7/7 – An Old Testament example of slavery’s iron fist instead of Freedom
Remember, our Life is meant to be a Journey
We have already talked about how we have only these 60, 80 to 100 years to learn the lessons that will lead us into eternity. This is our ‘Training Ground’, our ‘Boot Camp’ that leads us toward our eternal destination. How we need to help our heart see the Big picture, the over-view of our Creator’s purposes in His ‘Great Rescue Plan’!
A Living Parable for us today: the Hebrew Nation
1. Parables from the Old Testament
The beginnings of Israel found in the Old Testament is a living parable for us to learn from today, 1 Corinthians 10:1-14. Their story is recorded to teach us:
a. ‘……to keep from setting our heart on evil things as they did’, verse 6
b. ‘…..to flee from Idolatry….’, verse 14.
c. ‘…to test the Lord as they did…’ verse 9,
d. ‘…. not to grumble….’ verse 10
2. The Journey we see as a pattern for us today
The Bible records that Israel went into Egypt because of a famine in the land. They were honoured guest at first. However, a new Pharaoh began his reign and held the Hebrews as slaves. God sent Moses and they began their journey out of slavery.
They first had to cross the Red Sea with their enemy at their back. God called them into faith; they could see the crossing of the Sea or turn their eyes on their enemy. The nation was to grow from Slave thinking into Servant thinking – to choose to have faith in what He was teaching them marked their turning point. Many chose to remain in slave thinking rather than to step into faith in Jehovah’s provisions for them!
At Mount Sinai, they were given ‘The Law’ that God expected them to live by. They faced a choice at Kadish Barnea to either follow Him or continue in their unbelief and hard heart.
They chose to continue in unbelief and God let them wander in the wilderness for 40 years, until a new generation would keep their vows to follow Him. That generation chose to stay in their slave thinking and self centred choices rather than step into obedience.
Next they faced the Jordan River. Would the cross or stay stuck where they were – not willing to walk into His Promise Land?
He led them into His Promised Land – This was their transition from slave, servant to entering His kingdom as His rightful heirs. They were meant to be a blessing to the other nations by following His plans. He promised to drive out their enemies and give them the land where ever they walked. …..but did they?
B . We as followers of Jesus face these same challenges!
1. We come to the kingdom as a slave.
We begin to see that the ‘world’ is an empty, painful, unsatisfying place – which is a type of Egypt in biblical terms. We must choose to leave ‘Egypt’ to follow Him. However, the majority of people coming into His kingdom are still caught in slave thinking. The idea of freedom in Christ Jesus is a foreign term since we have little idea of what freedom is really about when we are caught in the patterns of the world’s way of dealing with crisis and misery.
2. The next challenge we are meant to face our own Red Sea.
Are we going to stay true to Him or give into doubt and our fears with enemy at our backs? This is
the place where we dedicate our lives to Him, usually followed by water baptism as the symbol of crossing the Red Sea.
Then we are led to places where the Holy Spirit writes His laws on our Heart. That’s the Rhema and Logos Word we have talked about. Will we follow what He has taught us…or go round the mountain again?
3. We also have a ‘Kadish Barnea’ experience where we too much chose faith and obedience or our own way.
If we continue in our doubt and hard heart, we will wander in our ‘wilderness’ for however long it takes to find Him. Sad to say, some people never come back to His provisions and promises.
4. Somewhere there is a ‘Jordan River’ experience for us as Jesus Followers too.
This is the death to self choice, usually involving ‘the infilling of the Holy Spirit’. Many Jesus Followers make it to this point and decide to ‘play it safe’ with their Christian life. Often people get stuck in the traditions, rules and legalism …. Rather than let go of the religion that is conscience-led, they fear the things unseen and reject learning to walking by the Spirit. However, this is the only way we can become sons and daughter of God, adopted into His family and grow to become heirs.
5. Then comes the taking the Promised Land.
What does the mean for us? Learning to grow in Him, step aside from the church hurts, begin to see our own strongholds and deal with the enemy for ourselves is found at this stage of growth.
Even here, we encounter enemies and those things that would stop us from really possessing what He had given to us as our inheritance. For example, the people found 7 major tribes that stood in their way to take on what God had for them….and guess what? We face those same 7 enemies in your walk with Him today! Any ideas on what they are? Look for this post when we talk about Part Four Taking the Promise Land!
OK a hint: 1. The Hittites – Dealing with Fear, 2. The Amorites – Taming the Tongue, 3. The Canaanites – Facing Greed for Money and Possessions, 4. The Hivites – Recognizing the delusions and Compromises with the World, 5. The Perizzites – Trusting God’s protection, or making their own, 6. The Girgashites – Continuing on for God, or backsliding and 7. The Jebusites – Submitting to Condemnation, Shame, or following Conviction. So keep with us as we continue our own journey.
Susanne Fengler, Blog Author
www.christianfoundations.jesus-treeoflife.info
Tags: OT Parables for us today
Filed under: From Slave to Sonship
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