Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Hiding the Word of God in the heart

Scriptures in the Old Testament taught - the Word was to be "hid" in the heart so that Jewish people would not sin against God.

Psalm 119:11...Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

 The Word of God was the Law and Commandments. The Torah was the first five books in the Bible. The 613 Commandments were the standard of God given to Jewish people to keep Israel in "obedience" to the God. In that day and hour before the death of Christ; before Grace flowed from the Cross at Calvary; and before the Holy Spirit developed the Church, the body of Christ...The commandments were "learned and lived" by the Jewish people as a act of faith in God. In order for Israel to be holy they were to learn, study, and meditate the Law and Commandments contained in the Torah. By doing such Israelite's were able to grasp and absorb the standards of God's Law - which forbid sin and sinful conduct. God's Law pointed out sin and told the recipient "to do" or "not to do" certain things that were outside of God's standard.

James 2:10...For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 

If the Word was hid or absorbed into the heart it was able to keep man from sinning against the Law of God. Sin was and is a violation to the Law of God. The Law and 613 commandments given to Israel on Mt. Sinai were the greatest set of morals ever written...before Christ died. After the death of a Savior on the Cross....Grace came and allowed God's Holy Spirit to provide a moral standard of holiness much greater than the holiness of Law. It was the holiness of the Spirit of God that writes the Law of God - upon the the tables of a believing heart.

Hebrews 10: 15,16...Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 

In the Old Testament Israel worked and hid the Word in their heart to keep the standard. In the New Testament we hold on to Christ and by doing such we live the standard of God...according to the Spirit of holiness. A blessing of the New Testament and the power of God's Grace. As the Apostle Paul stated,
 
Romans 6:14...For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under Grace.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Moses lifted the serpent - God lifted Christ

  • When Moses lifted the serpent to display God's deliverance from Egyptian religion and bondage - all of Israel knew God's operation and blessing was the greatest blessing in all the land of Israel. Great miracle and victory as Israel passed through the Red Sea - then came the giving of Law - as they entered into the land of Canaan!

  • When God lifted up Christ and displayed a Savior on the cross - He revealed to all the world the greatest blessing in the history of humanity. Great victory produced by the Grace of God thus flowed from Calvary.

John 3:14...And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: