Dear Family, 

Today is Monday, April 26, 2021. This is Day 2 of Week 5 in our Counting toward Pentecost.  It is our 30^th day of Counting.  

During this week of Water from the Rock we find Israel without water. Looking at this  situation through human eyes, we can readily understand that such circumstances could  easily end in a physical disaster for the group. 

H2O is required to sustain life (as we know it) on this planet. God made all humans to need  an adequate amount of water on a regular basis. What humanity needs to understand about  this scenario is that when God creates a need, He intends to fill it. He receives glory from  doing so. God even takes care of the plants and animals on this planet. And, humans are of  MUCH MORE VALUE than animals and grass. Jesus talked of this marvelous phenomena in  His sermons.  

The book of Psalms tells us God even created our desires, and He satisfies them. Psalm 145:16 Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. 

God’s creation of us with these built-in needs is an important part of His Master Plan to  seat us eternally with Him. Clearly, God wants us to be dependent on Him and trust Him for  the absolute basic necessities of our existence. As we do this we come to understand and  know that He will never fail those who trust in Him. 

Here are a FEW of the promises God binds Himself to do when His people truly trust in  Him. 

Psalm 2:12b … Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. 

Psalm 18:30b … he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. 

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am  helped: therefore, my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. 

Psalm 32:10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy  shall compass him about. 

Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 

Psalm 34:22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in  him shall be desolate. 

Psalm 37:40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from  the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he  trusteth in thee. 

The Word of God is full of such promises, made by the Being Who cannot lie (Titus 1:2). When there was no water at Rephidim, God was just giving Israel a chance to trust Him and  receive an even greater blessing than just physical water. God promises many, many types  of blessings for those who simply trust in Him. Even though Israel did not trust Him, He  gave them ample water. God is good! 

May God grant us grace to always trust in Him. Real WATER is on the way!

Ben Faulkner, Pastor  
© Copyright 2021, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family, 

Today is Sunday, April 25, 2021. This is Day 1 of Week 5 in our Counting toward Pentecost.  It is our 29^th day of Counting. This week is often referred to as the Week of Water from  the Rock. 

Exodus 17:1-7 (1) And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the  wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and  pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. (2) Wherefore the  people did chide with Moses, and said; Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto  them; Why chide ye with me? Wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? (3) And the people  thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said; Wherefore is  this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with  thirst? (4) And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying; What shall I do unto this people? They  be almost ready to stone me. (5) And the LORD said unto Moses; Go on before the people,  and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river,  take in thine hand, and go. (6) Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in  Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people  may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. (7) And he called the name  of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and  because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not? 

As we see in verse 1, there was NO water for Israel to drink, not even bitter water as at  Marah. We may wonder why it did not immediately occur to ancient Israel that God was  going to do another marvelous work, a supernatural intervention. After all, that’s what He  had done for the past several weeks every time they met a new danger or challenge. Also,  let’s remember that Israel was enjoying FOOD every day. Their food represented an on going miracle, because God had already started supernaturally providing the bread from  heaven as He had promised. Obviously, Who and What God is was NOT at the center of  their thoughts. They rebelled in their thinking, then in their hearts, and in their words, and  behavior. 

Psalm 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. 

Isaiah 65:2 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh  in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; 

The mistakes made by ancient Israel are utterly clear to us in hindsight. Let’s be sure we  keep God and His marvelous works in the forefront of our thinking and deep within our  hearts, so our words and actions will be pleasing to Him.  

God bless us all toward this endeavor of keeping Him always in our thoughts!

Ben Faulkner, Pastor  
© Copyright 2021, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family, 

Today is Saturday, April 24, 2021. This is Day 7 of Week 4 in our Counting toward  Pentecost. It is a Sabbath, and it is our 28^th day of Counting.  

On this wonderful Sabbath, let us consider the important truth of how God freed Israel  from bondage, setting them apart as a people for Himself. Consider how He claimed them!  He intended that they be HOLY as He is HOLY.  

Leviticus 11:45 For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be  your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. 

To this end, He gave them many blessings, including the blessing of the 6-day work week and  the rest of the Holy Sabbath. It was an important physical type, foreshadowing how God  deals with His Church today. 

