Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be

It's funny how things transpire in my mind that brings me to write spiritual
lessons of an editorial nature. I was watching a TV show last night and the
subject of "storage facilities" (factually - "self-storage units") was
mentioned. This caused me to connect that topic with part of a Bible class
lesson I taught sometime back and which I just had reason to have out of the
files. This was a lesson comparing Pharoah of Egypt with Satan so, with your
indulgence, I'm going to combine these two thoughts for our lesson today.
First, let's talk about "storage units." They're everywhere and seemingly
more are being built everyday. I did some research and was astonished at
what I found out about these facilities. At the end of 2009 there were
51,000 plus storage facilities IN THE U.S. ALONE! They are owned by 30,235
different companies and the combined floor space of said facilities is 2.35
billion square feet. The statistics also reported that one in ten households
rents at least one unit. Isn't that amazing?

Now, what does that tell us about our society? It tells me that we're
"possessed" with our "possessions." Perhaps "obsessed" with our
"possessions" is a more appropriate way of saying it. We like our "stuff,"
our "things," don't we?

Okay, having said that, let's talk about good old Pharoah. In the early
chapters of Exodus we find the Children of Israel in captivity in Egypt,
ruled by Pharoah. ("Captivity" sounds too nice, in actuality, they were
slaves.) We see where God chooses Moses to lead them out of bondage (Egypt)
and to the "Promised Land." Since this will be a "type versus antitype"
lesson, we see Moses as a "type" of Christ - a Messiah.

We also see that Pharoah doesn't want them to leave for the simple reason
that he'll lose his slaves - his workforce. Therefore he refuses to let them
go. That's when we see the negotiations begin between Moses (speaking for
God) and Pharoah. It doesn't take long for these negotiations to break down.
In reality, they never got off the ground. That's when we see the "plagues"
begin.

After a few plagues, negotiations restart and this is where we start seeing
some "tactical changes" made by Pharoah. First T/C: OK, go, BUT stay in the
land. (Ex. 8:25) This was not OK with God. Then T/C number 2: OK, go, BUT
don't go very far. (8:27) Still a no-go with God. Nr. 3 T/C: OK, go, BUT
just the men - no children. (10:8-11) This too, was not an option acceptable
to God. Then we come to the 4th Tactical Change of Pharoah, and the one that
gets us into the spiritual aspects of our editorial lesson.

In the 4th T/C, Pharoah said, OK, you can go BUT, leave your "flocks and
herds" here. Uh-oh, Pharoah's playing hardball now. He knew that people put
a lot of store by their "possessions" which is exactly what "flocks and
herds" equate to. To see this in a "Biblical" way, Pharoah knew where their
"treasure" lay. Now, let's look at the spiritual application of all of this.

As already mentioned, this is a "type versus antitype" lesson and as such,
is a lesson wherein something from the past (IE: Old Testament) is
represented by something from the now (IE: New Testament). Thus what we have
here is PHAROAH (type) represented by SATAN (antitype). Also, we have ISRAEL
in "type" representing "Christians" in "antitype. With our "types" and
"antitypes" set, let's get to the nitty-gritty of the lesson.

I believe that we live in a very materialistic society today. In a society
that's obsessed with its possessions. As previously said, we like our
"stuff." Wouldn't you say that this is evidenced by 51,000 plus
"self-storage facilities?" And don't you think that, just as Pharoah knew
the hold possessions had on the Israelites, Satan knows the same thing about
us? That he knows the influence on our lives that our possessions have?
(Those are rhetorical questions - of course he does.)

Can't you just hear Satan say: "OK, you can dabble in Christianity, just don't
let it effect your pocketbook." Or, "don't let it effect your business." Or,
even more so, "don't let it keep you from your RV's, your entertainments,
your worldly recreations." You can just "say you're a Christian, but don't
really become one." "Don't give up your possessions to become one."

You see, Satan knows, just like Pharoah knew, that if he can keep people
more interested in their possessions than in serving God, he will never lose
his hold over them. Of course he knows these things. Look at how God
describes him in Gen. 3:1 when he was in the form of the "serpent": that he
was "more subtle (shrewder) than any other..." In other words, Satan knows
what influences work on us "human beans" and knows how to employ them.

Let's wrap this lesson up by looking at the result of listening to and
buying into this argument of Satan. And, I have to tell you, it's a very
simple equation. If you do accept Satan's tactics, whatever your
possessions, your things, your "treasures," - they are worth more to you
than your soul. Because that's what you'll trade it for. And, if you think
being a slave to Pharoah was bad, stand by....

Ron Covey