The nations of the world were the witnesses of the power and policy of man, and they exhibited the ways and principles of man; but Israel should have been a witness before the nations of the character and principles of God. "Happy art thou, 0 Israel: who is like unto thee, 0 people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee." Deut. 33:29.
It is on this ground that Israel and Egypt are found, in their national character, so frequently presented in contrast in the Old Testament, just as the Church and the world are set in constant opposition in the New. The principles of God had their place in the one, and the principles of man were working in the other, which necessarily placed them in opposition.
But Israel had another character besides that which was stamped on them by their connection with God. They were men and they had, naturally, all the feelings and propensities of men. Hence, whenever their faith failed, and they were left to their own unrestrained action, they invariably displayed nothing but human tendencies, and sought for help in the natural resources of men.
It required the knowledge of God, and the recognition of the special relations He sustained toward them, and an active trust in His power and protection—in a word, faith in Him as God, and their God—to enable Israel to walk on God's principles, and to act in character before the nations. In like manner now, it requires faith on the part of the Church of God, in all God's blessed relations toward it, and the sense of His presence, in order to walk with Him, and to exhibit a heavenly character before the world. "They that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee." Psalm 9:10.
But saints are men, as well as Israel of old, and in that character have been schooled and trained in the world, as Israel was trained in Egypt; and in either case the effect is seen, for
the certain result of acting on the principles of the world, is to lose the principles of God. The world is a definite sphere where the principles of man under the influence of Satan, "the god of this world," are paramount and in action; while the Church is the only sphere in which the principles of God are working. "Egypt" had its wisdom, and policy, and power; but Egypt could be only the oppressor or the corrupter of the people of God. Indeed, there is nothing more affecting in Israel's history than their constant hankering after Egypt, after all that they had suffered there, and after all that God had done to deliver them from it. It is only exceeded by that infatuation which has been manifested in the history of the Church, in its turning from the grace and presence of a divine Comforter and Guide to the miserable shifts and appliances of "this present evil world."
The earliest mention of Egypt, except in Gen. 10 in the division of nations, is as the place whence Abram, the child of faith, sought help from the famine which pressed upon him when a sojourner in the land of promise. And indeed, Egypt was the land of earthly plenty. The comforts of this life were there in abundance; but we learn in Abram's sojourn there what a price must be paid by the believer for its cattle and silver and gold, and for the favor of its prince! The faith of the patriarch and his altar belonged not to Egypt but to the land of Canaan which he had now left behind.
Egypt was the land of plenty. It was well watered, and the fruitfulness of its river was proverbial. But it did not drink of the "rain of heaven"; it is coupled with Lot's portion in the plain of Jordan, of which it is said, "It was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar." Gen. 13:10. Still its river bore only "the fatness of the earth"; and in this respect it is contrasted with Israel's portion as chosen by the Lord. "The land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: but the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and "drinketh water of the rain of heaven." Deut. 11:10, 11.
It required the plagues of Egypt, and the blood of the Pas3over, to put God's captive people and their oppressors into their true relative position toward each other. And accordingly, God's relation to Israel in redemption is thus expressed, "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt"; while the confession that was connected with the offering of the basket of firstfruits was designed to be the constant memorial of this. "Thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father; and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous: and the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: and when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labor, and our oppression: and the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders: and He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey." Deut. 26:5-9. Still, almost as soon as ever they had reached the wilderness (the place of earthly destitution, and of heavenly supply), Egypt assumes another character in their eyes than the land of their oppression and the place of God's judgment. "The children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots, and when we did eat bread to the full." Exod. 16:3. And they were not ashamed to say, "It was well with us in Egypt"! The reason of all this is obvious and instructive. To walk with God in a wilderness requires faith and that spirit of dependence which nothing but faith can give. But to be satisfied with the supplies of Egypt is a thing which is perfectly understood by sense. Thus, whenever the necessities of their condition demanded the exercise of faith—and faith was not there—they, "in their hearts turned back again into Egypt." And on one occasion they said, "Were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt." Numb. 14:3, 4.
