As we begin a series in the book of Exodus it is good to understand a little of the context. Exodus is the second of the 5 books penned by Moses that run from Genesis to Deuteronomy. In Genesis Moses records for us the creation of heaven and earth followed by the birthing of Israel in the call of Abram. It is to Abram that the Lord gives the promises of the kingdom of God where the Kingdom of God is God’s people, in God’s place under God’s rule. Throughout Genesis we see Israel as it existed in the family groups of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and now in Exodus we see the account of the church as it grows into a nation.
The definition of the nation of Israel we read about in Isaiah 43:21
“God is forming a people for himself that they might declare his praise”
In Chapters 1-19 we see the accomplishments of the promises made to Abraham and in ch. 20-40 the establishment of the ordinances to be observed by Israel.
So with that brief overview in mind now let us hone in on just these first seven verse of the Book of Exodus. Here we find the sons of Israel residing in Egypt which seems a far cry from the Lord’s promise that Abram’s descendants would one day call the land of Canaan their own. In fact it seems to be a complete backwards step. Although Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had not conquered the land of Canaan at least there were residing there. Now not only are the Canaanites still in possession of the land of Canaan but all the sons of Israel and their households have upped sticks and moved to Egypt. For the last roughly 215 years ever since Abram’s call out of the city of Ur this fledgling nation has not had a place to call home. They have travelled from place to place experiencing hostility at every turn from those currently occupying the land and as we will soon discover in the unfolding of the story things are about to go from bad to worse. The Lord however did not lead Abraham into this life of wondering unprepared and we find in Genesis 15 that as the Lord lays out his covenant to Abram he follows it with these words.
13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.
This word sojourning is not a word we commonly use these days but put simply you would label yourself a sojourner if you were temporary residing in a place that you did not own. This is a picture that we can readily identify with. Anytime we have seen a baby laugh and wished we could capture that moment. Anytime we have had a great time with a friend and been saddened to part ways. Anytime we have watched a beautiful sunset fade away. Anytime we have been hurt by a friend and couldn’t work out why. Anytime we have cried ourselves to sleep at the loss of a loved one. These moments in life are stark reminders that something is just not right. But more than that for the nation of Israel for Abraham and for us here and now these are all reminders that we are just sojourners in this life. Because as Christians who have given our lives to Christ now we are citizens of heaven. We have been called out of the world of sin and pain just like Abram was called out of the idolatrous city of Ur. And we have been called onwards to take up residence in our true home in heaven. But as Abram was to discover... not yet would become a recurring theme. Not yet... for a time we are called as the church to reside in a place that is not our home we are called to sojourn in a land that is often hostile to the life of Christ. But the greatest news of all, we are not alone and actually this is the greatest lesson that we learn during our sojourning. In this world the Lord is forming us into a people for himself that we might declare his praise. And why declare his praise? Because he does not leave us alone. In fact the Lord goes before us, he goes with us and he goes behind us. Not that we will pass through this world without a few battle scars but that as he is with us in front and behind the trials in this life will lead to a steadfastness of faith as we read in James 1:2-4
“2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”
So in this very short passage we can find four great evidences of the Lord’s faithfulness during the times of sojourning.
The first is that in our time of sojourning we have strength because of the firm foundation set by the Lord. Secondly we find encouragement by learning not to despise small beginnings. Thirdly we grow a steadfast hope as we see the fulfilment of promise and finally we have victory through the trials of faith.
So let us look first at the firm foundations that have been laid down for us from which we draw strength. In these first few verses we have listed the 12 patriarchs. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun; Joseph and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. Israel was not founded as a single nation but as twelve tribes, twelve nations. The Lord has put in place twelve spiritual fathers, twelve founding fathers, and twelve witnesses to the glory and might that the he showed forth in the redemption of Israel from slavery as he brought them out form Egypt that they might worship of the one true God. These twelve patriarchs were witness of the foreshadowing of the Kingdom of God as the Lord brought them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, subduing their enemies under king David and living in peace and prosperity under Solomon while the Temple of the Lord dwelt in the midst of his people. And from these nations came the priest, prophets and kings who foreshadowed the coming of Jesus in whom these three roles find their fullness. And it is this pattern that we again find repeated in the New Testament with the 12 apostles who were the witnesses of the coming of the Kingdom of God through Jesus, the anointed one, God become man. And it was the apostles who laid down the foundations of the gospel with Jesus as the cornerstone.
As we read in Ephesians 2:18-22
“18 For through him (we) both Jew and Gentiles have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then (you) we are no longer strangers and aliens, but (you) we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him (you) we also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
And so in our sojourning we can be sure of the foundation that we have in the prophets and apostles confident that we are being built together as the church into the holy temple the dwelling place of God by his Spirit.