It is far more incumbent upon us today that we become HOLY because our Savior and our  Father are HOLY. We, too, have been delivered from bondage for PURPOSE, HOLY  PURPOSE. Our Messiah has made us FREE and intends that we never again by entangled  with a yoke of bondage.  

Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and  be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 

God has claimed us, adopted us while we are human, begotten us by His Spirit, and will  finally deliver us from our flesh (also a type of bondage), bringing us to full term birth as  Spirit-born, eternal, Sons of God with His Divine DNA.  

Romans 8:15, 21 (15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye  have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (21) Because the  creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious  liberty of the children of God. 

God’s Word tells us how to cooperate as God creates and perfects His holiness in us. We  yield to His righteousness and cleanse ourselves. 

Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for  as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even  so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves  from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 

We are of the HOLY HOUSEHOLD of the HOLY GOD. Let us honor our God on this  Sabbath and every day of our lives by allowing God to perfect His HOLINESS in us.

Psalm 93:5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, forever

Ben Faulkner, Pastor  
© Copyright 2021, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family, 

Today is Friday, April 23, 2021. This is Day 6 of Week 4 in our Counting toward Pentecost.  It is our 27^th day of Counting. This is the preparation day for the Sabbath. 

In Exodus 16 the LORD went to quite an extensive explanation of which day He had set  apart as the Sabbath. There is obvious importance God placed on the weekly cycle and  especially the seventh day. Throughout the Bible we see the Sabbath emphasized over and  over. However, today we realize that many who say they teach the “whole” gospel and  believe themselves to be followers of God’s Messiah have not paid close attention to the  details God provides for us in the Bible regarding the Sabbath. 

Here are a few common erroneous approaches and explanations regarding the Sabbath. 

(1) The Sabbath was changed to Sunday to honor the resurrection of Jesus Christ 
(2) The Sabbath was “nailed to the cross”  
(3) Just keep any day as the Sabbath; just keep one in seven  
(4) Just give God the glory for everything and don’t worry about keeping the Sabbath
(5) Keeping the Sabbath is pure “legalism”  
(6) Jesus is our Rest so we no longer need the weekly Sabbath rest  

And, of course, there are other incorrect approaches; yet, they all have in common one  thing; that is, ignoring the Word of God. Israel ran into trouble time after time for  Sabbath breaking. Not only was Israel to recognize the Sabbath day God had so carefully  pointed out in Exodus 16, but their deeds, their thoughts, and their emotions were also to  be aligned with God. They were to PREPARE (deeds) for the Sabbath. Preparation took  THOUGHT. And, they were to count the Sabbath as a DELIGHT (emotion/heart). 

Isaiah 58:13 If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you  please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable,  and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle  words, 

As we approach the Sabbath that arrives at sunset this evening, let us be thankful that God  has opened our minds and hearts to understand and appreciate the beauty and holiness of  the Sabbath. It is a day of special communion with God. It is a day to be in God’s presence  and in the presence of others He has called to the same fellowship. 

1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have  fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus  Christ. 

May God bless us in this preparation day and in the holy Sabbath.

Ben Faulkner, Pastor  
© Copyright 2021, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family, 

Today is Thursday, April 22, 2021. This is Day 5 of Week 4 in our Counting toward  Pentecost. It is our 26^th day of Counting. 

Today, let us consider the fantastic miracle that occurred every day for 40 years as God  fed Israel with bread from heaven. It was a supernatural intervention by God to feed a  huge array of people. The manna appeared suddenly, continued to appear for the first 6  days out of every week for 40 years, and then abruptly stopped. There are certainly  lessons the ancient Israelites were to learn.  

Unlike God’s bread from heaven, the food we know about comes from the earth. And,  everyone has to eat. We are dependent upon the earth for physical food. And, there are  lessons God wants us to learn from that, also. 

Psalm 104:14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man:  that he may bring forth food out of the earth; 

Ecclesiastes 5:9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by  the field. 

God set the laws in action that control all harvests. For millennia farmers had to study and  understand what affected harvest yields like seed type and quality, timing for planting and  harvesting, cycles of weather, signs of impending bad weather, insect attacks, etc. 

For thousands of years, every harvest has had a great potential to remind food gatherers  how dependent on God we really are. Today, our ways of farming and securing food have  drastically changed how we obtain the food we eat, and therefore, it has also changed how  we feel about our food. We have lost the direct and easy way to learn valuable lessons  about life principles and about God the Great Giver.  

