Featured The wilderness journey as an example

The Old Testament is written for our learning
For "whatsoever things were written aforetime (Old Testament) were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." (Rom.15:4) Furthermore "brethren (saints, men and women) I would not that ye should be ignorant how...all these things (that happened to the children of Israel) happened unto them for "ensamples."1 ( "types"- models, sketchy outlines. Strong's Greek)


Jesus said, "think not that I have come to destroy the Law ( the types, models, shadows)...I am not come to destroy but to fulfill..." (Matt.5:17-19) In fact Jesus said that He would fulfill every "jot" (the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet) and every "title." (the accent of certain letters). Therefore all the types and shadows of the Law (which includes Israel's journey from Egypt to Solomon's Temple) are to be fulfilled (completed) in us the Church, because we are the body of Christ. (Rom.8:1-4; 3:21-31, Heb.10:1)

So lets start in Egypt...what picture do you see for us in Egypt?

 

" If we deny His triune being, then our journey has not begun. This is why leaving scriptures out or changing the Greek concerning the Divinity of Christ is a serious error with eternal consequences. It is a heaven or hell issue, because if Jesus is not God manifest in the flesh, we are yet in our Sins and bound for Hell!

A special note ....lets go back Ismael and Esau... neither one began the journey.
Ishmael.... Wherefore "she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac." (Gen.21:10-11, Gal.4:21-31)
Ishmael (flesh that "mocks" the promise of God) But "he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar." (Gal.4:23-24)

Isaac an "allegory" of the Promise... Now we, brethren, (Church) as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh (Ishmael Gen.16:1-6) persecuted him (Isaac Gen.15:1-6; 18:9-15; 21:1-1-5) that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son...." (Gal.4:28-31)

Esau despised his birthright (Gen.25:34) that was part of the "the seed" that "should come to whom the promise was made." (Gal.3:19, Rom.9:1-6) Esau was despising this Covenant line. Jesus. (Gal.3:1-17)

All the other Nations (Gentiles / Heathen) were outside the Covenants of Promise That "at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." (Eph.2:12-13)


So from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was the journey started and walked out!

 

I know I am on most peoples ignore list...But at least some are reading.

I love to learn by pictures of the OT. The OT sheds so much light into the NT for me.

Here is something else to consider...
God told Abraham to go "unto a land that I will shew thee." (Gen.12:5; 15:3) This promise continued through Isaac and Jacob. (Gen.21:12; 25:5; 28:3-4) This was confirmed by God to the children of Israel after their deliverance from Egypt, (Deut.12:1-12) and realized by David and Solomon. (1Chron.17:1-15; 22:1-19) This is the "model" (ensample) for our journey before the Lord. As in the "type," the Church will NOT stop UNTIL ("Till we all come" Eph.4:13) what Solomon's Temple foreshadows for us. (Heb.3:7-19; 4:1-11, Eph.2:20-22, 1Peter.2:5-9) Jesus said He would build His Church. (Matt.16:18)

 

True...but I have found in the OT pictures of the NT reality to be very helpful!

 

Israel was delivered from Egypt because of the Passover
Israel had been in bondage for 400 years, as God had foretold Abraham, (Gen.15:13) and now God was delivering them by the blood of the Passover Lamb. (Exod.2:23-25; 3-11; 12:1-51)

Christ our Passover...
The apostle Paul, (the wise master builder" (1Cor.3:10-15, Gal.1:11-12) interprets the Passover Lamb to be foreshadowing Christ. (1Cor.5:7-8)
Jesus the Lamb
Forasmuch "as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."(1Cor.5:7-8)

 

Church in the wilderness brought out of bondage....
In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai...Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye
shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."
(Exod.19:1-4)

The First Century Church came out of the bondage of sin as a "peculiar treasure"..."a royal priesthood" and "a holy nation." (1Peter.2:5-9, Rev.1:6; 5:10)

Individually we must experience Christ our Passover to be free from the bondage of sin. (John.3:5-7, 2Cor.5:17) This is the beginning of our Christian life, a "beginning of months" (Exod.12:1-2)

 

Fifty (50) days after Passover they arrived at Mt. Sinai
Israel left Egypt on the 14th. day of the 1st. month and arrived at Mt. Sinai in the 3rd. month. (Exod.12:1-2; 19:1-3,16) Moses then went up on the mount on the 3rd. day of the 3rd. month. (30 days to a month is 50 days) This is where Moses received the Law, which included the ten commandments, the pattern of the Tabernacle, the pattern for the Priesthood, the sacrifices, the offerings and the laws to govern their everyday living. (Exod.1-40) Now God wanted to "dwell among" Israel. (Exod.25:8) He had been leading, protecting, providing and now He wanted a closer relationship with them. This required that "all things to be done decently and in order." (Exod.25-40, Levi.1-27, Num.1:1-10, Deut.1-34, 1Cor.14:40)

After Jesus resurrected
"He shewed Himself alive after His passion...being seen of them forty days..." (Acts.1:3) Then He told the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father. (Acts.2:1-4) They waited until the fiftieth day had "fully come" and the promise came. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

 

The Church in the wilderness (Acts.7:38, 1Cor.10:1-11) journeyed and waited at Sinai (50 days after Passover) for God to structure them. The Greek word for "Pentecost" is fiftieth, the feast fifty days after Passover.

This is where God by His Spirit ordered and structured the first century Church by writing the Law on the fleshly tables of the heart. (2Cor.3:1-18, Heb.8:10; 10:16) This is where He "set" the Church around the "true Tabernacle that the Lord pitched and not man" (1Cor.12:18, Num.1-4, 1Cor.10:1-11, Rom.15:43, Heb.8:1-5; 9:1-26).

