Deal or No Deal

Photo by Zan Lazarevic on Unsplash

I am sure many of you have watched the game show: Deal or No Deal. You know, the nail-biting one that had us all on the edge of our seats trying to mathematically figure out the player’s chances of winning the million dollar case then screaming “no deal” at the screen every time the banker made an offer?

If only we were so passionate about the deals the enemy tries to make with us.

Let us go back together to one of my personal favorite “deal or no deal” stories.
We will look at this from two parts.

The promise. And then, the deal.

First, the promise.

The Lord said: I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt, and I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are being mistreated. I feel sorry for them, and I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians. I will bring my people out of Egypt into a country where there is a lot of good land, rich with milk and honey. I will give them the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. My people have begged for my help, and I have seen how cruel the Egyptians are to them. Now go to the king! I am sending you to lead my people out of his country.

Exodus 3:7-10

It continues in verse 21 saying:

After I punish the Egyptians, they will be so afraid of you that they will give you anything you want. You are my people, and I will let you take many things with you when you leave the land of Egypt. Every Israelite woman will go to her Egyptian neighbors or to any Egyptian woman living with them and ask them for gold and silver jewelry and for their finest clothes. The Egyptians will give them to you, and you will put these fine things on your sons and daughters. Carry all this away when you leave Egypt.

The story of Israel’s freedom begins with simply a promise from God. In this passage, God gives specific details that it is important to pay attention to: 1) He will take them to a land flowing with milk and honey; 2) He will punish the Egyptians; 3) they would strip Egypt of it’s wealth.

God is interested in the details. He could have just magically delivered them out of Egypt.

But if he did, we would never have the story of the Nile turning to blood, of the frogs and locusts, of the Red Sea parting, nor would Egypt have been stripped of it’s wealth, the enemy of Israel would have continued living as a constant threat. Without the promise, and without the journey to that promise, we would never have had the stories that help give us faith when we need it most.

Think back on promises the Lord gave you at the beginning of this journey with your prodigal or loved one. When I look back, I remember my husband Casey receiving two promises while he was believing for my return and the restoration of our marriage:

1. The Lord would restore back seven times greater than what was lost.

2. The kids would walk through the situation without the smell of smoke.

Two promises to stand on.

Two that would keep hope alive when it seemed hopeless. 

That is precisely what those promises and words and reminders the Lord sends you are for.

They are not absolute predictions of what’s to come; they are given to us to keep faith alive and to give us hope to keep going.

When we have a word or a promise, it is not long before the enemy comes and tries to kill that promise inside of us. Most of the time, that does not succeed. The next step is to negotiate, and he always negotiates down.

Let’s return to Moses and watch how is game of Deal or No Deal plays out.

It begins with the plaque of Blood. Moses commands Aaron to hold his staff over the Nile, turning it into blood. But Pharaohs magicians did the same thing. Pharaoh’s heart hardens; he refuses to let them go.

Next was the frogs. Pharaoh’s heart hardens; he refuses to let them go.

Third, the gnats. By now, even Egypt began saying “God has done this.” But, true to form, Pharaoh’s heart hardens; he refuses to let them go.

The plagues continue with the flies, followed by the first negotiation: “Go ahead and sacrifice to your God, but stay here in Egypt.”

Moses has come to his first choice. He was given permission to go and worship God. Pharaoh flinched first. Who knows, maybe it’s worth it for Israel to stay in Egypt while they worship.

But it’s not the promise. No deal.

Our next plague is the death of Egypt’s animals. But just as before: Pharaoh’s heart hardens and he refuses to let them go.

Sores follow next. Pharaoh’s heart, well, you know.

Next comes the hailstones. Finally Pharaoh says to Moses, “All right, you may go and worship the Lord your God. But first tell me who is going.” Moses replies, “Everyone, young and old. We will even take our sheep, goats, and cattle, because we want to hold a celebration in honor of the Lord.”

Pharaoh pushes back with his second deal:

“Only the men can go.”

But, that doesn’t look like what God promised. So, no deal.

After the hailstones, God sends locusts. No deal.

Finally, God sends his final plague.

Darkness.

Pharaoh offers his third and final deal: “Go worship the Lord! And take your families with you. Just leave your sheep, goats, and cattle.”

“No!” Moses replied.

One translation says “We will not leave a hoof behind.”

So far, this was the closest they had gotten to the promise. So close, in fact, we almost wonder why he didn’t go along with it. They had permission to leave, couldn’t they find, buy, and raise livestock again?

But, Moses knew this is not what Yahweh had promised his people.

No deal.

It was not until the Lord struck down Egypt with the angel of death that Pharaoh relented: “Get your people out of my country and leave us alone! Go worship the Lord, as you have asked. Take your sheep, goats, and cattle and get out.”

Yet God was still not through with the story. There was a bit he left out of the promise to Moses.

When Pharaoh realized what he had done by letting Israel go, he sent his army after them. Israel panicked and God spoke to Moses again saying “Don’t be afraid! Be brave, and you will see the Lord save you, and you won’t have to do a thing.”

We all know how it ends. The Lord parts the Red Sea for Israel to pass through, drowning the Egyptians and destroying their enemy.

The only reason Israel’s story ends with the destruction of their enemy is because someone refused to take the deal that was offered to them. Egypt couldn’t break Israel’s hope that they would leave, so they tried to negotiate down, to have the best of both worlds.

And it is the same tactic he uses on us.

What deal could the enemy have offered Casey after he received his two promises?

“You will receive seven times greater, but it will be with someone else.”

“One of your children will get through it and heal, but one will really be broken over this.”

“Lindsey will come home, but the marriage always struggled.”

Thankfully, he said “No deal.”

Both of those promises came to pass in every way.

The marriage was restored seven times greater than anything it was before. (A better explanation is seventy times seven!).

Our two daughters walked through with a deeper faith, a stronger bond, and more security than before, not to mention the extra blessing we received in our son, Asher who was born a year after my return home.

I do not know what you are going through. I cannot tell you how long it will be till it’s over and you’re finally crossing that Red Sea yourself.

What I can tell you is to write down those promises, every word you receive, any little breadcrumbs God gives you that say “It can happen.” Hold on to those promises and do not negotiate.

It is not God’s will for your son or daughter to live the rest of their life fighting drug addiction. It is not His will for your marriage to end from this affair. I know the pain gets so severe that you’d rather take the deal just to have a moment of respite from the anguish and anxiety.

But please, my friend, keep your faith burning, your hope alive, and confidently say to every fleeting moment of doubt or unbelief:

No deal.