God successfully fed ancient Israel with very special food they did not have to plant,  protect, or worry over until harvest time. Yet they missed their lessons. Let us not miss  the lessons God wants us to receive every time we harvest, every time we eat. 

Many Jews remind themselves at every meal about this great miracle of how our food comes  directly from the earth. They bless the Lord saying, “Blessed art thou O Lord, King of the  universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.” 

May we realize God’s immense blessing every time we eat and Bless Him for each morsel of  physical and spiritual food He provides. He will never fail to feed the righteous.  

Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken,  nor his seed begging bread. 

Ben Faulkner, Pastor  
© Copyright 2021, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family, 

Today is Wednesday, April 21, 2021. This is Day 4 of Week 4 in our Counting toward  Pentecost. It is our 25^th day of Counting. 

Considering all the miraculous events of Israel’s past month, Moses made a very interesting  statement to Israel in Exodus 16:6. To answer their murmuring and complaining, Moses told  them God was going to make them know “that the LORD hath brought you out from the land  of Egypt.” Did they really not understand that they had ONLY been released from Egyptian  bondage by the supernatural intervention of the LORD? Maybe not. 

It is an interesting quirk of human nature that sometimes we will give credit to anything  EXCEPT God for something God has done. Some people will look for any OTHER possible  explanation. And, then ONLY if they can not explain it in ANY OTHER WAY will they  acknowledge that God has intervened. 

It is also an interesting quirk of human nature to realize that sometimes people are far  more ready to credit hardship, evil, or other negative things to God than they are to give  Him credit for the good they experience. Ancient Israel did that also. Notice in Exodus 16  in the middle of verse 3, they allowed themselves to think of God as One Who would kill  them. They said, “…Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of  Egypt…” 

Now, notice an interesting thing (not a “quirk” by any stretch of the imagination) about God. God did not answer Israel’s griping and complaining with severe discipline. Instead, He was  more generous than they could have imagined.  

Exodus 16:10-13 (10) And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of  the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the  LORD appeared in the cloud. (11) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, (12) I have heard  the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying; At even ye shall eat  flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD  your God. (13) And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp:  and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 

Did you catch that? God gave Israel “bread” for the mornings AND “flesh” in the evenings.  Yes, God sent bread for the morning and quail in the evening for Israel to eat. In the face  of criticism, God was amazingly generous! He is truly AWESOME! 

May God bless us with the heart to give Him all the credit He is due. Let us acknowledge  with great thanksgiving that God is GOOD in the ultimate sense of the word!

Ben Faulkner, Pastor  
© Copyright 2021, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family, 

Today is Tuesday, April 20, 2021. This is Day 3 of Week 4 in our Counting toward Pentecost.  It is our 24^th day of Counting. 

Although this week is often referred to as the week of manna, we find that it is during this  week that God began to redefine, reestablish, and revalidate the Sabbath to ancient Israel.  The pattern of 6 days of labor followed by God’s Sabbath of rest was reinforced. God  made it plain to Israel not “just any ol’ day” would do. God created the 7-day cycle, and He  has never lost His count. It is a very specific day in a predetermined cycle God Himself  initiated by resting. 

It is quite likely that ancient Israel had lost this basic pattern God instituted at the  creation of man and the recreation or refurbishing of the earth in Genesis. Israel’s slave  masters likely forced labor each and every day they desired. It would have been very easy  for tired, over-worked slaves to forget that God had ever given them a day of rest at the  end of every week. 

Through the details of how Israel was told to collect and handle the manna, God showed  emphatically which day was His Sabbath. It was clear that a miracle occurred each and  every day when the sweet bread came down from heaven. It remained on the ground for  such a short time and had to be collected quickly. Another miracle occurred each week  when the manna turned inedible when kept over during the common week days, but was  fresh each Sabbath when it was held over from preparation day. There was no mistaking  the marking of the exact day of the Sabbath. And, there was no mistaking the emphasis  God was placing on doing things exactly as He commanded.  

