～～～关乎人类选择的历史与现实比喻

    在圣经中，出埃及的旅程不仅仅是一场民族迁徙，它更是一场信仰的考验。摩西带领的两百万以色列人，最终只有约书亚和迦勒这样的勇士进入迦南，而许多人却倒毙在旷野。这一事件不仅塑造了以色列的民族认同，也成为信仰与人性考验的经典案例。

    然而，这段历史并不只是古代以色列人的故事，它也深刻反映了人类社会的觉醒、信仰的筛选，以及执迷不悟的命运。在今天的世界，特别是在民生艰难的环境中，类似的信仰考验仍在发生。真正的挑战不是仅仅是形似旷野的外在困境，而是内心的选择——人们究竟是愿意接受信仰的真理，还是在困境和神迹面前仍然执迷不悟？

一、出埃及：信仰考验的原型

1. 神的启示：摩西的呼召

    摩西并非凭借个人权力带领以色列人出走，而是回应了神的召唤（出埃及记3:10-12）。他的任务不仅是解救一群奴隶，更是引导他们成为真正的神的子民。然而，以色列人并非全都认同摩西的使命：

• 他们目睹了十灾（出埃及记7-12），但仍然在红海遇难时抱怨（出埃及记14:11-12）。他们对摩西说：“难道在埃及没有坟地，你把我们带来死在旷野吗？你为什么这样待我们，将我们从埃及领出来呢？我们在埃及岂没有对你说过，不要搅扰我们，容我们服侍埃及人吗？因为服侍埃及人比死在旷野还好。”(出埃及记 14:11-12 和合本)
• 他们见过云柱火柱（出埃及记13:21-22），但在旷野仍然不信，甚至铸造金牛犊（出埃及记32:1-6）。这七日之久，要吃无酵饼，在你四境之内不可见有酵的饼，也不可见发酵的物。当那日，你要告诉你的儿子说：‘这是因耶和华在我出埃及的时候为我所行的事。’这要在你手上作记号，在你额上作记念，使耶和华的律法常在你口中，因为耶和华曾用大能的手将你从埃及领出来。所以你每年要按着日期守这例。”“将来，耶和华照他向你和你祖宗所起的誓，将你领进迦南人之地，把这地赐给你。那时你要将一切头生的，并牲畜中头生的，归给耶和华；公的都要属耶和华。(出埃及记 13:7-12 和合本)百姓见摩西迟延不下山，就大家聚集到亚伦那里，对他说：“起来，为我们作神像，可以在我们前面引路，因为领我们出埃及地的那个摩西，我们不知道他遭了什么事。”亚伦对他们说：“你们去摘下你们妻子、儿女耳上的金环，拿来给我。”百姓就都摘下他们耳上的金环，拿来给亚伦。亚伦从他们手里接过来，铸了一只牛犊，用雕刻的器具作成。他们就说：“以色列啊，这是领你出埃及地的神。”亚伦看见，就在牛犊面前筑坛，且宣告说：“明日要向耶和华守节。”次日清早，百姓起来献燔祭和平安祭，就坐下吃喝，起来玩耍。(出埃及记 32:1-6 和合本)
• 他们经历了吗哪供应（出埃及记16:14-15），但仍然怀念埃及的肉锅（民数记11:4-6）。露水上升之后，不料，野地面上有如白霜的小圆物。以色列人看见，不知道是什么，就彼此对问说：“这是什么呢？”摩西对他们说：“这就是耶和华给你们吃的食物。(出埃及记 16:14-15 和合本)他们中间的闲杂人大起贪欲的心，以色列人又哭号说：“谁给我们肉吃呢？我们记得在埃及的时候，不花钱就吃鱼，也记得有黄瓜、西瓜、韭菜、葱、蒜。现在我们的心血枯竭了，除这吗哪以外，在我们眼前并没有别的东西。”(民数记 11:4-6 和合本)

