Escape from Egypt

Genesis 17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

A covenant is a contractual obligation, a promise, or an agreement. In our history, God entered into two covenants with his people; the first was the Old Covenant. The second was the New. The covenant of the circumcision (old) was a foreshadow of the new covenant that was to come. In the Old, God's people entered into covenant with him by the cutting of their foreskin(s). In the New, God's people enter into covenant with him by the circumcision of their hearts.

Romans 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

In the Bible, believers in Christ are spiritually represented by the Jews. The physical Jewish walk of faith in the Old Testament is representative of the Christian's walk with God, spiritually. The example of physical circumcision figuratively describes the circumcision that takes place within the heart of a believer when they get saved. Being saved is described as a spiritual rebirth or being born again in the New Testament (see John 3, Ezekiel 36). Just as the physical baptism and washing in water was an example of the Jewish believer repenting of their sins and becoming cleansed, and just as John the Baptist (Judaism) was the forerunner for Jesus Christ (Christianity), John's baptism was a forerunner for Christ's baptism. Physical baptism (water) was a forerunner to the spiritual baptism of Jesus (Holy Spirit); Water being a physical representation of the spiritual truth. The Old Testament example of circumcision describes what happens to the Christian, spiritually, once they become born again, and enter into this New Covenant.

Psalm 105:43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness

God chooses everyone whom he saves...he calls the Jews "his people" and refers to the Israelites as "his chosen".

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Just as the Jews were chosen by God, Christians are chosen by Jesus.

Colossians 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering

All who are chosen by God are known as his "elected" people. 

Deuteronomy 15:15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

Before the Israelites were chosen by God to be his people, they were slaves in Egypt. 

Deuteronomy 16:12 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.

Deuteronomy 24:18 But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing.  22 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.

We can see that before God saved the Jewish people, they were slaves and bondmen in the land of Egypt. Considering the physical plight of the Jews being parallel to the Christian, spiritually, what does being a slave in Egypt reveal for us?

Romans 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

Paul compares the Jew's slavery in Egypt to an unbeliever's enslavement to sin. When we serve our sins, when we serve our worldly lusts, we become a slave to those lusts. This has a very practical application to human life.  Take a drug addict or an alcoholic for example. That individual's life revolves around that certain substance, or drink. While they're at work, they're waiting for the clock to strike 5PM so they can rush home and crack open a beer. The drug addict, operating similarly. Everything in that person's life revolves around their selfish habit (1 Timothy 5:6). When they are partaking, they're momentarily fulfilled. When they aren't indulging themselves, they are looking with hope to a future where they will be able to do so. People that operate with these vices are slaves to their own addictions, and to their carnal selves. 

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

Before we get saved, before we are born again in Christ, we are slaves in Egypt. Egypt is a figure for The World. When we focus on the world, we are a slave to the world. When we are focused on worldly matters, whether it be drugs or alcohol, whether it be our careers or our bank accounts, whether it be our sexuality or gluttony, or the television screen; whenever we emphasize the importance of anything over God, spiritually speaking, those idols become our gods, and we begin to serve them. Anything that we place in front of Jesus is a form of idolization. Jesus sets us free from false idols. He is the one who parts the Red Sea and leads us out of our bondage to The World, into the promised land. 

Deuteronomy 6:12 Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

The Lord brings us out of Egypt. He frees us from the house of bondage. This is one of the most noticeable ways we can see Christ's impact in our lives. 

My father is a lifelong alcoholic. In his late 50s his alcoholism got really out of control. It was drastically affecting his health and I could see his body start to deteriorate. My mother and I spoke to him many times, urging him to stop drinking and to start living a healthier lifestyle. We told him that we feared he was going to kill himself and not live to see his grandchildren. After months of pleading, he finally agreed to stop. He committed to sobriety. 

