The Walk

Let's begin today by putting ourselves there with the Israelites as they began to exit out of Egypt. If you were there, you would have headed out in the basic direction of East. And you would go forth, and probably what would have happened, and no doubt happened with many of the Israelites there, is that you would quickly begin to see that something didn't seem right.

As you were being led, you would take maybe some different directions and turns. But again, something didn't quite seem to be the direction that you should go. As you would begin to see a scene that was in front of you in a wilderness, and both would seem to have the result of keeping you in and preventing you from making it to the Promised Land, there would be no way this would be the direction to go if you were going to make it to the Promised Land.

And maybe as you followed Moses on that day, your human reasoning would be able to begin to kick in. This way would not be reasonable at all. Obviously, Moses is off course. I know God delivered us, but I don't know. Maybe he's not engaged now. Maybe he's not engaged with Moses. And so doubt would begin to shape, then, how you were following. Maybe you still would follow, but you found yourselves maybe working your way out to the outer edges.

As you're looking forward, you're looking back and shaking your head, certain that this was not the way to go, what a dangerous place to be in. What a dangerous place spiritually to find yourself in. And that would have certainly been the case again for many of the Israelites on that day, where the circumstances that they were facing as they exited out of Egypt would have no doubt caused extreme doubt in their minds and in their hearts.

We know that feeling in this journey of our life. Certainly, we can go through life, and the things that we think can cause that same doubt. It is so easy to find ourselves in a mental and spiritual position because of that difficult circumstances that's in front of you to cause you to have that doubt and to wonder if this is the direction you should go. But there is a key understanding to have in this journey that we are on, and that is, it is Jesus Christ and God the Father who often, if not in every circumstance, is allowing and even putting these things in front of us on this journey.

You see, the walk with God the Father and Jesus Christ is often found who are putting the Red Sea in front of us, the wilderness around us, and maybe even hundreds of chariots coming up quickly behind us. The challenge in the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt was not in getting them out. That was certain to happen. There was no doubt. Due to God's plan and His power, they were going to be delivered. The real challenge out of slavery began when they stepped, that first step, on that journey. And the same with us.

Deliverance was certain for us. You know, Jesus Christ's sacrifice and His rising up, it was predestined to occur. In fact, since the foundation of the world, that was never in question, just like Israel's deliverance out of Egypt was never in question. But the real question for you and I is just like the Israelites. When the gates have been opened, the real challenge is in our walk. And that's the title of today's message, the walk.

Turn with me to Deuteronomy 8 in verse 1, if you will. Deuteronomy 8 in verse 1. It's interesting to see here in this chapter in Deuteronomy 8, the totality of Israel's physical journey and out of bondage and the similarities in our spiritual journey as well. And it is an interesting perspective. What we find here in Deuteronomy 8 is when we come to this point, God would now allow the younger generation of the Israelites to enter into the physical promised land, but would not allow any of the older generations to enter in.

And this perspective that is being put forth here is vital because it's the surmising here of the walk that the fathers made now to this younger generation. And He's saying it to this younger generation, here is what you need to know. Here's what you need to know on this journey and on this walk. Such precious understanding for us out of our bondage. Let's start here. Deuteronomy 8 in verse 1. It says, And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness to humble you and to test you, to know what was in your heart.

Whether you would keep His commandments or not. Let's stop there. Why has God rescued us? Why? It's right here. It's just the walk. It is to humble us and test us so that He can know what is right here. What is in our heart. So He can truly know we have the heart needed and the character required so as to achieve the true freedom and so as to enter into the spiritual promise land. Verse 3. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, but that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.

Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. In other words, I gave you the basic needs of what you needed to continue to walk. Verse 5. You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the Lord your God chastens you. Let's stop there.

The Greek word here for chastens is yossar, and its primary meaning is to instruct. And so verse 5 here could read, you should know in your heart, you should know this in your heart, that as a man instructs his son, so the Lord your God instructs you.

