THE EXODUS NARRATIVE

Monday 17 March

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” Exodus 19:5-6 (NKJV)

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, Colossians 1:13 (NKJV)

The word exodus is ‘exodos’ in the Greek and it literally means ‘the road out.’ Our modern understanding of the word is a a mass departure of a particular place by a large number of people. We know from the book of Exodus that the Hebrews left the land of Egypt after Pharaoh finally let God’s people go after the plague that killed the firstborn of the Egyptians who did not have the blood of a lamb on their lintels and doorposts. Fortunately there were some Egyptians that did what the Hebrews did and were also delivered.

There are many different types and shadows in the book of Exodus that we can observe. Firstly, Egypt in scripture is portrayed as a type of the world. We see the Hebrews being called out of Egypt. As believers we are also called out of the world. We are talking about the patterns and systems of this world and not the world itself. The Bible says you are in the world but not of it. Egypt also symbolised slavery. We too as believers have been brought out of slavery and the bondage of sin.

In Exodus they were brought out of Egypt and out of slavery. The idea here is that the Hebrews under Moses were delivered out of Egypt to be delivered into Canaan or the promised land. As believers we are also brought out of the world that be brought into Christ. We were delivered out of the kingdom of darkness which is spiritual Egypt and delivered into the kingdom of light which represents the spiritual promised land or into Christ.

It’s vital that we realise that we were delivered out for the purpose of being delivered into. A lot of folks know what they have been delivered out of but not many grasp what they have been delivered into. Because of this fact, many stop at the first deliverance so to speak.

The word ‘ecclesia’ in Greek is a word to describe the body of believers in Christ. It means in essence ‘the called out ones’. Remember in Exodus Moses was repeatedly telling Pharaoh that God said let my people go. In fact it was Aaron Moses’ brother who was Moses’ mouthpiece as Moses had some kind of speech impediment, most like a stutter.

Again we see the Hebrew nation in the making being called out by God to eventually be brought in to their promised land. In the same way, the ecclesia i.e. the church are the called out ones for the express purpose of being brought into a spiritual inheritance. Israel as a nation were given a physical inheritance. Believers are given a spiritual inheritance as a spiritual nation.

1 Peter 2:9 says concerning the church who are the called out ones,

‘But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.’

When we preach and teach only what we have been brought from and delivered out of, we are giving people a half gospel. The truth of the matter is, we should have a greater emphasis on what we have been brought into and delivered into.

Question: what are all the things that YOU have been delivered from or brought out of? Here are just a few. Sin, death, sickness, darkness, condemnation, fear, etc. Furthermore, what are the things that you have delivered into and brought into? Eternal life, righteousness, salvation, faith, grace, health, peace and so on.

Moses was the deliverer of Israel. Jesus is the deliverer of the believer. This is a brief snapshot of the Exodus narrative.

APPLICATION

Make your own list of all the things you have been delivered out of and brought out of and all the things that you have been delivered into and brought into through Christ and be more focused on the latter.