Chapter 3
OUR EXODUS
(Matthew 2:13-15)
Before we begin our study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come to You in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Father God we ask that You would please bless our study of Your Word. Help us, oh Lord, to better understand and appreciate the significance of the wonderful spiritual journey that You have put us on. Father, we ask that You not only cause us to better understand and appreciate this journey but also grant us the strength and resolve to carry it through to our entrance into Your promised land of Heaven.
Amen
Let us begin by reading the Scriptures that are the theme for this study,
Matthew 2:13-15
"[13] When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." [14] So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, [15] where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son.""
To more fully appreciate the spiritual depth of these verses we will,
1. Briefly review some pertinent aspects of Israel's history with respect to their enslavement by the Egyptians.
2. See how Israel's exodus from Egypt was also a foreshadowing or prophecy pointing to the time when the Messiah, who is Jesus Christ, would be called from Egypt.
3. Discover that Israel's journey from their bondage by the Egyptians was also a foreshadowing to help the born again believer to understand their current journey or exodus from their bondage to today's world system of values and desires.
With this brief introduction in mind let us now review the following background material surrounding Israel's bondage to the Egyptians.
BACKGROUND
It is important for us to remember that at the time God called Abraham He promised him that the land of Canaan would belong to His descendents. To see this let us read the covenant God gave to Abraham at the time He called him to leave his father's house.
Genesis 12:1-5
"[1] The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. [2] "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." [4] So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. [5] He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there."
As we read the Old Testament we discover that,
GOD'S COVENANT WAS ALSO PASSED ON TO ISRAEL, A DESCENDENT OF ABRAHAM
God did this when He changed Jacob's name to be Israel. To see this let us now read from,
Genesis 35:9-12
"[9] After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. [10] God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. " So he named him Israel. [11] And God said to him, "I am God Almighty ; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. [12] The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you."
Reading further in the Old Testament we find that Jacob had twelve sons. Thus,
THE COVENANT PASSED FROM JACOB TO HIS 12 SONS, THAT IS THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL
The twelve sons of Jacob are identified in,
Genesis 35:23-26
"[23] The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. [24] The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. [25] The sons of Rachel's maidservant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali. [26] The sons of Leah's maidservant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram."
Through a severe drought the twelve tribes of Israel were forced to go into Egypt for food and drink. However, after many years of sojourning in Egypt they ultimately became enslaved. This is recorded in,
Exodus 1:6-14
"[6] Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, [7] but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. [8] Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. [9] "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. [10] Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." [11] So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. [12] But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites [13] and worked them ruthlessly. [14] They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly."
Finally, after a set period of time, God heard the cry of Israel and sent Moses back to Egypt to bring His people out of their slavery.
Exodus 4:19-23
"[19] Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead." [20] So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. [21] The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. [22] Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, [23] and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'""
In reflecting upon the above background one might say that this is all very interesting but what has it to do with Jesus and me? To find out let us read,
SOME PROPHECIES THAT POINT TO JESUS
We get our first inkling that Israel's exodus was a foreshadowing of the call for the Messiah and His people to come out of Egypt by rereading what God told Moses to say to Pharaoh as recorded in,
Exodus 4:21-23
"[21] The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. [22] Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, [23] and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'""
Let us notice the following verse,
23 … Let My son go so he can worship me.
Naturally we all assume that this refers to Moses and the nation of Israel. But, is there more? Is this a dual prophecy? To find out let us read,
SOME MORE PROPHECIES
We also find that through the prophet Hosea God revealed that out of Egypt He called His son. To see this let us read from,
Hosea 11:1
"[1] When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son."
These prophecies come together when we read the following prophecy that God, through His servant Moses, gave to the people of Israel.
Deuteronomy 18:15
"[15] The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him."
With the above prophecies in mind let us now see how they were,
FULFILLED BY JESUS CHRIST
To do this let us reread the following passage from the Gospel according to Matthew.
Matthew 2:13-15
"[13] When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." [14] So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, [15] where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son.""
