illustrate

I love the Old Testament (OT) for it gives such vivid pictures of physical things that illustrate and explain the great spiritual truths found in the New Testament (NT).  I will give two well known examples:

….1….In Numbers 21 we hear the story of the Jews grumbling against GOD again and GOD sending poisonous snakes among the people.  If a snake bit someone that person would die.  They cried out to Moses and Moses cried out to GOD and GOD had Moses make a bronze snake and put it on a pole and lift it high enough so that the million + Jews could see it.  If one was bit by a snake all he had to do was look to the bronze snake on the pole and he would be healed but if he chose not to look at the snake he would die. It was his choice.

JESUS  said John 3:14-18 that OT story was a picture of JESUS on the cross bearing all the sins of the world… if any person sinned (and there is none who do not sin) and he looked to JESUS (believing that JESUS died for him)… his sins would be forgiven and he would be given (among other things) eternal life; if on the other  hand he refused to look to JESUS he would die in his sin.  It is each person’s choice whether to look to JESUS for deliverance or not.

….2...Now in OT we see at the beginning GOD spent 6 days creating and on the 7^th  day HE took a day off.  Later when HE gave the Jews the law HE said, 6 days you shall labor but on the 7^th you should do no work Leviticus 23:3; you need to rest. It was called the Sabbath.   According to Isaiah 58:13,14a on that day you didn’t do what you wanted to do, you didn’t do things your own way, you didn’t go where you wanted to go and you didn’t even speak your own words and as a result you would find delight in the LORD. 

When the word Sabbath (sounds like Hebrew word for rest) was plural (Sabbaths) it didn’t speak just about the 7^th day it spoke of the 7 Jewish feasts  Leviticus 23:1-44 .  (there was also a Sabbath for planting:  6 years you could plant but the 7^th you had to let the soil rest Leviticus 25:1-6 because the Jewish broke the Sabbath for the land they were eventually exiled so the land could rest for an accumulation of years that it was not allowed to rest). 

JESUS tells us this the 7^th day rest was made for man for he needed a day to regroup and to refresh and to focus on GOD… the 7^th day for the land was for the same reason.  These are valid things.

However, in the New Testament (NT) we are shown the spiritual aspect (or real meaning) of the Sabbath- (that Hebrew word for rest)… Matthew 11:29,30  Come unto ME all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take MY yoke upon you (do things with ME- MY way as in Isaiah 58:13,14) and learn of ME for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest in your souls.  We find our rest in JESUS, We are with HIM in all that we do.  HE leads us direction, fights our battles for us, using us to do HIS will and provides for us.  We co labor with HIM…

Hebrews 4:1,2 Therefore let us fear lest, while a promise remains of entering HIS rest any one of you should seem to come short of it. For we all had the good news preached to us, just as they did but it didn’t profit them because it was not mixed with faith. (Context shows us they are speaking of the Jews who left Egypt refusing to go into the promise land because they didn’t trust GOD to fight their battles or to provide for them) 3 But we who have believed ( in JESUS) have entered into that rest…(believing ) GOD’s works have been finished (literally came into being) from the foundation of the World. 4 for HE has spoken about the 7^th day (Sabbath) in these words, And on the 7^th day GOD rested from all HIS work.

The NT Sabbath is our resting from all our own efforts and submitting to GOD.  As JESUS never said a word or did a thing without 1^st getting instructions from FATHER GOD John 8:28, we too are called to be living sacrifices Romans 12:1,2 daily (not one day a week) having our mind renewed; not saying our own words, or going our own way or finding our own pleasures.

Romans 7:6 But we are delivered from the (OT) law wherein we were held, that we should serve in the newness of the SPIRIT and not the oldness of the letter.

2 Corinthians 3:7 but the ministry, in letters engraved on stones  (OT law written by the hand of GOD) 3:9 is the ministry of condemnation

2 Corinthians 3:8 the ministry of the Spirit (being led by the SPIRIT) is :3:9 the ministry of righteousness.

Galatians 3:2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the SPIRIT by the works of the Law or by the hearing with faith?... 3:3 Are you so foolish?  Having begun by the SPIRIT, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

            hmmmmm   

Hugs

Sharon