Faith That Changed the World

September 18, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

³¹By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. – Hebrews 11:31 ESV

The Israelites followed the strange-sounding commands of God and enjoyed a lopsided victory over the city of Jericho. This first battle in their efforts to occupy the land of Canaan had gone off without a hitch because they followed God’s instructions down to the last detail. But now the story gets really interesting.

Up to this point in the chapter, the author of Hebrews has been dealing with some fairly significant and well-known individuals in the family tree of Israel – Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Joseph, and by extension, Joshua. But it should catch us a bit by surprise to find the name of a prostitute in this great “Hall of Faith.”

To understand her presence in this list of the faithful we have to go back to the original story found in the book of Joshua. When it came time for the people of Israel to begin their God-ordained occupation of the land of Canaan, Joshua sent out spies to reconnoiter the cities on the western side of the Jordan River.

And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there. – Joshua 2:1 ESV

There are a lot of details left out of this story. We aren’t told why the spies chose Rahab’s home as a safe house. Had they been given her name by someone else? Were they aware that she was a follower of Yahweh? Did they choose a prostitute’s house because they believed no one would think to look for them there? Or was their selection of her house because of its location within the walls of the city (Joshua 2:15)?

The passage doesn’t provide us with answers to these questions. But we do know that someone informed on the two spies, and the king of Jericho sent soldiers to Rahab’s house to find them.

Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” – Joshua 2:3 ESV

But rather than turn the two spies over to the king’s soldiers, Rahab chose to protect them and even concocted a story that diverted the soldiers from her home, giving the men time to escape.

But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” – Joshua 2:4-5 ESV

But why did this woman take such a dangerous risk? Because she was a God-fearer. Rahab had somehow heard about the God of Israel and believed in Him. News of God’s powerful and miraculous deliverance of the Israelites’ captivity in Egypt had gotten out, and Rahab determined that their God must be the one true God. Without realizing it, she was living out the truth of the following verse.

…without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. – Hebrews 11:6 ESV

Rahab had somehow deduced that her city would prove to be no match for the God of Israel, so she chose to protect the spies and asked them to return the favor when the time came. She believed that this powerful God of the Israelites was going to destroy her hometown and she wanted to live. She greatly desired to be saved from the coming destruction.

Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” – Joshua 2:9-13 ESV

I tend to believe that the two spies inadvertently ended up at Rahab’s house and that they had no idea she was a believer in Yahweh. That would have been the last thing they expected from a woman who made her living as a prostitute in a pagan city. But according to His divine and sovereignly ordained plan, God arranged for them to go to the very house where they would find a woman who had placed her faith in the God of Israel. She was so convinced of God’s power that she knew Jericho was going to fall, and only asked that she and her family be spared. She believed with all her heart that the God of Israel was the “God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.”

The spies made an agreement with Rahab, instructing her to tie a scarlet thread in her window. That would serve as a sign, much like the blood that was placed on the doorpost and lintels of the Israelite homes during the Passover. That red-colored thread would tell the Israelite troops to spare all the individuals found within that house. The book of Joshua reveals that when the walls of Jericho fell, Rahab and her family were protected from the devastation and escaped death.

…they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword. But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” – Joshua 6:22-23 ESV

The spies kept their word and Rahab was spared.

Rahab the prostitute and her father’s household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. – Joshua 6:25 ESV

One might be tempted to say that Rahab’s faith was in the two spies. She had to trust that these men would do as they had promised. She had no guarantees from the God of Israel. She had been given no promises by Yahweh. But while it’s true that she had to have faith in the two spies, the thing that drove her actions from the outset was her belief that God was the one true God and that He would give the city into the hands of the Israelite troops. The Israelites’ God was greater. And in providing protection for the two spies, she was acknowledging that she believed in this superior God of Israel.

Hebrews 11:6 states, “…without faith it is impossible to please him [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Rahab believed in God’s existence, and she was seeking His protection and the reward of her life being spared. Rahab had no track record with God. She had simply heard the stories of His deliverance of the people of Israel from their captivity in Egypt. News of His redemptive power as illustrated by the parting of the Red Sea had reached her ears. God’s role in the Israelites’ defeat of the Amorites had gotten her attention. For her, all the rumors and hearsay about God had become cause for belief. Her faith that this God was real and that He had the power to save as well as to destroy led to life, rather than death. While everyone else in the city was doomed to destruction, Rahab’s faith in God resulted in her salvation and that of her family.

Rahab would go on to spend the rest of her life living among God’s people. She would marry and have children. In fact, her name appears in the gospel of Matthew in the lineage of King David.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. – Matthew 1:2-6 ESV

But Matthew’s record of David’s lineage doesn’t stop there. His list goes on to include the name of Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. Not only did Rahab’s faith result in the sparing of her own life, but it paved the way for the coming of Jesus, the Savior of the world. Her faith saved her and her family, but it had much longer-lasting repercussions. Out of faith in God, she gave a friendly welcome to the spies, and that faith would result in her redemption but also pave the way for the coming of the Redeemer of the world.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Faith That Endures

August 30, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²⁶For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. ²⁸Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁹How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? ³⁰For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” ³¹It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

³²But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, ³³sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. ³⁴For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. ³⁵Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. ³⁶For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. ³⁷For,

“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
³⁸but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”

³⁹But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. – Hebrews 10:26-39 ESV

Because of all that Jesus has done for us and made available to us, we should have confidence, a secure assurance that we have access into God’s presence because we have been right with God. But we must “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering” (Hebrews 10:23 ESV). We have a part to play. Among all the distractions and difficulties of this world, we must keep our eyes focused on the hope to come: the return of Christ and our final glorification. As followers of Christ, we will find the going tough at times on this side of heaven. Living as a Christian requires faith because so much of what we have been promised in Christ is yet to be fulfilled. Chapter 11 will give a glimpse of what faith looked like for the Old Testament saints. Each of the ones mentioned is recognized for having had faith – “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV).

This section of chapter 10 is difficult. There are many different interpretations as to what the author is saying and who he is referencing in these verses. There are those who use this passage to prove that Christians can lose their salvation. There are others who say it is referring to Christians who “fall away” from the faith (Hebrews 3:12) and risk losing their rewards at the judgment seat of Christ.

I am not sure either view is correct. The author is writing to a congregation made up primarily of Jews who have heard the good news of Jesus Christ and expressed faith in Him as their Messiah and Savior. Up until this point, the author has been diligently attempting to help his Jewish audience to understand the superior value of Jesus and His sacrifice on their behalf. He has spent nine chapters contrasting the old and new covenants, presenting Jesus and the new covenant in His blood as not only superior but singular in its effectiveness. Through His death on the cross, Jesus accomplished for man what the Law could never have done. His sacrifice provided a means by which sinful men could be made right with a holy God.

But there were evidently those in the author’s audience who were having second thoughts about the efficacy of the saving work of Jesus. They were having doubts as to whether His death was enough. So they were reverting back to their old habits of relying on the Law. Evidently, they had returned to offering sacrifices in an attempt to hedge their bets and “cover over” any sins they had committed. Perhaps they preferred the sacrificial system because they viewed it as an easy way to continue in sin and receive atonement. With Christianity, their behavior was expected to change.

