“THE GOING FORTH OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL”
G. D. Pfingst
This matter of faith is such an important matter as we go through this scene. Think of Joseph and the place he had in Egypt, “By faith Joseph when dying called to mind the going forth of the sons of Israel”. I suppose this matter of going forth would be the victory over the world, going out of Egypt, out of that area where the enemy has so much sway and where we are inclined to become independent of what is for God. So he called to mind the going forth of the sons of Israel. Think of the name he uses there, Israel, the name that was given to Jacob by God when he wrestled with the man. It was according to this matter of overcoming, one who had gotten the victory. Well, this thought goes on to the sons of Israel and they were connected with the purposes of God too, God was going to bring them through. What did Joseph say? He said, “God will certainly visit you”, and He would take them out of Egypt into the land of promise (Genesis 50: 24). What a wonderful thought to have our direction fixed on what is according to promise; God’s promises are sure and this matter of what is going
through is sure too. Joseph gave commandment concerning his bones. What a wonderful thought that is! There is that work in the saints that is going through, and the work in our sister is going through. He is able to complete the work begun in us. So we have a sense of victory, as we had in our hymn at the outset. He is the Victor, He has gotten the victory, but then we come into that victory.
What a precious thing it is to go forth then. When the sons of Israel went forth they went forth in rank and they went forth in relation to households. They had a lamb for a house, and they had that little lamb in the house for four days and became attached to it. Then that lamb had to be slain, and then they ate of it, roast with fire, with bitter herbs. So there is that side of things too, that we go through these things in relation to what it cost the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have faith in Him. Then we find it does cost us something to eat of the bitter herbs and eat of the roast lamb. It is in relation to the going out of Egypt. That is, I am not going to pursue my own interests but I am pursuing what is for the Lord and what is for His glory at the present time.
So if you get your new name, Israel, it is your assembly name in this dispensation. It is the name we have in relation to our place in the testimony. How wonderful that is, to have another name! It speaks in Scripture of a new name that no one knows but he that receives it (Revelation 2: 17). Well, that is a wonderful thought, to have that name. These are things that cannot be changed, things that are certain, things that are sure. So Jacob worshipped on the top of his staff; “By faith Jacob when dying blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshipped on the top of his staff”.
I think this was the burden of our sister during several conversations with her in recent months, that the saints and their families would come out of Egypt and go on into the land of promise, into the thoughts of God for His people. Jacob blessed each of the sons of Joseph, so the point would be that no one here would be excluded from this. Do not exclude yourself from these blessings, they are available for all. Why exclude yourself? From God’s side the blessing is there and is available. Will you take the blessing that is available for you today?
Will you make it your own? because Jacob said, “Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon”, Genesis 48: 5. How wonderful to think of being marked out for adoption through Christ Jesus. So we can all have this wonderful blessing; from the divine side it is available for each one of us. Do not refuse it. This is your opportunity to come into these things, where God can claim you as His own, and where you can be amongst the sons of Israel who are going forth out of the land of Egypt. May we call to mind these things today and may we all get the blessing as a result of this occasion, for His name’s sake.