Newsletter February 2006
When a person suffers some form of hurt or abuse, there must be a time of emotional healing before they are ready to move on. Consider Israel when God first brought them out of Egypt. For four hundred years the Israelites were beaten down and forced into slave labor. The Egyptians even tried infanticide to keep God's people in submission.
Through Moses, God harrassed the Egyptians until they let His people go. All Isreal saw God's wonders and His mighty deliverance, but they still clung to their slave mentality. At the first sign of trouble, they whined to return to the "perceived" safety of Egypt rather than face the unknown wilderness.
Approximately two years after crossing the Red Sea, God introduced the idea of a recurring memorial service to remember His divine acts on the night Israel left Egypt. The celebration incorporated foods to help them remember the Passover story:
* Bitter herbs - the bitterness of slavery.
*A lamb bone - the blood of the slain lamb which was painted on their doorposts allowing their first-born sons to be spared.
* A sweet paste of ground apples and nuts - the mortar used with the bricks they made to build Pharoah's cities.
* Salt water for dipping the vegetables - symbolizing their tears.
* The unleavened bread - their hurried flight from Egypt.
The point is: God is very specific in reminding Israel of their suffering in Egypt and of His great deliverance. At first the Passover, memories of their slavery were very real - perhaps even raw. Reliving their experiences through the ritual helped to work out some of their anger and bitterness. As time and physical distance separated them from the
For those with hurts in their past, looking back is an important part of the healing. But it must be done in a "safe" environment. Consider how God put distance between His people and their enemies by leading them out into the wilderness. He placed barriers between them as well, by causing the Red Sea waters to flow back over the Egyptians and drowning them. Ultimatley, He surrounded His people with His presence in the form of a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night as they travelled. He even provided food (manna and quail) and water, and kept their clothing from wearing out. In a sense, they were in a cocoon with the Spirit of God as He healed them from their painful past.
After crossing the Jordan in the same way they crossed the Red Sea (another memory jogger!) they camped on the plains of Jericho at a place called Gilgal. There they celebrated the Passover again before going on to conquer Jericho. They needed to remember the past before moving forward into the new territory God intended for them.
If you have been hurt by abuse, you will need a safe environment to look back at it. Never try to work through it alone. Strengthen your relationship with Christ. Ask Him to help you find safe, supportive people who will walk with you through the dark places. Be prepared for the journey to take some time. Even Israel needed forty years to overcome their slave mentality.
Cry out your hurts and anger until there are no tears left. Then wait before Him, listening for His voice. Ask Him to help you reinterpret your past - to help you see the events of your life through His eyes. You may never receive the answers to the "why" questions, but He will help you untangle the snarls of life until you can see how He has orchestrated your life to make you the beloved Daughter or Son of God you are! As His healing works in you and you outgrow your slave mentality, you are ready to push forward toward the heavenly prize in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13,14)
Bonnie
