Life After Redemption

Deuteronomy 8:2-4

L/W-

We discussed the Dedication of the First Born, how God tied this to Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread and how in doing so, provided a vital commandment to dedicate/set apart/sanctify the children of Israel to God; and in doing so, the children, and the generations to follow, would learn about God, how He alone is the only one, true living God, how He alone is the God of redemption, deliverance, and salvation, and how He set them on a journey to the promised land of Canaan.

We learned that as they taught and dedicated their children, so we must teach and dedicate/surrender our children to the Lord—and as we do, each of us is brought to remember how God redeemed and delivered us from sin & death, how we are to flee the evil (leaven) found in our heads, our hearts, and our homes.

----Today’s message is a set-up; it is to lay the foundation for the next 8 weeks in this series—a series about Life After Redemption

Exodus 13:17 begins new division within the Book of Exodus. In chapters 1-4, we learned of Israel’s bondage & how He raised up Moses. In chapters 5-13:16, we learned of God’s judgments over Pharaoh and Egypt, His deliverance of Israel, and His institution of Passover, which include the Feast of Unleavenened Bread and the Dedication of the First. Now, we begin a series where we will be discussing, “Life after Redemption.” Israel, no longer encompassed with life in bondage/slavery/tyranny, now stood in this unique empty space of liberty and freedom, eager to move forward—eager to leave their enslavement behind, and eager to begin their sojourn to the land God had promised them through Abraham in Genesis 15; a land flowing with, “milk and honey,” the land of Canaan.

As in the pages of a book, when one reaches the climax of a story line, and turns the page to a new chapter, the Israelites themselves are beginning a new chapter, a new season. The “hinge” had taken place and now they were set in a new direction. (This is just as it is for believers today; when the “hinge” takes place, when salvation comes to a person, they are set to a new direction, with a new nature)

Yet what lay ahead of them was a vast wilderness, a fearful, dreadful, unforgiving desert, full of wild animals, poisonous snakes, scorpions and other potentially deadly threats; a wilderness that was

Dry & parched

Waterless & barren

Uncultivated & unfruitful

Desolate & empty

Uninhabited

Further, Israel was untested—the nation knew nothing of what it was to live in freedom; for 430 years, all Israel had ever known was bondage and slavery; for 430 year, their days filled with oppression and fear of death. Now, “altogether” freed from what had held them for so long, they were to traverse a dangerous & perilous land with little to no understanding of how to navigate this unique space of freedom and liberty. (This is like so many new believers today—eager to leave their past behind, but having no idea to walk in the freedom afforded to them through Jesus Christ)

The destination Israel was promised was the promised land of Canaan. Yet standing between them and the promised land was a wilderness where the terrain was desolate, rough, unforgiving, and dangerous. What’s more, is at most, the direct route would have taken Israel as little as just a few weeks to traverse. Surpisingly however, God would direct them on a route that would take them 40 years, 40 long years if you’ve read the whole account. These years would come to be called “The Wilderness Wanderings” and they have direct application to N/T believers today. (The believer’s promised land is Heaven (God’s presence), yet b/t salvation and glorification, stands a pilgrimmage through this world)

The ultimate purpose behind the “Wilderness Wanderings,” was to teach Israel to be utterly and desperately dependent upon God, b/c navigating the pilgrammage b/t Egypt and Canaan would be impossible apart from this.

Uniquely, however, in order that Israel might be brought to a place of utter dependency studying and slowing Scripture down, we find several purposes which God would use in order to bring Israel to a place of utter dependency on Him:

(TURN TO DEUTERONOMY 8:2-4 for today—as this will serve as the foundation for today’s message, we will get to Exodus 13:17 next week)

Deuteronomy 8:2-4 “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.”

As stated, the “wilderness wonderings” were used by God’s to bring Israel to utter dependency on Him, which required a right understanding of who God is and how He called them and calls us to live

What are these right understandings? (There are 7 we will discuss today)

I. A right understanding of Biblical humility

Deuteronomy 8:2 “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you...”

Wilderness Wanderings often reveal our true hearts—and this was certainly true of the Israelites

God proclaims through Jeremiah that man’s heart is, “deceitful above all things, and desperatley wicked, who can know it.”

Because of sin’s infection on man’s heart’s, in man’s sinful nature, the bent of man’s heart is towards

Hardness and unbelief—instead of softness and belief (see Mark 4:20)

Disobedience, willful and knowing disobedience—instead of willful and knowing obedience (see John 14:23)

Murmering, grumbling, and complaining—instead of the comfort and edification we are to speak to one another (see 1 Thessalonians 5:11 or Ephesians 5:19)

Finding fault(s) anywhere but our own hearts—instead showing mercy/grace in speaking truth in love (see Ephesians 4:14-16)

Assigning blame anywhere else but ourselves—instead of taking ownership for our sins (see Psalm 51:4)

Contentious attitudes and arguements—instead of words & attitudes of compassion, mercy, and empathy (see Proverbs 15:1-4 or James 3:5-12)

Because of sin and our sinful nature, we must let the Holy Spirit develop in us a character of Biblical humility.