It is likely that they had heard the words of the apostle John.

Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.…Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. – 1 John 3:6, 9 NLT

They were probably familiar with the words of the apostle Paul as well.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? – Romans 6:1 ESV

But unwilling or unable to change their behavior, they had decided to use the sacrificial system as a stopgap; an easy alternative that allowed them to sin and receive atonement at any time. That’s why the author begins this section with a warning against deliberate sinfulness.

…if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. – Hebrews 10:26 NLT

What he has in mind are those sins that are willful and planned, not those that are committed out of ignorance or weakness. It would seem that there were those who were sinning on purpose, and relying on the old sacrificial system to atone for those sins. The author accuses them of having “trampled underfoot the Son of God” and having “profaned the blood of the covenant” (Hebrews 10:29 ESV).

In falling back to the old covenant as an alternative source of atonement, they were saying the sacrifice of Jesus had not been enough. They were essentially rejecting His offering as insufficient and not having fully appeased the wrath of God. The author warns them that if they reject Christ’s sacrifice, there “no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26 ESV). In other words, if the sacrifice of the sinless Son of god was not enough, then all that remains is judgment. A return to the old covenant was not an option.

So to whom is the author referring? Is he warning Christians from falling away from the faith and losing their salvation? That interpretation would contradict a host of other passages that promise believers the assurance of their salvation. Jesus Himself made several unambiguous promises regarding the believer’s assurance of salvation.

“And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day.” – John 6:39 NLT

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.” – John 10:28-29 NLT

The apostle Paul wrote with unwavering confidence: “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6 NLT).

Jesus’ sacrifice was fully sufficient and completely effective. It accomplished the will of the Father by fully satisfying the debt that was owed as a result of humanity’s sin. Jesus died once and no other sacrifice was needed. The problem the author is warning about is the very real possibility of someone hearing the good news regarding Christ’s sacrificial death, seemingly accepting it, but then later determining it was not enough. The issue is one of confidence. The author uses this word two times in chapter ten.

Therefore brothers, since we have this confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…” – Hebrews 10:19, 22 ESV

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward…” – Hebrews 10:35 ESV

Saving faith is an enduring faith. It lasts. But there have always been those who seem to express faith in Jesus and then, when the troubles and trials come, they turn away. They reject the truth. They determine that Jesus is not enough and the promise of salvation is not sufficient. Unwilling to wait for the final fulfillment of God’s promise they seek their satisfaction and security in this life. They refuse to believe that their sins are forgiven and revert back to a life of works and self-righteousness. Some simply reject the idea that they can be made right with God at all.

The author warns that these individuals face the judgment of God. He gives the very sobering warning, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31 ESV). It would seem that his talk of God’s vengeance and judgment has nothing to do with believers, but with those who never fully believed in the first place. He makes this clear when he reminds his readers of the days immediately after their salvation.

Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. – Hebrews 10:32-33 NLT

They had experienced difficulty in the past and were able to endure and remain faithful because they believed in the hope of eternal life.

You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. – Hebrews 10:34 NLT

These people had not rejected the saving work of Jesus at the first sign of trouble. Why? Because their faith was real. Their hope was in something greater than a trouble-free life. Their confidence was in the promise of God of a great reward to come, not their best life now. So the author encourages them not to throw away their confident trust in the Lord. They didn’t need the safety and security of the sacrificial system; they needed endurance.

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. – Hebrews 10:36 NLT

The one who “shrinks back” will receive no reward. God takes no pleasure in those who hear the good news of the gospel but then refuse to believe it. But the author makes it clear that true believers “are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction,” but instead, they “are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved” (Hebrews 10:39 NLT).

True believers hold on to the truth and faithfully endure. They place their confidence in the once-for-all-time sacrifice of Jesus and continue to persevere even in the midst of temptations, trials, and tests. Even their sins don’t derail them because they believe in the reality of the promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 ESV).

Atonement for Sin

June 3, 2023June 3, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²²“When a leader sins, doing unintentionally any one of all the things that by the commandments of the Lord his God ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, ²³or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without blemish, ²⁴and shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord; it is a sin offering. ²⁵Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering. ²⁶And all its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. So the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.

²⁷“If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the Lord‘s commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, ²⁸or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. ²⁹And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering. ³⁰And the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. ³¹And all its fat he shall remove, as the fat is removed from the peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.

³²“If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish ³³and lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. ³⁴Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar. ³⁵And all its fat he shall remove as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it on the altar, on top of the Lord‘s food offerings. And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed, and he shall be forgiven. – Leviticus 4:22-35 ESV

Everyone sins. It’s an inevitable and unavoidable fact of life. The apostle Paul put it this way: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). King Solomon gave this rather sobering assessment of the problem.

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. – Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV

And Solomon would double down on the same stark evaluation of sin’s relentless stranglehold on humanity.

…there is no one who does not sin. – 1 Kings 8:46 ESV

And it was the pervasive and inescapable reality of sin that caused the apostle John to encourage confession rather than denial.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. – 1 John 1:8-10 ESV

No one understands the damaging effects of sin better than God. While He is completely free from any form of unrighteousness, He understands that sin’s entrance into the world had a devastating impact on humanity. When Adam and Eve made the fateful decision to eat fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they did far more than disobey God’s command; they expressed their desire to become their own gods. They listened to the lie of the enemy and asserted their right to run their own lives according to their own wills. What God had declared off-limits, they determined was rightfully theirs to have. Rather than trust God’s perfect will for their lives, they allowed their desire for autonomy to cloud their thinking and blind their eyes to the devastating outcome of self-rule.

God’s decision to set apart the people of Israel as His special possession was intended to show how sinful humanity might enjoy a restored relationship with its creator. By choosing the descendants of Abraham as participants in His divine case study, God was going to reveal how the pernicious presence of sin could be dealt with in a way that could result in their restoration to a right relationship with Him. He would use this one nation to showcase His grace, love, and forgiveness. He would make a covenant with them that would guarantee them status as His chosen people and assure them of His future blessings. But they would be required to live in obedience to all the laws and regulations associated with that covenant. Failure to do so would bring divine discipline. But knowing that His people would find it impossible to live in perfect obedience to His law, God provided the sacrificial system as a means to atone for the sins they would inevitably commit.

That brings us back to Leviticus chapter 4. God has already made it clear that sin was a problem for His people. Even the priests would have difficulty living in obedience to His commands. And it was only a matter of time before the entire nation came under the weight of God’s wrath for some inadvertent and unintentional sin committed by one of their own. The whole focus of the opening chapters of Leviticus seems to be God’s emphasis on the inescapable nature of sin. Even when the people of Israel thought they were doing well, there was the very real possibility that they had sinned without even knowing it. Sin was hardwired into their systems. It was part of their nature. And they were fully capable of committing sins both willingly and unwittingly.

