A great deal
of New Testament is devoted to exhorting and warning Believers in
Messiah, regarding "Entering In" to the Promised Land. But
today, most Pastors and Leaders have ceased warning the people. Why is
this?
Many of these New Testament warnings have two
common elements. First, they remind us that all that happened
to the Israelites is for "our example."
Second,
these warnings state that we, too, could fail to "enter in," for the
same reasons the Israelites failed to enter in. Since these warnings
are so serious, we will look closely at the Israelites' example, and
then try to learn from their experience, so that we might avoid making
the same mistake they did.
Here is a summary of the
Israelites' experience in the wilderness:
1) They
were redeemed from Bondage in Egypt, and they came out by the Blood of
the Lamb. This event corresponds to our being redeemed by the Blood of
Yahushua, the Lamb of Yahuweh, and of our being "Born-again."
2)
They were baptized in the Cloud & in the Sea (1 Corinthians
10:1-2). This event corresponds to our baptism in water and in the Holy
Spirit.
3) They were refused entry into
the Promised Land, even after being brought out by the Blood of the
Lamb, and after being "Baptized" in the Cloud and in the Sea.
Warning!
Warning!This is the warning of the New Testament
for us today! Notice carefully: Despite coming out
by the Blood of the Lamb, and despite the Baptism in the cloud and in
the Sea, the Israelites failed to "enter in" to the Promised
Land! We are warned to take notice, and to not repeat their
example!
This is the great warning given for us
today. The warning for us is found by noticing the reasons
why they were refused entry into the Promised Land. The
reasons given for the Israelites will become the same reasons many will
fail to enter the Promised Land today, under the New covenant!
Notice
why the Israelites failed to enter in, given in Ezekiel 20:
1)
Disobedience to Yahuweh's Law (Torah) (Eze 20:13,16,19,21,24)
2)
Despising Yahuweh's Sabbaths (Eze 20:13,16,20,21,24)
The
Book of Hebrews is clear. Like the Israelites, we may have
come out by the Blood. Like the Israelites, we may have been
baptized in the water, and in the Holy spirit. However, we
are warned greatly in the new Testament that we may not be allowed to
enter in to the Promised Land.
Much of the New
Testament centers around points of Torah that Believers in Messiah are
called to keep today. Whoever "Believes in" Messiah, is "grafted in" to
Israel, and becomes a partaker of the Covenant promises of
Israel. The promises applying to Israel, now apply also to
those grafted in.
However, the
conditions for achieving the promises still apply, both for Israel, and
for those grafted in to Israel! This is why the warnings in
the Book of Hebrews is so important!
Who Can Enter
In?As we study the Israelites' example, it does not take a
rocket scientist, to realize one thing: The Israelites, as well as we
today, are not able to keep all the Law - the Torah - in our own
strength.
But this realization presents
a problem. If we are not able to keep the Torah in our own
strength, why is there nothing at all in the New Testament, that would
"nullify" the keeping of Torah for New Testament Believers?
From
the logic of the Israelites' example, it appears that we, too, can not
keep the Law, and therefore we, too, can not enter in to the promised
Land. What is the problem here? If keeping the Law
is the only way to enter in, we must ask, "Did Yahuweh change something
in the Law that might allow us to enter in?"
Scriptures
reveal that Yahuweh did not change anything of the Law
("Torah"). He simply reminds us, over and over again in the
new Testament writings, of the most important "mystery" of
the New Covenant: that is, He has given us "Messiah-in-you" (See Col
1:27), who provides the Grace from within, enabling us to keep the
Torah!
Joshua and Caleb Enter InDoes the
Israelites' example in the wilderness show us this "Messiah-in-you"
example of entering in? Yes! Although that
generation of Israelites fell in the wilderness, and did not enter in,
there were two exceptions - Joshua and Caleb. These two are
there for our example - of who WILL enter in to the Promised land.
Joshua
(Hebrew 'Yahushua') speaks of our Saviour, Yahushua. Caleb, the
Hebrew word for Dog, was called the son of Jephunneh, Strong's Number
<03312>, which in turn comes from the Hebrew root
'pahah,' Strong's number <06437>, meaning "turned back,
and prepared."
