Working in Egypt in Order to Plunder Egypt

“Although we work in the world, we do not work for the world. Instead, we work in the world for something that is not of the world.” (Witness Lee, Life-study of Exodus)

Exodus 12:35-36 says, “And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses, and they asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and clothing. And Jehovah gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.”

These verses show that in God’s salvation He desires that we plunder the world of its wealth.

The people of Israel had labored in Egypt as slaves for many years.  Now it was time for them to collect their overdue payment, so God gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and the Egyptians gave them gold and silver. As a result, the children of Israel suddenly became wealthy. Why did God do this? What was this money for?

The money was not for the children of Israel to keep for their own enrichment. In addition, it was not for them to use in Egypt.

God’s goal was that they would plunder Egypt. His desire was that they would take the money earned in Egypt and then use it for God’s purpose outside of Egypt. These riches were to be used to build the tabernacle.

In the Life-study of Exodus, Brother Witness Lee writes:

The saints in the Lord’s recovery should not be lazy. They should get a good education and then work diligently at a proper job to earn an adequate living. However, the money they earn should not be used only for themselves or for their enjoyment; it should be used for the Lord’s testimony. On the one hand, we must labor in the world and receive just payment for our work. But on the other hand, what we earn should be used for the testimony of God.

In this life-study message, Brother Witness Lee also gives several examples of saints who lived in this way.

One of the examples is of a brother in England who at the beginning of his Christian life gave ten percent of his income to the Lord. Because he did this faithfully, the Lord caused him to prosper. The brother then increased his giving to fifteen percent, and the Lord caused him to prosper even more. As the years went by, this brother kept increasing his giving, and the Lord kept prospering him. Brother Witness Lee writes, “[N]o matter how much he gave to the Lord, the Lord always gave even more to him. This brother surely was one who plundered the riches of the world and presented them to the Lord for His testimony.”

Brother Witness Lee concludes by saying:

Throughout the years, many of the saints who have been faithful to the Lord have been enriched by Him. However, the crucial matter is what use the saints make of this material increase. If this financial gain is used for the world, this will be a great failure in the eyes of the Lord. But if it is used for God’s testimony, it will be another case of plundering the wealth of the world under the sovereignty of God.

May we be those who use our education and employment to make money in Egypt not for ourselves or for anything in Egypt but for the Lord’s move in His recovery. May the Lord free our hearts and open our wallets so that so many of the current moves of the Lord in His recovery–including GTCA, the Lord’s Move to Europe, DCP, Rhema, the Boston training center, etc.–would be fully funded and the Lord would have a way to do whatever He wants without financial limitation.

To read the entire life-study message referenced above, including several more examples about saints who plundered Egypt, look for Life-Study of Exodus, Chapter 26, Section 3 on ministrybooks.com