That’s why God instituted these sin or purification offerings. Even if someone committed a sin by accident, they were still required to make atonement for that sin. As soon as they became aware of their offense, they needed to bring their offering before God in order to receive forgiveness and restoration. And this requirement applied to every Israelite, regardless of their social status or economic standing. God even made provisions to accommodate the poor by allowing them to offer less costly sacrifices. Everyone from priests, elders, the rich, and the poor was required to follow God’s purification process. It was mandatory and not up for debate. To refuse to make the proper sacrifice for sin would leave the individual separated from God and under a death sentence. Sin required confession, sacrifice, and purification. Forgiveness was available, but only if the sinner faithfully followed God’s gracious commands.

Verses 22-35 deal provide the same protocol for the leader and the common man. Their social status did not change anything. It didn’t matter if Moses had committed the sin or if the guilty party was an obscure member of the working class. Both were required to “bring as his offering a goat” (Leviticus 4:23, 28 ESV). The only difference was that God allowed the less affluent Israelite to substitute a less-expensive female goat as a sacrifice. But both animals had to be without blemish, and the same ritual had to be painstakingly followed in order for the sacrifice to be effective. When God’s program of purification was adhered to, both individuals received the same results.

“…the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, and he shall be forgiven.” – Leviticus 4:26, 31 ESV

The goal was forgiveness. God knew that sin was inevitable, even among His chosen people. The presence of the law didn’t eliminate the Israelite’s propensity for sin. The law simply provided a clear and irrefutable outline of God’s expectations for His chosen people. The apostle Paul would later explain the purpose behind the law.

…the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. – Romans 3:19-20 NLT

…the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) – Romans 4:15 NLT

The law of God established His standard of holiness. But He knew that the Israelites were incapable of living up to that standard. Their sinful natures made it impossible to live in perfect obedience to His righteous requirements. As a Jew, the apostle Paul could relate to the difficulty they faced.

In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. – Romans 7:25 NLT

So, God provided the sacrificial system as a way of mitigating the inevitable damage that sin would do to the Israelite’s relationship with Him. Sin would result in division between God and His people. In His holiness, He would be obligated to deal with their sin justly and righteously. He could not turn a blind eye or act as if it never happened. So, the sacrificial system was designed to offer atonement, make available forgiveness, and provide a restored relationship with God.

The author of Hebrews provides a powerful reminder of how the law was a foreshadowing of something far more significant to come. It was meant to serve as a sign of a greater program of sacrifice and atonement that God had in mind.

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. – Hebrews 10:1-4 NLT

And the author goes on to reveal what the Old Testament sacrificial system was meant to point towards:

That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,

“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
    But you have given me a body to offer.
You were not pleased with burnt offerings
    or other offerings for sin.
Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
    as is written about me in the Scriptures.’” – Hebrews 10:5-7 NLT

God had always planned to send His Son as the final and all-sufficient sacrifice that would pay for the sins of mankind, once and for all.

For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. – Hebrews 10:10 NLT

But during the Old Testament dispensation, God provided the sacrificial system as a temporary and incomplete model of the greater plan to come. Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), had always been God’s ultimate plan of atonement, forgiveness, and restoration. And as the author of Hebrews states, “when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices” (Hebrews 10:18 NLT). Jesus alone can offer full forgiveness from sin and freedom from future condemnation. And Paul sums up the incredible reality of God’s perfect plan of redemption, made possible through the sacrifice of His Son.

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. – Romans 8:3-4 NLT

The Golden Lampstand

April 20, 2023April 20, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

³¹“You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. ³²And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; ³³three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. ³⁴And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, ³⁵and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. ³⁶Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. ³⁷You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. ³⁸Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. ³⁹It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold. ⁴⁰And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.” – Exodus 25:31-40 ESV

The opening lines of the book of Genesis tell of God’s creation of the universe, and it begins with His dispelling of darkness with light.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. – Genesis 1:1-4 NLT

In God’s grand plan for the universe He created, light would always be preferable to darkness. God deemed the light to be good because it symbolized His own nature.

God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. – 1 John 1:5 ESV

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. – James 1:17 NLT

In the same way, God planned for a source of light that would penetrate the darkness of the Tabernacle. This tent-like structure was designed with no windows to let in the light of the sun. And in its innermost recesses, where the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies were located, the darkness would make these small rooms virtually unusable. In the impenetrable blackness of these spaces, the priests would have found it difficult to carry out their God-ordained duties. So, God designed a light source, “a lampstand of pure gold” (Exodus 25:31 ESV).

Within the Holy of Holies, God’s presence was intended to dwell above the Mercy Seat which was located on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. Just outside the veil, in the Holy Place where the Table of Showbread and Altar of Incense were located, the Golden Lampstand would symbolize the light of God’s presence. The flames from its seven lamps would illuminate the room and serve as a constant reminder of God’s glory and holiness.

From God’s description of the lampstand, it appears that it had a central shaft or trunk with six branches. At the top of the central shaft and six branches, oil lamps were to be placed. This meant that the lampstand offered seven sources of light to illuminate the Holy Place. This tree-like object was covered in almond blossoms made of pure gold. These budding “flowers” were intended to communicate the idea of light and life. This symbolic tree was to be a constant reminder of God’s providential care for His people. Perhaps it was meant to serve as a symbol of the Tree of Life that was located in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). This same tree is mentioned in the final chapter of the book of Revelation. In his vision, the apostle John is given a glimpse of the New Jerusalem, the city of God that will descend from heaven and serve as the dwelling place of God among men. In that city, the Tree of Life reappears.

Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.

No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. – Revelation 22:1-5 NLT

Notice that there will be no need for lamps or even the sun, “for the Lord God will shine on them.” In this eternal city, God’s presence will come to dwell among His people, and John indicates that in this New Jerusalem, there will be no need of a Tabernacle or Temple.

I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. – Revelation 21:22-27 NLT

But in the Tabernacle God provided for the people of Israel, light would be a necessity. So, God designed a lampstand, a tree of light and life, to dispel the darkness and display His glory. And this lamp would serve as a foreshadowing of a greater and brighter light to come. It was Jesus who would later declare Himself to be the light of the world.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12 ESV

And the apostle John would describe the impact of this divine light.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:4-5 ESV

But Jesus was more than just a source of light; He was the key to life, and He pointed the way to God. Yet, John reminds us that the light of the world was not well received by all.

“…the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” – John 3:19-21 ESV

To come into God’s presence is to enter the light. His glory and goodness expose our sins. But Jesus made it possible for those sins to be atoned for so that we might walk in the light and enjoy the illuminating presence of God in our lives.

The prophet, Isaiah, predicted the coming of the light of the world. Centuries earlier, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah wrote these promising words:

The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine. – Isaiah 9:2 NLT

Then he went on to provide the identity of this “great light.”

For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will make this happen! – Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT

The Golden Lampstand was to be placed in the Holy Place. It was reserved for the benefit of the priests. But the light of the world came to illuminate the lives of all men. He came to penetrate the darkness of sin and provide light to illuminate the way back to God. This child would grow to be a man, who would die on the cross for the sins of mankind. But He would be miraculously raised back to life as proof that His death had satisfied the just demands of a holy God. His dead body was placed in a cold, dark tomb, but that foreboding place was invaded by the light of God’s glory when Jesus was resurrected.

