2000-08-26 - Israel's Deliverance From Egyptian Bondage

Messiah His Final Call to Israel, Part 4

Continuing onward in our quest for a brief yet accurate history of Israel in hopes we may better understand what events in the future of these people will bring about a lasting peace, we now look at their deliverance from Egypt. This event is remembered by Jewish people each year at Passover. God performed miracles to deliver His people from Egypt which have never been forgotten by them. The Bible teaches He will yet do miracles to deliver them again in the future from the hand of a man known as the antichrist.

By the Providence of God, Jacob and his family went down into Egypt during a severe famine in the land of Canaan. Before Jacob and his sons went, the Lord in a most mysterious and unthinkable manner sent Joseph ahead to be divinely used in working out the problem of national survival and increase. While Joseph was ruler of Egypt, the Hebrews enjoyed great favors from the crown. In the process of time there arose a Pharaoh who knew not Joseph -- who did not recognize the blessings that Joseph had conferred upon the Egyptian people. In Pharaoh's ingratitude he became anti-Semitic. He changed the political status of the Hebrews into abject slavery and became more unreasonable as the days passed. The lot of the Hebrews became unbearable. Finally, they cried out to God for deliverance. The Lord used the inhuman treatment of the Hebrews by the Egyptians in weaning them from the fleshpots of Egypt, and in creating in them a desire to return to their own country, the land of Canaan. The all-wise and omnipotent God uses every situation--regardless of all factors--and makes it contribute to the furthering of His cause among men.

It has been well said that God has the man of His choice for every emergency. As has already been seen (in past devotionals), the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout all the earth, searching for those whose hearts are perfect toward Him. In the present case the man whom God chose was none other than Moses, who became His spokesman and Israel's deliverer from slavery. Spiritually speaking, he was of noble birth, inheriting those characteristics and talents that equipped him for his life's work.

By the overruling providence of God, as seen in Exodus chapters 1 and 2, the baby Moses was taken out of the wretched, miserable existence of an Egyptian Hebrew hovel and, to the amazement of all, was brought into the glamorous cultural life of the imperial palace, having been adopted by Pharaoh's daughter as her son. By this one act, the wealth and riches of Egypt, figuratively speaking, were laid at the feet of this Hebrew infant. Not only so, but the treasures of knowledge, education, and culture were placed at his disposal: "And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he was mighty in his words and works (Acts 7:22). He lived in the imperial palace until he was forty years of age. During this time, he was busily engaged in his studies, mastering the arts and sciences of Egypt. Thus we may think of this time as a period of his undergraduate studies. From all the evidence, it is clear that he was an honor student," mighty in words and works."

Suddenly Moses' schooling in the imperial palace came to an abrupt end. But such is life. He had to flee from Egypt. For the details concerning his hasty departure, see Exodus 2:11-15 and Acts chapter 7. Moses fled from Egypt to Midian and there married the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian, and became a shepherd, caring for his father-in-law's flock. Forty long years Moses herded sheep. Probably his duties as a shepherd took him throughout the length and breadth of the Sinai Peninsula. In this way he became familiar with the country in which he accomplished his real lifework. There is an infinitely vast difference between the schooling and the environment of the royal palace of Egypt and that of life in the desert, caring for sheep. In the former environment Moses took his undergraduate studies and prepared himself for his lifework. He needed the practical experience in dealing with animals and men and in acquiring a thorough knowledge of the country through which he was to lead the Chosen People out of Egyptian slavery into the liberty of their homeland. without this knowledge Moses could never have accomplished the work which God had for him to perform.

At the proper time the Lord appeared to Moses in the burning bush and called him to deliver His people from their serfdom in Egypt (Exodus, chapter 3) and invested him with supernatural power, thus enabling him to accomplish his divine mission. The account of the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt and their passage through the waters of the Red Sea is recorded in Exodus chapters 1 through 15. As the Hebrews were departing from Egypt, the Egyptian armies were in hot pursuit. Upon the Hebrews arrival at the Red Sea, the waters were separated, thus forming a path through the Red Sea so that they could leave Egypt. The Egyptian army, attempting to pursue the Hebrews through the Sea, was completely destroyed. The Hebrews, standing safely on the opposite site shore of the Sea, sang the song of deliverance found in Exodus 15:1-18.

Although God had performed one miracle after another in connection with the Exodus, many of the Hebrews soon forgot God's mighty acts of deliverance. For an inspired commentary on this phase of the situation, study carefully Psalms 78 and 106. Often times as I study the prophetic parts of the Bible that still pertain to Israel I recall the Exodus from Egypt. I realize that God will deliver this people Himself and bring peace with a Might outstretched arm. Next week we look at the giving of the Law to this people another Mountain Peak in the Nation with the richest history and most marvelous future on earth.

In His Service,
Rick & Sandy

liv4yeshua@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org