p. 5 | Prophecies of Deliverance by Clarence Santee

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Jan 2, 1913

Prophecies of Deliverance

By Clarence Santee

From Egypt to Canaan—No. 1

Prophecies of Deliverance

A NATION was in bondage in Egypt. Egypt is often used as a synonym of sin and bondage. Speaking of a very wicked city, God said it "spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt." Rev. 11:8. That Egypt was a place not only of physical servitude, but of bondage to sin ("transgression of the law," 1 John 3:4), is made clear in Ps. 105:43-45: "And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness: . . . that they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws."

Six hundred thousand men were under cruel taskmasters, and many of the famous landmarks of Egypt that have withstood the ravages of the centuries, were built at the cost of the precious lives of God's children. See "Antiquities of the Jews," book 2, chap. 9, sec. 1. God had promised to Abraham that after four hundred years of wandering and affliction his posterity should come forth from Egypt, and make homes in the land of Canaan. Gen. 15:13-16. This four hundred years embraced the time from the date of the weaning of Isaac, when Ishmael, the son of the bondwoman, through jealousy began mocking, or afflicting, Isaac, the son of the freewoman (Gen. 21:8, 9, margin, B. C. 1892), to the going out of Egypt, as recorded in Ex. 12:37 (margin, B. C. 1491).

This four hundred years of affliction, beginning with the enmity of Ishmael, is referred to in Gal. 4:29: "But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now." By reading verses 28-30, it will be evident that this scripture refers directly to the weaning of Isaac, recorded in Gen. 21:8-10.

Another date covering the same period, but reaching back thirty years farther, is found in Ex. 12:40: "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years." This does not say that they dwelt in Egypt four hundred thirty years, but the sojourning of this people who dwelt in Egypt was four

hundred thirty years. This evidently began with the entrance of Abraham into Canaan in B. C. 1921 (Gen. 12:1, 4, marginal date), and ended with the night of Israel's deliverance from Egypt, B. C. 1491 (Ex. 12:40, marginal date), making four hundred thirty years. It is said of Abraham, "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country." Heb. 11:9. This places Abraham among those who were sojourners during the four hundred thirty years.

This period of years had two natural, equal divisions. From Abraham's entrance into Canaan to the removal of Jacob from Canaan into Egypt, was two hundred fifteen years. Compare marginal date of Gen. 12:4, 5, B. C. 1921, with date of Gen. 46:5, 6, B. C. 1706. From Jacob's entrance into Egypt to the deliverance by Moses was also two hundred fifteen years. Margin, Genesis 46, B. C. 1706, and Ex. 12:41, B. C. 1491. These divisions are mentioned in Josephus's "Antiquities of the Jews," book 2, chap. 15, sec. 2: "They left Egypt in the month Xanthicus on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, four hundred thirty years after our forefather Abraham came into the land of Canaan, but two hundred fifteen years only after Jacob removed into Egypt."

Only a part of this last two hundred fifteen years was actually spent in Egyptian bondage. The saving of the land by Joseph caused Israel to be looked upon with favor, and not until the generation died that knew Joseph did an Egyptian king bring Israel under bondage. "And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. . . . Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. . . . Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens." Ex. 1:6-11.

The Egyptians knew that Israel expected, sometime, to return to Canaan. Joseph had spoken of it before his death. Gen. 50:24, 25. The sons of Jacob had told Pharaoh that they came down to "sojourn in the land" because of the famine. Gen. 47:4. Now, as their service had become so valuable, the king decided to make it impossible for them to leave Egypt. In this he arrayed himself against the word of God, rapidly filled the cup of his iniquity, and sounded the nation's fall. God had given that nation its day of privilege. He had sent Abraham to it, but because of a lack of faith, he was sent away without extending the light of God. Gen. 12:11-20. Joseph was sent to that nation, and a wonderful miracle, which must have forcibly called the attention of all the nation to the true God, was wrought in the providence of God, in connection with the seven years of plenty and the seven years of famine. A few had believed. But now we see a king determined to withstand God and thwart his purposes. God had said of their sojourn in Egypt, "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again." Gen. 15:16.

Some have connected this fourth generation with the four hundred years, and in this way believed that a generation was one hundred years. This is evidently a mistake. In verse 14 the attention of Abraham is called directly to the Egyptian nation, and Israel's connection with it. The fourth generation reaches from father to son, from the going into Egypt to the reentrance into the land of Canaan, forty years after the exodus.

Take the lineage of Judah. Zerah was the son of Judah, and came with him into Egypt. Gen. 46:8, 12. The son of Zerah, born in Egypt, was Zabdi; the son of Zabdi was Carmi; the son of Carmi was Achan. Joshua 7:1, 18. The four generations would be Zerah, Zabdi, Carmi, and Achan. Zerah came down from Canaan. Achan, the fourth generation, came into Canaan again. He it was who sinned at the taking of Jericho, the first city taken in the land of Canaan. Joshua 7:1. The four generations are grouped together in one sentence in Joshua 7:24: "And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah."

The prophecies of deliverance then embrace the four hundred thirty years from the entrance of Abraham into Canaan to the deliverance from Egypt. The four hundred years of affliction and persecution began with the weaning of Isaac, when the jealousy of Ishmael broke out into deeds of violence against the true seed, his posterity continuing the persecution (Ishmaelites sold Joseph into Egypt. Gen. 37:28), and also ended with the deliverance from Egyptian bondage. The fourth generation (four generations) began with the entrance into Egypt, and ended with the entrance into Canaan, forty years after the deliverance from the Egyptians.

NOTE.—In all Bibles general dates are given which often cover many years from one chapter to the next. Other Bibles give the intervening dates in the chapters. In the date of the feast for Isaac, we have taken the intervening date as given in the Oxford Teachers' Bible, Olivet Series.