Treasure Digest

• "Hidden" Lessons of the First Passover
• Keep Praying!
• For Such a Time as This
• Choose Your Friends Wisely
• Yearning to Breathe Free
• Pillars of Wisdom: The Rewards of Hard Work
• Turning the Hearts...Dinnertime!
• Quiz: Who's My Mother?
• Question and Answer: If the Holy Spirit Isn’t a Person, Why Do So Many People Believe It Is?
• Share Your Treasures!

"Hidden" Lessons of the First Passover

As we approach God's Passover each year, it is beneficial to review Israel's first Passover, where we see very meaningful lessons for us.

Without Blemish: The Israelites had to choose a lamb without blemish, meaning without spot, undefiled and perfect (Exodus 12:5). This lamb represented the future sacrifice of Christ, who was perfect, without spot or blemish, particularly in the spiritual sense. Thus He was a perfect sacrifice for mankind's sins.

This is made clear in 1 Peter 1:18-19: "Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

The male lamb also had to be in his first year. This is the lamb's prime time of life. We see that Christ Himself died at age 33 in His prime—an innocent sacrifice given at a time when human life is at its best.

Not Trampled Underfoot: The blood of the lamb then had to be applied strictly and carefully to both sides of the door frame and the upper crossbeam (Exodus 12:7). The Israelites of the Exodus did not apply the blood to the bottom of the doorway.

The blood symbolized the blood of Jesus Christ and they could not "trample" over it. This is emphasized on a spiritual plane in Hebrews 10: 28-29: "Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot...?"

Within the House: Israel had to eat the lamb within their homes, with the blood applied to their doorways. In the home, they were protected from death.

Likewise, those within the House of God—His Temple and His Church, which includes all who have the Holy Spirit—will be protected from the second death. If we continue in the faith and are led by the Holy Spirit, then Christ's sacrifice will enable us to receive the gift of everlasting life.

Roasted, With Unleavened Bread and Bitter Herbs: They could eat the lamb only after it was roasted by fire, accompanied by unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Exodus 12:8).

The roasting by fire symbolized Christ giving all of Himself for man.

It was eaten with unleavened bread because Christ was perfect and sinless; thus the bread had to be unleavened (symbolically without sin).

The bitter herbs reminded Israel how they suffered in slavery in Egypt . Their bondage was indeed bitter, but it also pointed to the "bondage of sin," which they were leaving and which we came out of and are to stay out of.

A Total Sacrifice: The "roasting with fire" pertained to all parts of the lamb—internal organs, bowels—all (Exodus 12:9). This pictured the total and complete sacrifice of Christ.

The lamb was to be completely consumed. Any uneaten part was totally burnt with fire. No part of the lamb could thus be subject to decay or corruption, just as Christ's body was not to be corrupted (Acts 13:36-37).

Prepared to Leave: The Israelites had to be fully prepared to leave Egypt and the only world they had known (Exodus 12:11). They would now have to look to God and live by His laws and not look back at Egypt. For us, the meaning is clear—come out of this world and never look back.

That first Passover contains powerful lessons for us. Today, the symbols of Passover are changed, but the lessons of the first Passover give us greater meaning and appreciation of the greatness of Christ's sacrifice for us, as well as for many billions who never knew Him and will not until the Millennium and Last Great Day are fulfilled.

These are symbolic lessons for what God still requires of His people today. God truly is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

—Joseph Sheperd
Elder in the Vancouver Island, British Columbia , congregation

[ back to top ]

Keep Praying!

Nearly 30 years ago, I experienced one of my life's outstanding answers to prayer. Because of recent reminders about the dangerous world we live in, I share this story to inspire our younger readers: When potential harm looms, obey God and keep praying!

As a high school senior, I had recently been baptized. One morning, outside the library, two bullies tried to steal my belongings. I managed to slip away. Although the boys followed me inside, I found the librarian. She allowed me sanctuary in a small study room, but she also reminded me to leave when the class bell sounded.

So I entered the room and closed the door. The boys glared through the windows. Turning the lights off, I dropped to my knees and asked God for protection.

When the bell clanged, I knew I had to obey the librarian. The boys were staring right at me. Yes, I was afraid. But I asked another silent prayer and opened the door. They looked at me; I looked back. Then I left. Thankfully, they did not follow, and I attended classes without further incident.

Next day, those same boys stopped me in the hallway. One of them sneeringly accused me of being a chicken, asking why I hid in the library all day! I was dumbfounded! After all, both of them watched me walk out right in front of them. Neither ever bothered me again.