A humility of knowing we are, apart from Jesus Christ, spirituall broken, this is what Jesus speaks of in The Beatitudes:

Matthew 5:3 ““Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Poor in spirit”—it takes a humble heart to know one’s desperate need of God, to know of one’s spiritual brokenness apart from Jesus Christ

Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.”

Jesus then, in Luke 9:23 of humility’s actionable requirement

“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

Self-denial

Putting to death the Lord of self, and

The counting of the cost of this, and following Christ

A humility in recognizing our sins and the need to confess them

Psalms 51:4 “Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.”

Psalm 32:3-4 “When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah”

Psalms 32:5 “I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah”

A humility in living amongst one another

Ephesians 4:1-3 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Colossians 3:13 “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

II. Secondly, we need a right understanding of the purpose of trials/temptations/testing

Deuteronomy 8:2 “...and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

Wilderness wanderings reveal in us, how disobedient we really are...

We can see disobedience and misunderstanding in the life of Israel through the wilderness, as they

Operated out of fear

Complained/griped

Accused and blamed Moses and others

Wildnerness wanderings reveal how much we must prayerfully stay on our faces before the Lord and how we must:

Drawing near to Him, so He might draw near to us

James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Learn to live and walk in His presence,

Knowing that His presence

Casts light on our sins

Genesis 3:8-9 “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?””

Isaiah 6:5 “So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.””

Provides comfort & encouragement

Joshua 1:5 “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Psalm 42:5 “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.”

Keeps our walk and attitude humble and reverant

Ecclesiastes 5:2 “Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.”

Ecclesiastes 5:6 “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?”

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

Knowing His presence is found in us b/c we are His children

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

1 John 4:12-13 “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”

Learn to trust and depend on God and God alone

Psalm 56:3-4 “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”

Psalm 9:10 “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

Wilderness wanderings produce testings/trials/temptations, and a right understanding of them helps us better navigate them (we will look at two accounts to help illustrate this point)

Daniel 3 (Shadrach, Meschach, and Abed-Nego—the fiery furnace)—within this account we see two purposes for trails:

Glorifying God

Daniel 3:16-18 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.””

Purify the believer

Daniel 3:27 “And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.”

James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Temptation or Trials (“peirasmos”)—The Greek word uses by James means, to test/to try/to prove—the trials and temptations we face as believers are not meant to defeat us, rather they are meant to prove and qualify our faith:

In conquering trials/temptations, we become a more pure person (more holy, righteous, and just)

In triumphantly going through trials/temptations, we become a much stronger person (steadfast, enduring, and persevering)

When we stand up against trials/temptations, we become a dynamic witness for others

Wilderness wanderings bring trials/temptations so that our obedience and dependency on God might be drawn out

III. A right understanding of the their journey.

Deuteronomy 8:2-4 “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.”

Wilderness wanderings reveal life is a pilgrammage of faith, rather than religion. (4 things)

A pilgrammage of faith trusts God more and more, rather than finding merit in self, one’s morality, or rules/works/religion

A pilgrammage of faith depends more on the strength of God’s grace,—rather than the weakness of self-reliance

God’s grace not only saves, God’s grace sustains

2 Corinthians 12:9 “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

A pilgrammage of faith relies on God’s

Mercy & grace

Presence & love

Provision & supply

Power & deliverance

A pilgrammage of faith relies on God’s wisdom, rather than our own

A look at Proverbs 1-4 gives us the value of seeking after God’s wisdom

God’s wisdom beckons us

Proverbs 1:20-21 “Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words:”

God’s wisdom has value:

Proverbs 2:4-5 “If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.”

Proverbs 2:10-12 “When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things,”

God’s wisdom is guidance

Proverbs 3:1-6 “My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

God’s wisdom provides security

Proverbs 4:6-7 “Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”

Proverbs 4:12-13 “When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble. Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.”

God’s wisdom must be sought--

Proverbs 4:5 “Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.”

Getting wisdom means this: the wisdom needed for life is not wisdom you possess, its wisdom God possesses and therefore must be sought and trusted in

Why must your journey be one of faith?

You cannot find merit, God’s acceptance, or God’s approval in your morality, your rules, your works, your wisdom--in yourself—in these you will only find spinning the wheel of religious activity

Not one IOTA of Scripture speaks to God’s acceptance and approval coming through the lens of religion—through the spinning wheels of rules, works, and morality; while there does exist necessary and vital spiritual disciplines—the only means of God’s approval and acceptance is faith in Jesus Christ.