Together these names tell us the
story of who they speak of today. All have gone astray, and
considered nothing but dogs; but through turning back (repentance), we
have become 'prepared.' So Joshua and Caleb speak directly of
one today who has repented, and who, along with "Yahushua"
("Messiah-in-you" of Col 1:27) will enter in to the Promised Land.
Yes,
Yahuweh knows that on our own, we can not keep all the Law, but He still
expects us to keep it all, so that we may enter in. Therefore, He
expects us to allow "Messiah-in-us" to keep it for us, by His grace, on our behalf,
in our bodies, as He lives in us daily.
Those Who
Are Willing Will Know HimIt is "Messiah-in-You" that will
bring us in, by giving us the Grace - the Holy-Spirit power to keep the
Torah. It is by His Holy Spirit, that He will first
find willing hearts that would follow the Lamb wherever He goes, even
if into unfamiliar spiritual territory.
And, for
those that are willing, He will then turn our feet away from our
iniquities, and then will cause us to walk in His Torah, His statutes,
and His Precepts. Those who walk in His Torah will be allowed
into the Promised Land as "Firstfruits" (See Rev
14.4).
For those that are NOT
willing to follow the Lamb wherever He goes, we are told in (Lk 14:27)
that they can NOT be Yahushua's disciples.
It is
from those who love Him, that He will choose His Bride. It is
those who Love Him, that He will resurrect as "Firstfruits."
It is those who Love Him, that will keep His Commandments.
Yahushua
did not say, "If you love me, keep the 'Old Testament'
Commandments. Nor did He say, "If you love me, keep the 'New
Testament' Commandments. He said, "If you love me, keep 'MY'
Commandments (Jo 14:15). But what ARE Yahushua's
commandments? Let's look:
Jesus answered
and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my
Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode
with him. He that loveth me not keepeth
not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the
Father's which sent me. (John 14:23-24)
For had ye
believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if
ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my
words? (John 5:46-47) Those who
truly know Him, realize that it was Yahushua Himself - as the "Word" of
the Father - who gave the Commandments to Moses. Thus Yahushua
calls them "My Commandments," and also calls them "Not my Word, but the
Father's who sent me." He then reveals to us in John 5:46-47
that Moses' Words ARE His Words. We might then examine
ourselves. Am I keeping His Commandments? Am I
keeping His Words?
Choosing wiselyIsrael
"came out" by the Blood of the Lamb. However, they made many choices
while in the Wilderness, which prevented that generation from "entering
in" to the Promised Land. We are warned in 1 Corinthians 10:11, and
also in Hebrews 4:11, to heed their example.
The
nature of the New Covenant is such that everyone is given a "choice" of
whom they will serve. Here are two examples that apply to us today,
regarding New Covenant choice:
In Joshua 24:15,
Yahuweh said, "Choose this day whom ye will serve." Joshua's answer is
our example for us today: "as for me and my house, we will serve
Yahuweh."
In Isaiah 56:4-7, Yahuweh makes some New
Covenant promises:
Even them will I bring to my holy
mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt
offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for
mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. (Isaiah
56:7) But then we are reminded that these promises
are only for those who choose accordingly. Notice the conditions, a few verses prior:
For
thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose
the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
(Isaiah 56:4)
Also the sons of the stranger, that
join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the
LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from
polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; (Isaiah 56:6) Notice
the above promises refer to Yahuweh's Everlasting Covenant, as it refers
to "Everlasting Covenant" features. These are 1) "choosing" the things
that please Yahuweh," and 2) the grafting in of the "Sons of the
Stranger," which are the "Gentiles."
These two
passages also show us exactly how we may "choose" to be a part of His
New Covenant. However, remember that The Blood of Messiah
does not "guarantee" what we choose - it simply frees us from bondage, and "enables us" to choose!
Yahuweh
tells us that the promises are for all those who choose the things that
please ("delight") Him -- and He even tells us what "delights" Him, so
that we might choose wisely! He also equates choosing the things that
please Him with "taking hold" of the Covenant.
In
summary, those who choose to enter in to the Promised Land are those
who choose to "take hold of My Covenant." Those who enter in are those
who have chosen wisely.
Beloved, how will you choose?
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For further insight into the New covenant Bond(age) of Love, see New Covenant Liberty: Freedom to Choose.
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