Nearly three decades later, even in writing this, I still smile and shake my head in disbelief! I knew then and now God heard my prayer and miraculously protected me. But perhaps here is the real lesson: God can and will protect us from the ultimate bully—Satan the devil—but only if we do our part.

From Genesis to Revelation, Satan has always bullied God's people, young and old alike. Adam and Eve were bullied. They disobeyed and failed. Our unsafe world is the result. But you and I can be like the second Adam, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45). We can choose to obey.

God tells us: "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

Until Jesus Christ returns, God will allow Satan to bully us. But God is still on His throne. He will use Satan's bullying for our ultimate good. When danger looms, remember: Obey God... and keep praying!

—John Fox
Salt Lake City, Utah, congregation

[ back to top ]

For Such a Time as This

"Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14, New International Version).

This was the reply that Mordecai made to Esther after she told him that she could not go before the king and risk her life. We find as we read the story of Esther that she did, in fact, go before the king and, by doing this, saved her people from annihilation.

Do we often wonder, "Why am I here?" In the face of a trial, do we ask God, "Why is this happening to me?" Many times we look back at our life's experiences or events and can see how God worked in our lives to bring about what He wanted for us. But while it is happening, it sure is difficult to see what God has in mind, isn't it?

Like Esther, we might say, "I can't do that." Or, "That's just too hard." Yet we read in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." It doesn't say a few things, or the easy things, but all things. How hard it is for us to understand the deep meaning of this scripture.

Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Esther, like many others before and since, stepped out on faith. God used each of them for His ultimate purpose.

It makes you wonder about the small things that happen to us each day. Maybe God has some big things in store for us too. So the next time you find yourself in a situation you can't see out of, or a trial you can't seem to get over, or you wonder, "What is my purpose in this life"? Remember the words of Mordecai: "And who knows but that you have come... for such a time as this."

—Debra Doss
Chattanooga , Tennessee , congregation

[ back to top ]

Choose Your Friends Wisely

Many of us are concerned about what we put into our bodies to preserve our health. Some of us are also careful to guard our minds by examining the things we read, watch or listen to so we can protect our mental health. But have we considered the effect of the people we associate with?

In the book Who's Looking Out for You? Bill O'Reilly talks about the type of friends we choose. "In the end, you are not what you eat. Rather, you are whom you associate with. If you run with the despicable people, the heavy odds are that you are despicable as well." His comment backs up the age-old saying, "birds of a feather flock together."

The book of Proverbs talks a lot about friendships, wisdom and the need to be around those who will help us to grow in wisdom.

We have two choices. One is to walk with the fools and be destroyed, and the other is to walk with the wise and grow. "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm" (Proverbs 13:20, New International Version).

Seek out those who are wise and experienced and associate with them. Spend time with those who can challenge you to be all that you can be. Bill O'Reilly says, "If you embrace honest, caring, and strong people, I can almost guarantee that you will have accomplished many positive things on this earth. George Washington once said, 'Associate yourself with men of quality if you esteem your own reputation, for 'tis better to be alone than in bad company'" (page 30).

Ask God to bring people into your life who are wise, caring, experienced and honest. Ask God to give you a mentor who will help you to excel to your highest level for God's use. Remember, we are known by the company we keep. Do you want to stay the same or be challenged to be all that you can be? For me, the greatest opportunity I have had was to surround myself with friends who motivate, challenge and encourage me to be the best that I can be.

In order to grow, we must choose our friends wisely—friends who will lift us to new heights and not bring us down.

—Janet Treadway
Cincinnati East, Ohio, congregation

[ back to top ]

Yearning to Breathe Free

The skies were ashen-gray. A tempestuous gale hurled 40-foot waves with hurricane force toward the ship and came crashing down upon its decks. It was in April of 1957. We were navigating the mid-Atlantic in a cruise ship with nearly 2,000 passengers aboard—on our way to the land of the free.

A day and a night later the storm faded away, leaving behind a bewildered and seasick bunch of travelers. Unfortunately, the seasickness didn't leave as quickly. Another week aboard ship with no solid ground to escape to! However, it was all worth it in order to reach that distant shore with liberty and justice for all...

Seven years later, I found myself on yet another voyage that led to true freedom indeed. The last 40 years, in the fellowship of true believers of God's Word, have not been without peril. However, that promised land of true freedom is still very much in my vision, just beyond the horizon.

Are you also yearning to breathe free? Are your sights set on the goal—even beyond this life? "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland" (Hebrews 11:13-14). "But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life" (Romans 6:22).