Verse 6. Therefore you shall keep the commandments of your Lord your God to walk in His ways and to fear Him. Why? For the Lord your God is bringing you into good land, a land of brooks and water, of fountains and springs that flow out of valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity.

In which like nothing, a land whose stones are hard and out of these hills, you can dig copper. And when you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land in which He has given you. Verse 11. Beware, though. Beware. Beware you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, His statutes, which I command to you today.

Lest when you have eaten and are full and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them, and when your furs and your flocks multiply and your silver and your gold are multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, when your heart is lifted up and then you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage, who led you through that great and terrible wilderness in which there were fiery serpents, scorpions, thirsty land. There was no water who brought water out to pour you out of the flinty rock and fed you in the wilderness with manna. But your fathers did not know that He might humble you and that He might test you. Why? Why? To do you good in the end. Let's stop there. That is an amazing chapter, and it's really what it's all about.

This chapter captures the journey of God's people then. It captures the journey of all of God's chosen. You're an I-Journey today. It's clear, it's simple, it's profound, it's daunting, it's hopeful, challenging, rewarding. But what's at the core? What's at the core is clear. From the time they were rescued by the blood of that sacrificed lamb that they spread on their doorpost, from the time you and I have been rescued by the perfect sacrificial lamb in His blood, we should not allow anything. There should be nothing in life that should knock us off court. Of course, we have the understanding here.

Nothing should knock us off our course of our obedience to Him in this walk. Inspired from the Savior Himself, He has instructed us on building a relationship with Him and His Father through and by the means of obedience. And what is He saying here?

During the good times, during blessings of receiving beautiful houses, blocks, gold, silver, the times in which it seems like everything you have is multiplied, it is a test to see if you will continue to obey Him and His commandments.

When we are hungry, when we are thirsty, when there are fiery snakes, when there are scorpions in our life, it is a test to see if you will keep His commandments or not. Everything we face, everything that we face in this journey, in our walk, no matter what is put before us, the question is, will we still obey? This is the walk. Every day the Israelites were expected to face whatever was put before them in accordance to God's law and to leave all the leaven behind in Egypt and not bring it with them, but we know that they failed. And see if this sounds familiar. What we're going to see here is, despite experiencing the incredible deliverance by God, they allowed human reasoning, speculation, lack of faith, wrong attitudes, and other priorities to creep into their lives in such a short period of time after this incredible miracle of their deliverance.

We can certainly say and reevaluate our lives as well in that way. God is looking to see if they would have the faith in Him, a faith that would be shown in their obedience, no matter what was put before them. Go forward here to Exodus 15 and verse 22.

Exodus 15. Exodus 15 and verse 22 through 26. No matter what was put before them. It's plain and simple. Exodus 15. 22. No water. So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur, and they went three days into the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Morai, they could not drink the waters of Morai, for they were bitter. Therefore the name was called. And so the people complained against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? they said.

So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, and when he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet. And he made a statute in the ordinance with them. And there he tested them and said, If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep His statutes, I will put none of these diseases on you that I have brought onto the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you. He says, Okay, I want you to learn something from this scenario that I have placed before you of no water. I can see that in just this short period of time, you've already forgotten the deliverance. And insert your name here, insert my name here. I have delivered you, you know I will not leave you. All that I require is that you heed my voice. Go forward here, one chapter, Exodus 16, verse 2. No food! No food! Exodus 16, verse 2-4. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, Oh, if we had just died at the hands of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into the wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. When the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a certain parade each day, that I may test them. Whether they will walk in my law or not, their entire walk was a test of their obedience. Our entire walk is a test of our obedience. The whole thing, the whole thing, to see if the difficulties that are put before us will change, will change us in how we walk. And sometimes disobedience and that attitude can creep in so suddenly, where we get to the point where we have worked ourselves to the outer edges of the group, we may still be following, but there's doubt. Our heart's not fully in it. It can easily happen. But do we see the clarity here? In just a short fashion of these chapters, no water is supposed to happen. No food is supposed to happen. Fiery snakes, scorpions in our life are supposed to happen. It is part of his instructing. Why? To do us good in the end. That's his sole purpose for us. That is his will for us. That we make it to the end. All these things, the good, the bad, is for that end, that end result for each of us. It's part of our test and instruction and preparation to make sure, to ensure we get into the Promised Land. Don't let anything that comes before you in this physical life shake you off course. This is our expectation. This is what we know. So having those things that are put before us that are sometimes extremely challenging, we must let it produce in us a strengthening and a moving toward his law and obedience. Let's turn to Ezekiel 20 here. Ezekiel 20. God has some specific words and a response to us when we find ourselves walking on the outer fringe, on the outer edge of his way. Ezekiel 20, we'll read verse 5-8. I warn you, these are pretty tough words here. These are pretty tough words, but they're good for us to read and to hear. Ezekiel 20 verse 5. Say to them, Thus says the Lord God, The glory of all the lands.