What does this have to do with us, the born again believer. I believe that our Lord would have us discover that just as God used Moses to deliver Israel from their bondage to Egypt, Jesus in like manner has delivered us, the born again believer, from our spiritual bondage to this world's sinful values and desires. To help us to better understand this deliverance we will first examine Israel's deliverance from their Egyptian oppressors. With this brief introduction let us now examine,
THE DELIVERANCE
After a series of increasing plagues and judgements that God inflicted upon Egypt, Pharaoh finally decided to release the nation of Israel from their bondage. Unfortunately, after three days Pharaoh had a change of heart and decided to pursue the people of Israel. The army of Pharaoh and the nation of Israel finally met at the shores of the Red Sea. It was here when God completed Israel's deliverance from their Egyptian oppressors. With this background in mind let us now read about how,
GOD SAVED ISRAEL FROM THEIR EGYPTIAN OPPRESSORS
This account of this deliverance is recorded for us in,
Exodus 14:10-31
"[10] As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. [11] They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? [12] Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" [13] Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. [14] The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." [15] Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. [16] Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. [17] I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. [18] The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen." [19] Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, [20] coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. [21] Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, [22] and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. [23] The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. [24] During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. [25] He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." [26] Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." [27] Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. [28] The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen--the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. [29] But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. [30] That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. [31] And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant."
Let us notice the following verses,
10-12 … The people of Israel were terrified at the sight of the Egyptian army. They believed they were about to be killed. Consequently, they felt their bondage in Egypt was better for them than death in the desert.
13-14 … Moses comforted the people by telling them that God will fight for them. He told them to be still, that is stop being afraid and trust in God.
15-20 … Cod encouraged the people to move on. He also had the angel who was with them go between the Egyptians and them. Thus, He keep the Egyptians from attacking the people of Israel.
21-22 … As commanded, Moses raised his staff, the Red Sea parted and the people of Israel went down on dry ground through the middle of the Sea.
23 … The Egyptian army pursed God's people.
24-28 … After God thwarted the efforts of the Egyptians He told Moses to lower his staff. Moses followed God's command and the wall of water collapsed and drowned the entire Egyptian army.
29-31 … The power and influence of Egypt was broken. The people were now free to live a new life free from the influence and dominion of Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
As the people of Israel came through water to freedom and a new life, so did the born again believer. More specifically,
THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER HAS BEEN SAVED IN JESUS CHRIST
As we read the New Testament we find that deliverance of the born again believer is not from an earthly government like the Egyptians. No the deliverance of the born again believer if from the power of sin. Each and every true born again believer makes this profession when they are baptized into Jesus Christ. To see this let us read the following excerpt from Paul's letter to the Romans.
Romans 6:3-14
"[3] Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. [5] If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. [6] For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- [7] because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. [8] Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. [9] For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. [10] The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. [11] In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. [12] Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. [13] Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. [14] For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
In other words, in Jesus Christ, the power and dominion of sin is broken. Consequently, as the people of Israel were set free to live a new life to follow and worship God, so the born again believers have been set free in Jesus Christ to follow and worship God.
This now brings us to,
THE JOURNEY
As we read the Old Testament we discover that the new life God promised Israel was to be fulfilled or brought to fruition in the land He promised to give to the descendents of Abraham and Jacob. Consequently, the people of Israel had to journey from the waters of the Red Sea to the promised land of Canaan. To prepare and encourage them to remain faithful during their journey, we find that,
1. God promised that they would be a kingdom of priests and be a holy nation.
2. Even though they had to travel through the wilderness, God was always there to lead and guide them.
3. God always provided for their physical sustenance, that is food.
4. God promised He bring them into the promised land of Canaan.
In a similar manner we, the born again believer, have to leave the waters of baptism and journey to the promised land of Heaven. To prepare and encourage us for our journey our Lord and Savior has given us a similar set of promises. Specifically, He promised us that,
1. We will be and are a kingdom of priests.
2. Even though we have to travel our spiritual journey through this world's wilderness of sinful values and desires, God will always be there to lead us and guide us through all the temptations..
