THE PROMISED LAND

THE JOURNEY OF YOUR LIFE

 © Carlos Padilla, November 2013

The Promised Land, the land of Canaan, the land to which Abraham was sent by God, and that latter Israel would receive when they returned from Egypt when they were made free from slavery, in a prodigal way by Moses, the God sent. The virtues of this land and God's promise over it included many and great blessings for the believer, and for the people of God. This way we find that being in the Promised Land is a state of grace and blessing that God provides those who love Him.

In the spiritual sense we find that, symbolically, the Promised Land is precisely that state of grace that God gives us when we believe in Him, when we love Him with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our might. This way we find that it would not be Moses, but Joshua who would conquer the Promised Land. At this point, there is a contrast with respect that it is God who gives us the land, as we see that it is a conquest. The answer is that we must fight to conquer it, but God gives us His strategy, His protection and His provision to win it with His favour.

Joshua precisely shows us all the steps of the conquest in the book of his name, the first one after the Pentateuch in the Old Testament. But those steps have a symbolic meaning, together with those that Moses followed to take Israel out of Egypt, which, if we follow them in our lives we can enter into our Promised Land, wherever we are, in that state of grace that God promises and provides that we might conquer it.

But there isn't only one Promised Land, as a state of grace of God, nor only one historical Promised Land, like the conquest that Joshua achieved. There are also other promised lands before us, and of the future, not only physical but spiritual. Conquests that we will take forth with the help of God, if we do it His way, following His Commandments. The souls of our neighbour are Promised Land, and this is the mission of preaching the Gospel. And also the Kingdom of God is the future and eternal Promised Land, to which we will enter through the salvation of Jesus Christ on the Cross, living a holy life, a life with the purpose of the greatest of all commands: God's love, and the second, the love for our neighbour, Mark 12:30-31. If we walk with Christ according to John 15:7, we have access to the Father, the final Promised Land, the heart of God.

Before entering the Promised Land, whether in this life, whether in the spiritual region or in eternity, many believers that came out of slavery, are still going rounds in the desert instead of heading to the entrance place at the shore of the Jordan, to the river that they will have to cross. If they cannot find the way is doe to not being obedient to God, they still murmur against Him, still complain on everything and have not their eyes on God, but on themselves. This is the story of the people of Israel when they came out of Egypt during 40 years through the desert, a journey that could have been done, comfortably in four weeks and walk 400km north, went 400km south, to Sinai, and wandered 40 years, until God kept only the new generation which's hart was not inclined to the gods and traditions of Egypt. This story is also a parable for all people, for every person that is still wandering in his mind instead of following God in Christ Yahshua.

JOURNEY THROUGH THE DESERT TO THE PROMISED LAND

Starting the fourth book of the Pentateuch called "Numbers" –focused on God's direction– the journey continues from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea. Moses receives the instruction of numbering the people by their tribes, by their camps, about 600.000 men. Yahweh sends quails for the journey, but Mary and Aaron murmuring against Moses. The people is defeated in Horma because Israel sins against God. Moses intercedes again before the wrath of God for the sin of his people, but this generation will die in the desert in which they would wander 40 years for their rebellion. They return to Kadesh Barnea where Mary dies, Nm 20:1. How many times do believers murmuring against their pastors, even if they are obeying God? How many times brothers sin against brothers or pastors in the Church? God knows it all.

The people complained again of thirst making Moses sin against God loosing his patience hitting the roc twice to spring water, and this way assumed the power to himself, instead of obeying God and talking to the rock. Aaron dies after participating in this sin with his brother, therefore Aaron would not enter into the Promised Land. Israel sins again and God sent fiery serpents that killed many of the people, receiving command to make one of bronze so that the people would be forgiven when they looked to it, Nm 21:9. Moses receives the instruction for share out the Promised Land. The "Rock" is Christ, there is no need to hit Christ crucified, which those who scattered Him did, He gave himself to death to give us life, for God's Law punishes the sinner, and Christ made himself sin for our sake, reason for which Moses -symbol of the Law- hits the rock. Moses cannot enter the state of grace in the Promised Land in this life, like the Law is no longer needed in the Kingdom of God, because the love that comes from God is superior to the Law.

