On the Road to Bethlehem #17: Out of Egypt

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called My son.”

—Hosea 11:1

The story of the nation of Israel is well known. God had given a promise to Abraham to bless the entire world through him, and that promise was transmitted to his son Isaac, and then Jacob, and then Judah (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:19; 49:10; Numbers 24:17). Judah, along with his brothers and father relocated to Egypt (Joseph was already there and had been elevated to second in command of all of Egypt) during a time of great famine (Genesis 46:27; Exodus 1:5).

After Joseph died and several years had passed, the nation of Israel had grown extensively, and a new king came to power and held no regard for Joseph’s previous accomplishments (Exodus 1:8). Fearful of an Israelite uprising, the new king proceeded to place the Israelites into slavery. As their time in Egypt lengthened and their oppression intensified, the nation grew exceedingly. In great anguish, the people of Israel cried out to God for deliverance (Exodus 2:23). God did deliver them using Moses, who led the Israelite’s out of slavery and through the Red Sea after God had inflicted His plagues upon the Egyptians (Exodus 3:1-12).

Once the Israelites were free, God led them through the wilderness to the threshold of the Promised Land. Under Moses’ leadership, twelve spies were sent to check out the land and give a report—ten came back with an unfavorable report, fearful of the land’s inhabitants. But two, Caleb and Joshua, came back and encouraged the Israelites to take the land because God said it would surely be given to them. The nation sided with the ten and failed to enter the land, thus incurring God’s judgment to wander into the wilderness for forty years, until all of the unbelieving generation passed away (Numbers 14:34; 32:13; cf. Hebrews 3:16-19).

Israel is considered to be God’s “son” (Exodus 4:22; cf. Deuteronomy 8:5) and is given the task of being a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). But because they failed in their task, God gave His Son, Jesus, to be the representative of the nation faithfully fulfilling God’s purpose. Just like Israel, Jesus was God’s Son (Exodus 4:22; Isaiah 9:6-7; John 3:16). And just like Israel, Jesus was called out of Egypt as a child (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:13-15). Once He grew up He went into the wilderness where He was tempted for forty days (Matthew 4:1-10; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13), just like Israel had wandered in the wilderness for forty years. When responding to the devil’s temptations by quoting from Deuteronomy, He successfully connected Himself to Israel (Deuteronomy 8:2-3) and found success where Israel failed (Hebrews 3:16-19).

As God’s faithful Son, He has successfully entered into God’s rest by offering Himself as God’s perfect atoning sacrifice for sin. And it is by our faith in Him that we are able to enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:9-11). We don’t have to try and earn our salvation; Christ has already procured it for us. We, by faith in Him, enter into that salvation by believing in His Son—Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus that we can find rest. He found success where Israel failed and it is through Him we can have eternal salvation.

During this Advent season, I hope that we all might glory at the manger, to see God’s Messiah, His provision of rest, and His faithfulness to God’s task. I hope that we all might know the degree and depth of our salvation and what Christ needed to go through in order to make it available to us. May we delight in our God who overlooks no detail, spares no expense, nor excuses our sin, but in His love gave His Son for us, enabling us to experience life, joy, and peace through Him. Amen.