Secondly during our time of sojourning we draw encouragement by learning not to despise small beginnings. Here we notice that from the time of Abram’s call out of the city of Ur until Jacob enters Egypt with his sons and their households the number of the Israel is a minimal 75. It can often hard to understand and trust in God’s timing for our lives. After such a great promise to Abram that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the heavens and the sand on the shore but in his lifetime he saw only one son born to that promise. And when that son Isaac grew he had two sons but again only through the one son Jacob that the promise of many offspring was to flow. And it was only right at the end of Isaac’s life that he meet the 12 sons of Jacob the beginning of the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel had small beginnings but not just for a few years but many generations. We need to sometimes put into perspective the work that the Lord has for us in our life of sojourning and let us not despise our work for the Lord if we are to be part of the generation of small beginnings.
As we read in Job 8:7
“If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy, 6 if you are pure and upright, surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation. 7 And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great.”
So let us not lose heart but in all things seek the face of the Lord and let us not despise our small beginnings.
Thirdly during our time of sojourning we can grow a steadfast hope by witnessing the fulfillment of promise. After 215 years of small beginnings suddenly there is an explosion of growth and this truly was growth from the Lord. The whole scene is changing. Up to now we have seen the promises passed down from father to son and we have been intimately introduced to each successive generation and seen how the Lord has kept the offspring of the promise through thick and thin and even protected them from one another in the case of Joseph and his brothers. But now the very specific protection has passed away as we read of the death of Joseph, and all his brothers and all that generation. And so with the death of a seed, Joseph the patriarchal protector, we see the protection of Israel is now evident through the fulfillment of the promise; the population of Israel exploded and grew into a nation. And it was Joseph who we see is the foreshadowing type of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who ensured that not one of the disciples that the Father had given to him fell away therefore ensuring their continued witness as the foundation of the church. There is a very curious phrasing in verse 7 that puts in mind a rather extraordinary growth. We are set in mind almost how one might describe the multiplication of insects in the rapidness and strength of numbers that emerges.
Exodus 1:7
“Israel was fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.”
We can be reminded here of Psalm 127:1-2
“1Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”
We see times when the patriarchs looked to take God’s promises into their own hands but it did not prevail. God kept the beginnings small and when the timing was right the promise was fulfilled and fulfilled abundantly. And in this we can take heart that God will build his church. Not always in the way we expect and not always at the time we predict. So it is our job to partner with the Lord and walk with him in spirit that we labour where he is labouring in his strength and not on our own projects in our own timing and in our own strength. This is where we find peace and can put away our anxiety and our worry and lean on the Lord for his growth, in his time, by his strength.
And so finally in our sojourning we have victory as we bear the trials of faith that lead to steadfastness. This victory can be seen as we look back and glory in the fruit that trials bring forth. 1000s of miles, 3 famines, family disputes, kidnappings, rescue operations, several battles, barrenness, affliction, intercession, sacrifice, family death, sibling rivalry, deception, fear, rape, struggle, slavery, accusation and imprisonment. And these are just the recorded trials of faith through which the church was passed in the time of the patriarchs. But despite the trials all the while they had the promises of God to hold to. It was often tough but God gave the gift of his promises to this fledgling nation that no only had they been pre-warned of the affliction they would face but they had also been given the number of years they were to face it. But with the promise of affliction also came the promise of deliverance. And not just the deliverance of one escaping from the fire but a deliverance of justice and reward.
We can read of this in Gen. 15:14.
“14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.”
We too have been given a promise as the Church that as citizens of the Kingdom of God our future is secure with The Lord in eternity. And that we will not leave this world scared and worn down by our affliction but instead that death will be swallowed up in victory; our joy will be all the greater because of the trials. And on top of that the work we do in Christ will be rewarded. But as we take seriously the promise of our deliverance we must also take seriously the coming judgement for the godless. Although it seems in our current day that judgement is being withheld the punishment of the wicked is near. But we do not know the timing only that we are to be ready. And just as the patriarchs experience a delay in the fulfilment of the promises of God, that a work of steadfastness might be accomplished in them, we too experience that delay. This is so that the time of the Gentiles might be fulfilled and all the church gathered together. And what is the result? God’s power and glory might all the more be magnified.
Though the fulfilment of God’s promises might seem slow to us let us be assured that although God is patient the time will come like a thief in night for those unprepared.
As we read in Hab. 2:3
“3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”
And so what great strength, encouragement, steadfast hope and ultimate victory we have at our disposal. Although we are sojourners in this world and we have are eyes fixed on our heavenly home in the meantime we struggle day and night with the presence of sin. This is not a futile struggle but a struggle that produces a steadfastness of faith that we might be formed into the church of God’s people, the bride of Christ, perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Though we sojourn we can also be at peace holding fast to the promises of Christ, ready to do all the good work that he has prepared for us to do even if that work is but part of the small beginnings.
