Lessons From Israel (via Mowser)

Sermons by Eli Hofer
03/14/01
08/22/01
08/11/02

The Writings of Ulrich Stadler
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4

The Church and the Narrow Path

Things Hutterite

To Vote or not to Vote

Two Ways

Way of the Lord

Which Kingdom?

Lessons From Israel’s Quest For The Promised Land

By Eli Hofer, minister, North Harlem Hutterian Brethren

For Publication in March 14, 2001 issue of The Journal, a Montana newspaper

The Bible is truly an unusual book. Not only can we focus in on a particular event or person and learn a lesson for our lives, but we can also get an overall view of the Christian life, laid out for us from beginning to end. We can learn a valuable lesson in God’s dealing with the Israelites and apply it to ourselves.

The Lord led the Children of Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, into the Wilderness of Sinai and then on into the promised land. As believers, we too have been led out of Egypt (the world), through the Red Sea, (type of baptism) and into the Wilderness.

The Wilderness experience was to teach the Israelites dependence on Jehovah. He led them by a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire daily, providing shade by day from the hot desert sun and warmth and light during the cold desert nights. Not only did their clothes and sandals not get old and worn, but God also provided both water and food for them through out their desert wanderings. Yet most of them never learned the lesson of dependency on the Lord, or moved on to conquer the Promised Land. They choose instead to see everything in a negative way, grumbling and complaining, until they finally died in the desert, never realizing the great plan God had in mind for them.

We too can be led and directed by God in our lives. God has given us his Word, the Bible. He has given us his Holy Spirit, plus a great cloud of witnesses that have gone on before us; yet many of us never really learn the lesson. We would rather wander around in the wilderness pining for Egypt, being slaves to our passions, than go on to a greater, deeper and more meaningful relationship with the Lord. The next step for the Israelites was to learn to conquer Canaan, the Promised Land. We too must learn to conquer our Canaan; we must learn to conquer ourselves.

I’ve recently been studying the Book of Judges (the seventh book in the Bible). It opens with the death of Joshua, and continues with the struggle of the children of Israel in their quest to take hold of the land that Jehovah had promised Abraham and his descendants. Chapter 2 continues with warnings to Israel that they should not become involved with pagan methods of worship, to lust after the ways of the nations around them.

In a casual reading of this book, it would simply be a series of wars and counter wars, one nation having preeminence until another finds ways and methods to gain the upper hand. But for the serious Christian, to whom the whole counsel of God has a message and meaning, this book is a valid textbook of instructions, teaching us how to do spiritual warfare. It makes us aware of the strongholds of Satan around us. It teaches us to make war against the works of the flesh in our lives.

Chapter 3 opens with a description of the nations, which the Lord left around them, that He might test Israel. (This was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it. (Judges 3: 2)

“And the Children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon, king of Moab, against Israel,…..who then gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms.” (Judges 3: 12, 13). This is usually what happens when we as believers begin to leave room for the sinful desires of our flesh. We too lose our City of Palms, the place where we have our rest, our peace, our tranquility, our shade and sustenance.

You will notice that in Israel’s struggles, Amalek keeps appearing over and over. Amalek is a grandson of Esau, who sold his birthright for a pot of stew. Amalek in Scripture usually typifies The Flesh, or our Carnal Nature. The Amelekites, harassed Israel from the day they came out of Egypt. Satan used Amalek, either alone or in collaboration with other enemies, to oppose and torment Israel in every way possible.

When we allow remnants of the World and the Flesh to gain control in our spiritual dimension, they grow and fester, until they become chains that bind us. We would do well to take heed what the Lord is teaching us in this Book. The test for Israel was how faithfully they would adhere to God’s commandments. See Judges 3: 4. This is still the test for God’s people today.

I John 5:3,4 tells us: “ for this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.”

If we as believers still act like the World, smell like the World, taste like the World, we are losing the battle. We reveal our infatuation with the World. Allowing peer pressure to influence us in these areas reveal our immaturity. We are forgetting the seriousness of this spiritual battle.

It is God’s plan to transform us into the image of his Son, therefore do not allow the World to force you into it’s mold. As Romans12:1-2 warns us. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

You are viewing a mobilized version of this site...
View original page here