Or did they forsake their idols of Egypt? So then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them and fulfill my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. Those are some harsh words Jesus Christ is using here. You can just feel the personal words here. As he's inspiring these words, I did this for you and I commanded you on what to do.

And you do it. You didn't do it. Very harsh words. But there's a reason. There is a reason for these strict words of obedience. There's a reason for the laying down of these consequences for failing to be obedient to his commandments. What we have to understand, we have to understand something about Jesus Christ. And that is that he has seen it all before. Christ has seen it first hand, what just a little bit of leaven can do.

He has seen the walk done in a way where doubt begins to creep in. He has seen the walk done in a way where remembrance of what God has done begins to fade. He has seen the walk done in a way where it begins on the fringes and then it turns into complete opposition to God. He has seen first hand the ultimate example of the incredible and unimaginable damage that sin can do. Let's turn to John 8, verse 37. Let's uncover here this understanding in what Jesus Christ has seen.

John 8, and why there is such a strong warning to the physical Israel and to spiritual Israel today, you and I. It's quite a remarkable passage here. John 8, and we're going to read verses 37 through 47. Jesus Christ has seen the power sin has and the damage it can do. John 8, verse 37. He says, I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. Verse 38, I speak what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have seen with your Father.

So stop right there. He's saying, my Father and I have seen the originator in the root cause as to why you are looking to murder me. We have seen it. Verse 38 again. I speak to what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have seen with your Father. And they answered to Him and said, Abraham is our Father.

And Jesus said to them, if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. Actually, you do the deeds of your Father. And they said to Him, we weren't born of fornication. We only have but one Father God.

And Jesus said to them, if you were, if God were your Father, you would love me. For I proceeded forth and came forth from God. Nor have I come of myself, but He who sent me.

Why do you not understand my speech? Because you're not able to listen to my word. Verse 44, the reality is, verse 44, you are of your Father, the devil. And the desires of your Father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand for truth, because there is no truth in Him.

When He speaks a lie, He speaks from His own resources, for He is a liar. And a Father of it. But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you can fix meat of sin?

And if I tell you the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God's words. Therefore, you do not hear, because you are not of God. Here, we get just the smallest glimpse, just the smallest glimpse in understanding as to why Jesus Christ is so adamant, why He is so direct with His instruction of obedience, and why He is so absolute with His warnings, with those whom He has chosen, who He has rescued out of slavery.

The key verse here is verse 38, when He says, I speak what I have seen. I speak what I have seen. So you remember when we know Him. Jesus Christ, as the Word, was with God since the beginning of time. What has He seen? What has He seen with His own eyes? Starting in verse 44, within these just few Scriptures, Christ is hearkening back to the time in which sin began. He says in verse 44, you are of your Father the devil, and the desires of your Father you want to do.

He was a murderer from the beginning. I can tell you that. He was a murderer from the beginning. That does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in Him. Christ was there from the very beginning, the beginning of all things, and He is now speaking about the development of a murderer, a murderer that now to the point where there is no truth that resides in Him.

