Chuck Smith discusses the theme of returning to Egypt, emphasizing the spiritual degeneration that leads people to forget their history and the lessons learned from it. He highlights the failure of faith among the people, who sought safety in Egypt despite its oppressive past, demonstrating a lack of trust in God's guidance. Smith warns that such disobedience results in a degeneration of desire and a corruption of conscience, leading to cynicism and pessimism. He stresses the persistence of God's Word, which offers grace and a way out, even when people turn back to their old ways. Ultimately, the sermon calls for faith and obedience to God rather than reliance on human solutions.

"BACK TO EGYPT" Intro: Descendants of Abraham returned after nine hundred years. Their deliverance from strange drawing toward. Local History. I. THE REASON FOR RETURNING. A. Days of degeneration are days of forgetfulness. 1. Forget lessons of history. a. Great armies have never made a nation strong. b. Savages depend on strength of physical force. 2. The strength of a people depends upon their spiritual life - their relation to God. a. What was it that made our nation great? B. Motive for returning. 1. Seeking safety from danger. a. No strength to resist - no will to fight. b. Here is - Human manipulation of events, instead of Divine guidance - intrigue instead of intercession. 2. How is it that they would seek safety in Egypt who had oppressed them? a. The true story - "They obeyed not the voice of Jehovah." b. A failure of FAITH. C. Reason for returning. 1. Failure of faith. a. Faith is obedience- conviction is not faith. Belief is not always faith. b. Failure of faith speaks then of disobedience. 1. They feared - (fear and faith mutually exclusive.. Panic is always a sure sign of loss of certainty about God. 2. Failure of faith produces degeneracy of desire. a. In chapter 42:14, Jeremiah tells them what they are thinking. b. What did they desire? 1. Ease and bread. 2. Peace at any price except war and hunger. c. I believe we should stand for right even if it means war. 3. Degeneration of desire leads to corruption of conscience. a. Cynicism instead of faith - Pessimism instead of hope. II. THE PERSISTENCE OF THE WORD OF GOD. vs. 8. A. Message - Egypt shall be destroyed. B. When men disobedient to the Word of Jehovah - turn back to the things from which they were delivered, to escape a hardship. The things to which they turn are doomed. C. The Word of God is always a message of Grace. 1. There is still a way out. D. Isaiah - Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help... Man not God. Ps. 20 Horses flesh not Spirit. vs. 7 Some trust in chariots.