Issue 1156 – Exodus – May 16, 2023
The pastor of our local assembly has been walking us through an overview of Exodus. It’s been a fascinating study so far. Kathy and I have also been watching some old movies on the Exodus story; some were good, and others were so awful we turned them off partway through.
The other evening we watched the 1960 blockbuster Exodus directed by Otto Preminger and starring Paul Newman and Eve Marie Saint. Based on Leon Uris’ bestselling novel of the same name, the movie tells a fictionalized account of the struggle for a Jewish State in British-controlled Palestine. At the end of World War 2, there was an exodus of sorts from war-torn Europe into the land of Palestine.
The British controlled Palestine after the end of WW1 under a League of Nations mandate. Before that, it had been a part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries. The population was a mix of Arabs and Jews, each wanting the land for themselves. In an effort to keep peace with the Arab faction, the British strove to keep the onslaught of Jewish refugees at a standstill.
The film shows its age in places but still tells a great story. There is little to do with faith in the movie, which I found disappointing, but perhaps understandable as many Jews escaping to Palestine were survivors of the holocaust and had nominal faith. They were Jewish in genealogy but not practicing their faith heritage.
One of the movie’s themes, and the critical element of the dramatic burial scene at the end, was the hope that Arabs and Jews alike would live together in peace. It’s a noble sentiment and something I would love to see happen, but short of a miracle from God, it won’t.
I will gladly be proven wrong, but I don’t see peace there until after Jesus returns. The battles and hatred go back thousands of years, all the way to Abraham and Sarai.
Issac was chosen to be the child whose lineage would follow Abraham’s people into the Promised Land. Ishmael would become a king under his own power.
But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” Genesis 21:12-12
The rivalry between the two peoples continues today. The Muslim faith insists that the promises for Isaac should have been given to Ishmael and consider him a prophet. The Jews insist that God gave the land to Isaac’s offspring.
Two faiths are warring over a piece of disputed ground. Millions of Arabs cry out, not just for the land of Israel to cease existence but for every Jew to be exterminated. The continued existence of that nation is only by the grace of God.
No man-made peace will ever stand there. Yet, there will come a time when Arab and Jew will be united in Christ. Our Lord calls people of every culture and language to Him.
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Revelation 7:9-10
There will come a time when the final exodus occurs. God’s people will be drawn out of a sin-filled, broken world and transplanted to a perfect new heaven and earth when sin no longer reigns. A time and place of total Shalom in every sense of the word.
All will be made right in the last exodus, and the people of God will rejoice and reign with the Lord forever. That will make the Exodus from Egypt and the existence of a Jewish state seem like minor miracles.
As we await, we love, serve and praise the Lord with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength.
Be Blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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