You can almost see Him thinking back to that time in which He saw Lucifer. Maybe the first moment He is beginning to think about when Lucifer begins to doubt. Think back to that moment, maybe, when He saw Lucifer begin to work his way out on the outer edges of following God. And that first bit of leaven entered into Him. I'm sure. I'm almost confident. There was something put in front of Lucifer. A challenge, an obstacle, something that challenged Him. A circumstance was put in front of Him. Maybe a test. Have we thought about the fact that Jesus Christ was there to witness the very beginning of a once beautiful creature?

Who bore the name, shining light. Christ was there. The I AM was there. So if Christ was there from the very beginning to see that dark tragic transformation, this is the perspective in which He speaks of throughout the whole pages of the Bible. This is His perspective. Christ knows exactly what those beginnings look like. And He wants to give Israel and Abraham's descendants then and now this wisdom, this understanding of what to do to avoid that from occurring in our lives.

In a way, He says, let me warn you. If it took Him down, shining light, Lucifer, if it took Him down, you better believe it has the power to take you down. So listen to my words. Heed my words. They were carrying so much love and at that point they were carrying so much sin with Him.

They had been walking on the outer edges for so long, so many of them just could not hear His words anymore. But this is the question. This is what He's putting forth here. Whose Father do you belong to? How you're walking will show the characteristics of that. Whether you're walking in a way where it shows the characteristics as, Satan is your Father, or God is your Father.

The true God. It's a little bit disturbing to understand and to think about what Jesus Christ is saying here. But He's putting forth these words on purpose. Satan at one time followed God the Father just like you and I, but he had that sad, tragic transformation. And so He is going to do all that He can to prevent that from happening to us. We see that fact most clearly in none other than Moses himself.

Moses did incredible acts in God's name. He had an incredible walk. He represented God in an incredible way as He led the Israelites out of Egypt, leading their way out of slavery. But what we're going to see next here through Moses is an incredible example that no matter who you are, God is going to work with you. And Jesus Christ is going to work with you in a personal way to give you exactly what you need at just the right time to help you make it, to ultimately make it to the spiritual promised land. He's going to do everything He can to prevent what occurred to Satan. So turn with me to Numbers 20 and verse 7.

Numbers 20 and verse 7. Let me set the stage here with Moses. What we find here is the Israelites are at the end of their 40-year journey, and their voice of complaint rises once again, but this time to just deafening degrees.

And those complaints now here in Numbers 20, they begin to fill Moses' ears, and we're going to see how even Moses himself allows the leaven to begin to creep in and affect how he's walking, how he's following God and His commandments. Now here's the moment.

Here is the moment in which a disgrace occurs in his obedience to God.

And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, Here now, you rebels, must we bring water for you out of this rock? And Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice, boom, boom, with their rod. And water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, Because you did not believe me, to hallow me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I've given them. Let's stop there. Look at there, it says in verse 12, Because you did not believe in me, and what? Hallowed me. For following me, Moses, in their eyes. The children of Israel are looking at you to represent me. Which has the idea done now? For disobedience. Have you forgotten, Moses, that the I AM sent you? Have you forgotten that you represent me? How you walk not only affects you, but affects them.

You've disgraced me, you've disobeyed me in the eyes of Israel. And we all represent God. We all carry that sacred name in this walk. Our walk cannot disgrace Him. So God hands down this incredible punishment. I mean, it's absolutely incredible. Discrees Him that He will not now be allowed to enter into the Promised Land. Moses will not enter the Promised Land. Can you imagine Him hearing those words? I struck Him silent for quite some time. After all those years, after doing all those great things in God's name, leading them right up to the point, it's not going to be able to enter into the physical Promised Land. It's difficult to get your head around sometimes. I can remember thinking, I'm not sure if I can quite grasp this. I see the sin. Yes, I see the sin. I see the disobedience. What a steep punishment for seemingly this one moment. But I was finally able to get it. The punishment handed down by Jesus Christ was quite severe, but quite clear. Once you realize what the eyes of Jesus Christ have seen, He has seen a loss of a beautiful being and a third of His angels that started off in a small way, no doubt.