The light still shines in the darkness. Jesus still illuminates the way to God. He remains the light of the world and the light of life, dispelling the darkness of sin and displaying the glory of God as He transforms the lives of those living in darkness. And the apostle John wrapped up the book of Revelation with this promising statement from the lips of Jesus Himself.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.” – Revelation 22:16 NLT

The Table of Showbread

April 19, 2023April 19, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²³“You shall make a table of acacia wood. Two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. ²⁴You shall overlay it with pure gold and make a molding of gold around it. ²⁵And you shall make a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and a molding of gold around the rim. ²⁶And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and fasten the rings to the four corners at its four legs. ²⁷Close to the frame the rings shall lie, as holders for the poles to carry the table. ²⁸You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with these. ²⁹And you shall make its plates and dishes for incense, and its flagons and bowls with which to pour drink offerings; you shall make them of pure gold. ³⁰And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.” – Exodus 25:23-30 ESV

God gave Moses clear instructions regarding the building of the Tabernacle and the construction of each piece of furniture contained within it, and the author of the book of Hebrews states that they were “a copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5 ESV). God told Moses, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain” (Hebrews 8:5 ESV). The letter to the Hebrews goes on to state that, in heaven, there is a “greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)” (Hebrews 9:11 ESV). So, all of the details surrounding the Tabernacle that God gave to Moses were meant to mirror or reflect a heavenly reality. God was giving Moses and the people of Israel a veiled glimpse into the glory of the heavenly realm. The Tabernacle would not be a massive or highly impressive structure. Its grandeur would not be found in its size but in the message it conveyed. It was designed to be the dwelling place of God, and every element of its design and layout was meant to point to God’s glory, holiness, and majesty.

Just outside the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant would be located, God designed an outer room called the Holy Place. In this small area, God instructed Moses to place three items: The Table of Showbread, the Golden Lampstand, and the Altar of Incense. The first of these items, the Table of Showbread, was a small coffee-table-sized piece of furniture upon which was to be placed the Bread of the Presence.

In the book of Leviticus, Moses recorded the details concerning the bread that was to be placed on this table.

“You must bake twelve flat loaves of bread from choice flour, using four quarts of flour for each loaf. Place the bread before the Lord on the pure gold table, and arrange the loaves in two stacks, with six loaves in each stack. Put some pure frankincense near each stack to serve as a representative offering, a special gift presented to the Lord. Every Sabbath day this bread must be laid out before the Lord as a gift from the Israelites; it is an ongoing expression of the eternal covenant.” – Leviticus 24:5-8 NLT

This bread was to be prepared each week and replenished every Sabbath day, as a memorial food offering to the Lord. It was meant to symbolize the Israelite’s belief in God’s literal presence within the Tabernacle and was presented as both a meal and an offering. But since Yahweh has no need for food, the bread would become the property of the high priest.

“The loaves of bread will belong to Aaron and his descendants, who must eat them in a sacred place, for they are most holy. It is the permanent right of the priests to claim this portion of the special gifts presented to the Lord.” – Leviticus 24:9 NLT

But the loaves of bread, like the table upon which there were placed, were to be considered holy and set apart to God. They were to be treated as sacred and had to be consumed in a holy place. And the table itself, while simple in its construction, was also to be considered holy and sacred. Its sole purpose was to hold “the bread of the Presence” (1 Kings 7:48 ESV). In a sense, the table served as a kind of TV tray, upon which the holy bread was placed before the presence of God. Just outside the Holy of Holies, on the other side of the veil, the priests would place the freshly baked bread on the table each Sabbath morning. Then they would return the following week and repeat the process. The sacred bread from the week before would become theirs to consume. What had been dedicated to God would become a source of sustenance for their own lives. And what a picture this paints of God’s grace and mercy. He took what had been dedicated to Him and shared it with others. The holy bread did not go to waste but was used to sustain the lives of the priests, who would serve as the mediators of God’s covenant promises.

It is not difficult to see the connection between the Bread of the Presence and Jesus, the “bread of life” (John 6:35). As the Son of God, Jesus shared in His Father’s attribute of holiness. He was fully righteous and completely sinless, and He lived to serve His Father.

“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” – John 6:38-40 NLT

Dedicated to God, Jesus was also destined to die. The “bread of life” was meant to be consumed by sinful humanity so that they might experience the gift of eternal life.

“Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” – John 6:48-51 NLT

In the design of the Tabernacle, God made provision for the needs of His people. He planned for the construction of a special table that would hold the Bread of the Presence. Just as He had supplied the manna in the wilderness, God would provide sacred bread for His priests. This sanctified and set apart bread would become a source of sustenance for them as they ministered to the spiritual needs of their people. The psalmist reminds us of God’s gracious provision and His unwavering commitment to keeping His promises.

He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever. – Psalm 111:5 ESV

Years later, long after the people of Israel had occupied the land of Canaan and the Tabernacle was located in Shiloh, the Bread of the Presence would become a powerful lesson in the life of David, Israel’s future king. Finding himself running for his life because of the jealousy of King Saul, David fled to the town of Nob, where he sought the aid of Ahimelech the priest.

David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”

“The king has sent me on a private matter,” David said. “He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later. Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have.”

“We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied. “But there is the holy bread…” – 1 Samuel 21:1-4 NLT

According to the passage, the bread Ahimelech spoke of was the Bread of the Presence.

Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread. – 1 Samuel 21:6 NLT

David, who had been anointed to be the next king of Israel, was running for his life. He and his men were being pursued by King Saul’s guards and their lives were on the line. So, Ahimelech took that which had been dedicated to God and set apart solely for the priests, and shared it with God’s anointed one. And, in doing so, David’s life was spared.

Jesus would later refer to this scene when discussing the Sabbath with a contingent of Pharisees.

“Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests can eat. He also gave some to his companions.” And Jesus added, “The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.” – Luke 6:3-5 NLT

It’s interesting to note that David did not actually enter the Tabernacle and remove the bread from the Holy Place. But Jesus is emphasizing the gravity of what David did in consuming the Bread of the Presence. According to the Mosaic Law, David violated God’s command concerning the sacredness of the Bread of the Presence. Since David was not a pries, he was not permitted to consume the bread. And, in doing so, it was just as if he had entered the Holy Place and removed the bread from the table itself. Yet, rather than condemn David, Jesus excuses his actions.

As the Lord’s anointed king, David was free to eat the ceremonial bread. His life was key to the future of Israel. He had been appointed by God to serve as the next king of the nation. And Jesus, the bread of life, was free to take liberties with the Sabbath laws in order to complete the task assigned to Him by His Heavenly Father.

God had ordained that the bread be placed on the table in the Holy Place and, centuries later, when His anointed one was in need of sustenance, the bread was there to keep him and his companions alive. In the same way, God ordained that His Son would come to earth and become the bread of life. He would be set apart for a holy task and completely dedicated to doing the will of His Father. According to the apostle Paul, Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8 ESV). And His death made possible eternal life for all those who would place their faith in Him.

“Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” – John 6:58 ESV

The Mercy Seat

April 18, 2023April 18, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁰“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. ¹¹You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it. ¹²You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. ¹³You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. ¹⁵The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. ¹⁶And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.

¹⁷“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. ¹⁸And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. ²⁰The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. ²¹And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. ²²There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel. – Exodus 25:10-22 ESV

After communicating His command that the people build a sanctuary as His dwelling place on earth, God provided detailed plans for every aspect of its construction, but He didn’t begin with the structure itself. Instead, He focused His attention on the three pieces of furniture that were to occupy the inner recesses of the tabernacle.

The very first item He described was the Ark of the Covenant. This was to be a rectangular box constructed from acacia wood and overlaid with gold. It was to be carried by two gold-covered poles that were inserted into golden rings affixed to its side. Inside this coffin-like container, Moses was to place “the testimony” or stone tablets that God would eventually give him.

But why did God begin with this particular piece of furniture? If the sanctuary was to be His dwelling place, why did He focus His attention on this ornate box? It was because the Ark of the Covenant would be the most important fixture in the entire Tabernacle.

“It was the exact place where God descended to dwell with his people, which of course was the purpose of the building. The very center of God’s presence was the ark of the covenant, which was located in the Holy of Holies – the innermost tent in the tabernacle. By starting with the ark, God was working from the inside out. He was putting first things first, beginning with the holy place of his dwelling.” – Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory

On top of the Ark of the Covenant, Moses was to place the Mercy Seat. This was to serve as the lid for the Ark but, more importantly, as a “throne” for God’s presence. God informed Moses that this “seat” would be the actual place where His presence came to dwell within the Tabernacle.

“…you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.” – Exodus 25:21-22 ESV

“The purpose of the ark was to contain the tables of the law, ‘the Testimony.’ But more than that, it represented the presence of God in a very special way. God promised that He would appear in a cloud upon the mercy seat which was on the ark in the most holy place. Into that place, ‘the Most Holy Place,’ the high priest would enter one a year to sprinkle blood on the mercy seat in order that the sins of the people might be atoned (Lev. 16).” – Maxie D. Duncan, Exodus, The Preacher’s Commentary

Little did Moses know that he was being commanded to construct a miniature replica of God’s throne in heaven. On top of the ark, he was to place two gold Cherubim or ministering angels, whose wings were to spread out over the Mercy Seat. This description matches the one provided by the apostle John in the book of Revelation when he was given a vision of God’s throne room in heaven.

…a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!” – Revelation 4:2-8 ESV

And the prophet, Ezekiel, was given a similar glimpse into God’s throne room, where he saw the same scene, complete with Cherubim spreading their wings before God’s presence.

““above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” – Ezekiel 1:26-28 ESV

The Mercy Seat was intended to be God’s throne on earth. It was there that He would come to dwell among His people, sitting above the Law He had given them. And it was there that, once a year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would come to offer a blood sacrifice for the sins of the people.

“Each year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies and sprinkled the blood of animals sacrificed for the atonement of the sins of God’s people. This blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. The point conveyed by this imagery is that it is only through the offering of blood that the condemnation of the Law could be taken away and violations of God’s laws covered.” – gotquestions.org

The Law, holy and righteous, would condemn the people of their sins. But the blood of the sacrificed animal, when sprinkled on the Mercy Seat, would atone or pay for those sins and purchase the people’s redemption. They would receive mercy rather than wrath. They would enjoy God’s forgiveness rather than condemnation. And all of this was to point to the greater sacrifice to come: Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God. The apostle Paul explains how Jesus became the ultimate expression of God’s gracious gift of redemption from sin and death.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus. – Romans 3:21-26 NLT

And the author of Hebrews echoes Paul’s words when he writes of Christ’s atoning work on the cross that secured God’s mercy for sinful mankind once for all time.

So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant. – Hebrews 9:11-15 NLT

The Mercy Seat in the Tabernacle was meant to foreshadow the future sacrifice of Christ that would atone for the sins of mankind. This simple, yet ornate, piece of furniture was to illustrate the unwavering righteousness of God through the presence of the two tablets of the Law. The golden cherubim were to be a reminder of God’s holiness and His worthiness to be worshiped by all His creatures. And the Mercy Seat was to be the very place where God’s presence came to dwell among His people and where their sins would have to be atoned for each year. They were an unworthy people who were incapable of keeping God’s holy law. But, in His grace and mercy, God had provided a means of receiving atonement and forgiveness. Not only would He grace them with His presence, but He would bless them with His merciful and undeserved removal of their guilt and condemnation. And it all pointed to Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. – Hebrews 9:24-26 NLT

Doubting God’s Presence

March 27, 2023March 27, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. ²Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” ³But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” ⁴So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” ⁵And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” – Exodus 17:1-7 ESV

Since leaving Egypt, the Israelites have displayed a clear pattern of behavior when encountering what they believe to be unexpected and undesirable difficulties. As soon as things take a perceived turn for the worse, they express their disapproval to Moses and Aaron. At Marah, they discovered that the water was undrinkable, so they took their dissatisfaction with the situation to the two brothers.

So the people murmured against Moses, saying, “What can we drink?” – Exodus 15:24 NLT

Rather than reprimand them for their mistreatment of His appointed leaders, God miraculously transformed the bitter water of Marah into fresh drinking water. But He also gave them a warning about their ongoing behavior. He demanded that they begin to do what is right and obey His commands or they could find themselves suffering some of the same plagues that befell the Egyptians. His constant care for them came with conditions.

Not long after that event, as the people made their way through the desolate wilderness of Sin, their supply of unleavened bread ran out, and their growing hunger caused them to lash out in frustration yet again.

The entire company of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger!” – Exodus 16:2-3 NLT

Once again, God intervened and performed yet another miracle. He provided them with quail each evening and a bread-like substance every morning that would supply all their nutritional requirements for the rest of their journey. But just days later, when the people arrived at a place called Rephidim, they found another reason to complain. There was no water. It seems that the water they had gathered at Marah had run out and now Moses and Aaron had led them to yet another desolate and dry spot that provided no hope of quenching their thirst. So…

…the people were very thirsty there for water, and they murmured against Moses and said, “Why in the world did you bring us up from Egypt—to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” – Exodus 17:3 NLT

In each successive encounter, their complaints become increasingly darker and more desperate. Their inflammatory rhetoric reflects their growing disillusionment with the entire enterprise. They expressed their regret of having ever left Egypt and accused Moses and Aaron of leading them on a virtual death march into the God-forsaken wilderness.

The further they got from Egypt and the closer they got to Canaan, they began to second-guess the leadership of Moses and the reliability of Yahweh. Despite all that God had done for them, they questioned the very nature of His “deliverance” by declaring it to be headed to certain failure. In their minds, each difficulty they faced provided further evidence that this problem-plagued trip to the promised land had been a huge mistake.

Driven by thirst and fear, they accused Moses of trying to kill them. Their deliverer had become their executioner. But what they failed to understand was that Moses was simply following directions. He was being guided by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. These manifestations of God’s presence were always with them and had been guiding them all along the way. Their arrival in Marah had not been a mistake. God had led them to a place where the water was undrinkable. He had known all along that their bread would eventually run out and their hunger would cause them to question His goodness.