But after their settlement in the land, Egypt still was Israel's snare. Outward weakness was the designed characteristic of Israel's polity by Jehovah, that the people might know that "They got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm [at any time] save them: but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor unto them." Psalm 44:3. And the song should have been ever heard in their midst, "Thou art my King, 0 God: command deliverances for Jacob. Through Thee will we push down our enemies: through Thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But Thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise Thy name forever." Psalm 44:4-8.
It was for this intent that they were forbidden to multiply horses, and that three times a year their coasts were to be left entirely unguarded while all their males were brought together in solemn assembly to Jerusalem before the Lord. But Egypt was celebrated for its horses and chariots; and this is.noticed in the Lord's prohibition to the king, "He shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way." Deut. 17:16. Their redemption from Egypt and all its power should have been final, nor should anything have tempted them to return.
But in the reign of Solomon we find that horses were one chief article of commerce with Egypt. In 1 Kings 10:28, 29, it is recorded that Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt—"And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty." While in the days of Isaiah the Lord complains, among other tokens of departure from Himself, that "Their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots" (Isa. 2:7). But in the following chapter of the book of Kings, there is opened a still further effect of Solomon's affinity with Egypt. The wisest of men was corrupted by it. "King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh.... For it came to pass when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods." How near is the neighborhood, and how subtle the connection of "the flesh," the world, and the devil!
It is an instructive lesson that the first enemy that invaded Israel's land after the death of Solomon was Shishak king of Egypt! "It came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: and he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made." 1 Kings 14:25, 26. What force does this give to the divine instruction for their king! "He shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses:... Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold" Deut. 17:16, 17
There may be the silver and the gold, and the tapestry, and carved work, and fine linen of Egypt (Pro. 7:16)—but it is Egypt still! There may be its wisdom, and policy, and power, its horses and chariots—but still the word of the Lord remains in all its force, "Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong;... Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit." Isa. 31:1-3. And as a ground of trust to Israel, Egypt's character is most accurately given by a heathen man—Rabshakeh. "Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him." 2 Kings 18:21. And this judgment is entirely confirmed by the Lord through Ezekiel who says, "And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rend all their shoulder: and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand." Eze. 29:6, 7. Nor should this instructive warning to Israel be allowed to lapse while the saint has this significant note of divine wisdom concerning the world through which he is passing, which spiritually is Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Heaven-bestowed names and titles are more unchanging, and more significant, than our careless hearts are wont to conceive.
But finally, as to Egypt, when God speaks of it in all its glory, He speaks of it only as the "tabernacles of Ham." "He... smote... the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham." Psalm 78:51. And it may be said that the example of Moses gives the only proper action of faith toward it. "By faith he [Moses] forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king." Heb. 11:27. He esteemed "the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward."
All this recorded testimony to Israel about Egypt gives especial pungency to the denunciation of the prophet:
"Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses. and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! Yet He also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back His words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out His hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall down. and they all shall fail together." Isa. 31:1-3.
The special and instructive contrasts here are "men" and "God"; and "flesh" and "spirit." Man with his horses, and chariots, and horsemen presents an array of strength, resistless in the estimation of the natural mind; but "When the LORD shall stretch out His hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall down, and they all shall fail together." How deep is this infatuation of a people whose privilege and strength is thus presented to the eye of faith, that they should look to Egypt or horses and chariots as their strength!
This was Israel's folly, to turn from God and His Spirit to trust in Egypt and in an arm of flesh, because they walked as men. But what is this to the Church's folly the Church that is associated with her Head in heaven, and is blessed with the ever-abiding presence of the Holy Ghost on earth, and has God for her, and the infinite treasures of His grace as her resource, and eternal glory before her—when she is found turning to seek the world's friendship, and practically trusts in the flesh and in carnal wisdom for her guidance and help. Let us beware of following the course of "Demas," of whom the Apostle says, "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world." 2 Tim. 4:10. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Rom. 8:31. There is nothing more certain than this, that every degree of confidence that is reposed in man by a saint, or in himself, is so much of his trust withdrawn from "the living God." "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God." 2 Cor. 10:4. But faith alone can use those weapons; and when faith fails, there is always the practical turning to the world and its strength and wisdom for help. Again let it be said, "If God be for us, who can be against us?"