At this point Moses designates Joshua as his successor in command of Yahweh, which is announced to the people. Sadly Moses receives the news that he will not enter into the Promised Land, but exhorts the people to obedience and recapitulates the promulgation of the Law. The Great Commandment of Deuteronomy 6 the famous prayer "Shema" that every Jew learns. Moses can contemplate the Promised Land from Nebo Mont, after his song, leaving Israel before crossing the Jordan.

FAREWELL AND FINAL BLESSING TO THE PEOPLE. DEATH OF MOSES

Deuteronomy 33 presents Moses blessing to the twelve tribes of Israel. After this solemn event, of great importance for Israel before his imminent entrance to the Promised Land, Moses climes mount Nebo, to the top of the Pisgah across from Jericho -the first city that Joshua would take when crossing the Jordan- and Yahweh showed Moses the Promised Land, saying: "...This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants." Dt 34. And he died there, when he was one hundred and twenty year old, and his eyes were not dim nor his natural vigour diminished, and was buried by the Lord Himself in the valley of Moab, where no one knows his grave to this day. Israel wept for Moses thirty days.

Joshua was then full of the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid hands on him. Since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses that did all the wonders that he did by the hand of Yahweh before Israel. However, even though all he did, it would have to be someone else, Joshua, who would lead the conquest of the Holy Land, starting by crossing to the other side of the Jordan while the waters of the Jordan stopped so that the Arch of the Covenant would cross, carried by the priests, and all the people after it. The same way in our lives we must carry with us, in our heart, in the inner temple, the Arch, a personal relationship with God to enter in the state of grace that God gives in our Promised Land, living the live with purpose and blessing that God wants for us, a life that will makes us feel realized and in plenitude.

The strategy before conquering the new situation is to prepare in prayer, to be very courageous, to have much faith and obey God, Joshua 1. To study the new situation well and what it needs, like Joshua sent spies to Jericho, Joshua 2. And to cross the Jordan following the Arch, Joshua 3. The remembrance of the monument of twelve stones from the Jordan to remember passing from the old life to the new life in the promise of God, Joshua 4. Chapter 5 of Joshua talks of circumcision, for the new generation had not been circumcised in the desert. This way we find the symbol of which Jesus Christ Yahshua tells us about the circumcision of the heart, in spirit so that we may love one another. Joshua meets the angle prince of the armies of Yahweh, with the sword drawn, and we find again repeated the situation that Moses lived in the burning bush: "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy". The taking of Jericho occurs after, with the assurance of having the Lord by his side and his people.

These experienced of Moses and of Joshua, are corroborated by Jesus Christ in our lives, for all those steps are needed for the success of our life by God, for it is Him self who fights with us and Who grants us victory of a life guided by His hand.

MOSES AND CHRIST - THE DELIVERER OF SLAVERY

As we saw before, slavery can be physical under a tyrant, or can be to sin, something from what we all must be set free, and of what we cannot free ourselves. But lets see the Christological symbolism of the life of Moses in many events of the life of both of them. Both to Moses as to Jesus, the kings that ruled when they were born tried to kill them. Both rejected a kingdom on earth. Both were rejected by their brothers. Both were leaders over Israel, and to both the seas obeyed. Moses was the great deliverer of Israel, and Christ is the great saviour of humanity. The delivery from slavery symbolizes the delivery from sin. Moses received the revelation of the name of the Lord, the great I Am, and Christ declared: "I Am..." Yahweh spoke to Moses, and Christ speaks to us, the Church, would talk to it in the tabernacle, while Christ talks of the Temple of His body, Exodus 19:18 and John 2:19. The 40 years in the desert and the 40 dais of solitude of Moses, and the 40 dais in the desert of Christ. The serpent of bronze and Christ on the Cross to whom we will look for the forgiveness of our sins, Nm 21:9 and John 3:14-15. The sermons of Moses and those of Christ, with the mission of showing that God seeks our heart, because salvation is not far from it, because He wants to give us Promised Land of the Kingdom of God.

Moses appears again in the New Testament named by Jesus Christ and by the apostles, but it is in the transfiguration where we see him again alive next to Elijah and Yahshua himself. Jesus mentions Moses constantly in his ministry to make reference to the mandates of the Law, Luke 24:27, John 5:46, but not only for this reason, but to explain the depth of God's teaching, and how far He wants us to understand, to live in the Spirit. In the case of the adulterer woman, Mark 10:4. Paul, as a master of the Pharisees in the Law of Moses, uses it to teach that through it we are all baptized in it, so that in Christ we may find forgiveness of sin of which the Law condemns us, in 1Corinthians 10:2. Also teaches that when Moses is read there is a veil that does not allow to see the Spirit of the Word until we receive Yahshua, in 2Co 3:15. Hebrews 11:23 reminds us the providential way of keeping Moses alive, mentioned again by John in Revelation 15:3 about the song of Moses and of the Lamb.