Exodus 16:4-31 (4) Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven  for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove  them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. (5) And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth  day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather  daily. (6) And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, at even, then ye shall  know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: (7) And in the morning,  then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the  LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? (8) And Moses said; This shall be, when  the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for  that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we?  your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD. (9) And Moses spake unto Aaron,  Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he  hath heard your murmurings. (10) And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole  congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold,  the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. (11) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  (12) I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying; At  even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know  that I am the LORD your God. (13) And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and  covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. (14) And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round  thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. (15) And when the children of Israel saw it,  they said one to another; It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto  them; This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. (16) This is the thing which  the LORD hath commanded; Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for  every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are  in his tents. (17) And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. (18) And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he  that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. (19) And  Moses said; Let no man leave of it till the morning. (20)Notwithstanding they hearkened not  unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and  Moses was wroth with them. (21) And they gathered it every morning, every man according  to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. (22) And it came to pass, that on the  sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of  the congregation came and told Moses. (23) And he said unto them; This is that which the  LORD hath said; Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which  ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for  you to be kept until the morning. (24) And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade:  and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. (25) And Moses said; Eat that to  day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. (26) Six  days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be  none. (27) And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day  for to gather, and they found none. (28) And the LORD said unto Moses; How long refuse ye  to keep my commandments and my laws? (29) See, for that the LORD hath given you the  sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every  man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. (30) So, the people  rested on the seventh day. (31) And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and  it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.  

May God bless us as we follow His patterns, His cycles, and His way of counting things. 

Ben Faulkner, Pastor  
© Copyright 2021, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family, 

Today is Monday, April 19, 2021. This is Day 2 of Week 4 in our Counting toward Pentecost.  It is our 23^rd day of Counting. 

Israel packed up and moved out of Elim during this week. They moved toward the  Wilderness of Sin. Some Bible scholars call this area the Wilderness of Zin. There is no  consensus on just where this wilderness is, other than that it lies somewhere between Elim  and Mt. Sinai. Most scholars do agree, however, that the name “Wilderness of Sin” has  nothing to do with Israel’s rebellion here. Actually, the area already had that name. And,  most scholars agree that it may have been named after a local pagan god. 

Once in the wilderness, Israel quickly began to grumble and complain about their lack of  food. The wilderness presented quite a contrast after their experience at the lush oasis of  Elim. They began to turn both their hearts and minds back to the “good” things they could  remember in Egypt. Their words were filled with dreadful accusation, “…you have brought  us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 

How soon they forgot! After all the miracles and the daily presence of God in the cloud and  fire, they still were without the “fear of the Lord.” Instead of being humble and thankful  for what they had and how they had been redeemed, they griped and accused God and  Moses in a very provocative way.  

Exodus 16:2-3 (2) And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against  Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: (3) And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to  God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh  pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this  wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger. 

Still, God was gentle and merciful. How like God that is! He is patience and kind, not easily  provoked. This is an amazing aspect of Who and What God is; that is, He loves us and does  so much for us. Scripture tells us that our Savior died for us WHILE WE WERE YET  GOD’S ENEMIES. 

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,  Christ died for us. 

If God had dealt with Israel according to their sins, they would have ceased to exist. And,  some of us today who are direct blood-line descendants of those Israelites, would also not  exist.  

May God bless us all with the ability to see His grace, His patience, His mercies, and His  kindness to us; and, of course, cause us to truly bask in His love for us moment-by-moment. 

Ben Faulkner, Pastor  
© Copyright 2021, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family, 

Today is Sunday, April 18, 2021. This is Day 1 of Week 4 in our Counting toward Pentecost.  It is our 22^nd day of Counting. 

This begins the week of the manna which fell down upon them from heaven in the desert  (Exodus 16:4-36). Actually, this was a very full week for Israel. There are many lessons to  be drawn from their experiences. 

To help us understand the chronology of the journey, God inspired Moses to write down  each of the camps the Israelites made following the cloud by day and the fire by night. We  find a summary of their camping sites in Numbers 33. Just prior to the 50^th day, they were  camped in the area of Mt. Sinai. Here is an overview of their travels and camping. 

