Once I first felt God calling me to jot down and educate full-time, I questioned the place to begin. Once I determined to begin initially and educate via chronologically, I rapidly realized this was not a well-liked view.
I used to be informed that individuals would keep on with me via the narrative of Genesis and perhaps a number of the legal guidelines of Exodus, however after we hit Leviticus and Numbers they’d stop. All of the rituals, sacrifices, and counting could be too boring and tedious. Folks wish to find out about Jesus, and He would not come alongside till the fortieth e-book. Nobody desires to attend that lengthy earlier than they see Jesus! Apart from, aren’t all these rituals, sacrifices, and legal guidelines out of date now that we’ve Him anyway? Why examine in regards to the Jews and the wrath of God within the Outdated Testomony when you may examine the religion, grace, and love of Jesus within the New Testomony?
By no means thoughts the truth that Jesus known as the non secular leaders evil snakes to their faces (Matthew 12:34) and God forgave the Jews time and again and blessed them past measure. But additionally, God did not begin with Jesus and I knew He had a purpose, so I started learning the story as He selected to unfold it. It has been superb to see how He was pointing to Jesus from the very starting. God was portray an image for us in order that we might extra totally perceive all that was to return. He was utilizing the seen to point out us the invisible and the outward to disclose the inward.
Now, I am on the finish of my eleventh e-book and have coated about 3,000 yr’s time. As I examine David getting ready to construct the Temple in the identical place Abraham supplied Isaac, the symbolism is evident. Abraham was prepared to supply his son as a sacrifice, believing God would one way or the other hold His promise to offer Isaac and his descendants the Promised Land. A thousand years later, David was in that land as his descendant, getting ready that very place for all future sacrifices. Then, a thousand years after that, God supplied His Son because the final sacrifice, simply outdoors the gate of that Temple (Hebrews 13:11-12).
God offered an alternative to Abraham’s son, and animals with out defect have been the substitutionary sacrifices after that. It would not be a real sacrifice if the animal was faulty and undesirable. Nevertheless it additionally confirmed that an ideal life needed to be taken for an imperfect folks. Though these animals have been solely outwardly good, not morally good. So, Jesus got here alongside as the one completely ethical particular person, qualifying Him to be the last word sacrifice for an imperfect, immoral folks.
It’s not doable that the blood of bulls and goats might take away sins. Due to this fact, when [Jesus] got here into the world, He mentioned: “Sacrifice and providing You didn’t need, however a physique You’ve ready for Me.”
Hebrews 10:4-5
This was all to point out that blood have to be shed for sin, sacrifices have to be made to observe the Lord, and God is at all times gracious to offer a substitute so we do not have to die ourselves. Two thousand years after God offered a sacrifice for Isaac, Jesus turned our sacrifice.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we’d turn into the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21
God began by asking Abraham to go away his household in modern-day Turkey and go to an unknown place. If he would take this leap of religion, God would make him a terrific nation (Israel), bless him, and make his title nice (Genesis 12:1-3). When Abraham arrived, God informed him the whole lot he might see would belong to his descendants (Genesis 13:14-16). Though Abraham did not have any kids, he believed God would give him the promised son.
As a result of he believed within the Lord, God counted his religion to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6). Then, as an outward signal of his inward religion, God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. This confirmed the necessity for us to remove all that stands between us and God, making us resistant or unclean. It pointed to a day when He would circumcise our hearts, giving us the power to like and observe Him with a clear, open (uncovered) coronary heart (Deuteronomy 30:6).
Abraham wasn’t righteous as a result of he was circumcised, he was circumcised as a result of he was righteous. It confirmed that He belonged to God and that we’re saved via religion, not works or household heritage.
To him who works, the wages should not counted as grace however as debt. However to him who doesn’t work, however believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his religion is accounted for righteousness.
Abraham obtained the signal of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the religion which he had whereas nonetheless uncircumcised, that he is likely to be the daddy of all those that consider, although they’re uncircumcised, that righteousness is likely to be imputed to them additionally, and the daddy of circumcision to those that not solely are of the circumcision [the Jews] but additionally stroll within the steps of the religion which our father Abraham had.
Romans 4:4-5, 11-12
5 centuries later, God known as Moses to take Abraham’s descendants from Egyptian slavery into the Promised Land. After their exodus, God gave Moses the legal guidelines, sacrifices, and plans for the Tabernacle. They supplied animal sacrifices within the courtyard and introduced them to the Lord within the Tabernacle the place His Spirit dwelt. This moveable tent traveled with the Israelites till they settled within the land. Then, David made plans to construct Him a everlasting house. The folks made sacrifices within the courtyard of the Temple and skilled God’s presence there in Jerusalem till Jesus got here. Then, He turned the Temple that housed God’s Spirit on this earth. Now, the Holy Spirit lives within the hearts of each believer.
As a result of we won’t see the Spirit of God, the Tabernacle and Temple have been constructed so the folks might have a bodily place to be with Him. God was not confined to this home, however it was a approach for the folks to really feel Him near them and have a visible.
Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. The place is the home that you’ll construct Me? And the place is the place of My relaxation? For all these issues My hand has made, and all these issues exist.”
Isaiah 66:1-2
When Jesus got here, the folks might see and be with God, however provided that they have been bodily in the identical place as Him. Just like the Tabernacle and Temple, they have been solely assured to be in God’s presence in the event that they went to the place that housed His Spirit. However these bodily locations, and even Jesus, have been at all times pointing to what was to return.
Do you not know that you’re the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16
That is only a tiny image of what God’s attempting to point out us via Abraham and Moses; the Tabernacle and Temple; the regulation and sacrifices; the Promised land and Jerusalem. I wish to say a lot extra however you may simply have to begin studying and see for your self. For now, just some extra brief conclusions.
The regulation was pointing to a day when God would write His regulation on our hearts (Hebrews 8:10). It confirmed us the necessity for a sacrifice (Savior) since we won’t hold all of the legal guidelines.
Whoever shall hold the entire regulation, and but stumble in a single level, he’s responsible of all.
James 2:10
The Ten Commandments taught us how one can love God and others (Matthew 22:36-40; Romans 13:8-10)
We do not provide animal sacrifices for our sins as a result of Jesus died for them. So, we depend on His sacrifice for our salvation and provide ourselves as a dwelling sacrifice (Hebrews 12:1).
By Him allow us to regularly provide the sacrifice of reward to God, that’s, the fruit of our lips, giving because of His title. However don’t forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is effectively happy.
Hebrews 13:15-16
Heaven is our Promised Land and the New Jerusalem (Hebrews 9:23-28; Revelation 21).
I, John, noticed the holy metropolis, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God… and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with males, and He’ll dwell with them, they usually shall be His folks.”
However I noticed no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The town had no want of the solar or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it.
Revelation 21:2-3, 22-23