As he embarked on sobriety, before going to bed one night, my father prayed to Jesus and asked for his help (he told me he had never done this before). Immediately after, as his prayer ended, he felt a sensation of being physically lifted out of his bed. God cupped him in His hands, and actually lifted him up in the air then placed him back down. He told me this story the following day with tears in his eyes. He could barely believe it himself. He told me, "I think it was the Lord's way of telling me: I got you." My dad stayed sober for 3 years after this. He said it was easy to quit. He started running again, he got into much better shape, he never had any withdrawal symptoms whatsoever and was successful in restoring his health. Unfortunately, after a few years of total sobriety, he did backslide a few times. The devil never stops waging war against us, even when we get saved (Isaiah 59:15). That's why we always have to remain on guard, especially against our greatest weaknesses. He still battles to this day...but he will win the fight. 

Once a man is born again, the Lord begins a process of sanctification. Slowly but surely, one leaf at a time, The Great Vinedresser tends to his vineyard, and sheds parts of the plant that do not produce fruit. Just as Jesus entered into the temple of Jerusalem and whipped out the money changers, so too does he whip the sin out of our life when we welcome him into our heart (1 Corinthians 6:19). 

My neighbor Rob had been a daily pot smoker. He got saved a few months after me, yet continued to indulge in this habit after he was born again. I remember thinking to myself, "I wonder when Rob is going to stop smoking..." I never brought it up or pressured him. I believed in his testimony and could tell by his commitment and dedication to the Bible that he truly was born again. It would only be a matter of time before he stopped...and sure enough, a few months later, my mom told me that Rob had suddenly stopped smoking. Just like my dad, he dropped the habit immediately. 

Marijuana is a hyper addictive drug that impacts our neural pathways significantly. Each time it's used, our brains produce an excess of dopamine which creates an artificial cyclicality of surplus and deficit while on and off use. To stop using this substance on a dime after years, even decades of consistent abuse, would almost be impossible (Matthew 19:26). The same goes for the alcoholic. But, once these men turned to Jesus, he gave them the strength they needed to overcome their false idols. It's an amazing truth and its a fact that I can personally testify to as well. As a heavy drinker in my early twenties, as well as a recreational drug user beyond then, one of the very first changes the Lord made in me was to remove those toxins from my life. I would no longer go home at the end of the day hoping for a drink or hit of weed. Now I focus on The Lord and doing His will while taking care of my body. 

John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

The Christian life is not easy. Once we become born again, we are no longer of the world. We are chosen out of the world by Jesus and led to the promised land through our faith in him. Just as God chose the Jews and drew them out of Egypt, Jesus chooses the Christian and draws them out of the world. In doing so, we are freed from our bondage and enslavement to sin. 

John 17:14,16 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

After being born again, the believer is no longer part of the world, as Jesus was not of the world. Even while God was in the world, he is not of the world. He operates outside of the construct of his creation with his eyes fixed on his heavenly Father. 

Exodus 13:3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.

Remember the day you were taken out of bondage, by the strength of The Lord's hand! This is an incredible verse to me. My father literally felt the Lord's Hands lift him out of bed, giving him the strength to overcome his addiction to alcohol.

Leaven can be a figure for sin in a person's life. When we are saved, we are called to "sin no more", to remove the leaven from our households. Now that we know the truth and have the strength of God through his Spirit; we are no longer beholden to our sin nature. Even though we do sin and continuously make mistakes, the Lord gives us the strength to choose him and to turn back from our ways whenever we digress. He gave Rob the strength to come out from his bondage to marijuana. And He gave me the strength to come out from those same entanglements and more (pornography and sexual immorality).

Remembering the day when each of us came out of Egypt is to remember the day you got saved! This is your testimony. Remember it always and share it with as many people as you can. Not everyone knows about, or has been fortunate enough to find Jesus. It's our obligation as Christians to share the truth with those who may not know, or are being mislead. We would be wise to keep our testimonies at the forefront of our lives, so that whenever we have a moment of weakness, or a test of faith, we can lean into that moment, and choose Jesus. We all have these moments and crazy thoughts that enter into our brains. But keep Christ as your rock. Keep him as the foundation, so that when the storms rage against your house, you will hold fast in your faith. Remember the day you got saved. For me it was February 7th 2021, 6:48AM. 

Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more forever.

Exodus 14:30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.

Are these verses contradicting each other? Or is there something else God is trying to show us? Verse 13 says that the Israelites will never see the Egyptians again. Then in verse 30, the Israelites do see them again, but now they're dead. God does not contradict himself...by seeming that way on the surface, he's asking the reader to take a deeper look, and to understand these verses figuratively. 

In verse 13, the Israelites were unsaved, just as the Egyptians were. Both groups of people were physically alive in appearance. As Israel was approaching their salvation, they were the same as Egypt spiritually. Moses is saying that once they cross through the Red Sea, and see the salvation of the Lord, they will not see the Egyptians in the same way. In verse 30, "The Lord saved Israel that day". After the Israelites were saved, when they looked back, all they saw were dead Egyptians, whereas they were now spiritually alive. 

Remember, Egypt is representative of the world. The Egyptians represent the unsaved people before us. Those who have not been chosen by Christ; who have not been baptized in his holy spirit, are spiritually dead. If your brother, your mother, your sister, or your cousin has not received Jesus into their heart, they too are like the dead egyptians on shore. The walk through the red sea is a figurative representation of baptism; going into the water dead, and coming out alive. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. None can find everlasting life, no one can go to heaven, but through him.

2 Corinthians 5:14  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

The Egyptians (unsaved people in the world) are after the desires of the flesh. They are into worldly things; entirely self-interested, they are looking to satisfy their lusts, whether it by materially, sexually, financially, societally, etc. The man who is born again, is no longer desiring the things which are perishable, but is focused on that which is everlasting, in Christ. 

Exodus 13:21-22 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

The Lord will never leave us nor forsake us in our walk (Joshua 1:5). Just as God led Israel through the wilderness by day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night, in a pillar of fire, so too does Christ light the path of the Christian as they walk through life. Despite much rebellion, God continued to lead his people, although many failed to make it into the promised land. While He will always lead us and be there for us...it's us that have to make sure we stick with him, and be not led astray. 

Psalm 136:16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

As we sojourn through the world, the Spirit of God leads us to heaven. Once we become saved, we are no longer earth dwellers, but become heaven dwellers. When we are quickened by the Spirit of Christ, even though we are still in the world, we are no longer of it. We are now strangers in a foreign land, traveling on the way to our future home. Peter even refers to us as "exiles" (1 Peter 2:11 ESV/RSV).  The journey of the Christian's passage to heaven is figuratively represented by the Jews traveling through the "wilderness of sin" on their way to the promised land.

Exodus 16:13-15 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. 

As the Israelites traversed through the wilderness, God supernaturally fed them with manna. This was the bread which the Lord gave them to eat. This bread sustained the people every single day. Manna was literally bread that was given to the people from heaven. 

Deuteronomy 8:3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

God shows us that the true bread from heaven is his Word. Just as the manna fed the Israelites in the wilderness and kept them alive for a time, many of them still ended up dying because they rebelled against His commandments (Numbers 14:29-33). God is teaching that man cannot live on bread alone, but can only truly live by consuming His Word. This is not a literal consumption like eating food, but he is saying that we need to ingest His Word mentally, absorb it spiritually, understand it, and follow His teachings; thus believing in them, and in the one who gave them. Eating bread is a figurative illustration of spiritually consuming the Word of God.

John 6:31-35 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 

Just as Man has to eat food in order to live, the soul must consume the Word of God. In John 1:1, 14 we discover that the Son of God (Proverbs 30:4, Isaiah 9:6), is The Word of God, who was manifested in the body of Jesus Christ; the Jewish Messiah, and Savior of the world. 

