The people had an opportunity to return to Canaan, but they refused (cf. The Lord had sent Israel to Egypt to save His people from a famine, but it was never His will that His children remain there and become enslaved. They made their abode in the very best of the land of Egypt (47:6). Under Joseph the Israelites were free and living in prosperity and abundance in Goshen (Gn 47:27), and they owned real estate there (47:11, 27). For example, Israel came under the bondage of Egypt. The Freedom Cycle starts with people being subjected to somebody or something. We will begin by looking at The Bondage Stage. This cycle can be condensed into four stages (Charlie Crumley), which are: 1.) The Bondage Stage, 2.) The Freedom Stage, 3.) The Self-Interest Stage, and 4.) The Chaos Stage.(4) And under each stage we will examine two specific processes, for a total of eight processes altogether, which move a nation through each successive level of The Freedom Cycle (derived from Taylor’s model). Professor Alexander Taylor, who lived at the time of the American Revolution, wrote that, “The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.”(3) He said that they all progressed through a sequence which he called “The Cycle of Freedom.” I find it interesting that we will observe in the Scripture what has been noted of all great nations of the world. I believe it is imperative that we learn a huge lesson from the rise and fall of Israel, as our own country is teetering on the verge of bondage and loss of freedom. This process of moving from a free nation to a nation under bondage is one we can observe in the Bible, and one of which the Lord warned Israel to watch out for. Slavery has so frightful an aspect to men accustomed to freedom that it must steal in upon them by degrees and must disguise itself in a thousand shapes in order to be received.”(2) In 1742 Scottish philosopher David Hume wrote, “It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once. With the idea of self in mind, we gladly accept the imposition of more rules and regulations, believing they are for our own well-being but before long, all freedom is lost. The Constitution no longer applies when you set foot inside an airport. For example, terrorist activity has led to our airports becoming the place where we are least free in this country. Moral decay leads to abuses and criminal activity, which necessitates the establishment of more rules, laws and regulations to maintain order and with the increase of regulations comes a decline in personal freedom. Selfishness and apathy eventually lead to complete moral decay. The concept of entitlement and individual rights has been taken to the extreme of disregard for all morality, authority, and the feelings of others for the sake of the individual. Freedom is not only obtained by the sacrifice of human life, it is gained by the sacrifice of personal entitlement for the good of the country as a whole. Freedom does not come free of charge, for sacrifices have to be made. Millions of brave men and women died for the freedom we now experience in this country. When the citizens of a country become self-centered and me-oriented, freedom is soon lost.įreedom is very costly. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.”(1) The responsibility of which she spoke is a concern for the welfare of others, and the nation as a whole. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being.
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