articlesforchristians

Israel at Sinai (The Time of the Law)

• Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea into the wilderness of Sinai. When they came to Marah, they found bitter water, unsuitable for drinking. When the people murmured against Moses, God showed him a tree. When Moses cut it down and cast it into the water, the water became sweet. Sometimes life may be bitter, but Jesus is the Tree that can sweeten every life.
• After three months on their journey from Egypt, they arrived at Mt. Sinai. The people remained there for a period of one year. What took place at Sinai marked the beginning of Israel’s national history. The covenant that God made with Abraham and confirmed to Isaac and Jacob became a national covenant.
• At Mt. Sinai, God gave Moses the law, which included the Ten Commandments as well as other moral, ceremonial, and civil laws. God intended for Israel to live by the law until Jesus came in the fullness of time. “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). The law pointed out sin and the shortcomings of all human efforts to live holy without God’s indwelling Spirit. God also gave Moses the plan of the Tabernacle, which was the physical dwelling place of God’s Spirit in the midst of the people of Israel.

From the Tabernacle to the Cross (Read Hebrews Chapter 9)

• The mission and the object of the law was the Cross of Christ.
• The things shown to Moses point to the One who was to come, Jesus
  • Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
    justified by faith.
• Jesus was literally God tabernacled in flesh, God coming into this world to be our Savior
  • Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall
    save his people from their sins.
  • Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall
    call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
  • Col 1:14-15 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
  • 1 Tim 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in
    the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
  • Isa 53:1-10 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
    2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
    chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the
    LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.