3. He has provided for our spiritual sustenance.
4. He will bring us into our destination, which is the promised land of Heaven.
With the above in mind let us now explore each of these promises. To do this we will first examine each of the promises God gave to the Israelites and see how each of them relate to you and I, the born again believer in Jesus Christ.
Early in their journey to the promised land of Canaan God promised the Israelites that if they obeyed Him He would make them into,
A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS AND A HOLY NATION
To see this let us read from,
Exodus 19:3-6
"[3] Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: [4] 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. [5] Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, [6] you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.""
Let us notice the following verses,
5 … They were to obey God and if they did then they would be His treasured possession.
6 … They would also be a kingdom of priests and be a holy nation.
As we read the New Testament we find that the true disciples of Jesus Christ have been given a similar command and promise. To see this let us first read God's command for us to be holy and live a life pleasing to Him. A good summary of His command is provided in,
Galatians 5:13-24
"[13] You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love. [14] The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." [15] If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. [16] So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. [17] For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. [19] The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
Let us notice the following verses,
13-14 … Remember we have been set free from the power and dominion of sin, therefore we are not to indulge our sinful nature. Instead we are to live a life in which we love and care for one another.
16-18 … We can only live this new life of love by allowing the Holy Spirit to control our life. When we do this He, the Holy Spirit, will put to death or subdue our sinful desires. Hence we can live this new life and be free from the law.
19-21 … So we can know when we have not allowed the Holy Spirit to control our life and subdue our sinful nature, these verses provide us with some examples of the fruits that our sinful nature produces. Also notice, those who continue to live this way will not see the Kingdom of God.
22-23 .. If we allow the Holy Spirit to control our lives then we can expect His fruits to be produced from within us. These verses provide us with some examples of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Thus, if we see His fruits coming from within our lives then we know we crucified our sinful nature in Jesus Christ.
Consequently, if we live and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit God tells us we are then His chosen people and a royal priesthood. To see this let us read from,
1 Peter 2:9-10
"[9] … you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
GOD PROMISED TO LEAD HIS PEOPLE THROUGH THE WILDERNESS
As we read about Israel's journey to the Promised Land we discover that they had to travel through the wilderness of a desert.
Exodus 16:1
"[1] The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt."
The wilderness of Sin and the path Israel had to travel was a barren desert. However, they were not to fear for God was always with them leading and guiding them through the wild and barren country. This is recorded for us in,
Exodus 13:21-22
"[21] By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. [22] Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people."
In a similar fashion our journey takes us through a wilderness and barren land. However, instead of it being physically barren it is a spiritual wasteland. This wasteland is known as the world's system with its sinful values and desires. To see this let us consider the following excerpt from the First letter of the Apostle John,
1 John 2:15-17
"[15] Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. [17] The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
As God did for Israel, He also promises to do for us, that is He will never leave us or forsake us. To see this let us read from,
Hebrews 13:5
"[5] … God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.""
In addition, our Lord promises to lead and guide us throughout our spiritual journey. To see this let us read the promise Jesus gave His disciples concerning the time when He would no longer be physically with them. This promise is recorded for us in,
John 16:7-15
"[7] But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. [8] When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: [9] in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; [10] in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; [11] and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. [12] "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. [13] But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. [14] He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. [15] All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you."
Let us notice the following verses,
7 … Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to us.
13 … The Holy Spirit will guide us into all the truth.
14-15 … In other words He will teach us the right way to go.
Not only does God the Holy Spirit live within us to lead and guide us, God has also given us His Word. We discover this by reading from,
Psalm 119:105
"[105] Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
Let us now explore the next aspect of the journey, that is,
GOD'S PROMISED TO SUSTAIN HIS PEOPLE DURING THEIR JOURNEY
Since the people of Israel had to journey through a barren desert, God promised to provide for their physical sustenance. He accomplished this via bread and water.
