MP #4 Revelation in the time of Moses Part 1
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INTRODUCTION Genesis 49:8-12; Revelation 19:11-16; Exodus 1:1-3:22.
INTRODUCTION Genesis 49:8-12; Revelation 19:11-16; Exodus 1:1-3:22.
I need to back up a bit before we get into MP during the time of Moses.
We need to make some connections from Israel’s prophetic blessings upon Judah, and a passage in Revelation.
Last time we simply did not have time to make this connection.
THE RULER OF GENESIS 49
THE RULER OF GENESIS 49
There are 4 distinct revelations in Genesis 49 that shall be fulfilled in the Second Coming of Messiah.
First there is the rulers rod.
Second there is the rulers scepter.
Third there is bloody robes in vs 11.
Fourth, there is the King.
Now turn to Revelation 19, and lets look at the fulfillment of this prophesy.
Read Rev 19:11-16.
First we see the sharp sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the white horse.
This sword is the rod spoken of in Genesis 49.
Judah’s rod is the means by which the rebellious nations are struck down.
It is also the means by which Messiah will rule during His 1000 year Millennial Reign.
He shall rule them with a rod of iron. Rev 19:15.
Nations will be drawn to or forced to accept His rule.
Second, we see the scepter with with the rider of the white horse of Rev. 19 reigns is the very scepter of Genesis 49 that was to never depart.
The same scepter will be used to rule, both in Judah and the Messiah’s earthly reign.
From David, to Jesus, the scepter shall remain.
In fact, this is such an important truth, that when we get to David we receive several direct prophecies that relates to the Messianic Reign.
The scepter is a symbol of that reign, and of YHWH’s faithfulness.
Third, the rider on the white horse in Rev 19 treads the winepress of the wrath of God.
Winepress is often used to depict the fury of the Lord against sin.
But here it is symbolic of the great bloodshed that will take place when Messiah returns to lay claim to the earth.
The man Israel did not speak directly of the winepress, but we see it none the less in Gen 49:11
“He ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.
The idea here is that when Messiah established the Kingdom it will be with much blood shed.
There are two passages in The Revelation that speak to this, chapter 19:11-16, and chapter 14:14-20.
We know that in those last days, the entire world will come against God’s chosen people Israel.
In that moment it will appear as if the nation Israel will be utterly and completely destroyed.
Zecharian tells us Zech 13:8
“And it will be in all the land,” Declares Yahweh, “That two parts in it will be cut off and breathe their last; But the third will be left in it.
Two thirds of the nation will perish in that great and terrible day of the Lord.
But then at the very moment when it appears all is lost, Messiah returns and wages war against all those nations that have come against His chosen people.
His wrath against them will be terrible and the blood will fill the valley to the horses bridle.
And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
Fourth, the rider of the white horse is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
These titles point directly at the one who will rule all the nations.
In Genesis 49:10, we see that all the peoples, plural, will give their obedience.
Peoples there refers to tribes and nations, like the Greek word for ethnic groups.
The one who shall come from Judah, He is the supreme ruler over even kings and lords, over all the nations.
REVELATION IN THE PERSON OF MOSES
REVELATION IN THE PERSON OF MOSES
Moses is the one type of Christ that I feel must be explored before we can move forward.
In order to properly explore Messianic revelation during this period of history, we must understand Moses as a type.
Remember a type was a picture in some way of the person and or work of Messiah.
Moses and David, are by far the most amazing types of Messiah.
In their lives and roles, they offer such great insight into the unfolding story of Messiah.
The parallels are simply striking.
Remember, I told you that some hold to a narrow view of the Messianic concept.
They only see Messiah in those passages that portray Messiah as the king.
Certainly the Rabbi’s fell into this camp as well.
Which is why they could not accept a Messiah that died.
So not everybody sees much Messianic significance in Moses because He is not a king.
But Moses certainly functioned much like a king.
Certainly it is true, Moses was not of the tribe of Judah.
So He is not in the Messianic line from Abram to Jesus.
Moses is of the tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe.
In this way, I see a strong Messianic connection.
For as I demonstrated in the first lesson, Messiah is also a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
I would argue quite forcefully, that Moses is one of the most vivid pictures of Messiah in the OT, second only to David.
