127. Called out of Egypt.

'And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." (Matthew 2:15) Though it was to escape from the Herod, that Joseph took the child and his mother and left for Egypt, yet it fulfills a pattern we see throughout Scriptures ie., all are called out of the world to salvation and nobody is born saved ! 'For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.' (Romans 12:32) Therefore, it was only appropriate that our Saviour too be called out of Egypt. Egypt stands for the world and starting with Abraham, all of them sojourned through Egypt except for Issac who was told not to go down to Egypt because any who has come out of Egypt is not permitted to go back. "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live." (Genesis 26:2, Isaiah 30:1-2) Probably that was why Jacob was not sure whether he should go to Egypt, when it was his to turn to go, but the Lord assured him that his descendants will become a great nation there and then would be brought out of Egypt. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you and I will surely bring you back again."(Genesis 46:3-4) So everybody has a sojourn through Egypt. It was in Egypt that the Israelites acquired the skills to build the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant. However, the sin of Egypt had to be put behind them, once they left! We too have acquired our skills from the world. but when we are called out of it, we have to leave the ways of the world behind us. Every generation ought to experience this calling out of Egypt. But often we see some believers, in their zeal to see their children saved, coerce them to be born again. But we can't make them out to be born again, unless the Lord calls them! So, we see some of them in our church circles who pretend to be born again when they are not! Some ministers of God project their children as 'anointed' while they are so 'worldly' within. Children of believers are not reckoned as being born again by virtue of them being born to Christian parents. That is why it is said: God has only children; no grand children! Let our children choose for themselves! We can't choose for them! Let the Lord call them out of Egypt. We have been there, so will they ! We took our time, so will they! No matter how much we protect our children from the influence of the world, it still can rub off (be transferred by contact or association) on them when they have to interact with the world around them. But if we prevent them from interacting with the world, then there is every chance that they will lured by the world, given an opportunity, unless they have voluntarily turned their backs on the world. How can that be unless they have been there in the first place ? If they haven't made a real choice by themselves to live the rest of their lives for Jesus, they will end up being phony Christians. God even let his own Son go to Egypt so that in everything he might become like us, except for sin! So it was said by the Prophet: "When Israel was a child, I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son." (Hoshea 11:1) There should come a day in our lives just as it happened to Paul, on the road to Damascus, when he was called out of the world. Then we will be able to say like him: 'I have been crucified to the world and the world to me.'(Galatians 6:14) Amen