As one reads and studies scripture, it becomes more and more clearer that the old testament was a preparation of the things to be manifested in the new Testament. The children of Israel were a physical manifestation of the church which is the spiritual Israel.
The children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt for over four hundred and fifty years before God Sent Moses to physically deliver them from Egypt and lead them to the promised land (Exodus 3: 7-10).
Their deliverance was a physical manifestation of God’s eventual spiritual deliverance of His people from the bondage of sin through Christ. Paul writing to the Romans says “ now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, Romans 3: 21-26).
In fact Paul shows that the promise of God to Abraham, whom Israel claim as their father, that he would be heir of the world “was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect----. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” Romans 4: 13-17.
When God delivered the children of Israel from bondage, He first put them in the wilderness where He fed them with manna from heaven before He ushered them into the promised land. In the wilderness the children of Israel sometimes expressed their rebellion and would complain of their hardship and wish they were back in Egypt. God sent a plague of serpents to punish them for their rebellious attitudes and many were bitten by the serpents and died, Numbers 21: 6.
After the children of Israel repented against their rebellion to Moses, God asked Moses to “ make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live” Numbers 21:7-8. What God was teaching the children of Israel was obedience. God’s ways might sometimes not make sense to us and that is why we must die to self in order to understand God.
God expects complete obedience to His instructions if we are to be saved from our enemy. In this scenario the children of Israel needed faith in God to do what was required of them. It thus followed that those bitten by the serpents and doomed to die, could be healed by obeying God’s commandment to look up at the elevated bronze serpent and believe that God could heal them if they did (Numbers 21:9).
Teaching on the concept of salvation, Christ used the wilderness experience to connect the Israelites event with his purpose. He said that “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:14-15. God has provided all human beings the means to be healed of sins deadly bite just like he did to the children of Israel in the wilderness.
When we look up to Jesus Christ and accept him as our savior by faith, then sin has no power over us because God deposits the Holy Spirit in us who helps us in our weaknesses. Apostle John writes that “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in Him; and he cannot sin because he has been born of God” 1 John 3: 7-9.
Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/470339_remaining-steadfast-and-focused-while-in-the-wilderness#ixzz1JNSU2mTm
The children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt for over four hundred and fifty years before God Sent Moses to physically deliver them from Egypt and lead them to the promised land (Exodus 3: 7-10).
Their deliverance was a physical manifestation of God’s eventual spiritual deliverance of His people from the bondage of sin through Christ. Paul writing to the Romans says “ now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, Romans 3: 21-26).
In fact Paul shows that the promise of God to Abraham, whom Israel claim as their father, that he would be heir of the world “was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect----. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” Romans 4: 13-17.
When God delivered the children of Israel from bondage, He first put them in the wilderness where He fed them with manna from heaven before He ushered them into the promised land. In the wilderness the children of Israel sometimes expressed their rebellion and would complain of their hardship and wish they were back in Egypt. God sent a plague of serpents to punish them for their rebellious attitudes and many were bitten by the serpents and died, Numbers 21: 6.
After the children of Israel repented against their rebellion to Moses, God asked Moses to “ make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live” Numbers 21:7-8. What God was teaching the children of Israel was obedience. God’s ways might sometimes not make sense to us and that is why we must die to self in order to understand God.
God expects complete obedience to His instructions if we are to be saved from our enemy. In this scenario the children of Israel needed faith in God to do what was required of them. It thus followed that those bitten by the serpents and doomed to die, could be healed by obeying God’s commandment to look up at the elevated bronze serpent and believe that God could heal them if they did (Numbers 21:9).
Teaching on the concept of salvation, Christ used the wilderness experience to connect the Israelites event with his purpose. He said that “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:14-15. God has provided all human beings the means to be healed of sins deadly bite just like he did to the children of Israel in the wilderness.
When we look up to Jesus Christ and accept him as our savior by faith, then sin has no power over us because God deposits the Holy Spirit in us who helps us in our weaknesses. Apostle John writes that “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in Him; and he cannot sin because he has been born of God” 1 John 3: 7-9.
Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/470339_remaining-steadfast-and-focused-while-in-the-wilderness#ixzz1JNSU2mTm
