No compromise there. It is Exodus 10: 26, when Moses told Pharaoh when talking about Israel leaving Egypt: “Not a hoof shall be left behind.”
How well I remember the young preacher’s text. He taught us that a tug of war was seriously going on between God and pharaoh, king of Egypt. Lives and nations were at stake. Just a little “negotiating” by Moses could have benefited his “nation” (Israel) with the most powerful kingdom on earth, Egypt. She was the one (not Israel) that needed benefiting. Egypt had been devastated after nine deadly plagues. Still the Egyptian powers refused to permit the Israelites to go a short distance into the dessert to do animal sacrifice to their God, Yahweh or Jehovah. Moses had asked politely but was told not to see Pharaoh’s face again and not to take any cattle into the desert. The cattle would be necessary for the sacrifices. Yet the no-compromise Moses boldly stated, “Not a hoof shall be left behind.”
I was hearing the Moses story from the monthly speaker at the Morgan County Youth Rally, someone under 25 years old, maybe nervously delivering his sermon. His words came marching into my quieted brain recently. Oh, yes. I remembered well those youth rallies. On a Saturday night, once a month, those 52 Baptist churches in Morgan County, Alabama, held a “youth rally” with free Cokes and cookies, something we never had growing up in the sixties. It was a safe place for guys and gals to meet or even take a date. The testimonies, songs, and preaching were always done by someone under 25 years old. We had some good peer examples.
There was a roll-call of all 52 churches. Teens stood as their church name was called out; the church with the most young people got to keep the “attendance” or “efficiency” banner for a month. “Efficiency” winners had the most percentage-wise of youth in attendance; “attendance” meant most of their youth were present. Our church usually won one of them each month; that made us feel special. Our church was experiencing a small revival!! (See Alabama and Beyond, by Dottie Gravely, p. 8-9, now available through used Amazon.)
This particular evening, the young preacher accompanied his text (Exodus 10:26) with a sermon about how Moses could have compromised with Egypt’s leader but refused. He said that we, too, should stand firm in our Christian convictions and not give in to culture’s pleas to bend them for personal gain. He especially advised teens to hold high our dating standards and cling to the scripture that tells us NOT to be joined unequally to unbelievers. (II Cor. 6:14ff)
I recently found that Bill Gaither even wrote a song with this NO COMPROMISE message. He considers it one of his worst songs he ever wrote: (https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=photo+Not+a+Hoof+Shall+Be+Left+Behind&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dphoto%2bNot%2ba%2bHoof%2bShall%2bBe%2bLeft%2bBehind%26form%3dWMSRPM%26qs%3dSW%26cvid%3d0c8ca0e331574e7e849d08ed2a328fd5%26pq%3dphoto%2bNot%2ba%2bHoof%2bShall%2bBe%2bLeft%2bBehind%26cc%3dUS%26setlang%3den-US%26PC%3dLCTS%26qfig%3d7660d744c774415caa955eff573955a5&mmscn=vwrc&view=detail&mid=64295238C54F0864BD3964295238C54F0864BD39&rvsmid=417D9005543DD6211C18417D9005543DD6211C18&FORM=VDQVAP)
Apparently, God used these youthful sermons as building blocks in my spiritual growth, unbeknownst to me. Now, the whole scene came back quite vividly to my memory.
Sermons like this no doubt caused me to find my husband of 45+ years at a church camp, I refused to date anyone who was not already a Christian (someone who loved God as much as I did). I know there are exceptions, but it is better to stick with Paul’s advice in II Cor. 6:44. Experience has proved it repeatedly.
Well, where and how is the believer supposed to find a mate? We claim the golden promise of Matt. 6:33, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” My daughter’s youth pastor said it like this:
In junior high, her…youth pastor…. had told his young flock that finding a mate was like taking a walk in the woods. If the walker strolls along and looks up at the sun, he will bump into a tree. Brilliant! Likewise, he explained, if an unmarried Christian walks though life with his eyes focused above on the Son of God, he will bump into his future mate. That made perfect sense to Sharon, [my daughter] so she adopted that strategy. It worked. Here’s what happened….
p. 131 Alabama and Beyond, Creating a Lasting Legacy. (Now available on used Amazon.)
The Lord wants to spare us some unnecessary heartache. Besides, as Hudson Taylor once coached us, “He always choses the best for those who leave the choice to Him.” A careful study of God’s people proves this to be true.