God was not lost. He had not become disoriented in the trackless wilderness of Sin. He knew exactly where He was going and what He was doing. He was testing His people to see if they would trust Him. He was placing them in situations that were designed to expose their doubts and fears. And here at Rephidim, He provided them with yet another test of their confidence in Him. There was no water. But the pillar of cloud remained at the head of their column. As they made camp, the divine presence of God was visible for all to see. He had not left them or forsaken them.

But the people had their doubts. They could not understand why this God of Moses and Aaron would allow them to suffer. If this Yahweh was so powerful and great and if He truly was with them, why did they keep ending up in less-than-satisfactory situations? Did He not know that Rephadim had no water source? But rather than take their questions and concerns to God, they turned on Moses and Aaron, and their anger was so intense that Moses feared for his life.

“What will I do with this people?—a little more and they will stone me!” – Exodus 17:4 NLT

But, once again, God intervened. He gave Moses the following instructions:

“Go over before the people; take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile and go. I will be standing before you there on the rock in Horeb, and you will strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink.” – Exodus 17:5-6 NLT

God could have acted on His own, but He chose to use His servant Moses as the means of addressing their perceived problem. As the elders looked on, the pillar of cloud moved from the camp and repositioned itself above a particular rock. In a desert filled with rocks, this relocation of God’s divine presence provided Moses with a clear indication as to which rock he was to strike. Not just any rock would do. In fact, God clearly indicates that His presence will reside over “the rock” in Horeb.

This rock had already been set apart by God as the source of their sustenance. He had known all along that Rephidim would be an arid region devoid of water. But “the rock” was already in place and ready to deliver what the people needed. So, when Moses obeyed the command of the Lord and struck the rock, water poured from it in a steady stream. That ordinary-looking rock became a source of life-giving refreshment in the midst of a barren wilderness. And it became a symbol of God’s salvation that, centuries later, the apostle Paul would use as a foreshadowing of Jesus

I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. – 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 NLT

This divine deliverance would be repeated multiple times during the peoples’ wilderness journey. God delivering water from a rock would become a symbol of His providential care and life-sustaining power. Even in the midst of a waterless desert, God could provide salvation from the most unlikely of sources. But would the people trust Him? Would they stop judging His character based on the nature of their surroundings?

God knew that the real problem with the people was not a lack of water, but a lack of trust. Despite the pillar of cloud, the manna and quail, and the miracle at Marah, the Israelites continued to doubt the presence of God.

…they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” – Exodus 17:7 ESV

And to commemorate this place of testing, Moses gave it two different names: Massah and Meribah. Massah means “place of testing” and Meribah means “place of murmuring or discontentment.” It was a place of testing because the people tested the patience of God. But it was also a place where God tested the faith of His people and, sadly, they failed. Rather than recalling God’s past provision in times of difficulty, they murmured and complained. Instead of trusting in God’s proven ability to provide for all their needs, they allowed present circumstances to raise doubts about His power and presence.

Reluctantly and rather slowly, they were learning to trust in God. He was sufficient to supply all their needs. There was no circumstance too dire, no enemy too great, or difficulty too large that God could not overcome. But that lesson would take years for the Israelites to learn.

Behold the Lamb!

March 15, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, ²“This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. ³Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. ⁴And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. ⁵Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, ⁶and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

⁷“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. ⁸They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. ¹⁰And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. ¹¹In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord‘s Passover. ¹²For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. ¹³The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

¹⁴“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. ¹⁵Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. ¹⁷And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. ¹⁸In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. ¹⁹For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. ²⁰You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

²¹Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. ²²Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. ²³For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. ²⁴You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. ²⁵And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. ²⁶And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ ²⁷you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord‘s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

²⁸Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. – Exodus 12:1-28 ESV

What happens next is most significant. God had chosen to redeem His people from their slavery and suffering in Egypt but before that event could take place, He needed to further separate them from the Egyptians. From the time they had arrived in the land of Egypt nearly four centuries earlier, they had lived in the land of Goshen. And during the outpouring of the last nine plagues, God had provided divine protection for His people, preventing them from experiencing the vast majority of the judgments that befell the Egyptians.

When the swarms of flies invaded the land, God somehow sealed off Goshen.

The Egyptian homes will be filled with flies, and the ground will be covered with them. But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. – Exodus 8:21-22 NLT

God told Pharoah, “I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow” (Exodus 8:23 NLT). The Israelites and their livestock would be spared the debilitating effects of the biting flies. No pain would be felt. No discomfort would be experienced with the borders of Goshen.

With the fifth plague, God continued His divine preservation policy. Moses informed Pharaoh that a deadly disease would inflict all the livestock belonging to the Egyptians but all the livestock in Goshen would be spared.

“…the Lord will again make a distinction between the livestock of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. Not a single one of Israel’s animals will die!” – Exodus 12:4 NLT

The seventh plague brought more judgment upon the land of Egypt, in the form of a massive hailstorm that destroyed virtually all the vegetation in Egypt. “The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived” (Exodus 9:26 NLT). God’s personally placed a dome of protection over the land of Goshen, preventing the hail and lightning from so much as touching a single leaf or stalk of grain.

With the eighth plague, an apocalyptic infestation of locusts followed the hailstorm and it would appear that the land of Goshen was spared yet again because God was very specific concerning the target of the locusts.

“Raise your hand over the land of Egypt to bring on the locusts. Let them cover the land and devour every plant that survived the hailstorm.” – Exodus 10:12 NLT). Since the hail only fell outside the borders of Goshen, the locusts only attacked those plants that had survived the damage done by the storm. The land of the Israelites was shielded and their crops were passed over by the locusts.

Then when the ninth plague sank the land of Egypt in a deep and impenetrable darkness, the land of Goshen was drenched with sunlight.

“…darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days. During all that time the people could not see each other, and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.” – Exodus 10:22-23 NLT

Now, in chapter 12, Moses records yet another instance of God setting His people apart for special favor. He was instructed by God to institute a new religious practice among the people of Israel that was to become a permanent and perpetual ritual.

“From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household.” – Exodus 12:2-3 NLT

According to God’s instructions, this lamb “must be a one–year–old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no physical defects” (Exodus 12:5 NLT). This distinction ensured that this was an animal of great worth. Its purity would have qualified it to serve as breeding stock that could help to improve the overall quality of the flock. But this lamb was to be set apart for a completely different purpose.

On a predetermined evening, all of the families living in Goshen were to “slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight” (Exodus 12:6 NLT). Then they were “to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal” (Exodus 12:7 NLT). Having completed this rather strange ritual, the people were to wait inside their homes until God had sent his tenth and final plague upon the people of Egypt.

This time, the land of Goshen would not be spared, but the people living in Goshen could be exempt from God’s judgment as long as they obeyed His command.

The tenth and final plague would bring death to the people of Egypt. God would take the life of every firstborn, in every household in the land of Egypt, including that of Pharaoh. The loss would be significant. No family would escape this outpouring of God’s judgment unless they followed God’s plan. And that plan probably sounded a little far-fetched, a little bit strange, even to the people of God.