Now is the time to yearn for this freedom more than ever: "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:11-12).

—Manfred Fraund
Los Angeles , California , congregation

[ back to top ]

Pillars of Wisdom: The Rewards of Hard Work

One Friday a young man named Herb, who was attending Stanford University, applied for employment at a company and was told that the only job available was that of a stenographer. The young man enthusiastically accepted the position, but informed the employer that he couldn't start until Wednesday.

When he showed up Wednesday morning, the employer asked Herb why he had waited until Wednesday to start. Herbert Hoover, a future president of the United States, replied, "I had to find a typewriter and learn how to use it."

Herbert Hoover once said, "No difficult or simple job ever gets done until someone decides right now to do what it takes to get the job done. Unfortunately, too many people stand by ready to carry the stool when there is a piano to be moved."

The book of Proverbs is filled with sayings that tell us working hard and doing a job well will lead to rewards while laziness reaps sorrow and poverty. Translators of the King James Version used two words, "slothful" and "sluggard," in creating the English Bible. Both words mean slow-moving and lazy.

Points to Build On

Hard work produces wealth while laziness leads to poverty.

Proverbs 10:4-5: "He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame."

Proverbs 12:27: "The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is man's precious possession."

Proverbs 13:4: "The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich."

Proverbs 24:30-34: "I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; and there it was, all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; so shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man."

A lazy person is a curse to his or her employer and won't be able to keep a job.

Proverbs 10:26: "As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man to those who send him."

A person who only wants to have fun all the time will end up in poverty.

Proverbs 12:11: "He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding."

Proverbs 21:17: "He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich."

A person who talks all the time instead of working will end up in poverty.

Proverbs 14:23: "In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads to poverty."

Laziness leads to a restricted life without opportunities.

Proverbs 15:19: "The way of a lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway."

Proverbs 18:9: "He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer."

Proverbs 19:15: "Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger."

Proverbs 19:24: "A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again."

Proverbs 20:4: "The lazy man will not plow because of winter; he will beg during harvest and have nothing."

Proverbs 20:13: "Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread."

A hard worker plans for the future, while a lazy person schemes to find ways to get rich quickly.

Proverbs 21:5: "The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty."

A hard worker will be generous, while a lazy person will be filled with unhappy desires for what others possess.

Proverbs 21:25-26: "The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. He covets greedily all day long, but the righteous gives and does not spare."

A lazy person always makes excuses.

Proverbs 22:13: "The lazy man says, 'There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets.'"

Application

All success in life takes preparation, work and sacrifice. Of course, most people want the rewards without the effort.

—Gary Petty
Pastor of Austin, San Antonio and Waco, Texas, congregations

[ back to top ]

Turning the Hearts...
Dinnertime!

"The family that prays together, stays together" is an adage that has long been echoed about families who are successful. I'd like to do a slight variation and say, "The family that eats together, meets together."

In our busy, pell-mell world, it is very easy to miss each other in our families. We rush out the door after a swig of orange juice with a piece of toast in one hand and a to-go cup of coffee in the other. The children hastily eat their packaged waffles or a granola bar and possibly juice, and they are off to school. Mom may eat alone if she is a stay-at-home mom. And so the morning goes with little contact for the family.

Lunchtime is usually spent separately with packed or cafeteria lunches. Dinnertime, then, affords the one major opportunity to interact with one another as a family. Yet many still grab a TV dinner and sit in front of the television or go to their rooms to do their "own thing." Our "instant this" and "instant that" should give us more time, but we actually end up spending less time with each other.

I took a survey in the 1990s of college-age students about what they remembered positively about their growing up experiences in the Church. Overwhelmingly, they responded that Friday evening dinners were so special because of the extra care given to the meal and the time spent together.

The Bible gives us a few examples to add emphasis to my point that we ought to make time to at least be together at the evening meal. Jesus was able to use mealtime to offer instruction to Martha and Mary. The only problem was Martha became too bothered with the physical preparation. Nevertheless, the time spent over a meal allowed some very important discussions to take place (Luke 10:38-42).

Deuteronomy 6:7 instructs us to teach our children when "you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." The sitting part would certainly include dinnertime! Regarding the Passover observance in Exodus 12:3-8, 26-27, the Israelites were to have a meal and then the children would ask what the meaning was and the parents would explain the Passover.

Dinnertime can be a relaxing, enjoyable time to spend with each other. Because it is relaxing, family members may feel free to share with each other what's been going on in their lives. Regular meals together allow for the free exchange of ideas and issues of concern.