Numbers 33:1-15 (1) These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth  out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. (2) And  Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the  LORD: and these are their journeys according to their goings out. (3) And they departed  from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow  after the Passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the  Egyptians. (4) For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten  among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments. (5) And the children of  Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth. (6) And they departed from  Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness. (7) And they  removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baalzephon: and  they pitched before Migdol. (8) And they departed from before Pihahiroth, and passed  through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days ‘journey in the  wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah. (9) And they removed from Marah, and came  unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees;  and they pitched there. (10) And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.  (11) And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. (12) And  they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah. (13) And  they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. (14) And they removed from Alush,  and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink. (15) And they  departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai. 

It is important to remember that the camp of Israel moved when the cloud moved and they  camped when the cloud rested. We learn of this principle of moving and resting in the book  of Numbers. 

Numbers 9:18 At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at  the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle  they rested in their tents. 

The journey from Egypt to Mt. Sinai was difficult for this large group of people; yet, it was  God Who was leading them. It was God Who had delivered them. 

It was God Who knew everything they would face at each step of the journey. It was God  Who was proving their hearts to see whether or not they would follow His commands.  

Exodus 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you;  and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them,  whether they will walk in my law, or no. 

In this Church age we see God following the same kind of process. He is still in charge,  knowing all that we must go through as part of His process of salvation for each of us. And,  He is invested in this process at an extreme level. Nothing can separate us from the love of  God that He has made available to us through our Savior, Messiah, and Lord. 

Ben Faulkner, Pastor  
© Copyright 2021, Church of the Sovereign God

Dear Family,

Today is Sabbath, Saturday, April 17, 2021. This is Day 7 of Week 3 in our Counting toward Pentecost. It is our 21st day of Counting.

The victory God gave to Israel over Egypt, its mighty armies, and its Pharaoh in the Red Sea on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread has great symbolic significance in our lives. Without the sacrifice of the Passover and the blood smeared above the door posts of the houses of believers, the Exodus would not have occurred. And, an added benefit to Israel was that their firstborn survived while the firstborn of Egypt all died.

Today, we know that the Passover lamb was a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of our Savior. The meaning of the blood of the sacrifice is clear to us today. Yet, some of the other symbolism may not be so clear.

There are some Bible readers who teach that the wave sheaf does not symbolize Jesus Christ. There is basically no focus upon the RESURRECTION of our Savior for many bible teachers who are Sabbath keepers. Many have certainly not plumbed the depths of the significance of His RESURRECTION.

When our Savior died, He said I have finished the work you gave me to do (John 17:4). What was left of the necessary miracle to perfect God’s plan of salvation took the Almighty God our Father to complete. He (the Father) resurrected our Lord and Master. He resurrected Him, accepted that aspect of the Savior’s part of salvation’s work! He gave our Savior eternal life, full-born Sonship. He gave Him power and dominion because what had been accomplished legally NOW opened the way for the god of this world (Satan) to be dethroned and his works destroyed.

1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Hebrews 2:14-15 (14) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (15) And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

True believers who are cooperating in God’s plan are SAVED BY HIS LIFE (HIS RESURRECTION).

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

God (both Father and Son) had successfully broken the hold and the sway the devil had held over mankind! They AUTHORED our salvation through these events. They had made the way clear for our FREEDOM.

Now, the devil would like that piece of truth to be deeply submerged in the darkness of his many lies about God, His divine nature, and God’s plan of salvation. But, the TRUTH is WE CAN BE FREE from the devil. He has NO authority over us. He can only work in our lives as we believe his lies.

The RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ to eternal life proves He is our MESSIAH. He, as the accepted WAVESHEAF, the first of the firstfruits, illustrates and provides absolute evidence about what God is now doing in the lives of those who cooperate with Him as He calls, chooses, and makes us faithful firstfruits.

Think about the symbolism. What God (Father and Son) was doing through the symbolism of the Exodus events shows that the devil is defeated AFTER the completion of the entire process legally necessary to do it. The WAVESHEAF had to be RESURRECTED and ACCEPTED before Pharaoh (symbolic of Satan) was destroyed in the sea. Every detail of the Exodus event is significant in showing God’s plan.

Brethren, we are free! Do we believe it? The devil can still only hold sway where he is allowed to continue to deceive. Yet, we can walk in light. We have it available. We have to choose it! Have we let the truth about God’s plan really soak into our beings?

May God bless you as you uncover more and more of His truth and dwell in the freedom, He has purchased for us all.

Ben Faulkner, Pastor
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