EXODUS 1
The book of Exodus contemplates entirely changed conditions. “There arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph”. Instead of being the place where the people of God were preserved and nourished under the bountiful administration of the one who was the “Prince of the power of the life of the world”, Egypt became to them the house of bondage. It became the place where every influence was exercised to afflict them, and to bring them under servile bondage that they might not be multiplied. That is, the world is seen here, in type, as the sphere of the power of Satan — the adversary of God and of His people.
The book opens by giving “the names of the sons of Israel” — a title suggestive of their dignity as standing in this relation to the “prince of God”. It reminds us of the place of dignity and liberty to which God has called His saints. He “sent forth his Son, come of woman, come under law, that he might redeem those under law, that we might receive sonship”. And it is added, “But because ye are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So thou art no longer bondman, but son; but if son, heir also through God”
([p. 2] Galatians 4: 4 - 7). If this is the place and relationship to which God has called His saints, with the spiritual joy and liberty proper to such a relationship, we can understand how the god and prince of this world would put forth all his power to bring them into bondage or to retain them in that condition.
The prince of this world has realized in all ages that the presence of a divine seed in prosperity constituted a danger to his kingdom in every feature of its strength. We may see in the early days of the church how idolatry, philosophy, selfishness, self-righteousness, and self-gratification all fell before the power of what was of God when His saints were in spiritual prosperity. Hence it has ever been Satan’s object to hinder, if possible, the prosperity and multiplication of the divine seed, and to bring the people of God into bondage to the elements of the world, and to make them contributory to that system which is under his authority.
Persecution has been one means he has used to this end, but a more insidious and deadly form of his efforts has been to introduce legal principles such as we see appearing in Acts 15, and amongst the assemblies in Galatia. God would have His people for His pleasure and service, in free and glad response to His known grace and love; but Satan would seek in every way to detain the divine seed in thraldom to sin, or to the principles of the world in a legal or religious way. And he would add wealth and glory to the world-system by means of the burdens imposed on the people of God, so that instead of being engaged in spiritual service pleasing to God they should be building “store cities for Pharaoh”. The world has been adorned and enriched by costly buildings and [p. 3] imposing religious institutions, while those who have laboured in such things have been kept in complete bondage of soul. Men have been kept toiling at the impossible task of improving the flesh and trying to make it acceptable to God. They have been constrained to go about at infinite pains to establish their own righteousness, and to labour to attain peace with God by their own works, prayers, penances, self-mortifications, and so on. Satan would engage people in this hard and unprofitable labour, that their energies might be expended in directions which give God no pleasure, and which only add some kind of embellishment to man in the flesh, and to the world as it is. We shall see in this book that God’s intent is to deliver His people from every form of bondage, and to bring them completely outside the world-system, that they may serve Him in relation to a wholly spiritual system of things of which the tabernacle is a type.
The object of all the burdens, afflictions, hard labour, and harshness which Pharaoh put upon the children of Israel was to hinder their multiplication, and the special object of his enmity was the male children. “If it be a son, then ye shall kill him”. God’s thought is that there shall be a seed for Him, but Satan is set in every way against this; he is set against anything being brought in here for the pleasure of God. We see this in Herod’s action in Matthew 2, and also in that of the dragon in Revelation 12. God’s object is to bring in Christ, and to give Him a place in the faith and affections of His people, and this the enemy resists to the utmost of his power.
But those who fear God are set to promote spiritual increase; they are set to promote the bringing in of Christ, and the multiplication and strengthening of [p. 4] what is of God in the souls of His people. This is what the midwives did in figure, and God dealt well with them, and made them houses. God will honour that spirit and desire, and give increase, and secure to such an abiding place in His Israel. It is most encouraging to see that the power and favour of God prospered His people even under their afflictions, and the two women who were in accord with His thoughts — though a testimony to weakness in themselves — were preserved and honoured by God in face of all the king’s power. We know how Paul travailed in birth for the Galatians that Christ might be formed in them (Galatians 4: 19), and what agony he had about the Colossians, and others whom he had not seen, lest they should be led away by “philosophy and vain deceit, according to the teaching of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2: 1 - 8). He was set for this one thing — that the Man-child should be brought in, and should have no rival, for no other could be for the pleasure of God.
Do we understand this? That the only accepted Man with God is Christ, and that it is only as Christ is brought in that there is anything for God’s pleasure? All divine grace and working is on the line of bringing in Christ, and giving Him an ever-increasing place. If we are in any measure set for this we shall work with God, and be prospered by Him.