    这表明，信仰并不只是神迹的结果，而是一种主动的接受和顺服。顽固的人，即便目睹神迹，也不会真正改变。

2. 旷野四十年：时间的筛选，而非单纯的淘汰

    摩西带领的群体并非一个统一的民族，而是一个信仰混杂的群体：

    一部分人是真正的信徒，愿意接受神的律法（如约书亚、迦勒）；一部分人只是被环境推着走，抱着观望心态，他们无法承受信仰的考验；还有一部分人，即所谓的“闲杂人等”（民数记11:4），他们或许只是趁乱跟随的逃亡者，内心仍然怀念埃及的旧秩序。

    神没有直接淘汰他们，而是给他们四十年的时间，要知道在希伯来语里四十（אַרבָּעִים）是个描述相当长时间的词语，也就是说神给了人们足够长的时间让他们自己选择归属：

    他们可以选择悔改，接受神的引导，成为真正的选民；他们也可以继续不信，但最终会在旷野中死去，失去进入应许之地的资格；这个过程并非单纯的淘汰，而是考验与选择的结合。神的心意并非让人灭亡，而是让他们在时间的考验中学会信靠（申命记8:2-5），当人们进入迦南后回想在旷野中的一切时，他们最终会明白神给了每个人足够长的时间选择和信靠。你也要记念耶和华你的　神在旷野引导你这四十年，是要苦炼你、试验你，要知道你心内如何，肯守他的诫命不肯。他苦炼你，任你饥饿，将你和你列祖所不认识的吗哪赐给你吃，使你知道人活着不是单靠食物，乃是靠耶和华口里所出的一切话。这四十年，你的衣服没有穿破，你的脚也没有肿。你当心里思想，耶和华你　神管教你，好像人管教儿子一样。(申命记 8:2-5 和合本)

二、现代社会中的“出埃及”考验

1. 当今社会的信仰觉醒：走出“现代埃及”

    综合多项调查和数据，可以大致估算出在华夏这片土地上有宗教信仰的人口比例在20%~25%之间，即约2.5到3亿人，还有更多虽宣称无信仰但却秉承家族遗训为了家族幸福生活而大胆追求的人。即便如此，大多数人仍然生活在“埃及”的框架之内：

    他们受制于无神论的教育体系，被灌输“信仰是愚昧的”观念；他们习惯了现实主义的生活方式，认为“物质生活比信仰更重要”；他们在面对世界观的冲突时，不愿花时间思考，只愿意按照世俗规则或丛林法则生存。这些人就像当年的以色列人，虽然抱怨现状，但并不真正渴望改变：

    他们知道自己活在“奴役”之中，但仍然不愿付出代价去追求自由；他们看到了一些“神迹”——比如基督教的道德感召、信仰者的生命见证，但他们仍然怀疑；他们嘴上说“愿意追求真理”，但当信仰需要顺服和牺牲时，他们选择退缩和“岁月静好”然后等待其他人的行动。

    这正是摩西所面对的困境：神的启示已经显明，但许多人依然不愿接受，甚至宁愿回到埃及的肉锅。

2. 觉醒者 vs. 观望者 vs. 顽固者

    在今天的信仰群体中，也可以看到类似出埃及时期的三类人：

觉醒者（现代的迦勒与约书亚）

    他们经历过现实社会的苦难，但选择信靠神，愿意进入“新的秩序”；他们愿意放弃世俗的安全感，踏上信仰的旅程，即便这意味着困难与牺牲；他们不是因为神迹而信，而是因为信仰塑造了他们的生命。

观望者（犹豫不决的大多数）

    他们对信仰有兴趣，但不愿意付出代价去真正接受；他们期待“更多的证据”，但即便看到神迹，他们依然选择继续观望；他们在困境时会求告神，但一旦情况好转，就会回归世俗模式。

顽固者（倒毙在旷野的闲杂人等）

    他们对信仰的态度是消极的，即便看到神迹，也不会改变；他们宁愿选择旧的世界观，即便这意味着继续活在“奴役”之中；他们的结局不是因为神不怜悯，而是因为他们自己选择了不信。