Please apply the adage, "the family that eats together, meets together," and see the difference it makes in the quality of your family.

—Gary E. Antion

[ back to top ]

Quiz: Who’s My Mother?

Mothers in the Bible are a varied lot. Some are powerless, some crafty, some faithful and some ambitious. Try your skill at identifying the mothers of the following:

1. _______ My mother, an Egyptian slave, belonged to the wife of a wealthy man who was barren. Mother was given to the master in hopes she would give them a child—an action not uncommon for the times in which we lived. When my mother became pregnant, her jealous mistress treated her so harshly that she fled. The Angel of the Lord sent her back with promises that she would have a son and eventually many descendants. I was that son. When a miracle happened, and her elderly mistress finally had a son, things went from bad to worse for us both. We were sent into the wilderness to die. God heard my voice, we survived and lived to have many descendants, just as He had promised.

2. _______ My mother had several things against her: she was a gentile; she was a woman; and she had a daughter who was demon-possessed—me. Desperate, my mother went to Jesus, asking for mercy and to have the awful demon cast out. He didn't answer her at first. Then He explained He had been sent to Israel , not to gentiles. Insistently she pleaded, "Lord, help me." His reply? "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." Her response? "Even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Because of her faith, I was healed that very hour.

3. _______ Our mother was caught in a web of political intrigue. She was the king's concubine, powerless in her own affairs, and this king brought her nothing but trouble. First his trusted advisor was accused of having slept with her, signaling a possible attempt to usurp the throne. And the king had long been violating an agreement made with the Gibeonites, a violation that finally had to be addressed. Reparation was made by hanging seven of the now deposed king's descendants—including my brother and me. Our mother refused to leave us to the mercy of wild scavengers, and she stayed there guarding our bodies for over five months until King David heard of it and had compassion. We received a proper burial by his command.

4. _______ My mother was ambitious, greedy and an adulteress. She married her uncle, Philip, my father. Then she got an eye for my father's brother. Insisting that he divorce his wife, she also divorced my father, and they married. When John the Baptist said it was not lawful for him to take his brother's wife, my mother wanted John dead. Her opportunity came when I danced at her husband's birthday celebration, and so caught his attention that he promised me whatever I asked for. Mother gave me the answer—demand the head of John the Baptist on a platter. She got what she wanted and our deed has been remembered in infamy.

—Karen Meeker
St. Louis , Missouri , congregation

(a) Herodias
(b) The Syro-Phoenician Woman
(c) Hagar
(d) Rizpah

Answers: 1. c (Genesis 16 and 21:9-21); 2. b (Matthew 15:21-28); 3. d (2 Samuel 3:7-11; 21:1-14); 4. a (Mark 6:14-28).

[ back to top ]

Question and Answer: If the Holy Spirit Isn't a Person, Why Do So Many People Believe It Is?

How is it possible that so many have embraced an inaccurate idea about the nature of the Holy Spirit? The following information taken from Unger's Bible Dictionary is helpful in answering that puzzling question:

"The word Trinity ( Trinitas ) was first employed by Tertullian (2nd century), though his word was only the Lat. translation of the Gk. trias, employed by Theophilus of Antioch. The word Person was also first employed by Tertullian, though he used it in the inadmissible sense of individual.

"The Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) was an epoch in Christian history. The heresy of Sabellius and Paul of Samosata, that refused to recognize the Father as in any personal sense distinct from the Son and the Holy Spirit, had been previously condemned. But Arius, who began with the Sabellian idea that the Trinity is only one of manifestation, changed his position and declared that there were three Persons in God, but that these three were unequal in glory . . . The Council of Nicea, in opposition to Arianism and various other theories, adopted the formal statement of the consubstantiality [of one and the same nature] of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, while maintaining the distinction of personality. The doctrine of the Nicene Council was reaffirmed in various succeeding councils and is the generally recognized doctrine of the Christian church" (1988, "Trinity").

As you can see, the idea of three persons in the Godhead evolved over the first few centuries of Christianity, somewhat in reaction to popular ideas perceived as threats to the truth. Well-meaning attempts to "protect the truth" actually contradicted the Scriptures. The doctrine of the Trinity is not, as our literature explains, a teaching of the Bible.

For More Information, see our booklet Who Is God?

[ back to top ]

Share Your Treasures!

Do you have any short items of biblical wisdom, humor or practical information that you would like to share in this section? Or if you have any suggestions, please contact United News, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027 or mike_bennett@ucg.org.

[ back to top ]