We learn more about Messiah through the person of Moses than any other person save David.
So we need to explore these truths if we are to understand the Messianic revelation in the time of Moses.
Moses pictures Messiah in ……..
Moses pictured Jesus in his birth.
It was a normal human birth.
His birth was not miraculous as that of Isaac or Jesus, but it was a picture none the less.
In addition, the father of Moses simply fades into obscurity, as does Joseph.
We know more about the mother of Moses Jochebed, than we do his father.
Jochebed means “the Lord is glory”
Likewise the Messiah was to be born of a woman, human.
Moses’ dangerous arrival into the world pictures Messiah.
Both Moses and Jesus arrived during periods of hostility against God’s chosen people, Israel.
Pharaoh was so fearful of the Jewish people and their huge populations growth that he ordered the death of all baby boys in Egypt.
and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
Herod was so fearful that a rival to his thrown had been born that he ordered the death of all baby boys in and around Bethlehem.
This by the way was a fulfillment of a very sad prophecy.
Thus says Yahweh, “A voice is heard in Ramah, Wailing and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children Because they are no more.”
Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had carefully determined from the magi. Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, “A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she was refusing to be comforted, Because they were no more.”
Moses foreshadowed the dangerous arrival of Messiah into the world.
Moses pictured Jesus as his life was saved in Egypt.
Moses’ mother put the baby Moses in a small basket covered with tar and pitch and left it floating in the Nile near where the daughter of Pharaoh bathed.
The Hebrew word translated wicker basket, is the very same word to describe the Ark of Noah.
And notice, both were smeared with tar or pitch.
Or to say it another way, both arks were anointed.
They were vessels set apart by God for the salvation of a particular people or person.
So the life of Moses was spared in Egypt.
Likewise, Jesus’ life was saved in Egypt.
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and departed for Egypt. And he remained there until the death of Herod, in order that what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
Moses pictured Jesus as one who they wanted to kill.
Moses had some sense of duty to the Hebrew people, and in Exodus 2, Moses killed an Egyptian for brutalizing a Hebrew.
When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought the life of Moses.
And Moses fled into the wilderness.
Like wise their were those who sought the life of Jesus.
The most powerful Jewish authorities desired to kill Jesus.
Moses is a picture of Jesus in how he was prepared for the Lord’s work.
When Moses fled, he went out of Egypt into the wilderness for 40 years and tended sheep.
This 40 year period of leading sheep was YHWH’s method of preparing Moses to lead the nation Israel.
Sheep are stupid, and a lot can be learned about leading people by leading sheep.
Not my words, but those of scripture, we are called sheep repeatedly as was Israel.
Likewise, Jesus went out into the wilderness for 40 days and the Spirit prepared Him for the work ahead as well.
A day for a year is a common through in scripture.
The point being, both men prepared for their task in the wilderness.
Jesus through prayer and fasting.
Moses pictured Jesus as the chosen One of YHWH.
Moses was chosen by YHWH at the burning bush.
There is no clearer message than Moses was chosen by YHWH for a specific task.
Moses was a man with a divinely given mandate, he had a specific mission.
YHWH did not appear to a group and then one step forward.
YHWH appeared to the one man Moses, and then called Moses into service.
Likewise Jesus was chosen by the Father in eternity past.
knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your futile conduct inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but appeared in these last times for the sake of you
That word foreknow, means that YHWH knew what He wanted to do, or in this case who He wanted to use.
Moses was a spokesman for YHWH.
Part of the missional mandate was the Moses speak for God unto the people and Pharaoh.
In that sense, Moses was a prophet, for that is what a prophet does, they speak for God.
Throughout his life we find Moses receiving from YHWH specific words to give to the people.
He was to speak and do exactly as YHWH instructed.
In fact the one big blemish on the life of Moses was related to this.
He was instructed to speak to the rock for water, instead he struck rock.
For that indiscretion, Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land.
Like wise Jesus was a spokesman for God.
“For I did not speak from Myself, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.
but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.
So both Christ and Moses were spokesmen for God.
Moses was a source of provision for the people.
Miraculously, bread and meat were provided for the people.
