Pressing Toward the Goal

Well, today we are observing a very special Sabbath. As I mentioned in my greeting, it's not only God's weekly Sabbath, but it's also the last day of Unleavened Bread. The Hebrew calendar today is the 21st of Abib, I should say. And we can read, I can read it to you, in Exodus 12 verse 16 through 17, God established this Holy Day even before the children of Israel ever left Egypt.

He had everything planned out. And so in Exodus 12 verse 16, God's given these instructions and he's telling Moses, on the first day, referring to these seven days of Unleavened Bread, on the first day there shall be a holy convocation. And we did that last Sunday here. And on the seventh day, that would be today, there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them, but that which everyone must eat, that only may be prepared by you. And so shall you observe the feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will brought your armies out of the land of Egypt.

Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. That day he actually led them out and to leave them out was Abeb 15. And we're gonna talk a little bit more here about the significance of this day. And that is what we're gonna focus on today, this last day of Unleavened Bread. This last day of Unleavened Bread is rich with profound spiritual meaning because of the events traditionally attributed to this day and related to this day. It has left a lasting impact. And for followers of Jesus Christ, this day reminds us of the vital importance of Paul's words in Philippians 3 13, words I'll be referring to through this in this sermon message.

Paul wrote in Philippians 3 13 that the importance of forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. And so this morning it is most appropriate that we rehearse the lessons to be gained from the observation of these days and related to this last day of Unleavened Bread. And the title of this message is, Forward to Those Things Which Are Ahead. Forward to Those Things Which Are Ahead.

Sometimes to move ahead we need to go back and remember what happened. So let's turn back to Genesis 15 verse 5 through 6. And the events related to God leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, it is not something God planned to do suddenly without preparation or planning. Sadly, our lives are kind of...what's the expression we use? In our lives we kind of wing it. We just kind of do things spontaneously and things can work out.

I do not know if we'd attribute that to God. I don't think God would wing anything, especially what we're dealing with talking about today. And so when God delivered the children of Israel from Egypt and that night he brought them out at night, Abib 15, God was actually being faithful to the children of Israel. He is being faithful in fulfilling a covenant, the covenant he had made with Abraham or Abram, 430 years earlier.

God had promised to make Abraham's descendants as numerous as the stars in heaven and also to deliver them from bondage in a foreign nation. And so we can see part of what God told Abram, his name is later changed to Abraham, Genesis 15, verse 5 through 6. And then he, God, brought Abram, Abraham outside and said, Look now toward the heaven and count the stars if you are able to number them. And he said to him, So shall your descendants be. And he believed, Abraham believed in the Lord, and God accounted it to him for righteousness. You see how important it is that belief is part of being righteous before God.

And we need the same belief and trust in God. Now continuing verse 13, And then God said to Abram, Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them for hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve, I will judge. Afterward they shall come out with great possessions. And so what we've been thinking of this past week, what we talked about last Sabbath's message and also various messages we've probably been all listening to our own this week, it began much earlier.

It began 430 years before God led the children of Israel out of Egypt. And so he did that. He delivered them from bondage in Egypt on Abib 15. And the powerful lesson we can take immediately from that point, that idea, is that God keeps his promises. God keeps his promises. God is faithful. God is faithful. We consider his handiwork in making this detailed plan of everything that happened during this week, and it's an amazing thing.

And God is still faithful. So regarding the children of Israel, that's where we left them. That's where we left the children of Israel last Sabbath at the end of my sermon I gave a week ago. They were leaving Egypt behind them. They're leaving behind them all the cruelty and injustice, all the drudgery, the misery, all the pain. And then to see the miraculous things that God did in that special preparation day of Abib 14, preparing to leave Egypt, and then to actually experience it.

The children of Israel together as families and neighbors, leaving Egypt together. Now they didn't know the way, but that's okay. Because God did. God knew the way. They followed God. Very basic principles, aren't these? And still very basic principles we're living today. And also they did not leave Egypt like a fearful or defeated people. Let's turn to Exodus 13. I should have asked you to be turning there already. So let's go ahead and turn to Exodus 13. We're gonna be reading some verses here in these few chapters.

Exodus 13 verse 18. And they did not leave like a fearful or defeated people. Exodus 13 verse 18 tells us, so God led the people around by the wilderness of the Red Sea, and the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt. And so this was no mob. This was no chaotic scene.