    这并非单纯的淘汰，而是神给了所有人机会，但最终是人自己做出选择。正如耶稣所说：“被召的人多，选上的人少”（马太福音22:14）。

三、结论：出埃及的考验仍在继续

    出埃及的故事不仅仅是过去的历史，它也是今天正在发生的现实。信仰不是人人都能接受的，只有那些愿意接受并愿意按神带领被塑造、愿意在旷野旅程中大胆探求的人，才能进入应许之地。现在的这片土地上，仍然是“现代版的埃及”，每一个人都面临着相似的抉择：

    是继续活在世俗的秩序里，享受短暂的安稳？还是踏上旷野的旅程，进入信仰的应许之地？

    每个人都有选择的机会，神不会强迫人相信，但也不会允许不信的人进入他的国度。最终的筛选，不是神主动淘汰，而是人自己决定是否愿意跟随。

    朋友们，您愿意成为现代的迦勒和约书亚，还是要成为倒毙旷野的闲杂人等？

    将此文献给所有为追求人生信仰而跋涉的家人。
    让我们共同为此祷告！

Exodus: A Journey of Faith or the Elimination by Fate? 

— A Historical and Contemporary Allegory Concerning Human Choices

In the Bible, the Exodus is not merely a migration of a people—it is also a test of faith. Of the two million Israelites led by Moses, in the end only warriors like Joshua and Caleb entered Canaan while many perished in the wilderness. This event not only shaped the national identity of Israel but also became a classic case study of the trial of faith and human nature.

Yet this history is not just the story of ancient Israel; it also deeply reflects the awakening of human society, the filtering of faith, and the fate of those who remain obstinate. Even today, especially in times of hardship in daily life, similar tests of faith continue to occur. The true challenge is not solely the external hardships resembling a desert wilderness, but the internal choice: Will people accept the truth of faith, or will they remain obstinate and unreceptive even in the face of adversity and miracles?

I. Exodus: The Archetype of the Test of Faith

1. God’s Revelation: The Call of Moses

Moses did not lead the Israelites out of Egypt on the basis of personal power, but rather in response to God’s call (Exodus 3:10–12). His task was not only to free a group of slaves but also to guide them into becoming truly God’s people. However, not all the Israelites accepted Moses’ mission:

• They witnessed the Ten Plagues (Exodus 7–12) yet still complained when they faced perishing at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11–12). They said to Moses, “Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?” (Exodus 14:11–12, NKJV)
• They had seen the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21–22), yet in the wilderness they did not believe and even fashioned a golden calf (Exodus 32:1–6).

Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘ This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord ’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year. “And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord ’s. (Exodus 13:7-12 NKJV)

When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord .” Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.(Exodus 32:1-6 NKJV)

• They experienced the manna provided by God (Exodus 16:14–15), yet still longed for the meat pot of Egypt (Numbers 11:4–6). When the dew lifted, small, round objects like white frost covered the wilderness. The Israelites looked and asked one another, “What is it?” And Moses said, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat” (Exodus 16:14–15, NKJV, paraphrased) However, driven by greed, the common people began to cry out, “Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”” (Numbers 11:4–6, NKJV)

This demonstrates that faith is not merely the outcome of witnessing miracles; it is a matter of proactive acceptance and obedience. Stubborn people, even when confronted with divine signs, do not truly change.

2. The Forty Years in the Wilderness: A Process of Filtering, Not Simply Elimination

The group that Moses led was not a uniform nation but a diverse collection with mixed levels of faith:

• Some were true believers, willing to accept God’s law (like Joshua and Caleb).
• Some were merely carried along by circumstances, with a wait-and-see attitude, unable to endure the test of faith.
• Others—the so-called “mixed multitude” (Numbers 11:4)—were perhaps simply runaways who, in the chaos, merely followed along while secretly longing for the old order of Egypt.