Now we know that YHWH was the source and provision.
But it was through Moses that these blessings came.
In that we see a very definitive connection to Jesus.
Jesus also provided bread and meat.
Of course, we know that of greater importance was the spiritual meaning of the bread.
Moses was a servant.
The book of Joshua alone contains over 50 references to Moses the servant of God, 10 of them in the first chapter.
Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, that Yahweh spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ attendant, saying,
“Moses My servant is dead; so now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.
So you can see how this epithat is important.
Moses served YHWH.
Likewise, Jesus did not come to be served but to serve.
Isaiah wrote 4 songs known as the servant songs devoted to Messiah.
Isaiah 42:1-4 ; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; and 52:13-53:12 are all Messianic songs that describe the servant attitude of Messiah.
“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul is well-pleased. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. “He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. “A crushed reed He will not break And a faintly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will bring forth justice in truth. “He will not be faint or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”
Of course the ultimate act of service is when Jesus stretched out His hands and took our place on that cold cruel cross.
Moses pictured Christ in his mediatorial role.
A mediator brings two parties who are at odds with one another back together.
Moses was tasked with bringing the chosen nation back into relationship with YHWH.
The nation had become very Egyptianized.
Even after they left, they wanted to go back.
They were far from YHWH.
But more specific than that, Moses was the mediator of the covenant of law.
Through Moses, YHWH gave the nation His law.
Moses carried out the ratification of that covenant.
Sacrifices were made and the blood sloshed on the people as a symbol of their acceptance of the covenant.
Likewise, Jesus came to bring peace between man and God.
YHWH is angry with the sinner every day.
Through His death, Jesus satisfied the just demands of a holy God and opened the door for man to be restored to a right relationship with YHWH.
Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant, not a covenant of law, but of grace mercy and salvation.
A new covenant in His blood, ie His death,.
Jesus mediated the New Covenant of grace when He died for the sins of the world.
Moses pictured Jesus as a deliverer.
The people of God were enslaved by Pharaoh.
As the Hebrew people multiplied, Pharaoh became fearful and sought ways to keep them subservient.
Slavery and harsh treatment was his solution.
Thus God’s people were in bondage to the Egyptians.
Likewise, the entire human race is in bondage to sin.
Jesus came that men of every tribe, tongue and nation might be set free from the bondage.
He was to be a blessing to every tribe, and through the deliverance from sin He offered, that blessing became a reality.
When Jesus died as the sin bearer, the debt of sin was paid.
Thus the debt was erased, it no longer existed.
And all those who placed their faith in Jesus Christ are freed from that debt.
Sin is a harsh taskmaster, like Pharaoh.
The debt of sin was death.
That is all anybody deserves, death.
All have sinned, and deserve death.
But when Jesus died in our place, by faith we are freed from that bondage to sin.
This is why Jesus said if you abide in My word you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.
When you abide in the word of God as we are doing, and you embrace the truths of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Sin bearing Savior, you can be set free from that debt.
This was what saved Abraham.
It wasn’t circumcision, that came later.
It wasn’t the law, that came much later.
Abram was saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ the deliverer.
THE MESSIANIC CHARACTER IN MOSES
THE MESSIANIC CHARACTER IN MOSES
Moses was a man of strong character.
He was strong willed and could withstand the pressures of leadership.
Granted, he initially hesitated to embrace the role God chose him for.
But in time his confidence grew and his strength of character shined.
Likewise, Messiah was a man of strong character.
Jesus withstood all the pressures of the Messianic office.
Especially the opposition, and He never wavered.
Moses was an obedient man.
Not perfectly, we know that.
But there was not a single recorded incident where Moses refused to obey.
He embraced the commands of God and sought to see them through.
Likewise Jesus would say John 5:30
“I can do nothing from Myself. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Moses was a humble man.
(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)
Likewise, Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross.
Moses was a man of the law.
He understood and administered justice.
Moses was a judge unto the people.
He rightly defined the law for them.
Moses is known as the law giver.
The law is referred to as the law of Moses.
Likewise when Jesus preached his first sermon He elevated the law.
For centuries the Rabbis and Pharisees had watered down the law.
