I hope to
spend some time today to learn some valuable lessons from the Desert Kingdom of
Israelites.
This message
is a study of the desert journey of Israelites from Egypt to Canaan.
The intention
of this short study is not to present any fresh interpretations to the desert
life.
We are just re-reading
the history with an intention to learn some lessons from them.
We believe
that the Desert Kingdom offers some valuable lessons to those who live in the Inaugurated
Kingdom of God of the New Testament.
Kingdom of God
Kingdom of
God is a real Kingdom that will be established on the new earth.
There was
truly a Kingdom established on earth with Adam and Eve as its caretakers.
But humans
fell from the Grace of God by sin and lost the Kingdom.
Salvation is
a whole processes, which starts with the Born Again experience and fulfilled in
the resorted Kingdom.
A vision of a
new heaven and a new earth as the final abode of the blessed is described by
John in Revelation 21.
The present heaven
and the earth will pass away to be replaced by a new heaven and earth.
Kingdom of
God established on this earth, during the creation, was a province of Heaven.
It was
created by God, sustained and regulated by Him and given to the authority of
humans to maintain and guard it from the enemy.
Unfortunately,
humans lost it; but God has decided to restore it.
The promise
of restoration and God’s plan for the restoration is first revealed to Abraham.
All the
promises to Abraham was physical; he and his sons, really inherited it
physically.
But Abraham
had an understanding about the spiritual mystery behind everything.
Abraham was
well aware of God’s plan of restoration of the Kingdom.
So he
understood that all physical fulfilment is a type for the spiritual fulfilment
that has to come.
He waited
eagerly “for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Hebrews 11:10)
As God
appeared again and again to Abraham and reminded him of His promise of a son,
God manifested on earth, different aspects of the Kingdom, at different
historical periods.
God is
reminding us of His promise to restore the Kingdom of God.
The
restoration processes of the Kingdom has three stages:
1.
Promised
Kingdom in the Old Testament
2.
Inaugurated
Kingdom in the New Testament
3.
Fulfilled
Kingdom in the eternity
Jesus started
His ministry on earth by declaring, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand." (Matthew 4:17).
When Jesus
inaugurated the Kingdom, the restoration processes entered the second stage.
The New
Testament church is sliced in between the Promised Kingdom and the Fulfilled
Kingdom.
The Kingdom
is “now and not yet”, for us.
We are living
in the Kingdom promised to the Old Testament saints, enjoying partially the
blessings of the “Fulfilled Kingdom”.
One of the
great manifestation of the Kingdom was the “Desert
Kingdom”.
By “Desert
Kingdom”, we mean the Kingdom proclaimed by God and lived by the Israelites in
the desert, during the great freedom rally.
The long way
Let us start
the study with the question, why God directed the Israelites through the
desert?
Exodus
13: 17, 18
17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the
people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines,
although that was near; for God said, "Lest perhaps the people change
their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt."
18 So God led the people around by way of the
wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks
out of the land of Egypt. (NKJV)
There were
two ways from Egypt to Canaan.
The shortest
and most direct route from Egypt to Palestine was the usual caravan road that went
through the Belbeis, El-Arish, Ascalon, through the land of
Philistines and finally reach Gaza, the south
of Canaan.
It was only, four
or five days' journey.
Philistines
would never favor Israel, a slavish and nomadic people, and thus to incur the
displeasure of Egypt, the strongest and richest nation in that area.
So it was
sure that they would stop the journey of Israelites from the slavery of Egypt.
So there is a
possibility of war; God did not want the people to face a war.
Their long
slavery had so degraded their minds that Israelites were incapable of a war.
By this
mental degradation, an infallible consequence of slavery, they have become
cowards.
That is the
reason for their many dastardly acts, murmurings, and re-pining for the
comforts of Egypt.
The
Israelites might have changed their mind if they encountered war, and returned
to Egypt.
So God lead
them through the longer route, the wilderness.
One lesson we
learn here is that, the shortest way is not always the best way.
If God leads
not His people through the nearest way, He leads them through the best way.
God’s
magnificent intention will appear at the end of the journey; so judge nothing
before God’s time.
Amalekites
Israelites
were guided through a longer route, away from the Philistines.
But this does
not mean that there were no war in the desert.
While
Israelites were in the valley of Rephidim,
Amalekites fought against them. (Exodus 17:8-13)
What is the hidden message in the story of Amalekites and the war
against Israelites?
The Israelites seemed invincible as they came out of Egypt after the ten
plagues, and crossing the Red Sea.
They expected no war in the desert.
But the Amalekites attacked them.
Though Israelites were victorious in the war with the Amalekites, their
aura of security was shattered.
After the victory of the Israelites over the Amalekites in the war,
God declares a permanent enmity between them.
Deuteronomy 25:17 - 19
17 "Remember what Amalek
did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt,
18 "how he met you on the
way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you
were tired and weary; and he did not fear God.
19 "Therefore it shall be,
when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the
land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that
you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not
forget. (NKJV)
Amalekites were the descendants of Amalek, the son of Eliphaz and his concubine Timna.
Eliphaz was the grandson of Esau, the
patriarch Jacob’s brother.
That means Amalekites
were related to Israel through their patriarch Jacob and his brother Esau.
They were Israelites
corporal brothers; they were Israel’s flesh and blood.
They were the first to attack Israelites on their way.
Their intention was to plunder and destroy the rising nation of
Israel.
And God declares a constant enmity between His people and the
Amalekites until their memory is blotted out from the earth.
The identity of Amalekites has
been lost over the millennia.
The command to destroy Amalekites as
a people group, cannot be fulfilled today.
However, the command to remember Amalekites is still valid in the
spiritual realms.
Amalekites are our flesh and its
desires, that fight against our journey towards the Fulfilled Kingdom of God.
The Desert
Kingdom is not a war free area, until the Amalekites or the desires of our
flesh are blotted out.
The Desert
Desert is a no man’s land.
No humans,
except for some plundering desert tribe in rare oasis live there.
Usually, no
humans built cities or nations in the desert.
No nation is
interested to conquer a desert and add it to their nation.
Desert has no
boundaries, no citizens, no laws and no king.
Desert is not
a nation.
But No man’s land is God’s land.
The whole
earth, the fertile and unfertile land, the rivers and seas, the hills and
mountains, the sky and stars, everything belongs to God.
Everything is
under His authority and ownership.
So the desert
is God’s land.
The route
through the land of Philistines was short and more comfortable.
But the human
nation on the land would not allow God’s people to pass by.
They would
deny permission and stop them by war.
So God chose
God’s own land, the desert which belongs to no nation.
As we have
discussed before, we the New Testament believers are now living in the Inaugurated
Kingdom.
We are in a
Kingdom which belongs to no humans; the authority and owner is God.
The Kingdom
of God belongs to God and no human can stop us living in it.
As it is said
in Ephesians 2: 5 and 6, spiritually, we are already seated by the
side of the risen Jesus Christ in heaven.
That is why
the Bible reminds us that we live on this earth as strangers and foreigners.
So we are
living in a desert, a no man’s land, in the Kingdom that belongs to God.
Desert offers nothing.
Desert is
barren dry land which has nothing to offer to a traveler.
Hot and dry
sand in the front and back, dry sand in the left and right, burning sun above
the head and burning sand below the feet.
This is a
desert.
Earthly
valuables are worthless in a desert; honors and glory are meaningless; special
talents and abilities are useless; health is not wealth in the desert.
The only
valuable and meaningful thing in the desert is God’s Grace.
Desert offers
no food; no water; no clothes; no health; no roof above the head and no shoes
under the feet.
Desert is
barren and lifeless; it is no place for living.
Desert is
lifeless.
But
Israelites had everything they needed.
They had
food, water, clothes, health, roof and shoes.
They enjoyed
abundant life, in the lifeless desert.
Israelites
enjoyed the heavenly food, drank from the cleft rock that followed them, God took
sickness away from them (Exodus 23:25);
God provided the pillar of clouds above their head and their shoes did not torn
out.
Psalm
105: 39
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to
give light in the night.