Jesus was the only sinless man to ever have lived, upholding the law of the 10 commandments perfectly. His birth and ministry fulfilled hundreds of biblical prophecies told thousands of years in advance of his coming. He is the most famous and hated person on the planet. The earth's very timeline is positioned around his birth, death, and resurrection (BC/AD). He is The Seed of the Woman (Genesis 3:15), The Serpent on the Pole (Numbers 21:8), The Door on The Ark (Genesis 7:16), The Passover Lamb (Exodus 12), The Bread of Life (Deuteronomy 8:3), The Rock of Salvation (Exodus 17:6), The Mercy Seat (25:22), The Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:18), The Good Shepherd (Psalm 23), The One who was pierced (Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10), The Tabernacle (Exodus 25:8), Immanuel which means "with us is God" (Isaiah 7:14), The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53:8), Buried in the grave of a rich man (Isaiah 53:9), The Light of the world (Genesis 1:3), and so much more. 

When The Bible tells us that Jesus is the living Word of God Made flesh...that's because he is. Jesus was there at the beginning when God said "Let there be light". He is the light of the world. He is God's word who goes fourth accomplishing all that he wills. He is the total embodiment of the God Head (Colossians 2:9). 

Every sentence of scripture given to us by God is represented as manna, or bread given from heaven. The True bread of God is his own body which he gave as a sacrifice to save the world, which was prophesized of from the beginning of Genesis throughout the Old Testament, and fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus, The Messiah. The bread of Life is the Gospel of Salvation. Our bodies must eat food via our mouths in order to live. In order for our souls to live, they must consume the Word of God via the heart. The act of physically eating is then figuratively represented by the act of spiritually believing. Faith is the conduit in which one consumes the doctrine of Christ. For, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Romans 10:9-10. 

John 6:48-51  I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 

John 6:58, 60 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever. 60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

Jesus is the bread of life that was given to us from heaven. Obviously he isn't literally a loaf of bread, but he is using this metaphor to communicate a spiritual truth. He is not compelling us to embrace the practice of cannibalism by literally eating his flesh (despite what the Orthodox and Catholic tradition teaches). He is speaking figuratively here. Jesus is foretelling of his sacrificial death in these verses. He's telling his disciples that he is going to sacrifice his own body in order to save the world. And whoever "eats" of that flesh, thus whoever places their faith in Christ's sacrificial death for the remission of sins, will be saved. Whoever consumes the Gospel of Salvation by placing their faith in God's Word, through a genuine belief within their hearts, will be given eternal life. To consume his flesh is to believe in the Gospel. To eat of the bread of heaven is to place one's faith in Jesus Christ and in his sacrificial atonement. 

Taking what Jesus says here at face value, without understanding the figurative language of the Bible, leads to what I find to be one of the scariest verses in the book, John 6:66; "After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him." Because these followers didn't understand what he was getting at, they truly thought he was asking them to eat his flesh. That's not even close to the actual meaning. That's why it's so important to understand the scriptures, holding fast to proper teaching while purging out any false understanding from our midst. Ultimately, just as God physically sustained the Israelites in the wilderness with bread (manna) from heaven, so too does God spiritually nourish us with his word, the true bread from heaven, which is fully embodied in the person of Jesus. God's WORD is the manna that comes from heaven. Jesus is a figurative representation of God's Word. Just as God's word is written 100% by man and 100% by God (Holy Spirit operating through man), so too was Jesus Christ 100% man and 100% God. 

Exodus 17:1-6 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? 3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? 4 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. 5 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Man cannot survive without food, nor can he survive without water. As the Israelites were meandering through the wilderness of sin, a chunk of desert territory located south of Mount Sinai in between Egypt and Israel, there was no water to be found. The same can be said for our circumstance in the world. Because we live in a fallen state, we are separated from God. As God is the only source of spiritual nourishment and we are estranged from him, we are thus trapped in a desert without access to water. Being in the world, we are in a spiritual desert. It is not until The Rock is struck that water begins to flow out to the wanderers. 

