I have often heard Christians who want to be culturally engaged and relevant appeal to the old statement from Augustine, when he justified Christians partaking of classical learning, saying that we were “plundering the Egyptians.” And there is something to that. We don’t want simply to echo Tertullian’s famous comment when his famous Jerusalem said to the learned Athens, “Deal me out.” But at the same time, there is is something to that suspicion as well. Tertullian had reasons for his jumpiness.
“And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians” (Ex. 12:35-36).
“When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations” (Dt. 18:9).
So there are two ways to go. One is plundering the Egyptians, and the other is capitulation to the Egyptians in the name of plundering them. There is leaving Egypt with all their wealth, with them chasing you, and there is them heading for the abyss, with covetous believers chasing after them. Since both of these categories do exist, let us make a few notes about what plundering the Egyptians (PTE) is not.
First, PTE accentuates the antithesis, and does not blur that antithesis. It was a prelude to Israel leaving, separating, going away. It was also a prelude to a fierce judgment that was coming upon Egypt.
Second, PTE leaves the Egyptians without their gold. Plundering the Egyptians is not synomymous with sharing with the Egyptians. The believers get it; the Egyptians lose it.
Third, PTE brings genuine wealth into the community of the faithful, and not the diseases of paganism. God gave the gold of Egypt to Israel, but promised them that if they were obedient they would not be given any of the diseases of Egypt (Dt. 7:15). Israel plundered the gold of Egypt, not the creeping crud of Egypt.
Fourth, PTE was not a function of Israel admiring the ways of Egypt. It was not a function of Israel paying admission money to the ticket takers of Egypt, who would then let us come in to admire their gold.
Fifth, PTE was not the same as PTI (plundering the Israelites). When Shechem raped Dinah, that was not an instance of plundering the Egyptians. It was, as my daughter puts it, an instance of camping too near Succoth (Gen. 34:1ff). And when Lot got out of Sodom, he did not go roistering down the highway, hauling his swag with him, leaving a trail of jewelry. He barely got out with his own skin.
So in summary, these are the reasons why I am suspicious of much that passes for cultural engagement these days — whether with food issues, or entertainment, or dress, or attitudes toward education, or, as they say on television, much, much more. First, I see many such Christians blurring the antithesis like there was no tomorrow. Second, I see that our present day Egyptians do not appear to be missing any of their gold. Third, I see rampant Egyptian diseases in the church, and precious little gold. Fourth, I see Christians giddy with admiration for dazzling appearances And fifth, I see far more judgment on and in the Church than I see judgment on Egypt for the sake of the Church. Long term, these problems will all be dealt with in the course of reformation. But in the meantime, they are not examples of cutting edge reformation so much as they are instances of cutting edge capitulation.
This is money