Part One: Pursuing National Change
By Craig Docksteader
“Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph …” (Exodus 1:8, AMP)
Life had been good for Israel. They had just come through a time of blessing, favour, and prosperity in which they had enjoyed a privileged position in Egyptian society. God had used Joseph to first warn the pharaoh of the coming drought and then to provide the strategy and leadership necessary to ensure that Egypt not only survived but thrived in the midst of that drought.
For the next generation, Israel flourished in the favour that followed. Those in government were keenly aware of the value Joseph, and thus Israel, had brought to the nation, so they gave them the best land in the country on which to raise their families and flocks. But that was about to end. The memory of the past had dimmed, and Israel was now perceived as a threat to Egyptian society that needed to be controlled.
Somewhere, something had slipped. The memory of what had happened had faded. The thankfulness for the blessings that had come to Egypt because of Joseph had slowly dimmed until it was gone. Perhaps it would have been different if someone else from Israel had risen to carry on Joseph’s ministry to the nation. But nobody did. Perhaps this was the will of God. Or perhaps they were just too happy to be in the prime land of Goshen and were busy raising their flocks and their families. Perhaps they were comfortable and enjoying the blessings that had come their way, oblivious to the fact that these were all quietly slipping away.
Regardless of why it happened, when you read the story from the first chapter of Exodus, you see that the transition was abrupt. The slide may have been slow, but the shift was sudden. There seems to have been little warning. Something had changed, and they didn’t notice until it was too late. I would propose that the church in Canada today is in a similar position. Something has shifted, and we need to see it and understand how to respond before it’s too late. Consider the parallels: Where once the church in Canada enjoyed a favoured position, this is gone. Where once there was an appreciation of what Christian values brought to society, this too appears to be almost gone.
Canada was never a “Christian” nation, but undeniably the first Christians to come here did so either to find a place where they could worship in freedom or because they were compelled to bring the gospel of Christ to others. They were intent on building a society where their faith could flourish and where they could freely share that faith with others. The church built schools and hospitals, cared for the poor, and gave generously to the needs around them in order to make society a better place for everyone.
But somewhere along the way we grew comfortable. As the government moved in to take care of education, health care, and the poor, Christians grew more and more absorbed in other things. Mostly our own things. And while many Christians still carry a heart for the gospel and for society, as a whole we have clearly slipped. Our focus has become primarily about ourselves—our lives, our churches, our families, our careers, our financial security, our holidays, our welfare.
Without even knowing it, we are perilously close to an Exodus 1:8 situation: While everything seemed pretty good on the surface, something was shifting underneath. The very values that helped to form the foundation of a free and democratic country—Christian values—are starting to be perceived as a threat to the freedom of others. And unless something changes, our freedoms will begin to be limited in order to protect others from this threat—just like the nation of Israel experienced after Joseph died.
Some would say that this limiting of our freedoms has already begun. If so, then we have less time than we thought. This is not a time to shrug and carry on with business as usual. We are being awakened, and if we insist on going back to sleep because it’s more comfortable, we can be certain that we will suddenly wake up in a place where we don’t want to be.
This raises numerous questions: What should we do? How do we go about effectively promoting change in the nation? Are we able to speak freely? What is the role of prayer? Should we run for public office? Should we support a political party that promotes non-Christian policies? What exactly do we do and how does this work? These are some of the questions we will explore in the coming chapters.
Copyright 2024 Craig Docksteader | International Copyright Secured | All Rights Reserved
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