The Plan

As I reflected on God’s purpose for this book, I was reminded of the passage of scripture in Exodus 12:36, where, after doing according to the word of Moses, God granted the children of Israel favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Specifically, the passage reveals that as the children of Israel began their journey to the Promised Land, the Egyptians lent them such things as they required. Exodus 12:35 gives us insight into some of the things that the children of Israel borrowed from the Egyptians. They included jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and raiment. As they journeyed on, God instructed Moses to “speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering” (Ex 25:2). That offering was used to fulfill the plan of God for the children of Israel to build the tabernacle and its instruments. Scripture goes on to reveal that the offering given by the children of Israel was taken from the wealth God had granted them favor in receiving from the Egyptians (Ex 25:3–7). It was a favor God spoke of four generations previously to their forefather Abraham: “But I will bring judgment on that nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with great possessions” (Gen 15:14, AMP). When these passages of scripture are examined with an eye to learning the lessons God is teaching us about the journey each of us must take here on Earth before we reach our eternal home, they inform and instruct us on what is required for a successful journey.