Exodus by faith
Yahweh has no sooner promised the land to Abram than we learn that there is a famine in the land (Genesis 12:10). Isaac has to face another famine later, another famine “besides the first famine in the days of Abraham” (Genesis 26:1). And of course Jacob sends his sons to Egypt because of a great famine in the land.
When Moses comes along promising to lead Israel to “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8), it’s not surprising that they’re skeptical. To leave the abundance of Egypt for the land of Abraham is a risk. It’s an act of faith to leave the Nile behind and set out for a land that was once a land as barren as Sarah.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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