No mob of millions of people, but millions of people leaving in orderly ranks, probably by tribes and families. And we can imagine that this time was a time of great exuberance, that they felt victorious. And they were following their God, who was delivering them from slavery after all so many, many years. God, the one who would come as Jesus Christ, led them for all to see. He led them as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. Let's look at verse 41, 22. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. So when you think of this obvious sign of God's presence, God being with them, why wouldn't these once oppressed and afflicted people be exuberant and bold as they left Egypt? Now, Exodus 14 chapter 2 describes their progress in leaving Egypt as they first began, and it would take a few days, several days of traveling and encamping around this route by the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And so then we see that God directed the children of Israel finally to encamp any more narrow place, a place across from Beal Safan by the sea, we're told, in verse 2. And what the children of Israel didn't understand at that time was that God was enticing Pharaoh to attack with his great army. God still knew that there's one more lesson he had to teach Pharaoh about who and what God truly is, who God was. And so verses 3 through 4, For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, seeing them where they were encamping thereby the sea, For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are bewildered by the land, and the wilderness is closed in them. Of course, that's good human reasoning. Verse 4, God says, Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he will pursue them, and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army. Why? That the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so. They did exactly what God had planned and knew they would do. Now, in verses 7 through 8, verses 7 through 8, And Pharaoh took six hundred choice of chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, with captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel, and the children of Israel went out with boldness. Again, they were not moving like a defeated people. Very quickly, Egypt had learned that God is God. But let's not also forget that the children of Israel will see once again for themselves that God is God. Their God is God. And so the children of Israel, when they eventually saw the approaching Egyptian army, they suddenly assumed the worst. They've been marching following God. Well, I don't know if they're marching, but they are following God for days. They get to this place by the sea. They're encamped. They see Pharaoh's army coming. And suddenly they assumed the worst, and they begin to despair. They quickly realized, positioned where they were, they were trapped with their backs to the sea. They were helpless prey to Pharaoh's chariots. And their boldness quickly melted away into terror and also anger. Verse 11, And then they said to Moses, speaking of the blame game we heard about in the sermonette, and speaking to Moses, they said, because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Of course, Egypt was well known for its many graves and tombs and pyramids, and so it's almost an understatement. It's a real slam. They're being very cynical and angry. And what we see then, very quickly, they suddenly had doubt about God. Doubt, and God sees them.

Immediately, they began to blame Moses. Continuing on, verse 11, they said to Moses, why have you so dealt with us to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness. Now mark those words, because we know what's going to happen later to most many of these children of Israel. And so now, it's suddenly Moses' fault for everything that's befallen them. Moses forced them to leave Egypt, and now they wish they'd never have left Egypt. They've suddenly taken over a fear and lack of faith in God. It made them desperate to save their lives in any cost. They even talked about, they began to wonder, maybe we should go back to Egypt. Maybe we should return to bondage in Egypt. But again, God is faithful. The children of Israel had to learn this lesson. They needed to learn the lesson. Whether they all learned it, God knows. But God did indeed. He rescued the children of Israel. He did it through the sea. And he also gave Moses a part in this deliverance, for good reason, good cause, probably so the children of Israel would think better of Moses as well. Moses was serving God. Exodus 14 now, it's still in Exodus 14 verse 21 through 22. 21-22. And then Moses stretched out his hand as God had commanded him. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. And the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea into dry land. And the waters were divided. And so the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground.

Dry ground. And the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. This was deep water. Some scholars want to insist that they actually crossed a swampy marshy area. That is not what Scripture says. And so I'll do respect to those scholars. They really need to read the Scripture and accept what has been inspired here. This was deep water. God provided for Israel an utterly unexpected escape route.

You see, not only is God faithful, but the second thing we need to remember about God is that God delivers his people. God delivers his people. It is true then. It is true today. It will always be that way. In verse 23, In the Egyptians pursued Israel, they went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's chariots, all his chariots, and his horsemen. Of course, I've often read that.

Yes, I've seen the Cecil D. DeMille version, and I've seen the cartoon versions of this, and I see it, and I always wonder, what were they thinking? Pursuing the children of Israel between these walls of water. Well, they probably weren't thinking when you think about it.

