Study Eight - A Destiny Ensured
Old Testament - Exodus 1 - Joshua 5

  • Divine Intervention - Prior to the Exodus, the chosen of God had not only been dependent upon Him but upon Egypt as well. Now that Israel was to move into the unknown, the budding nation need assurance that the migration would not end in catastrophe. Many questions arose that God chose to answer by a series of dramatic interventions. On many occasions, God intervened with a miracle to create confidence and trust.
  • Institution of Civil and Moral Law - The people of God were having their troubles out on the desert. Men and women stood around Moses from "morning till evening," looking for solutions to their disputes. The law, both moral and civil, gave Israel many things: a conscience, a deterrent which helped to inhibit impulsive actions, a measuring stick by which to mete out justice, a path by which to walk.
  • Visual Aids - That which people have thought to be truly important, they have not wanted succeeding generations to forget. It is in the context of aids to memory that we shall understand:
    1. The place and order of the Nazirites - separatists within a separated people.
    2. The order concerning tassels - the tassels on every Israelite's garment would make it difficult to forget the covenant.
  • Memorial Feasts - The past, the present, and the future were kept in in sharp focus as every family in the covenant community participated in special meals.
  • The Tabernacle - God is in our midst. That is the thought which crossed the mind of the Israelites as they looked upon the tent of the tabernacle. God dwelled there, not symbolically, but in his real presence.
  • Leaders - The enormous responsibilities, which confronted Israel early in its history, made it imperative that God permit no weaklings to rule over his people. Thus God developed from the masses, spiritual giants with the dedication, courage, and experience required of true leaders.
  • Orders Concerning the Land - Palestine was set aside for holy purposes. On this hallowed ground, a great nation must grow and flourish, whose citizens would ultimately touch the whole world with the blessings of God. Let Israel remember to use the land for its divinely intended end, and a destiny would be ensured.

Lesson 8 and its symbolism:
  1. Manuscript and its message - Post-Egypt: the destiny still stands.
  2. Manuscript tied to anchor - The destiny must be ensured.
  3. Anchor lodged in sand - Ensuring factors understood only in relationship to infancy stage of Israel's history.
The Actual Ensuring Factors
  1. Lightning streaks on rock - Divine intervention to develop confidence and trust.
  2. Scales of justice on rock - Institution of moral and civil law to prevent chaos and destruction.
  3. Separated figures on rock - Development of visual aids to perpetuate ideas of separation unto God and obediece to God's will.
  4. Wine chalice and bread on rock - Memorial feasts to remind of past, present, and future.
  5. Tent on rock - Tabernacle as constant reminder of God's presence.
  6. Mace on rock - Leaders with the proper credentials.
  7. Land scene on rock - Ultimatums concerning conquest of land.
  8. All rocks attached to manuscript - Ensuring factors: all means to an end to help ensure the destiny.