It's a small bit of leaven. You better believe that Jesus Christ was going to hand down a harsh consequence on Moses. Why? Because Jesus Christ loved Moses dearly. And Jesus Christ knew He needed to give Moses exactly what He needed. To give Him the best opportunity to change, to move from this hatred that had entered into His heart at that moment. Christ loved Him dearly. And He was going to do all He could at that moment to prevent Moses from turning and going down the path that Lucifer did. It worked. Moses turned from his disobedience. He released that anger. And He went on to prepare Joseph for new leadership to enter into the Promised Land, even though He knew He wasn't going to see it. And at His death, Scripture shows us that the Lord Himself buried Moses. It shows Him His love. After handing down this incredible punishment, the incredible love that Jesus Christ and our Father have for us, the Lord loved Him dearly and would do exactly what was in front of Moses. And if we put in front of Him, we would do Him best. We would give Him the best opportunity to make it into the spiritual Promised Land. Let's turn to Hebrews 11, verses 24-27. Hebrews 11. We're going to read here the totality of Moses' journey now surmised. It's quite profound to read these words. It's simple. There's profound simplicity here. Hebrews 11, in verse 24-27. Moses' journey surmised. Hebrews 11, verse 24. 8. Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's dog, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. For he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king. For he endured, as seen him who is invisible. Boy, we could all hope that that's our description, the description of our life, at the end of our journey. Forsaking all, choosing rather to suffer affliction, maybe. That's what God so chooses, because he could see. He could see past this physical journey. He knew what to expect. He knew the instruction from God. He knew these things. Words are maybe not something that we've read today that we're not aware of, but it is something that we should never forget. The immense privilege it is to even, first of all, be in this walk. So, the Scripture's here to say that we shouldn't allow life, life, to get us off course. We can be brim full of so many expectations, so many opportunities, so much potential we have in this journey. How sad it would be, how sad it would be if we allowed any circumstances put before us to prevent us from making it into the spiritual promised land. Individually, as a group, we should encourage one another as we go through times of thirst, encourage one another as we go through times of hunger, as we face fiery snakes and scorpions in our path. Encourage one another that the understanding of what's being given to us here is that those things are to be. They are the expectation in this physical life as we follow Jesus Christ and as He leads us. In conclusion, I'd like to finish with a passage. 1 Peter 1. Let's turn there. 1 Peter 1. We're going to read verses 1 through 9. 1 Peter 1, 1 through 9. I absolutely love this passage. The title in my Bible here in 1 Peter 1 here is, Greetings to the Elect Pilgrims. So Paul here is speaking to us and to all the pilgrims in this journey. It's absolutely beautiful here to finish with. It's a great summary of all that surmises our walk. 1 Peter 1 and verse 1.

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the Pilgrims. He mentions the Pilgrims that he's speaking to today, but the Pilgrims of Lotton, Oklahoma, here, 2 The Pilgrims of the elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, 3 in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. 4 Grace to you and peace be multiplied. 5 Blessed be the God of our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, 6 has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 7 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that does not fade away, 8 reserved in heaven for you, who kept the power of God through faith for salvation, 9 ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, all those thanks, 10 for though now, for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 10 so that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, 11 through it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory in the revelation of Jesus Christ, 12 who, having not seen you love. That's what they said about Moses. He loved that which was invisible.

13 Though now you do not see him yet believing, you rejoice with great, inexpressible, and full of glory, 14 receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Let's stop there. Ah! You know, we can expect struggles, if need be, if need be, to be put before us, because we can expect wonderful moments as well, if need be. That's what we can expect. Let's be grateful and thank God for both. Let's thank God for the opportunity to be in this walk. 15 Let's re-dedicate ourselves to His commandments, show our love to Him for His deliverance through and by the means of our obedience. Let's thank God in the good and the bad. Let's thank God for putting in our lives exactly what we need so that at the revelation of Jesus Christ we will receive the salvation of our soul.

Walk strong. Know whatever you face, whatever is put in front of you. Know that God loves you and know that He is putting whatever He can in front of you for the good land. The good land is coming.