You cannot enjoy your liberty if you have to earn it, sustain it, or merit it yourself—your liberty & freedom were a gift of God’s grace and love

IV. A right understanding of what truely sustains us

Deuteronomy 8:3 “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

Wilderness wanderings teach us that we, “shall not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”

Wilderness wanderings show us that we cannot find contentment in the

Physical things of the world

Money/fame/fortune

Possessions/materialism

Passing pleasures of sin

Addictions

Immoral relationships

Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, or the pride of life

Wilderness wanderings remind us that we can and are to find contentment/satisfaction in:

Trust and obedience to God’s Word

Acts 20:32 ““So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

Philippians 4:10-13 “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Spiritual blessings afforded to us, “in Christ” (discussed last week from Ephesians 1)

Faith

Hebrews 11:24-28 “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.”

Wilderness wanderings draw us to better understand the words of Jesus in Luke 11:3 “Give us day by day our daily bread.”

O/T manna (DISCUSS)

What needs the most nourishment in our lives is our souls and this nourishment can only come through Jesus Christ and His Word

God’s provision is exactly what we need, given exactly when we need it, given exactly how we need it, given exaclty why we need it, and is given by who could only give it—Himself

V. A right understanding of what it is to fear God

Deuteronomy 8:2 “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

Deuteronomy 8:5-6 “You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you. “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.”

(DAVID JEREMIAH)-”To fear the Lord is to have a sense of awe and utter respect for Him as the Holy One, so that when He speaks it is the final word.”

A person who walks in the fear of the Lord, walks

Knowing that God has all the answers to life

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

With a right understanding of God’s holiness, which should stir our hearts to confession/repentance of sin, which multiplies our days and years

Proverbs 9:10-11 ““The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.”

Proverbs 10:27 “The fear of the Lord prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.”

In righteousness, with integrity, godly character, Biblical humilty & meekness, Biblical love, grace, and mercy

Proverbs 14:2 “He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.”

Knowing that walking in fear of Lord brings strong confidence, a place of refuge, and a fountain of life

Proverbs 14:26-27 “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.”

Is the instruction of wisdom with a heart of humility

Proverbs 15:33 “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.”

Departing from evil—recognizing one’s atonement

Proverbs 16:6 “In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.”

Knowing that the fear of the Lord brings life

Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.”

Knowing that the fear of the Lord is man’s all and all else is vanity

Ecclesiastes 1:2 ““Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.””

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.”

Knowing that walking absent the fear of the Lord produces at least two consequences

Sin crouches at the door

Jeremiah 2:18-19 “And now why take the road to Egypt, To drink the waters of Sihor? Or why take the road to Assyria, To drink the waters of the River? Your own wickedness will correct you, And your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing That you have forsaken the Lord your God, And the fear of Me is not in you,” Says the Lord God of hosts.”

Israel, in neglecting/forgetting to fear the Lord, took roads to idolatry, immorality, worldliness, and evil

When we lose/forget/let it grow dim on us—the fear of the Lord, our intimate walk with the Lord becomes causul at best and sin comes knocking and crouching at the door

Liberty is turned to license

(CONTEXT)

Jeremiah 2:20-21 “For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds; And you said, ‘I will not transgress,’ When on every high hill and under every green tree You lay down, playing the harlot. Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before Me Into the degenerate plant of an alien vine?”

For Israel, God had broken the bonds of enslavement Israel was living under in Egypt (Exodus account), yet Israel in walking absent the fear of the Lord turned the liberty they had into license

(APPLICATION)

Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”

Galatians 5:13 “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

When we walk absent the fear of the Lord we take the liberty afforded to us in Christ and turn into license to live to ourselves

We learn to fear the Lord by His chastening and His correction

Chastening and correcting

Teaches us and stirs about in us obedience

Teach us of God’s love for us and b/c of His love for us, He corrects us

Hebrews 12:5-7 “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?”

VI. A right understanding of what praise, worship, and giving blessing/honor to God

Deuteronomy 8:2 “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

Deuteronomy 8:7-10 “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.”

Why we worship

For who God is

For God’s salvation in our lives

For God’s provision and supply for our lives

For God’s promise to bring us to the promised land

1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.””

When we are to worship—ALWAYS

Praise/worship/rejoicing is ALWAYS, even in the midst of the fire, in the midst of the wilderness

Praise/worship/rejoicing is accomplished in our prayers and brings about God’s peace in our lives—even amidst our wildreness experiences

Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

VII. A right understanding of sin

Numbers 14:26-27 “And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.”