They must have been so filled with anger, and hatred, and pride. They couldn't contain themselves. They couldn't control themselves. Pharaoh, it seems, whether he knew it or not, was that determined to destroy himself, or his army at least, and trying to destroy them. Verse 24, And now it came to pass, so this is going on in the night portion of Abib 21, Now it came to pass in the morning watch, that would have been around anytime from 2 to 6 a.m., scholars tell us, in the morning watch that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and he troubled the army of the Egyptians.

He took off their chariot wheels. That would be a problem. And so that they drove them with difficulty. And it seems at that moment the Egyptians finally began to realize the Egyptian said, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians. The Lord's fighting against us. He's fighting. Too late, we would say, too late for them. They realized they understood that God was fighting for Israel. Verse 26, And then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the wanders may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots and on their horsemen.

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and when morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained, but, this is a part we like, but the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were walled to them on their right hand and on their left.

And so the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. It's interesting, and we believe we understand God's logic here, God's reasoning. God defeated the Egyptians as daylight was breaking at daybreak. Well, that made it possible, you see, for the children of Israel to be eyewitnesses of this victory. It didn't happen in the dark of night.

It happened as daylight was breaking. And so when you consider all these things, again, we see that God has things perfectly timed. He had things at that time perfectly timed. His judgment upon Pharaoh's army, when it would occur, what day, how fast to make the children of Israel move, all these things he must have had planned out. And, of course, what we can appreciate in relation to this day, tradition holds that God delivered Israel through the Red Sea on Abib 21, on the last day of Unleavened Bread.

That gives some special significance to this day and the meaning of this passage through the Red Sea. But now back to the children of Israel. How did the children of Israel respond now? What were they saying before they slipped through the water? They are complaining, griping, why have you done this? Moses, what's wrong with you? We should have stayed in Egypt. Now, verse 31, and thus Israel saw the great work with which the Lord had done in Egypt. So they saw it. They knew something, too, now. And so the people feared the Lord. That means, I'm sure they were terrified, but it also means they had a new, found reason to revere and respect and to honor God.

And they believed the Lord and his servant Moses. Another word that can be translated for believed here is that they trusted. And so their belief was more than just saying, yeah, God exists. They had a very profound reason to believe that God exists and to trust him.

God, and let's look what they sang. There's a response, a part of their response. Exodus 15 verse 2. Look at what they said. They're singing the song to the Lord, what he had done. Exodus 15 verse 2. Look at this claim they make now. And I'm sure they meant it sincerely at that time. It says, the Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.

He is my God, and I will praise him. Get this sense of, not ownership, but sense of, this is God. He did this for us. He is my Father's God, and I will exalt him, very confident suddenly. And so yes, God led Israel through the water of the sea, and we'll see their crossing of the sea later becomes a type for the New Testament baptism. It looks forward to baptism.

God saved their lives, and they left Egypt and its slavery behind them, and God led them forward then on to the Promised Land. But now a question. How long lasting was their belief and trust in God? How long lasting was their belief and trust in God? And before we, and I'm doing this, I do not mean to belittle the children of Israel. It's not our place to judge them. I think it's our place to understand that they had lived as slaves for a long time, and suddenly they're in a new environment, and things are different.

And they strike me as being very emotional and very quick to respond to what's happening. How great was their belief and trust in God? How long did it last? Well, that day, and probably the day after that, maybe the day after that, it was really profound. It was intense. It was tense and vivid trust in God. But it was a bit short-lived. Only three days later, when they're in the wilderness now, they had moved away by three days journey from the Red Sea. They're in the wilderness, and the children of Israel again complained against Moses. Exodus 15, verse 23 through 24. Exodus 23-24. And now when they came to Mara, it's a place at this place of this bitter waters would later be called that.

Now when they came to Mara, they could not drink the waters of Mara, for they were bitter. It may have been too acidic or too acolyne, too salty. Therefore the name of it was called Mara, and the people complained against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? Where's the water? What are we going to do? Now it's ironic, I find ironic about this, is that they're complaining about the bitter waters of Mara. They're complaining about Moses. It's recorded immediately after their songs of praise to God.

