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Decisions the Children of Israel Had
To Make Before Leaving Egypt |
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It has been my privilege to travel
to a number of countries but there
were decisions that had to be made
first. The children of Israel were
no different when they were told
they were going to be released and
go on a journey to a land they had
never seen but heard about. This is
an interesting observation because
before one can be released from the
enslavement of the domination of sin
and assured of Heaven, decisions had
to be made. Interestingly, the
decisions they had to make are the
same decisions a sinner must make
before being set free
from the physiological
bondage of sin and sure of Heaven.
They are: |
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a) |
Just as the Israelites believed a
message from a man sent by God, so
the sinner must believe that the man
sent from God to deliver sinful man
from the penalty for us, must accept
and believe that Jesus was a man
sent from God. If the Israelites
refused to believe Moses was a man
sent from God with the message of
blessing, they would never have been
free or sure of the promised land.
This was fundamental. If a person
rejects the truth that Jesus was
sent from God with a message, they
have sealed their own doom for
eternity. |
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b) |
The Israelites had to believe the
man sent from God (Moses) was the
only one who had the message from
God when the Lord was here on earth.
“Believest thou not that I am in
the Father, and the Father in me?
the words that I speak unto you I
speak not of myself: but the Father
that dwelleth in me, he doeth the
works” (Jn. 14:10). |
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c) |
They had to believe his message was
true and because of this, He could
give a challenge. “Which of you
convinceth me of sin? And if I say
the truth, why do ye not believe
me?” (Jn. 8:46). The witness of God
is greater than that of man and God
said, “While he yet spake, behold, a
bright cloud overshadowed them: and
behold a voice out of the cloud,
which said, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased; hear ye
him” (Matt. 17:5). |
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d) |
They had to believe the signs Moses
did were an authentication he had
been sent from God and was who he
said he was. In John the Lord did
miracles but they are all called signs.
“And many other signs truly did
Jesus in the presence of his
disciples, which are not written in
this book” (Jn. 20:30). The Greek
word is translated “miracles” (Jn.
2:23), “miracle” (Jn. 6:14), “signs”
(Jn. 20:30). |
The Big “What If”
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1. |
What if the children of Israel had
not listened to the message of Moses
and mocked the message of the
Passover etc. What would have
happened? Suppose some of them said
Moses is a man with a futile
imagination, don’t listen to Him.
What would the results have been?
What if a religious leader told
them everyone will get to the
promised land, God would not leave
any behind?
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2. |
The answer is clear, they would have
been left behind. Egypt is where
they would work, sleep and eat in
monotonous boredom as they tried to
give life meaning by chariot races
etc. But it is much more serious
for the individual who rejects the
message of Jesus. Every individual
who, of their own volition, decides
their priority: |
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a) |
To live for passing limited sojourn
here or live for the glory of
fellowship with God for eternity |
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b) |
To be banished to the Lake of Fire
forever or enjoy the bliss of
eternal joy.
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3. |
For any Israelite to have rejected
the message of deliverance and the
pledge of the promised land, one
would consider them very foolish
YET, this is what millions of
individuals do every day. The
Israelites knew the way of
deliverance, they knew the promise
of a land flowing with milk and
honey, but had they decided to leave
it until another time or decide they
were not interested, would have been
very foolish.
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4. |
Furthermore, there was a limited
time to be prepared. Likewise, God
warns us, “Prepare to meet thy God”
(Amos 4:12). How great will the
fury of God be when He did all He
could, and His Son suffered for to
set us free and anyone treats it
with a nonchalant attitude, even
despising it. Just as they are
showing no pity or compassion for
the sufferings of Christ so God will
show zero compassion for them. The
Israelites who made up their mind
they would not believe the message
of the one sent from God is calling
God a liar, and the wrath of God
will fall on them without mercy.
That is, every individual, man,
woman, educated or illiterate,
prince or pauper. Some might say,
“That is not fair”. The fact is, it
is perfectly fair for the individual
has been given opportunity to accept
God’s way of Salvation. No one
forced them not to accept, no one
pressured them to decide to treat
the offer of no importance, the
individual made a decision not to
accept the only way of salvation and
God accepted their decision.
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5. |
There is another messenger who is
not from God who Paul calls a curse
on. It is those messengers of Satan
who preach the news of good works;
that God would never send anyone to
Hell; God is a God of love and will
save everybody; there is nothing to
fear with God, he is too kindhearted
and will be sorry for those who
reject and will find a way to
balance the scales between their
good works and bad. John the
Baptist to all such said, “the axe
is laid unto the root of the trees”
(Matt. 3:10; Lk. 3:9), that is,
there is no second chance, judgment
is already hovering over the
individual and at the moment of
death, all hope is gone forever. |
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. . . .Rowan Jennings |
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