Numbers 20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

John 19:34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water 

Psalm 105:41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.

John 7:38-39 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. 

It is not until the rock is struck by Moses' staff that it begins to produce water. It is not until Jesus is struck with a Roman spear that water starts to flow from him. Blood and Water flow out of Jesus. The blood represents his sacrifice, and the water represents the living water of God that flows out from him. Living water is a figure for the Holy Spirit as we can see above. When one accepts Christ's sacrifice as an atonement for their sins, he quenches our spiritual thirst. As water begins to flow from the rock, His Holy Spirit then floods our body and cleanses us of our sins (John 3:7). The rivers of living water run through our dry places. After the Rock was struck in the wilderness it poured out water to sustain the Israelites. After Jesus was struck by the spear, he poured out his spirit for all the world to receive. 

1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. 

As the scriptures juxtapose The Rock in the wilderness to God himself in Deuteronomy, we can see the same comparison being made to Jesus in 1 Corinthians 10, and many other places. This is a clear proof that Jesus was God in the flesh, as he was even pre-figured by the Rock in the wilderness providing water to the Israelites. The only difference is that the water in the wilderness did not provide everlasting life. Only the Holy Spirit which flows out from Jesus can provide such a gift. 

John 4:10, 14 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Numbers 11:4-6 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? 5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: 6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

When the Israelites first experienced the miracle of manna it was incredible and delicious, tasting like honey. It was a wonderful substance that fed them in a time of famine, coming directly from the creator of the universe. But after a while, they seemed to get sick of it. Despite the daily provision God continually rained down for them, they ceased appreciating it and began to crave the food they used to eat when they were enslaved. They dreamed back to their former lives, before they were saved. They began to sensationalize that life thinking back to how great it was. Forgetting they were slaves eating only the scraps leftover by the Egyptians. The "good ol days" really weren't so good. Don't resort back to these lusts and cravings. 

This has a direct implication for the born again Christian, and also serves as a severe warning. Before I became born again, I lived my entire life completely selfishly, as a person who operated without regard for my fellow man. I was a bully, ridiculing others for my own entertainment, causing emotional harm. I was a fornicator, sleeping around and breaking the hearts of many women, without regard for their feelings or their souls. I was a drunkard, partying with friends every chance I could. I was a drug abuser, getting high daily, always looking to please myself. I was violent, quick to get into fights, hurting people physically, and myself when they got the best of me. I was a liar, a cheater, a thief, an adulterer. I was a murderer at heart as I was filled with hatred at times (1 John 3:15). Wickedness was my modus operandi. Sin was my food.

Now that I see life through the lens of Christ, and through the lens of the Bible, I am acutely aware of the evil and destructive ways of my past, and I'm both disgusted and ashamed of it. One of the first things that changed for me in this constant process of sanctification was the immediate removal of pornography from my life. I recognized that this perverted industry is largely propped up by the black market and dark web of drugs, prostitution, rape, pedophilia, sex trafficking, and worse. I recognized that my choice to participate in that activity was an act of spiritual support, that I immediately repented of and have never and will never look back to. But, there are other areas in my life where I have lusted back (like the Israelites in Numbers 11:4). The removal of drugs and alcohol for example. When I first got saved, I struggled against this one. I would remember back to the "good ol days" and reminisce about the "fun" times I used to have when smoking a joint, when going out drinking with friends, or going on dates with women. The temptations are all there and become magnified when trying to avoid them...but as we reminisce with an air of pleasure, a seed is planted in our minds. Once planted we give the devil the foothold he needs to influence us into sin (Ephesians 4:27). 