They were to take a 0ne-year-old lamb or goat, the best of their flock, without blemish, sacrifice it, then sprinkle its blood on the doorpost and lintel of their homes. Then they were to remain inside their homes so that the angel of God would pass over their homes, sparing their firstborn from death. This plan also included odd instructions concerning unleavened bread and the purging of their homes of all leaven. But all those who obeyed God’s instructions would be spared the loss of their firstborn. Those that did not would be visited with death and loss.

In his commentary on Exodus, John Gill has this to say about the Passover lamb. “This lamb was a type of Christ, who is therefore said to be our Passover sacrificed for us, comparable to a lamb for his innocence and harmlessness, for his meekness, humility, and patience, for usefulness both for food and raiment, as well as for being fit for sacrifice; and who is a lamb without spot and blemish, either of original sin, or actual transgression, holy in his nature, harmless in his life” (John Gill, Exposition on the Entire Bible, The Book of Exodus).

Jesus has done for us what each Passover lamb did for the children of Israel. He died so that His blood could cover our sins.

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. – 1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT

Jesus gave His life so that death would not visit our doorstep. Death was coming to every household in Egypt – regardless of their nationality, status, religious disposition, or moral standing. It was inevitable and unstoppable. But it could be avoided by following God’s of salvation. The same holds true today. Death in the form of eternal separation from God is coming to every household and person who lives today. But that death sentence can be avoided by accepting God’s plan of salvation – the gift of Jesus Christ as our sin substitute.

To many, it sounds odd and even ridiculous that this plan is the only plan. For others, they doubt that death is really coming, so they ignore the offer of salvation. Many think they can save themselves. I am sure that there Israelites who believed the same things during the time of Moses. They refused to believe Moses’ warning. Some decided to do it their way and save themselves. Others thought all this talk of lambs, blood, unleavened bread, and death was silly. They rejected God’s plan of salvation and lived to regret it. They suffered great loss.

But those who obeyed were spared. They were also delivered and blessed. Not only were they able to leave their slavery behind and walk away as free men, but they did so with their pockets full of the treasure of the Egyptians. God had blessed them with abundance – wealth beyond their wildest dreams. But this wealth was for a reason. God had a plan for that plunder. It would be used to build a tabernacle or dwelling place for Him.

As believers, we have been set free, released from slavery to sin, and are able to walk in freedom, thanks to the blood of Jesus Christ. And God has blessed us beyond belief.

How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. – Ephesians 1:3 NLT

We who were poor are now rich in Christ. He has blessed us and filled us with His Spirit. He has made us His heirs. He has called us His children. We have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We are walking witnesses of His grace, mercy, power, and the truth of His redemptive plan.

Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. – 1 Corinthians 5:7 NLT

Jesus, our Passover Lamb, was sacrificed for us, and we have been set free.

Just As He Promised

February 17, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹³Thus says the Lord God: “This is the boundary by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. ¹⁴And you shall divide equally what I swore to give to your fathers. This land shall fall to you as your inheritance.

¹⁵“This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, and on to Zedad, ¹⁶Berothah, Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. ¹⁷So the boundary shall run from the sea to Hazar-enan, which is on the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This shall be the north side.

¹⁸“On the east side, the boundary shall run between Hauran and Damascus; along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This shall be the east side.

¹⁹“On the south side, it shall run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This shall be the south side.

²⁰“On the west side, the Great Sea shall be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This shall be the west side.

²¹“So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. ²²You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. ²³In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord God.” – Ezekiel 47:13-23 ESV

In this brief, yet critical, passage, God provides Ezekiel with a detailed description of the tribal land allotment in the Millennial Kingdom. With the people of Israel returning to the land, there will need to be a reassignment of the boundaries that will determine each tribe’s portion of the newly reconstituted nation. Over the centuries, those boundaries have all but been eliminated, and in its current state, the land of Palestine no longer reflects the territorial boundaries that God had given to Moses.

Prior to entering the land of Canaan for the first time, Moses received a detailed description from God as to what the actual boundaries of the “Promised Land” would be.

“Give these instructions to the Israelites: When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your special possession, these will be the boundaries.” – Numbers 34:2 NLT

What God described to Moses is similar to what He shares with Ezekiel. The exterior boundaries of the Millennial Kingdom will be virtually the same as those of the Promised Land given to the descendants of Abraham. But the actual tribal allotment will look quite different. There is an order to the arrangement of the tribes that sets it apart from the original layout given to Moses. Things appear to be arranged in a more linear/sequential order, with the tribes dispersed from north to south in a very particular pattern. The boundary to the west is “the Great Sea,” which refers to the Mediterranean Sea. The primary boundary to the east is the Jordan River. The southern boundary extends from Kadesh Barnea to the “Brook of Egypt,” which Jewish tradition takes to be a reference to the Nile. To the north, the boundaries will run from the Mediterranean Sea (Mount Hor) to Hamath to Zedad.

Within these borders, each of the 12 tribes will receive a new allotment of land to occupy, and at the center will be the special holy allotment that will contain the temple compound in Jerusalem. Ezekiel recorded the layout and dimensions of this holy district in chapter 45.

“When you divide the land among the tribes of Israel, you must set aside a section for the Lord as his holy portion. This piece of land will be 8 1⁄3 miles long and 6 2⁄3 miles wide. The entire area will be holy. A section of this land, measuring 875 feet by 875 feet, will be set aside for the Temple. An additional strip of land 87 1⁄2 feet wide is to be left empty all around it. Within the larger sacred area, measure out a portion of land 8 1⁄3 miles long and 3 1⁄3 miles wide. Within it the sanctuary of the Most Holy Place will be located. This area will be holy, set aside for the priests who minister to the Lord in the sanctuary. They will use it for their homes, and my Temple will be located within it. The strip of sacred land next to it, also 8 1⁄3 miles long and 3 1⁄3 miles wide, will be a living area for the Levites who work at the Temple. It will be their possession and a place for their towns.” – Ezekiel 45:1-5 NLT

The tribe of Levi would live within this central section of holy (set apart) land. It would be their portion within the new Millennial Kingdom. But each of the other tribes would receive new allotments, with the two tribes of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) receiving two portions. Just before Jacob died in the land of Egypt, he pronounced a blessing on his sons, including his favorite son, Joseph. As part of that blessing, he swore to adopt Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own, guaranteeing them a right to his inheritance.

“Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons…” – Genesis 48:5 NLT

The descendants of those two boys did receive their allotment of land in Canaan. And in the Millennial Kingdom, they will also occupy their own tracts of land.

The arrangement of the tribes in the Millennial Kingdom is fascinating to consider. First of all, the tribes of Gad, Asher, Dan, and Naphtali are all located on the northern and southern edges of the land. These were the sons born to Zilpah and Bilhah, the two concubines given to Jacob by his two wives so that he might bear additional sons. The descendants of these four sons will have land in the Millennial Kingdom, but it will be further from the holy district at the center.

