Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Walk Like An Egyptian" (The Bangles)

Good Tuesday to ya!!!  Welcome to a very special edition of Tuesday' Musical Notes!!!  A few weeks ago, we told you about reprinting some of the original Notes that appeared as the worship arts contribution to our church's newsletter. (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Walking On Sunshine" and Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Teach Your Children").  This past weekend the Tuesday's Musical Notes blog just passed the 2000 hit mark!!! (thanks again Heath!!!) We are so grateful that people all over the world have chosen to take a moment to read and contemplate The Notes observations regarding culture and the cross.  To celebrate the passing of this milestone, we would like to offer this revision of the very first newsletter article that served as the inspiration for Tuesday's Musical Notes.  We hope you are encouraged by The Notes each week.  It is our goal to continue to provide interesting, encouraging, and informative viewpoints on topics that bond us together.  Thanks again for your support.  That being said.....

Welcome to The Notes!!!

In the Bible we are commanded and encouraged to not be afraid.  Even with those calm assurances from God, everyone suffers from the plight of fear.  Sometimes it is rooted in a lack of confidence in our environment, but very often our fear results from increasing self doubt.  This is plague that afflicts everyone at some point in their lives.....even a Bangle.

From 1984 to 2011 they only produced 5 studio albums.  Their music however has become a fixture in pop culture.  Television shows, commercials, and other rock bands have performed their music.  They have been aided by the likes of Kimberly Rew ("Going Down To Liverpool" and founder of Katrina and the Waves), Prince (the writer of their hit "Manic Monday") as well as Cyndi Lauper (The Bangles served as the opening act to Lauper's "Fun" tour)  During this time they have seen band members leave the group as well as the total dissolution of one of their group.  Okay....strike the hieroglyphic pose......

The Bangles - "Walk Like An Egyptian"


The height of their career came in September of 1986, when the pop group The Bangles  scored a number one hit with their song “Walk Like an Egyptian”. I don't know if they realized it, but they were making quite the theological statement in this song. 

All throughout the Bible, Egypt is a shadow, an example if you will, of the world that “God followers” were to shun. The Egyptians were an anathema to ancient Israelites and later on, though they were allies, were part and parcel to Israel's destruction. To put it plainly, walking like an Egyptian was not a good thing. 
 
Let's bring this back to the present time. How are we to walk and what things do we face that causes us to go off track? Using the Egyptian example, we are to avoid the things of this world and not allow “Egyptian” distractions to throw us out of sync with God's plan. We can only do this through the strength of the Holy Spirit working in us every minute. 
 
When the Israelites faced the ultimate “Egyptian” distraction at the Red Sea, what did God, through Moses, tell them to do?


13 Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do His work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you're never going to see them again. -The Message paraphrase

Notice that the Bible says that it was "His work of salvation", not anything that the Israelites did.  He told them to stand firm. The King James version says “be still”. Basically we are to do nothing but stand back and let God be God. That's easier said than done. Notice that the Message paraphrase emphasizes the word “today”. Paul tells us that we have to “daily” lay down the things of this world, the “Egyptian” things, and embrace the things of Christ. Paul also tells us in Ephesians 6:12,

  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." English Standard Version (ESV) 

While it is okay to be afraid, we do not need to be filled with fear for Jesus has overcome all of those things.
 
You might also notice that the “Egyptians” we face today, we will never have to face again. Those specific circumstances, those challenges and temptations that we face today...if we allow God to be God....we will never have to face them again.  How comforting is that? God helps eliminate those distractions if we let Him be God. We do play a role in this. We make the decision to not allow the “Egyptian” distractions to keep us from God's will for our lives. It is our decision whether or not we... “Walk like an Egyptian”


Just to remind you of whose you are as a believer in Jesus...

New Life Worship - "Great I Am"

Thanks again for reading each week!!!

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy