Crystallization-Study of Exodus (1)
Scripture Reading: Exo. 3:7-8, 10, 12, 17-18;Eph. 1:4-5; 2 Tim. 1:9-10; 1 Pet. 2:9, 20; 5:10;1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Thes. 2:14; 1 Thes. 2:12
I. As revealed in Exodus, the purpose of God's calling was to deliver the children of Israel, God's chosen people, out of the tyranny of the Egyptians and out of Egypt, the land of bondage, and to bring them into Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey—3:7-8, 10, 17:
A. The nation of Egypt typifies the kingdom of darkness, and Pharaoh typifies Satan, the devil—Col. 1:13; 1 John 5:19b; John 12:31; Heb. 2:14-15; Rev. 12:9a:
1. The world is not a source of enjoyment; it is a place of tyranny, and every aspect of the world is a form of tyranny— Gal. 4:8.
2. In the world Satan is keeping God's chosen people, those destined for the fulfillment of God's purpose, under his usurping hand—Eph. 2:2; Luke 13:11-12:
a. To exist is one thing, but to exist for the divine purpose is another thing—Rom. 8:28; Eph. 1:11; 3:11; 2 Tim. 1:9.
b. Satan has usurped people so that they care only for their existence, not for God's purpose in their existence—Matt. 6:25, 31-33.
B. To bring a person out of Satan's hand and out of the kingdom of darkness is a mighty work—12:28-29; Luke 11:21-22; Acts 26:16-18; Col. 1:13:
1. For this reason, the divine revelation in the New Testament places a very high value on the preaching of the gospel— Rom. 1:16; Matt. 24:14; Mark 16:15.
2. One aspect of God's purpose in calling us is to use us to bring others out of the usurpation and tyranny of Satan and the world—Acts 26:18; Eph. 3:9.
C. In typology, bringing the children of Israel into Canaan, a good land flowing with milk and honey, signifies bringing people into the all-inclusive Christ with His unsearchable riches— v. 8; Col. 1:12:
1. Ultimately, the purpose of God's calling is to bring His people into the good land so that they may enjoy Christ in His all-inclusiveness—Eph. 3:18; Col. 2:6-7, 16-17; 3:11.
2. We need to bring others all the way from the world into the all-inclusive Christ for God's kingdom and God's building—Eph. 3:8; 2:19-22.
D. Exodus 3 reveals that in fulfilling the purpose of God's calling there are three stations—the wilderness, the mountain, and the good land—vv. 8, 12, 17-18:
1. In 3:18 the term wilderness is used in a positive sense to denote a place of separation from the world:
a. As soon as a person is saved, he should be brought out of the world into the wilderness where there is no Egyptian element.
b. We need to have the power of resurrection in our preaching of the gospel so that others are raised out of their tombs and brought into the wilderness—a realm in resurrection—by a journey of three days— John 5:25; Eph. 2:1, 5-6; Col. 2:13.
2. The mountain is where we receive the revelation regarding God's eternal purpose—Exo. 3:12; 19:2; 24:9-13, 18:
a. At the mountain the children of Israel received the revelation concerning what God is and concerning God's desire to have a dwelling place on earth—19:3-6; 20:2; 25:8-9.
b. On the mountain, where the sky is clear, we can see the vision of God's economy—24:10; Rev. 21:10.
c. Here we come to know what is on God's heart, and we see what God desires to have on earth today—Eph. 1:5, 9; Phil. 2:13.
3. If we would reach the ultimate goal of God's calling, we need to journey onward and enter into the good land—Exo. 3:8, 17; Deut. 8:7-10:
a. The people of Israel entered into the good land by the Ark with the tabernacle (Josh. 3:3, 6, 8, 13-17; 4:10-19), through burial in the Jordan River (vv. 1-9, 20), and by circumcision (5:2-4) in order to enjoy the riches of the land (Deut. 8:7-10).
b. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians show us Christ as the all-inclusive land—Christ as the center and circumference, the centrality and universality, of God's eternal economy—Col. 2:9; 3:11.
c. We need to help others experience Christ in all His unsearchable riches so that God may be able to establish His kingdom and have His dwelling place on earth today—Eph. 3:8; 2:21; Rom. 10:12; 14:17.
II. The purpose of God's calling is fully revealed in the New Testament:
A. God's calling is according to His predestination (Eph. 1:4-5), His purpose (2 Tim. 1:9; Rom. 8:28), and His grace (2 Tim. 1:9-10).
B. God's calling is in Christ (1 Pet. 5:10) and through the gospel (2 Thes. 2:14).
C. The New Testament reveals various aspects of the purpose of God's calling:
1. God has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light—1 Pet. 2:9:
a. Darkness is a sign of sin and death; it is the expression and sphere of Satan in death.
b. When God calls us, He opens our eyes and turns us from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to Himself; to be turned to God means to be turned to the authority of God, which is God's kingdom of light—Acts 26:18.
2. God's calling is that His chosen ones may be separated and made holy unto God, to be the holy ones, the saints— Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2.
3. God has called us so that we may enter into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to partake of and enjoy His all-inclusive riches—vv. 9, 30.
4. God has called us into the sufferings of Christ—1 Pet. 2:20-21.
5. For the Body of Christ, God has called us into the peace of Christ—Col. 3:15.
6. God has called us for the purpose of obtaining the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ; He has called His chosen ones unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth so that they might obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ—2 Thes. 2:13-14.
7. God's calling is by His own glory and with the goal of our entering into the eternal glory of God—2 Pet. 1:3; 1 Pet. 5:10:
a. God has called us not only by His glory but also to His glory.
b. In order that we might enter into His eternal glory, the God of all grace is ministering to us the riches of the bountiful supply of the divine life in many aspects and in many steps of the divine operation on and in us in God's economy—v. 10; 2 Pet. 1:3.
8. God has called us into His kingdom—1 Thes. 2:12:
a. The kingdom of God is an organism constituted with God's life as a realm of life for His ruling, in which He reigns by the divine life and expresses Himself in the divine life— John 3:3, 5-6; Matt. 6:10, 13.
b. Today we, the called ones, should live in the church as the kingdom of God so that we may grow and develop in the life of God unto full maturity; through this growth and development, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to us—Rom. 14:17; 2 Pet. 1:5-11.?