They're juxtaposed. It's very striking, isn't it? They had seen what God, and the other part is they had seen what God could do with water. God does amazing things with water. So why would they complain in doubt? God's response? God sweetened the waters. He told Moses what to do, and God sweetened the waters so they could drink. Now a few weeks after that, they again began to wish they had never left Egypt. Reading now Exodus 16 verse 3. Exodus 16 verse 3. They're getting hungry. They're starting to miss some foods they had in Egypt. Exodus 16 verse 3. And the children of Israel, let's see verse 2, and the whole congregation of the children of Israel, the whole congregation complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And of course they're also complaining about God. And the children of Israel said to them, Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord and the land of Egypt when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full. I wonder... Ah, well let it be. I'll take him what they say. And they said to Moses, and for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. And what did God do? God sent them quail that evening. Verse 13. God sent them quail that evening and manna in the morning. And there's a long list of this sort of thing that the children of Israel did while they are these early months, these early months and months in the wilderness. Time after time they complained and found reasons for what? They found reasons for going back to Egypt. Reasons for going back to Egypt. What they really needed to do was to put off... was to put off their rather... I think using Scripture we could say their rather delusional memories about the good life. The good life as slaves in Egypt. They were choosing or... it's amazing how the human mind can work. It seems that they were choosing to forget how the Egyptians... and here I'm going to quote from Exodus 1 verse 14. How the Egyptians made their... quote, made their lives bitter with hard bondage and mortar and brick and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made... Egyptians made them serve was with rigor... unquote. They seem to have forgotten something along the way. And so God had delivered the children of Israel through the sea in a miraculous fashion through the Red Sea and he had done many other wonders for them since they first left Egypt. But they kept wanting to return to Egypt. They kept wanting to go back to Egypt. Even after... even after they had repented of many of these times and after they had committed themselves to God and received his Ten Commandments written on stone. After all that, they still kept wanting to go back to Egypt. But finally, let's look at Numbers 13. This complaining of theirs...

God and his long-suffering finally had to make... finally made note of decision to them. In Numbers 13, we read about the children of Israel at Kadesh Barnea. And here at this time at Kadesh Barnea, their complaints turned into rebellion against God. It really turned into rebelliousness against God. And their their complaints had to do with the report of the 12 spies who had spied out Canaan. At this point, they'd been with God, following God, for around two years.

They'd received the commandments. They'd received the instructions about how to worship God. And things had been set up. And so at this point, they really should have known better. And it seems God thought so too, and he holds them accountable in a much different way this time. And so if you recall, the spies had been set up.

God had told Moses to send up spies into Canaan. God was, as we read, He was ready to let the children of Israel enter into Canaan. The spies were sent out 12 of them. The spies agreed that the land of Canaan, this was a fruitful land that flowed with milk and honey. But 10 of the spies painted, well, let's say they added a more grim picture. Numbers 13, verse 31 through 33. And so they had said, yes, it's of land flowing with milk and honey. Verse 31. But the men who had gone up with them said, we are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.

Isn't that amazing? And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, the land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people whom we saw in it are of great stature. There we saw the giants, the descendants of Enoch, come, came from the giants.

Well, we saw them, and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight. And so we were, so we were in their sight. Reading on. Numbers 14, verse 1, and almost on cue. And so all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. Wow! And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, if only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness. A little segue here. Word of advice. Be careful of what you ask for.

Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? Human reasoning, apart from God. And so they said to one another, let us select a leader and return to Egypt. You see what they're doing? It's a rebellion. Now only Caleb and Joshua supported taking the land. Look what they said. And they were faithful to God.

Their belief was profound. Verses 8 through 10, still, in Numbers 14. And here's what Joshua and Caleb said, verse 8. They said, If the Lord delights in us, if we please God, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. It seems they're trying best they can to be their brother's keeper. Do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread.

We're gonna eat them up. Their protection is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them. And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Next sentence is interesting, isn't it? Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tab of Nachal of Meaning before all the children of Israel. He's just shown up very obviously on the scene. God. God is stepping in. You see, God was ready to destroy all the people.

He was ready to destroy all the people at that point, and to make a new and greater nation through Moses. And so if you read on in that section, you'll see that Moses throws himself on the ground to God, and begs God to not do that. What would the enemies say? What would the Egyptians say about God? He led his people out to the desert to kill them. And so God relented, and instead, God in very great justice punished the complainers. Verse 29, 32, God declared, The carcasses of you who have complained against me shall fall in this wilderness.

