible that is. Furthermore, Sister White even speaks of the early Reformers and how they had to separate themselves from their former churches because the religious leaders of those churches could not tolerate the light that God had given to His people (The Desire of Ages, p. 232). A similar case was when the early Adventists (commonly referred to as the Millerites, who later formed the Seventh-day Adventist Church) had to separate themselves from the protestant churches in the summer of 1844 when those churches had proven to be working at cross purposes with God in rejecting the first angel’s message (Revelation 14:6–7) and denying their members the opportunity to attend Miller’s meetings  or even to speak of their hope in the Second coming of Christ in the social gatherings of the church (The Great Controversy, p. 376).

We can clearly see here that the reason why God wants us to separate from Babylon (Revelation 18:1–4), is not only that we should not share in her plagues, but also that we should be able to offer an acceptable sacrifice to Him; because in Babylon our minds become conformed to this world and we cannot distinguish between the holy and the common, we cannot approve what is that good, perfect and acceptable will of God (Romans 12:1–2). This is why for those that choose to serve God within their corrupt systems, Jesus says, “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.  But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:8–9

“There was a coming out, a decided separation from the wicked, an escape for life. So it was in the days of Noah; so with Lot; so with the disciples prior to the destruction of Jerusalem; and so it will be in the last days. Again the voice of God is heard in a message of warning, bidding His people separate themselves from the prevailing iniquity.  The state of corruption and apostasy that in the last days would exist in the religious world, was presented to the prophet John in the vision of Babylon, ‘that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.’ Revelation 17:18. Before its destruction the call is to be given from heaven, ‘Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.’ Revelation 18:4. As in the days of Noah and Lot, there must be a marked separation from sin and sinners. There can be no compromise between God and the world, no turning back to secure earthly treasures. ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon.’ Matthew 6:24.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 166

Second Condition: Go, but do not go very far!

After Moses responded to serving God within Egypt, Pharaoh modified his condition and said, “I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.” Exodus 8:28 (emphasis supplied)

Pharaoh gave the Israelites their freedom, but he told them not to go very far! Why? Because he wanted them back! All he wanted was that they should have an illusion of freedom when in reality they were still slaves.

Why is it that many professed Christians today do not go very far in their Christianity, insofar as being Christ-like is concerned?  Why is it that even those that profess to have physically left Babylon are in spirit and practice still in Babylon? The problem lies in not fulfilling Christ’s conditions of following Him: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23. Why is death to self imperative?

“The fountain of the heart must be purified before the streams can become pure. He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian’s life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 172 (emphasis supplied)

Membership in God’s church, “comes not by belonging to the church in order to belong to Christ, but by belonging to Christ in order to belong to the church. And the difference between these two things is the difference between Christianity and the mystery of iniquity. The difference between these two things is the difference between the mystery of God (1 Timothy 3:16) and the mystery of iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2:7). The mystery of iniquity exalts the form, the name, the idea of the church, and then calls and sweeps and forces the world into that church—not for salvation, for salvation is not there, not for righteousness, for righteousness is not there. The people are the same as before, though they bear a different name. They conform to different forms of things than they did before, but in character, in life, in all that they ever were, they are the same as if they were not members of the church at all.

“But the church, the church of Christ, is Himself manifested. Therefore to belong to this church we must first belong to Him. And membership in this church depends altogether on our membership of Him. And being in this church depends altogether on being in Him. Then when we come into the church by coming into Him, and be in the church by being in Him that makes a new people. That changes the individual into another man. That makes him a Christian such as is Christ, Christ manifest.

“Then we need to consider ourselves daily, each one for himself, and ask, ‘Am I a member of the church? Not because I am enrolled in the church book, but am I a member of the church because my name is written in the book of life? Am I a member of the church because I have given myself to Christ, and belong to Him, and live and move and have my being in Him?’ Those who satisfy all these conditions are the only members of the church on this earth. It matters not how much we have our names on the church book, nor how long we have been members of the church by joining what is an idea of a church in form—a collection of individuals, we will never be members that way.” –1903, Alonzo. T Jones, General Conference Bulletin, p. 40

Although there is no salvation by simply having your name on the church books, church membership is an important part of salvation. Salvation is in Christ alone. One can be a church member without knowing Christ, however, one cannot know Christ without being led to be a member of the body of Christ—His church. To truly know Christ will result in church membership in His church.

