Dear Family,
Today is Thursday, May 14, 2020; and, it is Day 33 in our Counting toward Pentecost. This is the 5th day of Week 5.
Ancient Israel apparently had no idea of the spiritual significance of their daily experiences. New Testament verses tell us about that “spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1Corinthians 10:4). That same verse tells us that He was a ”spiritual drink,” but they never understood it. They were never aware of the spiritual Rock.
Clearly, God was very particular about how that Rock was treated. And, what occurred in the desert thousands of years ago is a strong warning for God’s people today.
Remember, the first time Israel cried for water, God told Moses to strike the Rock. That was a parallel to what God was planning for our eternal salvation. Notice the verse in Isaiah.
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You 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.
Striking the Rock was prophetic. Therefore, when Israel cried for water a second time, and Moses struck the Rock again, God decreed Moses would not be able to enter the promise land with Israel. All God allowed Moses to do was to see the land in the distance just prior to his death. Numbers 20:2-13 and Deuteronomy 34:1-7 tell more of the story of what happened to Moses because He struck the Rock, instead of speaking to it as he had been instructed.
In God’s plan there was no need for His Christ to be smitten twice! Notice the verses in Hebrews that address this.
Hebrews 6:4-6 (4) For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, (6) If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame.
Brethren, have we been enlightened? Have we tasted of the heavenly gift? Have we been made partakers of the Holy Spirit? Have we tasted the good Word of God? Have we tasted the powers of the world to come?
For a faithful, begotten child of God, the answer to all of those questions is Yes, Yes, Yes! Let us never loose sight of our part in what God is doing for us, in us, and through us for the rest of the world. We are in the middle of counting toward Pentecost, the Feast of Firstfruits. We are the firstfruits that belong to God. He has claimed us for Himself. We are God’s seed mentioned in Isaiah 53. We are God’s pleasure, as is the living Jesus Christ; and, God will cause His pleasure to prosper in His hand. May God continue to guide, nourish, protect, and perfect each one of us as we walk with Him in faith.
Ben Faulkner
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