Ecclesiastes 7:10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

We can see the Israelites started to complain in the wilderness and reminisce back to the good old days when they could enjoy the fish, garlic, and tasty vegetables and foods of Egypt. As they lusted after their former lives, when they were slaves to that society and subjected to an abusive master, they stopped appreciating God. All they did was complain about him and how uncomfortable they were in the wilderness. The stopped appreciating his love and his care. They even resisted the food he chose to feed them with. They were acting like a bunch of babbling children choosing to follow their lusts while forgetting the day The Lord brought them out of Egypt. 

Egypt is a figure for the world. As the Israelites started to lust after Egypt, they were lusting after everything that was killing and enslaving them. God uses this as an example to teach the born again Christian not to lust after the world and after our former lives that enslaved us to sin. This is why 1 John tells us not to lust after the world, or to love the world. He goes so far to say that if any man loves the world or the things of this world, the love of God is not in him. What he means is that if we prioritize any material or worldly interest before God, that becomes a form of idolatry and a great offense the one who created you. Worship him who created you, not the things which he created. 

Matt 11:16-17 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

Psalm 78:8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God. 

Here we can see Jesus identifying the generation of babies. In Matthew 11 these are stubborn Jews who didn't believe in John the Baptist because he was overly committed to the Lord, always fasting and praying, then when Jesus came, he was eating and drinking, and they criticized him equally, for the opposite reason. These men were unpleasable, only concerned with the world and their own fleshly lusts, the same way the Israelites acted in the wilderness. This is the generation of wickedness; the generation of flesh. It is only the generation of the spirit that can enter into the promised land. 

Deuteronomy 1:35-38  Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers. Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the Lord. Also the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither. But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

The Bible distinguishes between two groups of people throughout the scriptures. There are those who seek after the pleasures of the world, and those who seek to please God. There are the babbling babies, and the wise men. Those who lust after the flesh, and those who lust after the spirit. It's the generation of flesh vs the generation of spirit.  Deuteronomy 1 says that the generation of flesh will not see the good land. It's only those who wholly followed the Lord, which out of the thousands upon thousands of Jews sojourning in the wilderness, only Caleb and Joshua met that qualification. These men were of a new generation; the generation of the spirit. 

Romans 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 

Psalm 24:6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. 

Those who understand are those who seek after God. These are of the generation of spirit. Those who do not understand, do not seek after God, but rather seek after the lusts of the world. These are of the generation of flesh Jesus referred to in Matthew 11; as a generation of babbling children. The contrast of these generations expounded upon in the book of Numbers is yet another example God uses to teach the believer. We can get saved and resort back to our former ways. We can choose to follow the lusts of the world instead of following Jesus (John 6:66). We can, and do, reminisce of the good old days before we were saved, which can lead us into the temptation of going back, giving heed to those lusts. We can see in the book of Numbers and Deuteronomy, that the generation of flesh was utterly destroyed, and unable to make it into the promised land. The flesh cannot enter into heaven (1 Corinthians 15:50). Only the Spirit can. Therefore we must not follow our fleshly desires as this only leads to destruction, but follow the Holy Spirit who will lead you to the Kingdom of God. 

Titus 3:3-7 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Everyone born into this world in the generation of flesh. We are born into the world, through our mothers wombs, into a physical body that is made of flesh, blood, and bone. Our flesh is dependent upon the world for survival. Our flesh is base, hunting for food, sex, shelter, and pleasure wherever it can be found. But we also have a spirit, which by nature is contrary to the flesh. This is why Jesus says that we have to become reborn. We have to become born again to see the Kingdom of God. That's why Titus tells us that we have to undergo a washing of "regeneration", and a "renewing" of spirit given to us by God himself. Unless a man is born again he cannot enter into heaven. We must call upon the name of Jesus in order to receive this eternal gift, and we must cherish it until the very end in order to make it there. We cannot be diverted by the flesh and by the world. We must remain focused on the end goal, and on Jesus Christ, staying rooted in his Word, that we may produce fruit for our Lord to enjoy. 

John 3:6-7 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Romans 8 articulates this concept completely below:

Romans 8:1-14 

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.