They had lowered the standard.
Jesus rightly understood the intent of the moral law and raised the bar to where it should be.
Moses was a compassionate man.
When YHWH was angry and spoke of wiping out Israel and starting over with Moses, Moses pleaded their case.
Moses argued that such an act would make God look bad in the eyes of the Egyptians.
Then Moses entreated the favor of Yahweh his God and said, “O Yahweh, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand? “Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and relent concerning doing harm to Your people. “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and You said to them, ‘I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.’”
Likewise, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem knowing they were going to perish in unbelief.
And of equal important, like Moses Jesus was passionate for His Father’s reputation.
Jesus demonstrated this when He cleared out the Temple on two occasions because they were disrespecting the Father.
REVELATION THROUGH THE EXODUS
REVELATION THROUGH THE EXODUS
Pay close attention and please do not misunderstand me, I believe the Exodus account is historically true and accurate.
But at the same time, it is like a parable.
There is more to the Exodus than just history, it tells a bigger and more important spiritual story.
If Moses embodies the Messianic concept, then so too does the Exodus embody the Messianic promise.
The Exodus is a fulfillment of promise.
YHWH promised Abraham that his seed would be enslaved 400 years, but then YHWH would bring them out of Egypt and into the promised land.
True to His word, after 400 years, the promise was fulfilled.
The New Covenant of Messiah was also a promised event, and in Christ was fulfilled and is still being fulfilled.
The Exodus tells the spiritual journey of salvation.
First, YHWH came seeking.
YHWH instigated the Exodus and set in motion their deliverance.
Egypt in scripture is always seen as a picture of worldly ideals and lusts.
Second, YHWH raised up one person who would lead this people.
Moses was that guy.
In the same way, Messiah was that guy to lead people into the New Covenant.
Third the Exodus was a spiritual encounter.
The Lord led by cloud during the day and fire by night.
The Lord camped in their midst.
The Lord proved Himself strong in Egypt and in the wilderness.
God was with His people.
Likewise, Messiah is God with us.
That was always the message, the great I Am had returned and was cohabitating with men.
Fourth, Egypt was a picture of sin and death.
To walk with God was to enter into life, a new life.
The journey was all about that reality, leading the people into a new life with God.
I realize this is a spiritualization, but the parallels are two numerous to ignore.
The Exodus was a spiritual journey every bit as much as it was a physical one.
Fifth, salvation is a process.
There is a moment in time in which we are born again, declared righteous, and saved from God’s wrath.
But there is a process that leads up to that point.
There is a process that leads one from unbelief to belief.
The nation came out of Egypt, but mainly because they were coerced.
They left reluctantly and began to complain and desired to go back immediately.
The nation was at a place of unbelief.
This was proven when they arrived at the promised land.
They did not trust YHWH and would not enter in.
Therefore, they wandered for 40 more years in the wilderness as that unbelieving generation died off.
Then, when all that generation had died save two, Joshua and Caleb, they were ready to enter the promised land..
The old nation had to die for the new nation to be born.
Sound familiar?
The old sinful man who desired the things of the world had to die in order for the new man to be born anew in Christ.
Sixth, they entered into the promised land.
Folks, the promised land is not heaven as some songs suggest.
Two things prove this is true.
First there was war in the promised land.
Second, there was sin in the promised land.
Neither of these will exist in heaven.
The promised land is a picture of the spiritual life we all live now in Christ.
There are battles to be fought.
Sin must be dealt with.
The promised land was all about living life here on this planet in this time, and yet walking with and in Christ.
So you can see, how even the Exodus has Messianic implications.
Without Messiah, there would be no salvation.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
So you can see why Moses is so important to the Messianic concept.
In his person, life, position and tasks, he was more than any other except David, a picture of Messiah both in person and work.
The life and work of Moses help to define and express all that Messiah will be.
He performed supernatural and miraculous works.
He is the OT redeemer and the OT scriptures repeatedly point back to the redemption and deliverance of Israel from Egypt.
The parallels are so striking, you simply must recognize the Messianic concept in Moses.
The same is true of the Exodus as well.
That first Exodus effectual and effective as it was, was a type, a picture of Christ’s redemptive work.