Numbers 14:28-35 speaks of God’s judgment of the 1st generation of Israelites to leave Egypt, that none (minus Caleb and Joshua) would enter, only the children of the next generation would enter the Promised Land of Canaan.

Numbers 32:13 “So the Lord’s anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone.”

The wilderness b/t Egypt and Canaan was to be a pilgrammage not a dwelling place, it...

Was not where God’s people were supposed to live, not where they were to set up camp and dwell

Was to be a time testing, of qualifying, of drawing out obedience, a time of strengthening and prepare Israel and her people

Was full of snares, traps, enticements, and allurements, and to partake of these brought about God’s chastening & judgment

The pilgrammage of the believer parallels with this, b/c as believers, this world is not our home, not the destination, it...

Is not where God’s people are to “set up camp,” to dwell forever

Is to be a time of testing, of qualifying, of drawingout our obedience, a time of strengthening and preperation, and a time to be God’s dynamic witnesses

Is full of snares, traps, enticements, and allurements, and to partake of these brings God’s chastening and correction

There is such a unique parallel b/t the account of Exodus and N/T believers today

As Israel was held in bondage—so to is man held in bondage today, only what binds man and sets him apart from God has nothing to do with oppressive nations and rulers—but everything to with sin and the wages it brings

As Israel was liberated through the blood of a passover lamb, so to are believers liberated from bondage to sin in being hidden behind the blood of the Lamb of God

As Israel was led by God in the “wilderness wanderings,” so to are believers today to be led by God—in their pilgrammage of faith, with the goal of God’s presence ever before them

“Let”—this word, when used in the NT means, “to allow,” or “to yield”

In being led by God—through the Holy Spirit, we must give Him the right away (so-to-speak), not hinder, jump out ahead, etc

In being led by God—through the Holy Spirit, we must lay aside what hinders

The account of the wilderness wanderings serve a purpose for us today, living out the N/T—and

They were appointed by God to be an example for us, a warning to keep us from setting out hearts on evil things, on idolatry, false teaching, false religion, and to keep us from playing the harlot against God

(see 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 for Paul’s teaching on this)

They were appointed by God to be written down in Scripture, recorded to teach us how to

Walk through the wilderness of this world

Walk through all the trials, problems, temptations, and sufferings of this life

Walk in the hope of Christ and of the promised land

Walk in endurance thru trials

Walk, gaining comfort, confidence, and encouragement from Scripture

(WORSHIP)

Sanctification is to be set apart, to be wholly different, to be holy—is terms of application, it is the process of becoming more like Jesus through the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. As we “let” the Holy Spirit lead/guide/correct/teach and mold us, the more we develop the character of Christ, the more heavy-laden the spiritual fruit of our lives becomes, and the more our lives reflect the Savior rather than ourselves.

Israel’s journey was never rightly appreciated, nor was it easy—while it took God a supreme act of His power to pry Pharaoh’s grip—it took the simple act of unbelief to squander their new found freedom

We, as believer’s should appreciate the journey and recognize that it is not and will not be easy. We should appreciate and hold in reverance the supreme act of God in sending His Son to the cross for us and we should enter this pilgrammage of faith with fear of the Lord.

We must have a right understanding of who God is and how He calls us to live, so we to might navigate the journey we are on as God intends, not by rules, works, morality, or religion, rather by faith, trust, hope, and obedience; that as we embark on this progressive sanctification, as we depend, trust, obey, and walk in Christ, we might become more like Christ, we would develop more of the character of Christ & be His ambassadors along the way, proclaiming the liberty found at the cross

This journey of sanctification is often misunderstood. conducted in the thinking we must partake of it on our own—that once God has redeemed and set us to the journey, it is one that WE must navigate on OUR OWN, that somehow in OUR doing, we earn more of God’s favor and acceptance—like a child who looks up at his father and says, “Look at what I

Over the course of the next 8 weeks or so, we will learn and discuss 6 crisis the Israelites will face in their journey to the promised land. And in doing so, my hope and prayer is that

(FIRST) God might and would draw someone to Himself and be gifted the joy of His salvation, so they an embark on a journey of sanctification, of being made more like Jesus everyday

(SECOND) As professed believers, we might look at the account of the wilderness wanderings and see

As their hearts were filled with ingratitude, ours should be filled with gratitude for God’s goodness and that our hearts would be filled with belief

As their hearts should have marched with victory, our hearts should march with a spirit of assurance, knowing and trusting that God will guide and take care of us

As their hearts were filled with a spirit of fear, ours would be filled with reverance and of worship, of courage and boldness, and a sound mind

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

While Israel’s experience in the wilderness is tragic, it would be an even greater tragedy if we didn’t learn from it!