Scripture Reading: Eph. 2:1-3, 12b; Gal. 1:4; 1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4; Rom. 12:1-2
Ⅰ
The book of Exodus reveals that God desires to rescue His chosen people from every form of usurpation and preoccupation so that they may have nothing besides God Himself— Gen. 50:26: Eph. 2:1-3, 12b; Gal. 1:4:
A
To be saved is to be brought to a place where there is nothing but God—cf. Mark 9:7-8.
B
In the wilderness, especially at Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God, God was His chosen people's center, their purpose, their life, their home, and their everything—Psa. 90:1.
Ⅱ
God's intention in giving His chosen people a revelation of the true nature, meaning, and issue of life in Egypt (the world) is to cause His people to hate and become disgusted with Egypt, to leave Egypt behind, and to be separated to God for His dwelling place—Exo. 5:1; 40:34; Rom. 12:1-2:
A
The plague of the water in the whole land of Egypt becoming blood portrays that the nature and result of life in the world with its entertainment and amusement is death—Exo. 7:14-25.
B
The plague of frogs portrays that life in the world is a life of nuisance and unending trouble—8:1-15.
C
The plague of the dust becoming lice throughout all the land of Egypt portrays that the source of the supply of our living in the world eventually becomes a great discomfort and a cause of extreme irritation—vv. 16-19.
D
The plague of swarms of flies portrays that the moral atmosphere of the world has been polluted, having been filled with all manner of unclean and evil things—vv. 20-32.
E
The plague of a grievous pestilence that came upon all the Egyptian cattle portrays that the means of transportation and the way of eating in the world are judged by God and that His righteous judgment deals with the implications of a sinful situation—9:1-7.
F
The plague of the ashes becoming fine dust to cause boils to break forth upon man and beast portrays that anything remaining of our fallen human life must be dealt with by God—vv. 8-12.
G
The plague of hail mingled with fire damaging the produce of the earth portrays that if we are stubborn or rebellious, our relationship with God is destroyed and He alters the spiritual function of the rain by sending hail and fire with the hail to cause severe damage—vv. 13-35.
H
The plague of the wind bringing in locusts portrays that Satan eats up the supply of man's life and of everything related to man as he lives in the world under God's condemnation—10:1-20.
I
The plague of thick darkness in all the land of Egypt portrays that the worldly life outside of God's presence is filled with terrible darkness—vv. 21-29.
J
The plague of God's judgment upon all the firstborn in Egypt portrays that everything that is related to Adam, the first man as the firstborn, is condemned by God—11:1-10.
Ⅲ
It is only by receiving a revelation of the nature, significance, and result of life in the world and of God's attitude toward such a life that we can truly become detached from the world and hate the worldly life—1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4:
A
To God worldliness is worse than sinfulness; sinfulness is against God's righteousness, whereas worldliness is against God's holiness, which is higher than His righteousness.
B
If we have a detailed vision of the world, we shall know God's attitude toward it, and we shall spontaneously cease to love it.
C
If we would be God's dwelling place on the earth, we must know the world in a thorough way, and the element of the world must be purged out of our being.