They get what they asked for. All of you who are numbered according to your entire number from 20 years old and above. And so those who are 20 years old or above were going to die in the wilderness. They would never live to enter into the promised land. Except, verse 30, except for Caleb, the son of Jafuna, and Joshua, the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.

But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. Another thing we need to remember about God, God is long-suffering.

God is long-suffering, and He was most long-suffering toward the children of Israel. But we see there came a time. Outright defiance and rebellion towards God, God will not tolerate. He will not tolerate that, and that too is a lesson we need to take to heart. The older generation who boldly followed God out of Egypt and through the waters of the Red Sea, remember, they would never see their hope fulfilled, their hope of living in the Promised Land. You see, the children of Israel cannot let go and forget those things which were behind them.

They cannot let it go. They seemed incapable of pressing forward with God to their goal of the Promised Land. It seems that they could not understand that Egypt needed to be dead to them. Egypt needed to be dead to them, just as our life of sin needs to remain dead to us once we have committed our lives to repentance and service to God and Christ through baptism, through those waters of baptism.

Of course, the children of Israel didn't have the right heart. They didn't have the heart they needed to be faithful to God, to believe God, and to obey Him as they should have, as God wants us all to. But we do. If we have been baptized and had the laying on of hands and received God's Holy Spirit, we do have the right heart. We do have what is necessary to believe and to obey God, to be faithful to God. We do have faith in Christ and the faith of Christ, which is most utterly important to have.

We must have the faith of Christ, and we have it in us if we fully allow Christ to live in us through faith, in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, God's gift of His Holy Spirit poured out in us. We have the strength and faith of Christ to help us press forward to our goal. Our goal is salvation, salvation in the kingdom of God. But their example of unbelief and of wanting to return to slavery in Egypt, which becomes a type for sin, a lesson about sin, their unbelief and wanting to return to Egypt is a vital lesson that God wants His followers, Christ's followers, to pay attention to.

That we not take this account we've looked through, we've touched the surface on in Exodus and Numbers, that we don't take it lightly. It's just, oh, isn't that a nice story? Yep. God is just, yep, they got theirs from God. And then pat ourselves on the back, thinking, well, I'm glad I'm not like those children of Israel. That's not what it's to be. Theirs is a vital lesson that we as Christ's followers must not take lightly nor forget. And it's an important lesson related to the days of Unleavened Bread.

You see, God has called us out of this world. He's called us out of a world of in bondage to sin and death. And so we must remain faithful to stay out of that world, not to be, to, yes, we live in it, but we're not to be of it.

We must remain faithful to believe and follow Christ. We must not turn from God through our own unbelief and faithlessness, and so enter to fail our rest. That's the warning we find expressed in Hebrews chapter 3. Let's turn now to the New Testament. And see how God inspired the writers of the New Testament to help us understand these also vital lessons that are to be learned from the children of Israel when they crossed the Red Sea and when they were in the wilderness, in all their complaining.

Hebrews 3, verse 12 through 19, we'll be reading through. Hebrews 3, verse 12. Here the writer of Hebrews tells us, under inspiration of God, beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily while it is called today. Right now, we mustn't wait to a better day to do it. Why? Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. Now again, who is this writer talking to? He's talking to people who have been baptized, who have committed their lives to Christ, people who had received God's Holy Spirit. Yes, he's speaking to us, too. And so he says, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt led by Moses? Now with whom was he God angry for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?

And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who did not obey?

Yeah, it was them. So we see that they cannot enter in because of unbelief.

There's a lesson there for us. God did not allow that older generation to enter their rest, and he wants us, God wants us, not to make the same mistake.

Let's also look at Hebrews 4, verse 9 through 11. Similarly, God's people, those who have the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit, they have a place of rest to enter into God's kingdom, salvation.

And here we read Hebrews 4, verse 9. There remains therefore rest for the people of God.

For he who has entered his rest, God's rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, meaning we no longer work our own ways, our own self-centered ways. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, listening when fall according to the same example of disobedience, that example being of the children of Israel.

Also, let's turn to 1 Corinthians 10. 1 Corinthians 10. Again, here Paul elaborates the lesson God wants his people to know, followers of Christ to know.

