Out of Egypt I called my son
OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON


“When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt”  Hosea 11:1



Part I


     This is the story of God calling His sons out of Egypt.  The love of God for Israel was from the beginning even before the foundation of the world. “Father, I will that they also, Whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). Hosea writes, “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called My son out of Egypt” (Hos. 11:1).  The calling of God for His son to get out of Egypt started with Jacob or maybe with Isaac if we read what the Apostle Paul said, “Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, in Isaac shall thy seed be called” (Rom. 9:7).  
     Jacob was the younger son of the two sons of Isaac and Rebekah.  Isaac, it must be recalled was the son of Abraham in his old age.  Talking of Isaac, one minister of the Church of God, once remarked, “Isaac was a living sacrifice, so was Jesus Christ, and we too if we are true Christians.  True followers of Jesus Christ are living sacrifices.”  These words should ring in our mind, it should remind us always of God sacrificing His own beloved Son that we may have life eternal.  It should make us realize that God had to become man, so that man can become God.  This equation is the greatest plan that God had conceived: to create a spiritual man, not by fiat as were the angels, but by choice of a free moral agent!  God's mind through the spirit of God had to interface with the mind of the spirit in man in order to create a humble, submissive mind that will be born a spirit being - to be with Christ in His kingdom.
     The living sacrifice we can offer God in return for this awesome, mind boggling future is our daily commitment, our obedience and faithfulness to Him and His way of life.  The Apostle Paul had recognized the importance of the living sacrifice of our Savior when he said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). First comes the commitment, and then comes the blessings! This saying is true.
     Before Jacob was born, God had already prophesied that though he was younger, his older brother would serve him.  We can pick up the story in Genesis 25:  “And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.  And the children struggled together within her; and she said: `if it be so, why am I thus?' And she went to inquire of the LORD, and the LORD said unto her, `Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.' And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them” (Gen. 25:21-26).  Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah bore the twins.         
       Both boys were prophesied to become nations, one stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.  Thus by prophecy, God has already shown His love and favor for Jacob, who is to become a stronger and greater nation than his elder brother Esau.  Jacob means “supplanter” from the Latin word “supplantare,” meaning: “to trip up.”  The Scribner-Bantam English Dictionary defines “supplanter” as: “1. To displace or supercede; 2.  To take the place of.”  The Crudens's Complete Concordance gives this for Jacob,  “He will trip up the heel; one who supplants; or trip up the heels as racers do; and as Jacob was named a supplanter, he fulfilled the prophecy in his nomination, for although he was the younger, yet he obtained the birthright and from him descended HE in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed.”
     Now Jacob not only took Esau's birthright, but also Esau's blessings: “And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.  And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, `Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint:' therefore was his name called Edom.  And Jacob said, `Sell me this day thy birthright' And Esau said, `Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?'  And Jacob said, `Swear to me this day;' and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright” (Gen. 25:27).
     Jacob also by deceit, with the help of his mother, took Esau's blessings.  Isaac loved to eat Esau's game, he told Esau to go and prepare, so that he will bless him after he had eaten, but Rebekah heard it and instead told Jacob to get kids from the flock so that she could prepare Isaac's favorite dish.  So by deceit Jacob got Esau's blessing.  Isaac said, “Thy brother came with subtlety, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? For he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing.' And he said, `Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?'” (Gen. 27:35-36).
     Being a firstfruit, entitles one to more than just birthright and blessing, the Apostle Paul warns us, “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” (Heb. 12:16-17).  
     Our calling is now!  There is no more second chance for us, our judgment is about to end.  We don't want to be like Esau.  We must be very careful not to despise or profane our calling!
     Jacob grew up and God loved him and was with him.  Being a submissive son to his father Isaac, he did not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan, but went to his mother's kin for a wife.  God tells us through His word that Jacob fathered twelve sons.  From this arose what is now known as the twelve tribes of Israel.  As was prophesied, Jacob was to become a great nation -  his descendants were to be as the sands of the sea in number.  Jacob the supplanter was an overcomer or prevailer, and because he prevailed against God and against men, his name was changed to “Israel.”  “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.  And when He saw that he prevailed not against Him, He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with Him.   And He said, `Let Me go, for the day breaketh.' And he said, `I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me.'  And He said unto him, `What is thy name?' And he said, “Jacob.”  And He said, `Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed'” (Gen. 32:24-28).   The Latin word “prevalere” is: “to be more able; to gain the advantage.”  The more common word being used today for “prevail” is to “overcome.”  “Israel of God” means “overcomer of God,” this is used by the Apostle Paul, “And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God” (Gal 6:16).
     True Christians today must be spiritual Israelites in order to be in God's kingdom.  The children of Jacob by Rachel, his true love, was Joseph and Benjamin.  They were his sons in his old age.  Joseph was Jacob's favorite son, he even made for him a coat of many colors.  As a child Joseph had found favor with God just like his father Jacob.  God showed Joseph what was to come through his dreams.  Twice he dreamed that his brothers and even his parents, were to bow down before him.  So his brothers hated him more and called him the “dreamer” and sold him to the Midianites who brought him to Egypt.  In Egypt, Joseph remained upright and righteous and so God was with Joesph.  It was with God's intervention that Joseph rose in power in the house of Potiphar, captain of th Jacob died, he was able to bless the sons of Joseph.  “And Joseph said unto his father, `They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place.' And he said, `Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.'  Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. And Israel said unto Joseph, `I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.'  And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.  And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, `God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,  The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.'  And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.  And Joseph said unto his father, `Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.'  And his father refused, and said, `I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.'  And he blessed them that day, saying, `In thee shall Israel bless,' saying, `God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh:' and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.  And Israel said unto Joseph, `Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow'” (Gen. 48:9-22).
     This blessing Israel gave to the sons of Joseph and  placed them in  the  forefront  with  the   name “Israel.”  The world today may not recognize it!   But, will the prophesied Jacob's trouble be more on Ephraim and Manasseh?  “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it” (Jer. 30:7).  Indeed the children of Israel today, particularly Ephraim and Manasseh should wake up and heed the call of God for them to get out of today's spiritual Egypt!                  

Sotero Sonza   (To be continued)