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On Who’s Neck Is Your Knee?

Posted on 14 Jun 2020, Pastor: Tolu Makinde

Title: On Who’s Neck Is Your Knee?

Text: Ex. 12:37-42

[Exo 12:37] And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.

[Exo 12:38] And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

[Exo 12:39] And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

[Exo 12:40] Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

[Exo 12:41] And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

[Exo 12:42] It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

Introduction

The children of Israel went through 430 years of oppression at the hands of the Egyptians.
That is at least 5 generations – some generations lived only during the oppression. Imagine living a life and all you know is being oppressed because of your race or religion.
Israel went through it and others are going through it right now.
The death of George Floyd at the knee of Derek Chauvin is a perfect depiction of the powerful and privileged chocking life out of the powerless.
On who’s neck is your knee?
Are you using your power and influence to oppress or you using them to uplift?
Just two nights ago, another black man, Rayshard Brooks, was shot and killed by the Atlanta Police because he was sleeping in his car.
The systemic oppression has to stop.

Main Topic

The Midianites oppressed the children of Israel – Judges 6:1-10

The oppression and the crying out to the Lord brought Gideon into the picture.
God used Gideon and his 300 men to start to deliver Israel from the oppression

The Philistine oppressed the children of Israel – 1 Sam. 17

Goliath and the Philistine roared for 40 days
God brought David into the scene and used him to defeat Goliath

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses

[Num 12:1] And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
Aaron repented that racism is a sin and it is foolishness –
[Num 12:11] And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

1. God does not tolerate any form of oppression

Racial
Gender
Economic
Religious affiliation
and many others….
If you find yourself in the position of power and authority and you are using your position to silence others in any way, shape, or form, you are an oppressor, you need to repent, and God is not on your side.
[Isa 54:13] And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
[Isa 54:14] In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

2. God will always fight for the oppressed –

If you don’t want God to be against you, don’t oppress others
[Exo 23:9] Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
[Lev 25:17] Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.
[Jer 7:6] If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
[Jer 7:7] Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.

3. If you see others being oppressed and you do nothing, you are part of the problem

4. God does not see color

[1Co 12:13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
[Gal 3:28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
God does not see your color – whether you are white, black, brown or in between, all that God sees are souls
There is no race that is superior to others, we are all created equal before God
A time is coming when we shall no longer live in this body and the color of one’s skin will not matter
Our celestial bodies will not have colors. We shall all be citizens of the Kingdom of God

5. If you are being oppressed, you must free your mind from the prison of oppression

How circus elephants are trained.
In the wilderness, some children of Israel wanted to go back to Egypt
You must realize that you are better that how you are being treated
You must realize that there is something on the inside of you that the devil is using the oppressor to keep down
The size of your destiny determines the size of your battle
Never give up to the oppression. Nobody wins by giving up
Continue to fight, continue to stand for what is right, and you shall win the battle

Conclusion

[1Co 15:50] Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

[1Co 15:51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

[1Co 15:52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

[1Co 15:53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

[1Co 15:54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

[1Co 15:55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

[1Co 15:56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

[1Co 15:57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

[1Co 15:58] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1. God does not tolerate any form of oppression

2. God will always fight for the oppressed

3. If you see others being oppressed and you do nothing, you are part of the problem

4. God does not see color

5. If you are being oppressed, you must free your mind from the prison of oppression

Sermon

On Who’s Neck Is Your Knee?