Article March 19, 1927 Issue

Complete Freedom

MADELEINE BURCH

All mankind is striving for freedom from some form of enslavement. Many, if asked just what they would be willing to do to improve their condition, would doubtless answer, "Anything," forgetting that complete freedom from all evil can be experienced only in proportion to one's freedom from the wrong thinking that starts and supports the evil.

We are in most cases asking much when we ask deliverance from all the ills of the flesh, plentiful supply of the needful and good things of life, achievement and success instead of failure. But the Bible is replete with declarations of God's goodness and of His abundant bestowal of this goodness upon His children. The fault, then, is not that we are asking too much, but rather that through ignorance or neglect we have overlooked the fact that there can be no compromise with error, no turning away from God's commands, either because to our sense these seem too strict, or because we believe our offense has been too slight to consider.

Among the many helpful lessons to be found in the story of the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt is that one which shows the reward of Moses' steadfast refusal to be persuaded by wrong reasoning, even in one point. The erroneous suggestions voiced by Pharaoh, if heeded, would have resulted in continued bondage. At one time he told Moses that the Israelites might sacrifice to their God, but that they must remain in Egypt. Moses was not satisfied with this, but insisted that they be allowed to go "three days' journey into the wilderness." Later Pharaoh appeared willing to let them go, until he learned that all the Israelites were to leave, including their little ones. He then withdrew his consent, saying, "Not so: go now ye that are and serve the Lord." At another time when freedom was promised, they were forbidden to take their flocks and herds with them. Moses did not accept these partial concessions to his demands. It was because, in obedience to God, he held out for complete release from all restrictions that his people were finally free to go forth from the land of bondage to worship their God in the promised land. In order to conciliate Pharaoh and to give the Israelites immediate and temporary respite from their afflictions, Moses might have agreed to some of the conditions proposed by Pharaoh; but that would only have deferred the step which sooner or later had to be taken if they were to know entire freedom from Egyptian bondage.

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