II. BRINGING THEM INTO THE WILDERNESS
God brought the children of Israel out of Egyptian tyranny and bondage into the wilderness (Exo. 3:18). In the wilderness there was nothing of the Egyptian world for them to enjoy. The only thing for Israel to do in the wilderness was to meet with God. The story of the children of Israel in Exodus is a type. The way in which God worked to redeem and save Israel is a picture of how He redeems and saves people today. God’s dynamic salvation based upon His complete redemption should be like this.
The children of Israel had been serving under Egyptian tyranny and in slavery for four hundred years. Suddenly within a brief period of time they were brought into the wilderness to meet with God. When we were saved, we also were immediately transported out of the world to be with God. Right after we applied the blood of Christ and took Christ into us as our life, the whole world immediately became the wilderness to us where there was only God. Every saved person must be saved to such an extent that he is fully transported out of the world and left with God alone.
In Exodus 3:18 God said to Moses, "Thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God." Three days’ journey by walking could have taken them one hundred miles from Egypt. In ancient times one hundred miles was a long distance. Moses led them far away from everything of the Egyptian world. Around them in every direction, there was nothing worldly to distract them or occupy them. There was no Egyptian food for them to taste. There was only God. This is the real delivery, the real salvation, the dynamic salvation.
A. Israel Fallen into Egypt
Israel had fallen into Egypt, which typifies the world of easy living and pleasure, for four hundred years.
B. Predicted by God to Abraham
As we have seen, Israel’s fall into Egypt was predicted by God to Abraham (Gen. 15:13-14).
C. Prohibited from Serving God
When they were in Egypt, they were prohibited from serving God and had to suffer the affliction of the Egyptian tyranny (Exo. 1:15-22; Heb. 11:23).
D. God Bringing Them into the Wilderness
God then brought them into the wilderness (Exo. 15:22), into a place outside the world, free from worldly occupations in anxiety of life, pleasures, persecutions of religion, etc. God brought them into the wilderness through three days’ journey—through the resurrection of Christ. When we were baptized, we were baptized into His death and resurrected to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-5). Then we were out of the world and in the wilderness with God. The children of Israel were brought out of Egypt into the wilderness to serve God with sacrifices, typifying Christ as the offerings.
(The History of God in His Union With Man, Chapter 11, by Witness Lee)
