June 9, 2026

Jun 9
5 min read

“Escape from Freedom”

From Exodus 14:8-12:

“And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with a high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

“And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.”

And from Exodus 16:2-3:

“And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. “

It has always baffled me how these Israelites could still doubt God and His leader, Moses, after the many miracles performed to lead them out of Egyptian slavery. And it has certainly amazed me how they could prefer slavery - because of the regular provisions they received - to freedom.

It turns out there’s a name for this, actually more than one. When I asked the experts hiding in my web browser if there was a term for it, the internet gave me three and actually began its response by referencing Scripture! Here is a summary of the explanation:

When people prefer the “predictable security” of oppression over the “terrifying risks” of freedom, it is most commonly referred to by the following concepts:

1. The "Fleshpots of Egypt" Syndrome

Deriving directly from the Exodus narrative itself (specifically Exodus 16:3, where they pine for the literal pots of meat they had in captivity), “Fleshpot Syndrome” describes the tendency of an oppressed group to look back at their period of bondage with romanticized nostalgia because their basic physical needs (food, shelter, etc.) were guaranteed by their masters.

2. The Comfort of the Known Cage

Psychology uses the phrase “loss aversion,” saying that humans feel the pain of losing essentials like security or predictable food twice as intensely as they value the potential gain of something abstract like freedom. They also speak of it as a “System Justification Theory”: A psychological phenomenon where people will defend and prefer a broken, oppressive status quo simply because it provides a predictable framework for survival. To these people, freedom requires greater mental stress and frightening uncertainty; slavery, while it can be brutal, eliminates all decision-making.

3. Escape from Freedom

(How’s that for an oxymoron!) In 1941, the psychoanalyst and philosopher Erich Fromm published the famous book Escape from Freedom(1) that addresses this exact human crisis. Fromm argued that true freedom brings to some intense anxiety, isolation, and the terrifying burden of personal responsibility. When people cannot handle that anxiety, they often seek out authoritarianism or submission to a ruling power to feel safe again.

The Israelites were experiencing the sudden shock of de-institutionalization. When you have been conditioned for generations to have your survival managed by an external power, the immediate instinct upon facing a crisis in the wild is to flee back to the predictable, even if the predictable is a whip.

Interesting. But as real as these feelings may be, God didn’t consider them as justification for the murmuring and unbelief of the Israelites. In 1 Corinthians 10:9-11, Paul warned the early church to avoid the rebellious attitudes of the Israelites in the wilderness, specifically mentioning their grumbling and the resulting consequences. Hebrews 3:7-11 quotes Psalm 95, reminding us of the rebellion in the desert when the Israelites angered God by their constant complaining. The passage goes on to say this rebellion kept them from receiving their inheritance. And Stephen, in his defense before the Sanhedrin, recounts how their ancestors rejected Moses and turned their hearts back to Egypt during the time in the wilderness (Acts 7:39-41). God held the Israelites responsible for their attitudes, showing us that these weaknesses can be overcome.

Our Founding Fathers Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams spoke to the “loss aversion” crowd of their day - the “even if it IS broken don’t fix it” cowards, and “fleshpots of Britain” lovers - stating their disdain for these mindsets.

In his famous defense of the Revolution, Patrick Henry said: “There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable - and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come…Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”(2)

And, of course, there was the inimitable Father of the American Revolution, Sam Adams:

“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”(3) Sounds like Sam, like God with the cowardly Israelites, had heard enough!

Choose life.

Choose freedom.

Choose to pay the price.

Pray with me:

Father, encourage believers today who refuse to crouch down and lick the hands of government officials who contend that our rights come from them. Give us brave hearts to resist those who tell us we must accept immoral and unrighteous laws, and the courage to speak out against those desiring to muzzle us. We don’t want the fleshpots of Egypt, and we certainly don’t want to “escape from freedom.”

Awaken Americans to the realization that liberty can be lost, that great nations can become entangled, trapped, and destroyed by the webs of fear and complacency. Restore passion and love of freedom in America, and awaken in us once again the DNA of our roots.

And we ask You to mix these traits with passion for Your holy destiny on this nation; that our love of freedom be mixed with a love for You and the cause of Christ. Remind believers that it is okay to love America, that it is acceptable and appropriate to be Christian patriots. And now that our nation has been rededicated to You, fan the flames of revival in - and from - our land. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.