Again, Paul then explains that we need to learn from Israel's example. 1 Corinthians 10, beginning verse 1. Paul says, brethren, moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud, and in the sea all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank that same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. Christ was intimately involved with the children of Israel at that time. But with most of them, God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. And so Paul's reminding us that God had delivered to them everything they needed. He'd given them everything they needed and when they needed it, even including his commandments, his law, and instruction, and how to practice and keep his way of life. And yet they rebelled. We've received similar instruction, the same instruction and more, today. And God held them, at that time, accountable for their unbelief and disobedience, and they never reached their rest. Do we want to reach our rest? That's the question. Do we want to reach salvation? You see, God holds each of us accountable, too. Continuing verse 6.

Now these things, those things that happened in history recorded, now these things became our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

And then Paul begins to list some of their problems, some of their sins.

And again, we have to be very careful, and I think we probably know this because we've been examining ourselves before the holy day, this holy season, and we continue to do that and should continue to do it always, but we've been evaluating ourselves. We've been reading things like this and we ask, am I doing that? Verse 7, it do not become idolaters as some of them. As it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. That seems related to that when they created that golden calf. Verse 8, nor let us commit sexual immorality as some of them did.

In one day, 23,000 fell. Nor let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted nor were destroyed by serpents, and nor complain. Now that's something. Now nor complain as some of them also complained and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages had come. This is for baptized people, baptized members of the body of Christ, the church.

Verse 12, and here's where we need to be humble, Paul writes, therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Again, we can think a lot of things that are rather delusional and not quite right. Be careful that we think and we know exactly where we stand with God.

So we must hold fast for our commitment to God made it baptism. We buried that old sinful self in that watery grave, and then arose, we arose to a new life of repentance, a life of repentance, and a life of serving Jesus Christ and serving God. Let's turn to Romans chapter 6, 3 through 4. Romans 6, 3 through 4. Again, this reference of our commitment, what we did at baptism, and what this crossing through the Red Sea, all these lessons we can draw today. Romans 6, verse 3 through 4. Paul again here, he writes, or do you not know, speaking to his brethren, do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death.

I know that voice. Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. That old way is to stay dead. This new way that we've committed ourselves to through baptism, it's to stay alive. We must press onward, living a new life of repentance, of faith, and Jesus Christ. And if we continue steadfast and faithfulness, what shall be the result? What shall be the outcome? We shall be resurrected at Christ's return in the likeness of his resurrection. Verse 5, continuing, for if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, and that we should no longer be slaves of sin. No longer slaves of sin, no longer living in the spiritual Egypt.

And so we cannot allow ourselves to return to that bondage. That way of sin must be dead to us. Verse 11, 13. And so then Paul writes, likewise you do also. Reckon yourselves to be dead, truly indeed, to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lust. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. That's how we're to be living.

And again, this is all possible. This newness of life is possible because of God, because of the amazing love of God, the amazing love of God, our Father, who willingly gave his Son, and Jesus Christ, the Son, who willingly suffered and died, so we might be forgiven for our sins, so that we might be freed from sin's penalty of death. Christ died, so we might receive that gift, God's gift, eternal life, and have this forever relationship with God and Christ, and with every other member of the body of Christ. Ultimately, God wants that to be a big family, don't you think?

He wants every human being to be a part of that family, billions and billions and quite possibly billions more that size. We're just the firstfruits in God's plan.

Christ living in us through God's Holy Spirit allows us to draw upon the faith of Christ, which we desperately need, in order to resist temptation to sin and to overcome and get rid of our foolish, stupid selves of our puffed up pride, our puffed up pride, and rebelliousness.

All that that we really hate about ourselves.

Now, in 1 Colossians, no, there's only one Colossians. In Colossians chapter 3, we touched upon Colossians 3 again. Paul in Colossians 3 gives us needful directions, needful instruction about the choices we need to be making. God just doesn't tell us do this, and then doesn't give us an idea of how, what to do. So we have instructions here in Colossians about how to keep living this new life in Christ, how to keep moving forward. And he's addressing, again, he's addressing those who have already committed their lives to God. Colossians 3 verse 1.

And so he writes, if then you were raised with Christ, you were raised with Christ, it's a reference to baptism, well then seek those things which are above, for Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. He's sitting at God's right hand as our high priest and Savior.

He's there for us to help us. Set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth.

