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By Van Sprague

Does the Creator have something against horses? You wouldn’t think so, since He made them and said they were very good (along with everything else He made, Gen 1:31).

But why would He have this following rule for His kings?

“But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again’” (Deut 17:16, Unless otherwise stated: Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Used by permission. All rights reserved).

There were at least two reasons horses were bad. Or, rather, that the efforts to multiply horses were bad. The people had just been delivered from the slavery and oppression of Egypt, by the power of God. The Lord wanted them to know that their continued deliverance was reliant upon Him, not any four-legged (or any-legged) creature. Also, they had just escaped Egyptian rule. They didn’t need to go back.

Today, anyone who has escaped the destructive bonds of sin has also escaped the pollutions of this world (John 8:31-36; Rom 6; 1 Pet 1:18, 19; 2 Pet 2:20). But it is easy to go back. After all, the creation around us isn’t bad. What makes it wrong is mishandling it, making our lives about getting stuff, and relying upon things rather than God.

Sometimes those things are what you come across when it seems like life is going well. Look at what Solomon did during the unparalleled prosperity of his reign. “The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. Also Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh…” (1 Kgs 10:27, 28).

Because of this compromise, the Jews continued to struggle with relying on themselves and other nations. Before the northern kingdom was finally destroyed and dispersed among the Assyrian nation, they were going to Egypt, and her horses, instead of God.

We leave a legacy, whether we mean to or not. We influence others by who or what they see us rely upon, focus on, and elevate in our good and bad times. Drawing near to God when life gets hard, but treating possessions like they are what delivered you, will send the wrong message to everyone watching.

This was one reason Israel fell. They kept relying on Egypt for their horses.

“Now the Egyptians are men, and not God;
And their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the LORD stretches out His hand.
Both he who helps will fall,
And he who is helped will fall down;
They will all perish together” (Isa 31:3).

It’s not about the horses. They are okay, and God knows we’ll want horses. The question is, is there anything in your life that you treat as though you cannot live without, but you can? Do you live your life to get things and please people, but not God?

Those are your horses from Egypt. You can live a fulfilling life without them. Trust in God. He will make sure you have what you need.

There might even be horses.

Van Sprague is an evangelist at the Church of Christ at Houston Park. He has a wife and three children. Come Visit! Sunday morning Bible class is at 9, with worship at 10 am and 5 pm. Wednesday night Bible class is at 6.