Deceptive

The world is deceptive –

 To which – Are you Perceptive?

                                                 Or Receptive?               

-eab, 6/20/09

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EGYPT, SINAI, CANAAN

Once there lived on Egypt’s sand, an ethnic band,

Of Israelites born by the Nile.

Hardly were they pressed, often roughly addressed,

Ham wanted more bricks all the while.

 

Slaving men and their wives, cried out for their lives,

As oppressed are oft want to do.

And God, who is not blind, set Moses to find,

A man Egypt already knew.

 

He found him tending sheep, quite a cultural leap,

From the palace life he’d once known.

But he’d fled that, traded “crown” for herder’s hat

Afraid he might reap what he’d sown.

 

After he’d seen, the bush fired yet a bright green,

He headed for the land of Ham.

He gave out the word, He’d heard for the good Lord,

God waited to give His “grand slam.”

 

A rod became a snake, they, used to the fate.

“Tut.” Magicians could do that too.

They saw their mistakes, when his rod ate their snakes,

He now held a solid, staff “zoo.”

 

Pharaoh would say “go,” again he said “No.”

Moses and God brought plagues to pass.

Killed were the first born, those with soul, those with horn,

God touched the Egyptian’s “god class.”

 

At last, last they fled, toward the sea men call Red,

Laying diametrically in path.

They rounded the bend, there it was “without end”

“Why didn’t we head up toward Gath?”

 

Mountain stood east of them.  Left stood hilly hem;

An impassible sea ahead.

To make matters worse, Pharaoh’s charging horse

Galloped with military dread.

 

Ere Egypt got there, with armies strong and rare,

Night, as it always does, came ‘long.

At least ‘twas dark, in the pagan’s bivouac park,

Camping there – a revengeful throng.

 

As day came to a close, that mighty wind ‘rose,

Blowing ‘cross the sea, east to west.

Had man been measuring, (he does everything)

It may have been hurricane “blest.”

 

That last Egyptian night, (Israel had light,)

God kept His wind shoving with force.

‘Til by morning time, nothing was left of slime,

In path of their previous course.

 

Water stood a wall, like ice in northern fall,

Stood piled on left and on right side.

The many yards between, were readily seen,

Perfectly, Divinely blow-dried.

 

They brought themselves to shore, but couldn’t do more

God, only God could deliver.

He alone can still save, from the end, the grave

Life’s only from the Right giver.

 

A million men or more, strode the sea’s dry floor,

And up slopes furthest from Ham’s home.

Wife, child also came, (God deliverers the same)

Through the path of sea and its foam.

 

God, the great mechanic, caused drivers panic,

He removed tall Egyptian wheels.

The sea returned to force, drowning men and horse,

Israel was free from all sins “deals.”

 

Bondmen now was free, to sin they owed no fee,

Pagan habits came to a stop.

God brought entirely out, new men – turned – about,

No longer to sow a wild crop.

 

Isis, Horis, Serapis, Jews did not miss,

Religion’s such a binding ring.

Sinai would provide, clouds, vapor, outside,

The Almighty showed the real thing.

 

Israel left that shore, saw it never more

She was bound for Canaan’s high ground

Water welled up on date, manna they all ate

Daily (except His Day) ‘twas found.

 

God’s pillar stuck by, (“pillar” suggests ‘twas high)

Sheltering from a desert bright.

By night it glowed fire, God thus did then inspire,

The very first, ancient “night light.“

 

Regenerated hearts, no longer have parts,

In sin’s binding confining powers.

In gracious addition, God gave direction,

Morning, noon, and in the night hours.

 

They learned to follow cloud; go, stop as allowed

Toward Sinai cut a new “way.”

Proceed, stop; obedience “to the last drop.”

Grace continues as we obey.

 

The Lord sent them thunder, lightenings of wonder,

They heard, they saw His power so true.

The law came in place, two stones of even space,

Telling what they could, couldn’t do.

 

They’d left lands of sin, evil they were not in,

Nile and river gods were behind.

Canaan they’d not reached yet, on it hopes were set,

There they hoped perfect rest to find. 

 

A try was made to enter, Canaan center,

On overland, over-years trip.

The ten faithless spies, saw mainly giant guys,

And “won” by a negative lip.

 

Close! So close to God’s will – they turned down the hill,

To retread sand they’d trod before.

Unbelief defied, a generation died,

Canaan, they knew it, nevermore.

 

Moses too the land missed, ground he could’ve kissed

He struck when he should have spoken.

Leaders dare not step, ‘cross God’s line; intercept

God’s Word – It’s not just a “token.”

 

‘Twas peninsula, ‘twixt Suez, Aqaba,

Separate from the land of sin.

Neither was it Canaan; active complainin’

Showed they hadn’t yet “entered in.”

