Moses and his Promise Land - Jesus and His Grace

MOSES, A PILLAR OF FAITH Moses was a great man, a man who responded to God's call on his life and sacrificially served the nation of Israel. Moses could of lived a privileged life as an Egyptian leader, but instead chose to subject himself to a life of sacrificial hardships because he loved God and God loved Him. Moses spent the last 40 years of his life dedicated to leading the Jews to God's "Promise Land". God used Moses to free Israel from 400 years of Egyptian slavery and to take the Jews into God's "Promise Land". A land flowing with milk and honey (Deuteronomy 26:15). By all accounts you can most certainly say Moses was a great man of God (Deuteronomy 34:12). Even the apostle Paul spoke highly of Moses. "By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible." Hebrews 11:27

MOSES, PUNISHED FOR BREAKING FAITH & NOT BEING HOLY Once Moses and the Jews reach a place called "The Waters of Kadesh" in the desert of Zin, it is here that Moses faces one of his most challenging trials ever. God tells Moses to speak to the rock in order to get water to flow from the rock (Jews needed water). Instead of Moses obeying God exactly, Moses actually hits the rock in anger. Moses gets upset at the people of God and upset at God, and thus breaks his faith with God. Why? because the Jews who Moses was leading to the Promised Land had actually become expert grumblers over the years (grumblers like you and I). Year after year they complained at Moses, never realizing they were actually grumbling and complaining at God’s given circumstances. In this particular place in their journey after years of complaining to Moses, Moses loses his cool and says things he will regret. God then prevents Moses from ever entering the "Promise Land". "...because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel." Deuteronomy 32:48-52 Because they failed to show self-control, not trusted God and disobeyed God, thousands of them perished before reaching the “Promise Land”. They did not drink of the spiritual water that came for the spiritual rock that was Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:1-6) In spite of God's just punishment of Moses for not being Holy before God and the people of God, Moses was allowed to see the Promise land, but only from afar.

WHO MAKES US HOLY? If Moses being a great man of faith was punished by God for breaking his faith and for not being Holy, what do you think would happen to us today without a savior to makes us Holy? Would we also then only be able to see God’s grace from afar? Not at all, on the contrary, through Jesus believers can experience the “Promise Land” now. Why? because through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we can enter and live within His grace every day, always! What the "Promise Land" was to Moses back then is what the grace of Jesus is for us today. "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will" Ephesian 1:4-5 Do you truly appreciate how good we have it? Do you realize that God sees us as Holy and Blameless in His eyes, in spite of our countless sins against man and God. Can you only see Jesus from afar, or do you walk with Him in grace? Remember that when we chose Jesus, we chose grace!

OUR HOPE AND PEACE How often can we inadvertently let God down by our poor thoughts and poor choices, and yet never really pay for our mistakes. How often do we mess up and yet are still allowed into the "Promise Land" of His grace. As I reflect on the precious sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, I see God's grace overflowing in my life giving me everything that I need to be at peace with God. ”Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 5:1 Can you see God's overflowing grace in your life? Has God really treated you like you deserve, or are you like me, a person who God has been given more than he deserves?

OUR PROMISE LAND Today, you and I get to live in God's "Promise Land" through Jesus. While mercy abounded in the old testament for people of faith, grace was brought by Jesus in the new Testament. "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 In spite of the ten commandments and the requirements of the law of Moses, people back then got to see God through their obedience and faith in God. The consequences for being Holy back then, are still the same consequences today. Break one commandment, break one law and the penalty from our righteous and just God is still, Hell. And yet today God not only provides us with His mercy, but allows us to partake in the grace of Jesus because of our faith in Him. The grace of Jesus abounds through the sacrificial work of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ leading us into repentance as we realize our unworthiness. The more His grace, the more we realize our sin and the more we are grateful for His forgiveness and providential mercy. And lastly, while we can at times feel convicted leading us to repentance, we are never condemned. Wow, that is true love! "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2