40 The people asked, and He brought quail, And
satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; It
ran in the dry places like a river. (NKJV)
Deuteronomy 29:5 "And I
have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on
you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet. (NKJV)
The desert provided nothing; the desert had nothing to provide to God’s
chosen people.
God provided everything and all.
No way in the desert
The first thing that might have struck the Israelites, as they entered
the desert, would have been the fact that there was no way in the desert.
They knew no path to follow and they had never travelled through this
way before.
But that was not a disadvantage, rather the blessing of the journey.
Desert offers no way for any man; desert is not a path to a destiny.
Only those who are well experienced with the desert can travel through
it.
And we know that the Israelites have been in Egypt living in slavery for
more than 400 years.
They were inexperienced for long journey, especially a journey through a
vast desert.
So the wilderness was not a way to Canaan for them.
Israelites have heard about their destiny, but none has been there
before.
They needed a guide to show them the path to go; but they had none other
than Moses.
Moses knew
the way out of Egypt; but in the desert they needed a better guide.
And God posed
before them as a very good guide, who was infinitely wise, kind, and faithful.
God became their guide and their path.
God appeared to them and led them through the desert in the cloud and
fire. (Psalm 78:14)
Total Dependency
What do you surmise from the discussion so far we have made about the
Desert Kingdom?
Kingdom living is a life of total dependency on God.
We cannot eat, drink, clothe, walk and sleep without God’s provision.
Our food and water belong to God; garments and shoes belong to God; the
roof above our head, the warmth and light and everything belong to God.
We have nothing of our own in this life.
We have no way to go, no work of our own to do, no words of our own to
speak.
We walk, speak and work as our God commands only.
If God ever takes away His guidance, we die in this desert.
An Inaugurated Kingdom of God is not a spectacular show of wealth and
power.
It is a total dependence on God.
It is a proclamation of how God provides every need of a citizen of
heaven.
Healing is God’s provision; food is God’s provision; wealth is God’s
provision; family is God’s provision and all spiritual gifts are God’s
provisions only.
Here we live like a free slave of the Middle East during the Old
Testament times and the first century.
There were cruel masters and unfaithful rebellious slaves.
There were loving masters and faithful slaves; but slaves with no
freedom.
There were loving masters and faithful slaves with freedom.
There were “free slaves”, who were happy to be the slave of the master.
The master was so loving that he gave the slave freedom to do his own
farming and business.
The slave was free to live with his family, with his wife and children.
The slave could make money and become wealthy.
But everything was under the Lordship of the Master.
If the Master asks, the slave has to give everything back to him.
The Lordship was protection for the slave; the lordship of the master
reminded the slave that everything he possessed and enjoyed belong to the
master.
He was only a faithful steward who had freedom to enjoy all blessings
from the master.
Kingdom Living is a life under the Lordship of our Master, Jesus Christ.
Everything we possess belong to Him, we are only stewards of it.
A faithful steward will be rewarded and an unfaithful will be thrown
into the darkest pit.
Kingdom Laws
It was God’s desire to establish a nation on this earth, who worshipped
Jehovah, the Lord alone.
There were many nations on earth that worshiped gentile gods.
But God’s people are different; they are the only nation who worshiped
Jehovah the Lord and Him alone.
God planned to declare the official formation of this special nation on
Mt. Sinai.
So the people came to the desert valley of Sinai.
For the
formation of a Kingdom, laws must be given, ordinances instituted, covenants
sealed, and the contract ratified.
This was the
plan of God which He revealed to Moses when He called him at Sinai.
Exodus 3:12 So He said, "I will
certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you:
When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God
on this mountain." (NKJV)
The word “serve”
in Hebrew is: abad (aw-bad)
The meaning
is: to work or serve, enslave, keep in bondage, be bondmen,
bond-service, to become servant, worshipper.
This was not a
sign to the Israelites in Egypt to believe that God has called Moses.
It is a
prophecy and an instruction to Moses that during their return from Egypt they
should come to this mountain, and enter into a special relationship with God.