Third Condition: Go, but only the men should go

Pharaoh still hardened his heart after the plague of the swarm of flies was removed. This brought the murrain of cattle (Exodus 9:4), the boils (verse 9), the hail (verse 18), and the locusts (Exodus 10:4). He then called for Moses and asked him, “Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?” Moses replied by saying, “We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.” But Pharaoh said, “Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD.” Exodus 10:8–9, 11

Here we find that Pharaoh wanted only the men to go, leaving behind their wives, children and possessions. This would have the effect of bringing the men back to Egypt.

Similarly, we see today that Satan is busy attacking families and causing division among them, even those of God’s children. In many cases, only the men seem to care much about religion and exert much effort to study the Bible and share the gospel. In other cases, perhaps only the women are serious while their husbands are not. And still in other cases, many children of God’s people tend to either rebel against their parents or simply choose not to be so serious with religion. This is all part of Satan’s plan, for he knows well that the unbelieving will always have a negative influence on the believing ones. God wants to save entire families; He wants the service of men, women, youth, and children. But Satan makes some youth and children to think that holiness is only something that can be achieved by elderly people while young ones should be left to indulge in whatever pleasures they choose—dress as they please, eat as they please, form associations with whoever they choose, amuse themselves with whatever they choose. In his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul admonishes the young man to “be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12. He does not say be an example to but of the believers; in other words, he admonishes youth to correctly represent the faith of Jesus before the world—their friends, families, and all with whom they associate.

What are you doing for your family to ensure that you go to heavenly Canaan with your young and with your old, with your sons and with your daughters? How shall you answer to the question, “where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?” Jeremiah 13:20. Will you be able to stand before God and say, “Behold I and the children which God hath given me”? Hebrews 2:13

Fourth and Last Condition: Go, all of you, but your flocks remain

Since Pharaoh had not fulfilled God’s requirement that all the Children of Israel go, not the men only, God allowed the plague of locusts to come and devour the land of Egypt (Exodus 10:13) and after that came the “darkness which could be felt” for three days (verse 21). This made Pharaoh to offer his fourth and last condition, “Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you” (verse 24). But Moses replied, “Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God.” Exodus 10:25–26

Why did Pharaoh want the Israelites to go to Canaan while leaving their flocks and herds behind in Egypt? It is simple, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21

It is a common saying that, “It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving.” How could the children of Israel go to hold a feast unto the LORD empty handed? How could they serve God while investing their wealth in Egypt? Is this Satan’s plan today?

Jesus left us the gospel commission in Matthew 28:18–20 and in chapter 24:14 he states that the end shall not come until the gospel is preached to the entire world for a witness. So, what does it take for God’s church today to reach the entire world with the gospel? Is it a question of numbers of members or of the size of the world? I think it is none of that! The real question to ask is: do all the professed members in God’s church actually belong to the church? Christ left a small number of disciples (about one hundred and twenty assembled on the day of Pentecost) but that small number grew and reached the “whole world” in their generation. Is it a question of money? Maybe, but I still do not think so! God’s people have money, but it does not all belong to the church, that is the problem. There is enough talent, enough ability, but the problem is, they do not all belong to the church.

This leads me to ask: If my money belongs to the world, do I belong to the church? If my talents, my abilities are put into the work of the world, as of the world, and not into the work of the church as of the church, then the question is worth considering, do I belong to the church myself?

How much does it take to compose me? How much is there of a man? Could you have a man here and his faculties yonder, his abilities in another place, and the fruit of his faculty, the fruit of his abilities, the results of his life and endeavor, in yet another place? Could that be, and the man is here—all of him? I say NO! All my faculties, all the fruit of my life, must be where I am if I myself am to be there. Then do I belong to the church, do I? Do all of God’s professed Remnant People belong to the church? Do we? That is the question (1903, Alonzo. T Jones, General Conference Bulletin, p. 41).

In conclusion, Satan is playing the game of life with souls. He tells some to serve God in their sins promising them salvation in sin; and to those that choose to leave Babylon, he makes some be at ease with a superficial religion that does not involve an entire surrender of the will to Christ; and to some he weakens their faith through unbelieving family members or friends; and still to a larger number, he leads them to withhold their means, time, talents and abilities from God. May God help us that we may let nothing come between us and Him, that we may lay aside every weight and sin that easily besets us and run with patience the race that has been set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1–2). Amen

Mukelabai Mukelabai