The transfiguration is the event where we see Moses next to Elijah and Jesus on the mount, most assuredly in one of the hills of the Hermon, talking about His departure, that Jesus was going to fulfil in Jerusalem, Luke 9:31. This deed opens the door to see how Moses represents the Law, the same way that Elijah represents the prophets, the two figures most recognized as such by in the Jewish world, and that will also be to the Church, alive next to Yahshua. However the voice of the Father brakes through so that the apostles, and through that event, us, will hear the voice of the Son, who is superior to Moses and to Elijah, Who gives the profound interpretation of the Law, Who fulfils it, Who is the Word of God alive, and Who fulfils all the prophecies about the Messiah who was to come to the world, as for the Jews as for the Gentiles their Saviour and who introduces into the Promised Land of our lives, and of the eternal live, because He said: "I am the Door; if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved" John 10:9.

CONCLUSION

The Promised Land is the long of every believer, but one has to be courageous to come out of slavery and follow God through the desert leaving behind all that we know, to what we are used to, and have the determination to conquer it as Joshua had, and that Abraham had when God told him: "Get out of your country, and of your family, and from your father's house, onto the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and will curse those who curse you; and in you all families of the earth shall be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3.

On his part, Moses, the deliverer of slavery has left a legacy that prevails till today. The Pentateuch, the five books of Moses. We could not imagine the Bible without Genesis nor without Exodus, but the five books are part of the foundations of the history of humanity, of creation, of the moral law, and of religion. He legated the God' Law, the one that began with the 10 Commandments and was completed up to the 613 commandments and ordinances, the constitution of the nation of Israel, the moral guide of life, the guide of holy days of Yahweh, and the institution of the religion for expiation and forgiveness of sins.

The Law is an instrument useful so that every man, of every nation and tong can understand that before the highest moral of God, that our own, we are condemned to death. But that God is good and merciful to forgive, sending His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, who would fulfil the Law for us, carrying our sin to the cross in our place. Resurrection is the final proof that work of the deliverer that Moses announced, and is the entrance to the Kingdom of God for eternity, with the exception of those who will be alive with Yahshua returns and are taken to heaven while He descends, Revelation 1:7 and 1Thesalonians 4:17.

As leader of his people he teaches that even as we live in the world under the temptations of sin, even if we could have a kingdom, justice and mercy are greater, they are a responsibility that will touch our heart, when we are called by God, like Moses. That we all face deserts that the Lord might prepare us, once God has called us -as Moses was- so that our character is refined as an instruments of honour in His hands. That with faith, even though our limitations, God will prepare us so that we can take forward the calling that He gives us in life. Moses teaches that God does miracles, great events, and that every believer will get to see the supernatural way that God acts in our life. It also teaches in the story of Moses, how our own family, our brothers in the faith and our nation fail, they reject and confront us for being disciples of Christ, children of the covenant with the "fathers", but also how will allow us to win those who are God's, and how through our transformed lives through His power, they will receive faith.

Moses was privileged for he received the revelation of the name of "Yahweh" because God had not revealed it to the patriarchs. Moses is an entire school for the leaders of the Church and for the Church itself, about patience and mercy, about punishment of God and about forgiving those who repent. His life, together with Joshua's to the Promised Land is also a story of hope for the great achievements of our lives, it equips us with vision of strategy of prayer, and of obedience to God who will provide to cross the deserts of life, and to take us to conquer those promised lands of our lives for the glory of God. And last, the Law or God will always be a remembrance of the justice of God, of how God's Law will always be there so that everyone may come to repentance, and we can use his moral to preach the Gospel. Like he who took the people to the Promised Land, at the end appears in the transfiguration, we will be raised or raptured with Christ if we fight to conquer the promised land of our life, and we will do next to Moses, to Abraham and the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, and all the multitude of the people of God, because God is not God of the dead, but of the living.

Will you get out of the slavery to this world and to sin? Will you enter your Promised Land?