God did not immediately eliminate them; instead, He gave them forty years. In Hebrew, forty signifies a considerable span of time. In other words, God provided enough time for people to choose their allegiance:

• They could choose repentance and accept God’s guidance, becoming truly God’s people.
• Or they could continue in unbelief, ultimately perishing in the wilderness and losing their right to enter the Promised Land.

This process is not mere elimination but a combination of testing and choice. God’s intention was not to destroy them but to teach them to trust (Deuteronomy 8:2–5). When they eventually enter Canaan and look back upon their time in the wilderness, they will understand that God gave everyone enough time to decide and trust.

And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord . Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you.(Deuteronomy 8:2-5 NKJV)

II. “Exodus” as a Test in Modern Society

1. The Awakening of Faith in Today’s Society: Stepping Out of “Modern Egypt”

Various surveys and data estimate that in China, the percentage of people with a religious faith is around 20%–25% (roughly 250–300 million people). Additionally, many more, though they claim to have no faith, still adhere to family traditions passed down for the sake of familial wellbeing. Even so, the majority continue to live within the framework of “Egypt”:

• They are confined by an atheistic education system that constantly bombards them with the idea that “faith is foolish.”
• They have become accustomed to a materialistic way of life, believing that “material life is more important than faith.”
• When confronted with conflicts of worldviews, they are unwilling to spend time pondering; they choose instead to survive by the rules of secular society or by the law of the jungle.

These people are like the Israelites of old—complaining about their situation but not truly yearning for change:

• They know that they live in “servitude” yet are unwilling to pay the price for freedom.
• They have witnessed some “miracles”—such as the moral appeal of Christianity or the life testimonies of believers—yet they remain skeptical.
• They verbally proclaim their willingness to pursue truth, but when faith demands obedience and sacrifice, they retreat and prefer the comforting illusion of “peaceful stasis,” waiting for others to act.

This is exactly the dilemma Moses faced: God’s revelation had been made clear, but many still refused to accept it, even preferring to return to the comforts of Egypt.

2. The Awakened vs. The Hesitant vs. The Intransigent

Even among today’s communities of faith, we can discern three groups akin to those in the Exodus period:

• The Awakened (Modern Caleb and Joshua):

They have experienced the hardships of society yet choose to trust in God and enter a “new order.” They are willing to forsake worldly security to embark on the journey of faith, even if it entails difficulty and sacrifice. Their faith is not based solely on miracles but on how that faith has shaped their lives.

• The Hesitant (The Majority Who Are Undecided):

They show interest in faith but are unwilling to pay the price for true acceptance. They demand “more evidence,” and even when they see miracles, they continue to wait on the sidelines. They may call on God in times of distress, but once circumstances improve, they return to secular patterns.

• The Intransigent (Those Who Perish in the Wilderness):
• Their attitude toward faith is negative. Even when confronted with miracles, they do not change. They prefer to cling to the old worldview, even if that means continuing to live in “servitude.” Their fate is not due to God’s lack of mercy, but because they themselves choose not to believe.

This is not a simple matter of elimination; God gives everyone an opportunity, but in the end, it is up to each person to choose whether or not to follow. As Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14 NKJV).

III. Conclusion: The Test of Exodus Continues

The story of Exodus is not merely ancient history—it is also a reality that unfolds today. Faith is not something that everyone can or will accept; only those who are willing to embrace and be shaped by God’s guidance, and who boldly seek the Promised Land on the journey through the wilderness, will enter into it. Even now, our land remains a “modern Egypt,” where everyone faces a similar choice:

• Will you continue living under the secular order, enjoying temporary stability?
• Or will you set forth on the journey through the wilderness into the Promised Land of faith?

Everyone has the opportunity to choose. God does not force anyone to believe, but He will not allow unbelievers to enter His Kingdom. In the end, the selection is not made by God eliminating some but by each person deciding whether or not to follow.

Dear friends, would you choose to be like modern Caleb and Joshua, or will you be among those who perish in the wilderness?

I dedicate this document to all family members journeying in pursuit of a life of faith.

Let us join together in prayer!