The two tribes that will sandwich the holy district where the new Millennial Temple will reside are those of Judah and Benjamin. Those were the two tribes that made up the southern kingdom of Judah after God divided the kingdom of Solomon as punishment for his idolatry. What set the southern kingdom apart was the city of Jerusalem, the nation’s capital and the home of the temple that Solomon had built to honor Yahweh. Even in the Millennial Kingdom, these two tribes will still find themselves in close proximity to God’s house.

It’s interesting to note that every tribe will receive an equal apportionment of the land. No one tribe will have a large portion. God makes it clear that “each tribe will receive an equal share” (Ezekiel 47:14 NLT). And God reminds Ezekiel that this would all be in fulfillment of His covenant promise.

“I took a solemn oath and swore that I would give this land to your ancestors, and it will now come to you as your possession.” – Ezekiel 47:14 NLT

God will keep His word. He will honor His commitment to the people of Israel by restoring them to the land He promised to their forefather, Abraham.

But this land will not be strictly reserved for the descendants of Abraham. God makes it clear that there will be Gentiles living among His chosen people in the Millennial Kingdom.

“Distribute the land as an allotment for yourselves and for the foreigners who have joined you and are raising their families among you. They will be like native-born Israelites to you and will receive an allotment among the tribes.” – Ezekiel 47:22 NLT

The Millennial Kingdom will into being as a result of Christ’s second coming. He will return at the end of the seven years of the Tribulation, defeat the armies of the world, and reestablish the Davidic line by ascending the throne in Jerusalem, where He will rule for 1,000 years on earth.

With the end of the Tribulation, all those who survived the judgments of God will still remain on earth. That will include Jews who survived the persecutions of the Antichrist, Gentiles who lived through the judgments of God, and all those (Jews and Gentiles) who came to faith in Christ during those terrible days. All of these people will be living on the earth during Christ’s earthly reign. Over the ten centuries of His rule, children will be born and generations will come and go. There will be unbelievers living on the earth with Jesus Christ, the righteous King ruling over them. There will be unbelieving Jews who will be participating in the newly inaugurated sacrificial system in the new Millennial Temple. But salvation will come by faith in Christ alone, not by the blood of bulls and goats. Everything in the Millennial Kingdom will point to Christ. He will occupy the throne of David in Jerusalem from within that holy district that lies in the center of the newly restored land of Israel.

The presence of Gentiles within the land should not surprise us. God will still be redeeming those who are willing to seek salvation through His Son. While the land belongs to the Israelites, the chosen people of God, He sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. All of this is in keeping with the promise God made to Abraham when He first called him.

“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:2-3 NLT

All of this will be a preface for what is yet to come. While the Millennial Kingdom will be 1,000 years in length, it will still be temporary and not eternal. It will be followed by the eternal state. But this future time period is when God will finally fulfill all the promises He has made to His covenant people. He will honor His word by returning them to the land and restoring them to a right relationship with Himself, because He is faithful, righteous, and good.

The River of Life

February 16, 2023 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. ²Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side.

³Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. ⁴Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. ⁵Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. ⁶And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?”

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. ⁷As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. ⁸And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. ⁹And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. ¹⁰Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. ¹¹But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. ¹²And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” – Ezekiel 47:1-12 ESV

What an amazing picture of God’s faithfulness. Not only is He going to restore the land and the people to it, but He is also going to rebuild the Temple, reinstate the sacrificial system, and renew their hearts. God is going to make it possible for the Israelites to serve Him faithfully so that they can remain in the land. He will give them new hearts and a new desire to serve Him faithfully.

For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God. – Ezekiel 36:24-26 NLT

This entire vision that Ezekiel received was about what God is going to do in the future Millennial Kingdom. God will not only change the hearts of the people, but He will also change the nature of the land of Israel.

In his vision, Ezekiel sees a river flowing from the Holy of Holies, the innermost room of the temple. This river will flow out from the temple grounds and into the Jordan Valley, slowly growing larger and deeper as it makes its way to the Dead Sea. And as its waters flow into the Dead Sea it will transform this lifeless body of water into a fish-filled, tree-bounded paradise. This river of life will dramatically alter the topography of the land.

At the present time, the region around the Dead Sea is a barren wasteland, but in the Millennial Kingdom, it will be transformed into a lush and fruitful paradise. Trees will grow where no trees exist right now. Fish will swim where no fish can exist right now. The aptly named Dead Sea will become a place of life and fruitfulness. Ezekiel is given a glimpse of the transforming power of God. He will make all things new.

The prophet, Zechariah, also alludes to this new water source that will suddenly show up when Christ returns to earth at His Second Coming.

On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. – Zechariah 14:4 NLT

As a result of Christ’s dramatic and earth-shattering arrival to earth, the topography surrounding the city of Jerusalem will be permanently altered. A spring will open up in the Holy of Holies and flow out of the sanctuary, through the courtyard, and out the gate of the temple complex.

On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter.

And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshiped. – Zechariah 14:8-9 NLT

This life-giving spring will turn into two rivers that will transform the landscape, delivering the water of life to the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. Jesus Christ will reign from the throne of David in Jerusalem, for a period of one thousand years. And during this time, Jesus, the author of life, will be the source of life and sustenance for all who live under his righteous rule.

This future condition of life and fruitfulness stands in stark contrast to the assessment God made of His rebellious people during the days of Jeremiah the prophet.

“For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” – Jeremiah 2:13 NLT

In the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, living water will flow from Mount Zion, transforming the landscape of Israel. It is a picture of the life-cleansing, sin-atoning work of Jesus on the cross.

In His encounter at the well with the Samaritan woman, Jesus informed her: “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water” (John 4:10 NLT). The woman, confused by what Jesus had said, asked, “Where would you get this living water?” (John 4:11 NLT). And Jesus, pointing to the nearby well, responded, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life” (John 4:12-13 NLT).

This future Kingdom will be like nothing the world has ever seen before. The righteous administration of Christ will govern like no other government that has ever existed. Zechariah describes an environment where the city of Jerusalem will rise above the newly formed plains that surround it. The city will be filled to the brim with citizens anxious to live under the righteous rule of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

All the land from Geba, north of Judah, to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become one vast plain. But Jerusalem will be raised up in its original place and will be inhabited all the way from the Benjamin Gate over to the site of the old gate, then to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. And Jerusalem will be filled, safe at last, never again to be cursed and destroyed. – Zechariah 14:10-11 NLT

But the river flowing from the inner recesses of the Millennial Temple should remind us of another river that will exist in the eternal state. The apostle John was given a vision of this life-giving river and he describes it in the book of Revelation.

Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. – Revelation 22:1-2 NASB

In this future scene, which takes place at the end of the Millennial Kingdom, John sees the river flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. This vision reveals the New Jerusalem, which will descend out of heaven and come to rest on earth. From this celestial city, God and His Son will reign over all the earth. And from their thrones will flow the river of the water of life.

God is all about restoring life and bringing about healing, and these things flow from His throne. He is the source of life. Only through Him can men be restored to new life. He can take what was once dead and bring it back to life. He can transform dead lives and renew lifeless seas. That’s the God we serve, and He remains the same, now and forever.

Devotionary

The Bible Made Accessible and Applicable

Jesus Christ