Articles
The Lion, the Lamb, and the Desert
It is amazing how the Bible is one consistent plan of God’s to save His people from sin. But Christ was not alive back in the Old Testament, so it is not as relevant to today, right? Jesus might not have been alive physically, but Jesus was in fact spiritually alive for the Israelites, despite them not realizing it. Not only does the Old Testament have prophecies of Christ like Isaiah 7:14, but 2 Timothy 3:16 explains, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” What then can the Old Testament teach people?
One of the biggest lessons the Old Testament has to offer is the failure to deal with the temptation of sin. Jesus was tempted by the devil in Matthew 4, by this people know that being tempted itself is not being sinful. Jesus exemplified the right way to handle temptation by turning to and focusing His heart on God. It is important to note that this can only be done by consistently immersing yourself in God’s word and by abiding with Him. Unlike Jesus, the Israelites responded to their temptations by pursuing them altogether.
After witnessing the power of God’s plagues in Egypt and God living among them as their guide, the Israelites still struggled to trust Him. When Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments, they turned their gold into an idol of false worship. In the land of the Midianites they welcomed the immorality that came with the worship to Baal. The Israelites became impatient of their trial in the wilderness and tested God’s promise to sustain them by calling the mana from Heaven worthless. They even tried to overthrow Moses with another leader named Korah in an attempt to return to Egypt in Numbers 16. The Hebrews cried out for signs and selfish demands time and time again while not appreciating the blessing that was already right in front of them. They had God dwelling among them! Signs and worldly comforts are not needed, but growing your faith in God so that you can trust Him as Jesus did is vital.
Trials can lead to some amazing blessings but only if there is trust and faith that God will get you through them. Revelations 5 mentions that Christ is the Lion of Judah. That same Lion guided His people out of Egypt and protected His people before, during, and after they made it to the promised land. That very same Lion who had done all these things for the Israelites, became the sacrificial Lamb to be slaughtered so that you can live eternally free from sin. Do you want to live as the Israelites who thought the terrors they faced in Egypt were as good as it gets? Or do you want to trust the Lion and the Lamb in the trials of the wilderness, where you will be guided and protected for a much greater reward than you can imagine?
Inspired by: Revelation 5; Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Corinthians 10:6-11; Exodus 32:4-6; Numbers 25:1-9; Numbers 21:5-6; Numerbs 16; James 1:12-15; 1 Corinthians 10:12-14; Hebrews 11:24-40; Jude 1:5; Exodus 13:21; Psalm 92; Acts 2:42-47