 

Note Peter's message on the "day of Pentecost" ...
Now "when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts.2:37-38)

1. Repent (Acts.2:38) -
Believe on Christ our Passover. (1Cor.5:7-8, 1Peter.1:18-20) "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:Therefore let us keep the feast, (Exod.12:1-14) not with old leaven, (Exod.12:15-20) neither with the leaven of malice
and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

2. Be Baptized (Acts.2:38)
The apostle Paul interpreted the Red Sea to be baptism. (1Cor.10:1-3) "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." This was when all the old Egyptian life of bondage was buried in the Sea. (Rom.6:1-11)

3. Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts.2:38)
Our Holy Spirit Baptism is foreshadowed by Mt. Sinai because of how it parallels the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Passover. Moses received the Law on the tables of stone at Sinai. At Pentecost we received the Law
written on the fleshly tables of the heart. Another point is, earthly Jerusalem is compared the Mt. Sinai. (Gal.4:21-31)

4. Peter was saying, "catch up," God is on the move!
Sinai was not the end of Israel's journey they still had to enter the land, (Deut.6:23) and complete Solomon's Temple. (Gen.12:1-2; 15:1-21, Deut.12:1-12, 1Chron.17:1-8; 22:15-19)

5. Individually we must experience Pentecost, but not stop there.
Being Saved, (Passover) Water Baptized (Red Sea) and Baptized in the Spirit (Sinai), is only part of the Journey.
As in the "ensample" (type) God has brought us out to bring us into His ultimate purpose foreshadowed by Solomon's Temple. (Deut.12:1-12, 1Chron.17:9; 22:17-18, Eph.2:1-22, Matt.16:18, John.2:18-20)

Left Sinai but that generation failed to enter the land
During this time God supplied manna, drink, meat and clothing. (Num.10-14) The New Testament writer says, our fathers "did all eat the same spiritual meat...the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock...Christ." (1Cor.10:1-3) But with many of them God was not pleased, (1Cor.10:1-5) because when it came time to enter the land, (God's Purpose) they failed because of unbelief.

 

Well I guess everyone agrees so far because no one has come up against what I am sharing....

The Church was about to fail to enter into the reality of the land
They were warned in the epistle (letter, book) to the Hebrew Christians were in danger of doing. (Heb.3:7-19; 4:1-11; 6:4-6: 12:1-2) "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, TODAY if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness." (Heb.3:7-19) In other words, be warned (admonished 1 Cor.10:11) by the type and don't fail as they did. (Heb.4:1-11).

Hebrews written about 50 years after Pentecost
It is interesting that the Book of Hebrews was not written until approximately 50 years after the day of Pentecost.

What was in the Land?

 

What do you see the promise land picturing in our journey?

 

These were "things not as seen yet." (Deut.6:10-15, Note: Heb.11:7, Luke.17:26) Joshua told the "church in the wilderness" as they were about to possess the land, they had "not passed this way heretofore." (Josh.3:4) Up to this point the "present truth" (the truth that was near 1Peter.1:12) was the Tabernacle of Moses, Levitical Priesthood, the Offerings, Sacrifices, Feast Days and laws governing their everyday lives. (Exod.25-40, Lev.1-34, Deut.1-34) What I see awaited them in the land was the Tabernacle of
David and Solomon's Temple. (Read Joshua - 2Chron.5)

 

Really? I don't see us fightiing giants in the New Jerusalem??

 

(1 Cor. 10:1-11 and Heb. 10:1-10)

 

What was David's Tabernacle?
The Tabernacle (tent) of David was a "cloth hut" that housed the Ark of the Covenant in Mt. Zion. (1Chron.13:3, 7-14; 15:1-29; 16:1-43) Until this time the Ark of the Covenant belonged in the Tabernacle of Moses. (Exod.25:8-22; 40:20-38) Only the high priest had access once a year, (Heb.9:1-7) but now God was doing a NEW THING ! Now the Ark was being made available by king David at anytime, not just to the high priest once a year. "All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern" (1Chron.28:19) God gave David the authority to make the Ark available! There were others that assumed to handle to Ark in their own way, without God's authority and were judged. (Num.14:44-45, 1Sam.4:1-11 [1Sam.2:11-12], 1Sam.5:1-12; 6:1-21, 2Sam.6:1-7) David was blessed because he was serving his generation by the will of God. (Acts.13:22, 36)

 

The apostle James interprets...
The apostle James "infallibly" interprets the Tabernacle of David to be the answer for the Jew and Gentile being made one in Christ Jesus. (Acts.15:1-18) From the day of Pentecost (Acts.2:1) until Philip preached at Samaria, (Acts.8:5-17) the Church at Jerusalem had kept the presence of God exclusively to themselves. (This was not God's intention, or purpose, it was to "as many as the Lord our God shall call." Acts.2:39)
God the Father, by-passed the Church at Jerusalem and gave Jesus the Son the authority (John.16:13-15, Acts.2:29-36, 1Chron.28:19 "pattern") to make His presence available to the Gentiles. (This is seen in the typical
actions of David, when he set Asaph and his brethren around the Ark of the Covenant. (1Chron.16:37)

Note: This is the apostle (James) and the prophet (Amos), laying the foundation, Jesus Christ (Amos.9:11-12, Eph.2:20-22, 1 Peter.1:10-12, 1Cor.3:10-11, 2Peter.3:1-2) giving direction and foundation that was needed to keep the Church on schedule and "according to the pattern."

James is reaffirming that the Church is right on course!