As Moses
received his calling here, the Israelites received the Ten Commandments and the
Laws of the Kingdom, here in the same place.
God
proposed a covenant relationship with the people.
The
Kingdom of God would be established with a covenant. (Exodus 24)
The
covenant will be after the manner of the suzerain treaty that existed among
men.
God,
the higher authority would initiate and proclaim the details of the covenant.
Israelites
are free to accept or reject.
If
they accept, the covenant will be signed by shedding the blood of an animal and
by a feast that follows with the meat of the animal.
The
Ten Commandments and the Laws of the covenant were written on stone tablets,
first by God Himself and afterwards by Moses.
Moses
brought the tablets down to the valley, read to the crowd and the people said,
“Amen”.
An
animal was killed, the covenant was sealed by the blood and a covenant meal
followed.
In
Exodus 24, God invites 75 leaders of
Israel into His presence.
They
went up the mountain, ate and drank the covenant meal, at the presence of God.
This
is the final act of ratification.
For
the New Testament believers, the bread and wine serve as a physical reminder of
the New Covenant.
It
reaffirms the covenant relationship between God and His people.
That
is what Jesus said during the Last Supper.
Luke
22:20 “Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This
cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” (NKJV)
The
New covenant restores what the Mosaic Covenant promised to the Israel.
The
meal at Mt. Sinai and the Lords Supper in the New Testament Church, both
indicate that a covenant is ratified and the people of God’s Kingdom are under
a covenant relationship.
The
sole intention of the Mosaic Covenant is expressed in the following verse:
Exodus 19: 5, 6
5 'Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My
voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a
special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.
6 'And
you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a
holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the
children of Israel." (NKJV)
And
the New Covenant has made us royal priests to God.
1
Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you
may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light; (NKJV)
The
Desert Kingdom was a type of the Inaugurated Kingdom.
The
Old Covenant had Laws as strings attached to the blessed relationship.
The
New Covenant also is not free from Laws.
The
Sermon on the Mount, narrated in Matthew, chapter 5 to 7 is the manifesto of the Inaugurated Kingdom.
The
difference is that, the Old Covenant prescribed Laws of works and the New
Covenant takes us to the heart of the Law giver demanding our attitude.
The
Mosaic Law does not go void but goes deeper in the New Covenant.
Kingdom
Living is a covenantal living under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
Do not miss the destiny
Let
us learn one more lesson from the desert Kingdom, before we close this short
message.
Israelites
were living in the comfort zone of the Desert Kingdom where there were no
reason to worry about.
They
have signed a covenant with the Heavenly King.
A
blessed tomorrow is assured.
They
were safely marching towards the Promised Land.
But,
unfortunately, things went wrong at many times.
The
comfort of the Desert Kingdom was shaken more than once.
People
wandered in the desert and died there without even a sight of the Promised
Land.
Even
their leader Moses died before the final march.
They
ate the bread from heaven, drank water from the cleft rock, did not wander away
from the roof of the cloud and did not go back to Egypt.
Still
many of them perished in the desert. (1 Corinthians
10: 1 – 5)
This is a warning to the
New Testament Kingdom.
Hebrews 3:
12 - 14
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you
an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 but
exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you
be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For
we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast
to the end, (NKJV)
We are exhorted to learn
from the failure of Israelites in the Desert Kingdom.
Israelites failed because
of an evil heart of unbelief; by hardening through the deceitfulness of sin.
As a result, they departed
from the living God.
And because of their
rebellion, they fell short of the promised rest in Canaan.
Of all those over the age
of twenty when they left Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised
Land.
All the rest, of which
there were 6,03,548 men, died in the wilderness.
This can happen to the
New Testament believers also.
The Inaugurated Kingdom
is a desert where we are tested for our faith in Jesus.
If we ever harden our
heart with unbelief, there is a chance of departing from the living God.
So we are warned to hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the
end.
Our destiny is not the
desert; not manna and water; not clothes and shoes.
Our destiny is the rest
in the Promised Land.
Let me cut short here.
May God bless you and
help you to lead a faithful Kingdom Living in this age of Inaugurated Kingdom
of God. Amen!
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