For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory, referring to that time of the first fruits of the resurrection of Christ's return. Glorious, immortal spirit bodies. If Christ is living in us through God's Holy Spirit, we will be resurrected to that life. Now, until then, until that instant, what must we be doing? Battling sin, practicing repentance, serving God and Christ. And then, he lists in verse 5, Paul begins to list some of the sinful attitudes and ways that we need to guard against, that we need to put to death, to bury and be done with in our lives. Verse 5, therefore put to death your members which are on the earth. And here's, I'm sure, just a partial list. Fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry, putting something between us and God. Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

But we've left that behind, remember. But now you yourselves are to put off all these, and here's some more. Maybe we felt, well, we're pretty good at that part. I don't do any of those.

Well, there's always more to watch out for. Also put off all these. This is part of the sins we're to be putting off, this leavening that we're to be put off. Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language. Hope we're not telling dirty jokes or anything like that, or even letting ourselves listen to them anymore. Filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him. Now, I don't mean to pry, and you can answer this yourself. Which one of these things do we still struggle with? Because we're not perfect. We have not been totally transformed during the process of it, but we're not there yet.

There's a thing here that we need to be working on. Anything here we need to be putting to death.

It's good to know, because we must keep putting off these sinful things, some of these things, and listening to others. But it's also good to know that God and Christ are ever present to help us. They're with us. They're in us. They're there to help us. We simply have to ask them for their help.

It's that easy. We just have to humble ourselves, ask for forgiveness and strength to repent, and they will help us. Continuing in verse 10, you have put on the new man. He's talking to us.

You have put on the new man who's renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him. Where there is, continuing on, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised, nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

It doesn't matter who you're... all these things that the world says are important. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies. Here's what we put on. This is what we've been practicing and thinking of this week. Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering. Yeah, God was long... God is long suffering. Varying with one another and forgiving one another. If anyone has a complaint against one another... we've been hearing a lot about complaining. Even as Christ forgave you, you also must do. But above all these things, put on love, God's love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body. And just so Paul's sure not to forget anything, he adds, and be thankful. Be thankful. I don't know if you've noticed that, but the world today seems to have a really hard time being thankful in a really meaningful way. And we do not want that spirit to permeate our hearts and minds. We need to be thankful. You see, the children of Israel too often weren't thankful to God. They're too busy complaining about this or that or the other thing.

And so keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread reminds us to live out our new lives in Christ with this lifelong commitment to be replaced in our sinful ways with that righteous mindset, the attitudes and ways taught and exemplified and exemplified by Jesus Christ. We need to be more like Christ, our Savior. So then let me ask these three questions, and it's based on what we've been learning about God today. Remember, we're to become like God.

Remember, God is faithful, right? God is faithful. Will we remain faithful to God?

That's our part. God is faithful. Will we remain faithful to God?

We also rehearsed that God delivers His people. God delivers His people. The question for us is, will we keep believing that God delivers us? If we remain God's people, then we surely must. Will we keep believing that God delivers us?

Because we surely don't want to fall into doubt and begin to question that.

We also learned that God is long suffering. God is long suffering.

The question for us, then, will we keep trusting and looking toward God? Because in some ways, it seems we need to be very patient and waiting for God. Will we keep trusting and looking toward God? And so today, on the last day of Unleavened Bread, we've been reminded of our need to remain faithful and obedient to God. We must not be giving any thought or effort to returning to the world any life of sin to spiritual Egypt. We mustn't go back. I'd say we can't go back, but that would be a lie. We can go back if we're not careful, if we're not close to God. We mustn't go back. That way of life must remain dead to us. We must stay committed to putting on the righteousness of Christ, the unleavened bread of life, and we must press ever forward following Christ unto salvation in the kingdom of God. And if you turn with me to Philippians chapter 3, we'll read these words, these verses. Philippians 3, 12 through 14. Philippians 3, 12 through 14. I'd like to conclude with these words. Philippians 3, 12 through 14. And actually, I guess I'll just read Mark 13 and 14. Verse 13. Nothing wrong with 12. You can read that, too. But verse 13 through 14, the target I want to end with here. Paul writes, Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. He hasn't achieved that rest, that goal of kingdom. He's still alive. He still has miles to go before he rests. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Brethren, forward to the kingdom.