 

Joshua took command.  Time to take the land,

Time to claim God’s promise and act.

They parked on Jordan’s shore, had floods ‘bove yore,

Faith stared hard at that flowing “fact.”

 

They could not sanctify, nor God satisfy,

Without a live faith in the Lord.

Priests, ark pressed to the shore, “it” was there no more,

God kept His reliable Word.

 

Jordan, southward bound, continued without sound

Flowing toward the sea that’s so dead.

But Jordan to the right, pilled up – What a sight!

It must have been way above their head.

 

They entered the New land, not by their command,

“The Holy” was wholly in charge.

Like the Red Sea “road,” God’s power too here rode,

Faith was super active and large.

 

Chunks of geography; on map – all can see,

Egypt is not the Promised land.

Nor Sinai’s “boulder,” in either “folder”

Observe land-mass lessons first-hand.

 

Egypt (type of sin), outward wrongs fit such men.

Sinning does not fit Christian man.

Bad theology, can’t change geography,

There’s no mistake in His pure plan.

 

Men try to proclaim, “saved, sanctified‘s” the same,

They “got it all at once” they say.

All the maps point out, Canaan has no “law-Mount,”

Go higher, go further, this day!

 

Sea, river, aren’t the same – position, nor name,

The first had two walls, the next, one.

One’s salty to taste, other freshens a place,

One laps confining shore, the second has a run.

 

They were brought out, from the mighty pagan clout,

God brought them out to bring them in.

To His long-promised land, milk, honey (not sand).

He delivers from in-bred sin.

 

To “lounge” in wilderness, will miss happiness, 

To miss holiness at its best.

To enter Canaan land, obeys His command,

It’s worth all it takes to invest.

 

Joshua’s men of war, had a new hard chore,

Jericho was all locked up tight.

 

“Burning arrows,” “The rampart,” cried war’s lost art,

“There’s but one way to do this right.”

 

One sign God owns all, is obeying HIS call,

He said march round and round and round.

Carnality baulks at such, “War could do much”

“Conventional wisdom is sound.”

 

Some prattle, “holy life is” without battle.

Don’t follow an ill-informed guide.

Sanctified saint will fight, sometime long and “tight”

But the enemy’s ALL outside. 

 

Today they marched ‘round, returned to a campground,

And supper was fried mutton chops.

Next they circled again, ending where they’d been,

And tonight had beef stew and its “sops.”

 

They set out next four days, went their circling ways,

Jericho must have been screaming.

Marching dust was hazy, driving them crazy;

Did they see Joshua beaming?

 

The seventh-day crowd was drawn, before the dawn,

Today they marched round seven times.

A child can tell you, Jericho’s walls fell through,

God’s holy war won without crimes.

 

God had been specific, leave gold and tunic,

All bounty belonged to the Lord.

One need not understand, to do His command,

To disobey one can’t afford.

 

It’s no sin to once see, if you let it be,

Achan could have temptation fled. 

With a second look, he lusted, and then took,

And hid it where he had his bed.

 

One can backslide, after Jordan’s high, high tide.

Only he that endures is sure.

Holiness makes stronger, battles rage longer,

What beauty in a heart made pure. 

 

The crossing of Jordan, was instantly done,

There was a day they were made whole.

Holiness, a life that follows, has hills and hollows,

“Inhabitants” contains “habit” of the soul.

          – eab, 6/2001

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H Robb French – married, Jun 23, 1919

“There’s More With Us”

 There’s more with us than be with them;

We’re on the winning side;

With banners unfurled,

We’ll tell the whole world,

That Jesus is Captain and Guide;

There’s naught to fear

When He is near,

Though fierce the conflict may be;

We’ll never give in

In the fight against sin;

With Christ there is victory.

 

There’s more with us than be with them;

Lord open our eyes to see;

The mountains around,

With chariots abound,

We’re trusting alone in Thee;

The devil may boast

And martial his host,

And march in the battle array;

With Christ in the lead

We are sure to succeed;

We’re certain to win the day.

 

There’s more with us than be with them;

God lives and He answers prayer;

Though numbers are few,

His promise is true,

No need for a fear or a care;

The critics may jeer,

And infidels sneer,

And sow dissension and doubt;

God’s truth shall endure,

Our foundation is sure;

There’s naught to worry about.

 

There’s more with us than be with them;

He’s promised to come again;

With signs appearing,

The time is nearing,

He’s coming to earth to reign;

When satan is bound,

The whole earth around,

We’ll crown Him King of kings;

The conflict will cease,

With His Kingdom of peace;

We’ll join the chorus and sing.  (Repeat verse one after verse four only)  

 

H Robb French (author of this song) was married this date, 6/23/1919, to Geraldine Trusler. She was 26, he was 27. She wrote the music this and to another of his songs, “I Don’t Care What Church You Belong To.”

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