God Gave the Israelites and Now us Bread to Eat
To see this let us first read about the time when God gave the Israelites bread via the morning dew. A record of this event can be found in,
Exodus 16:13-18
"[13] That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. [14] When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. [15] When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. [16] This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.'" [17] The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. [18] And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed."
Since our journey is taking us through a spiritual desert, our God has in like manner provided us with spiritual nourishment. For spiritual bread our Lord Jesus Christ has given us Himself. To see this let us consider the following excerpt of what Jesus said after He fed the 5,000 with only five loaves of barley bread and two small fish,
John 6:47-51
"[47] I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. [48] I am the bread of life. [49] Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. [50] But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. [51] I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.""
When Jesus spoke these words many people took Him literally. In other words they failed to understand that Jesus did not mean He wanted us to physically eat His flesh. No, He was speaking to them and now us spiritually. To see this let us read a little further of what He said,
John 6:60-63
"[60] On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" [61] Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? [62] What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! [63] The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."
As we reflect upon this teaching of Jesus within the whole counsel of the Bible, we discover a twofold meaning. First of all, Jesus was speaking about the fact that His or God's Word is life or nourishment. Hence, we receive spiritual bread for our journey by reading and praying about His Word, the Bible.
Secondly, He was also referring to the time when He would institute the Lord's supper. As we partake of the Lord's supper we also receive spiritual nourishment during our journey to the promised land of Heaven. To see this let us read what Jesus said to His disciples when He instituted His supper. For our study let us read from,
Matthew 26:26-28
"[26] While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." [27] Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. [28] This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
In addition to providing bread,
God also gave the Israelites and now us Water to Drink
To see how God provided the Israelites with water let us read an excerpt about the incident at the waters of Marah. It is recorded in,
Exodus 15:22-25
"[22] Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. [23] When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) [24] So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink?" [25] Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet..."
With respect to spiritual water to drink along our journey, God the Holy Spirit has come to live and dwell within each and every born again believer. To see this let us read what Jesus once said during the last day of a Feast of Tabernacles. It is recorded for us in,
John 7:37-39
"[37] On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. [38] Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." [39] By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified."
Finally, to encourage us to remain faithful and steadfast to the end of our journey,
GOD PROMISED TO BRING HIS PEOPLE INTO THE PROMISED LAND
In the case of the Old Testament of Israel this promise is recorded in,
Exodus 6:2-8
"[2] God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. [3] I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. [4] I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. [5] Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. [6] "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. [7] I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. [8] And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'""
God's promise to Abraham, Jacob and the nation of Israel was fulfilled through the hand of Joshua. This occurred when they crossed over the Jordan River by the city of Jericho. This is recorded for us in,
Joshua 3:14-17
"[14] So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. [15] Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, [16] the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. [17] The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground."
Throughout the book of Joshua we read how the Lord destroyed the inhabitants of Canaan and gave the land as a possession to the descendents of Abraham which are the twelve tribes of Israel.
For the born again believer an example of the promise God gave to us can be found in the conversation Jesus had with His disciples to prepare them for His departure. The conversation of interest is recorded for us in,
John 14:1-3
""[1] Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. [2] In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. [3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
Since we are still on our journey and have not yet arrived into our inheritance, let us read an excerpt of what it will be like. The excerpt we will read is from the description of the new heaven and new earth that God revealed to the Apostle John. It is recorded in,
Revelation 21:1-7
"[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. [2] I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." [5] He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." [6] He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. [7] He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son."
As we reflect upon all we have covered one can not help but be excited and joyful of how blessed we, the born again believers, are! However, before we close this study it would be prudent on our part to read and heed the following,
EXHORTATION
To encourage us to remain faithful and true to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit has provided us with the following exhortation.
1 Corinthians 10:1-12
"[1] For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. [2] They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. [3] They all ate the same spiritual food [4] and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. [5] Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. [6] Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. [7] Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." [8] We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did--and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. [9] We should not test the Lord, as some of them did--and were killed by snakes. [10] And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel. [11] These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. [12] So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!"
Blessed be the Lord forever!
AMEN and AMEN