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09-29-13

THE ESCAPE HATCH OF OUR SALVATION

(Exo 1:1-7)  Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt [a type and shadow of The Promised Land – during a time of great famine about 1876 B.C.]; every man and his household came with Jacob. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin [Heb: son of the right hand] [a type and shadow of us; the only son of Israel and Rachel (Heb: ewe (a female sheep)], Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls [excluding Joseph who is the only biblical virtually perfect (one can find no fault in him) type and shadow of Jesus Christ]: for Joseph [Heb: let him add; adding] [the last son of Jacob (prior to his name/character change) and Rachel, thereby connecting Joseph directly with the younger Benjamin through their common mother Rachel] was in Egypt already [i.e., Jesus has always been with us]. And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. And the children of Israel [who settled in Goshen, essentially the fertile plains of the Nile delta] were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

1.       Commentary: The families of Jacob/Israel’s twelve sons and one daughter (named Dinah: Heb: justice) dwelt and multiplied at an astounding rate while living in Egypt (symbolically, the land of the unsaved) for 430 years, paralleling or taking upon themselves the exceeding fertility of the land of Goshen (the Nile delta), which was the allotted section of Egypt in which they lived. The children of Israel (a holistic designation of the nation rather than the person) obediently obeyed the Lord’s first command to “them,” the man/woman within, of “Be fruitful, and multiply” (Gen 1:28). They began their exodus from the famine-stricken land of Canaan into Egypt with “seventy souls,” and 430 years later they exited Egypt, another exodus, with “about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children” (Exo 12:37). Accompanied by their women and children, Israel exited Egypt with approximately two to three million souls, including an unnumbered “mixed [Heb: mingled] multitude” (Exo 12:38) of escaping non-Israelites who were an unsaved (not imputed for righteousness) mixture of discontented and/or frightened Egyptians and foreign slaves captured from other countries [ref. Num 11:4; Neh 13:3].

a.       exodus = Dict: a going out; a departure or emigration, usually of a large number of people.

THE BEGINNINGS OF TRIBULATION

(ADVERSITY PERCEIVES ADVERSITY IN THE MIRROR OF OTHERS)

(Exo 1:8-10)  Now there arose up a new king over Egypt [about 1730 B.C.], which knew not Joseph [nor Joseph’s God, Jehovah]. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more [Heb: abundant in quantity] and mightier [Heb: powerful; by impl. numerous: stronger] than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply [the world’s wisdom is dominated by fear; faith is dominated by love], and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us [this is a warrior’s point of view fueled by the fear stimulus (Satan’s chief weapon) resulting in a bit of paranoia (an aspect of which is the projection of one’s own threatening persona upon another)], and so get them up out of the land.

1.       Commentary: “are more and mightier than we” = The Egyptian attitude and orientation was primarily that of an aggressive prideful warrior nation for they were involved in frequent wars, conquests, and endless skirmishes. However, the Israelites were not at all intent upon the overthrow or revolt of their Egyptian masters, but were peaceful humble shepherds and cattle herdsmen who, upon their entrance into Goshen, had agreed to manage/serve all the flocks and herds of cattle and horses (the chief war-machine of Egypt and the world at that time) of the Egyptians. Why? Because the peaceful humbling occupation (serving animals) of “every shepherd is an abomination [Heb: something disgusting] unto the Egyptians” (Gen 46:34), and was without doubt considered unmanly, un-macho, and also, the great flocks and herds of cattle and horses of Egypt were counted as “wealth.”

2.       Commentary: “and so get them up out of the land” = this is an incorrect but rationalized reason (propaganda - misinformation) for initiating collective action against the Israelites that was spun off for public consumption, for, if this erroneous conjecture were true, Egypt would have been on the verge of losing the immense benefits of Israelite service as shepherds and herdsmen throughout the land, an abominable occupation to Egyptians, and also suffer the loss of a great multitude of formerly indentured peaceful servants – now turned into enemy warriors.

A PRINCIPLE OF LIFE:

MULTIPLICATION AND GROWTH

(Exo 1:11-14)  Therefore they [the Egyptians] did set over them [the Israelites] taskmasters [with orders] to afflict them with their burdens [hardships]. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them [syn: troubled, made miserable, badly affected], the more they multiplied and grew. And they [the Egyptians] were grieved [Heb: [through the idea of severing oneself from]; to be (make) disgusted or anxious: abhorred, be distressed, be grieved, loathe, vexed] because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve [them] with rigour [Heb: to break apart; fracture, i.e. severity: cruelty]: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

1.       (1 Cor 10:13)  There hath no temptation [Gk: by impl. adversity /// testing] taken you [Gk: to get hold of /// catch] but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you [“allow you” NKJV] to be tempted above that ye are able [to bear]; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

2.       (1 Pet 5:6,7)  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you [Gk: elevate you: lift you up] in due time: Casting all your care [Gk: distractions] upon him; for he careth [Gk: to be of interest to /// is concerned] for you.

3.       Commentary: quite the contrary to what an unsaved mind would expect, affliction (Heb: tribulation) (Gk: tribulation) set upon an imputed for righteousness Christian results in multiplication and growth by, in effect, squeezing Christians out of this world through the open “door” (John 10:7,9), the escape hatch into Heaven. Worldly affliction set upon the saved person has positive spiritual results because it compels our focus to search for an escape in a world where there is none, for the world is at enmity with God. After a period of trial and error wherein God provides the way of escape, we learn that the only escape (relief) from affliction is to re-focus our attention out of this world onto heavenly places. Having exhausted all other avenues of escape, the afflicted continue to live here but tend to increasingly focus upward upon God, to trust in Him, and to cast our cares upon Him.

a.       tribulation = Heb: narrow; a tight place (usually fig., i.e. trouble); an opponent (as crowding): adversary, afflicted (-tion), anguish, close, distress, enemy, foe, narrow, small, sorrow, strait, trouble.

b.       tribulation = Gk: pressure: afflicted, (-tion), anguish, burdened, persecution, trouble.

THE DOOR, THE ESCAPE HATCH FROM TRIBULATION

(Mat 14:26-31)  And when the disciples saw him [Jesus] walking on the sea [a biblical symbol of humanity, herein expressing Kingship and Lordship], they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear [fear is the opposite of faith]. But straightway [Gk: immediately] Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship [i.e., out of the world], he walked on the water [a biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit, herein expressing sustaining support], to go to Jesus. But when he saw [“we walk by faith, not by sight” 2 Cor 5:7] the wind boisterous [Gk: forcible: mighty, powerful, strong], he was afraid; and beginning to sink [submerge under pressure], he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore [why] didst thou doubt [Gk: waver]?

Amen

A Man of God