‘Our livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. We must take some of them to serve the LORD our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there.” Exodus 10:26
Do you remember the plagues in Egypt from Sunday school? I remember some great pictures of grasshoppers, flies, and frogs. The children are enslaved and had been for a very long time, but God sent his servant to represent Him as he worked to set them free.
Photo by Tor Stryger on Unsplash
Not a Hoof Shall Be Left Behind
God commanded Moses to represent Him before Pharaoh with a distinct message, “Let my people go so that they can worship Me.” Through God’s powerful display of many mighty miracles, Pharaoh was finally softening his heart (at least it looked like it for now). I have sinned against your God, he confessed. You and your people can go. Just leave your animals.
That must have been tempting. The most powerful man in the world at that time was giving in, giving up, and throwing in the towel. He was only asking this one little thing, and then they could leave in peace. I love what Moses tells Pharaoh here, ‘not a hoof shall be left behind.’ In other words, we’re not leaving one sheep, ox, camel, goat, bull, or cow. They all belong to God.
I don’t know about your life, but I get offers like this all the time. The world, the devil, and my flesh are constantly fighting to maintain a foothold in my life. You’re doing fine, don’t worry about that one small thing. It’s not a big deal. The answer, from God’s word, is ‘not a hoof shall be left behind.’ Even small choices add up over time.
When Hurricane Fran approached the East Coast, the people of Raleigh thought they were safe. All the weather reports said South Carolina would get the worst of it. However, North Carolina woke to all the high winds and falling trees.
Hundreds of miles out in the Atlantic, Fran had shifted only a very few degrees. That small change, extended over hundreds of miles, moved the hurricane a long way off course. Little things can make a big difference.
Most of us would resist being shoved entirely off track, but we often allow ourselves to get nudged off. How many marriages have gone cold because one or both parties became distracted? How many children feel neglected because their parents are preoccupied? Even a little worry harbored every day can change our character and our relationships. It’s not stealing; I’m borrowing it.
Just like the children in Exodus, we are no longer enslaved. We have been set free from the grip of bondage through faith in the finished work of Christ! It’s interesting that after the institution of the first Passover and the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh had no choice but to let God’s people go. So, at the cross of Christ, Jesus shed His blood and died for our sins; Satan must let go of every person who trusts in Christ as their Savior & sin-bearer.
Therefore, Paul exhorts us, ‘And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness to God.’ Romans 6:13. Make sure Jesus is your all in all. Jesus has purchased us with His blood; everything we are belongs to Him, every breath, every talent, every child, and every thought.