Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
The Favorable Beginning of this Dispensation.
The Israelites had seen the mighty power of God doing signs and wonders in the exodus from Egypt, and in the wilderness for over forty years.
Luk 12:48, "to whom much is given much shall be required."
1CO 1:22 For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom;
MAT 12:39 "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;"
Not only did they experience these things but God spoke the Law to them in an audible voice (Deu 5:22-24).
He was also visible with them in a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day (Exo 14:19-31).
He also supernaturally provided food for them and kept their clothes from wearing out for forty years (DEU 29:5; EXO 16:35).
DEU 29:5 "And I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot."
EXO 16:35 And the sons of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.
He gave them quails and water and provided for them on every occasion (Exo 16:12; 17:6).
He took sickness from them, and there was not a sick person in all their tribes (Exo 15:26; 23:25; PSA 105:37; 107:20).
PSA 107:20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.
He gave them the riches of Egypt for their long hire in lieu of wages for the long period of slavery (PSA 105:37).
PSA 105:37 Then He brought them out with silver and gold; And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled.
He gave them revelations and made personal appearances to them and led them to victory over all their enemies (Exo 24:9-11; Deu. 4:6-8; 5:1-6; Josh 5:13-15).
He led them into a land flowing with milk and honey and promised to prosper them in all things and protect them from all enemies if they would serve Him (Num 13:27; Exo 23:20-33)
He gave them a complete code of laws governing every phase of human life.
He made new eternal covenants with them and gave them promises of blessings that covered all human needs in this life and in the one to come.
The test for man in this dispensation was to obey the law of Moses in every detail, which included the following regulations:
1. Keep the commandments (Exo 20:1-17; Deu 5:1-21). These express the sum of God's holy will in every phase of human life.
2. Keep the judgments (Exo 21:1-23:33). These express the sum of the relations of men with men in their earthly pilgrimage.
3. Keep the ordinances (Exo 24:12-31:18). These express the sum of the religious life and worship of the people of God.
What was the Purpose of God in this Dispensation?
In this new age, God purposed to give man His will in every detail.
MAT 5:48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
1CO 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
GAL 6:3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Rom 12:3, For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
He planned to organize a commonwealth of nations headed by Israel and governed by His laws and by men of His own choice.
He planned a visible system of worship and a place where His glory could be continually manifested and where He could have perpetual contact with men (Exo 19:3-7; Deu 28).
He further purposed that through Israel He would destroy the second race of giants, the off-spring of the sons of God and the daughters of men born after the flood, and defeat the devil through the coming of the Messiah through Israel.
He further purposed that through Israel He would destroy the second race of giants, the off-spring of the sons of God and the daughters of men born after the flood, and defeat the devil through the coming of the Messiah through Israel.
Egypt represents a type of the world or the cosmic system.
We need to note the first major problem that the Jews faced which was the fear and panic strategy.
1. It is possible to learn a great many doctrines, and yet fall apart in an emergency or sudden pressure situation.
One is because for some, the way of forgetting often exceeds the rate of learning because of certain problems along the way.
To use doctrine under pressure requires overall spiritual strength.
All spiritual strength is in the pre-frontal lobe of the soul, In a sudden disaster what you think and how you think will determine how you handle the test.
2. Sudden disaster often places the believer in panic alley much to his own shock.
3. The difference between fear and courage then is an issue in panic palace.
The difference between fear and courage is the ability to concentrate under pressure.
Eph 6:16 above all taking the shield of faith, in which you shall be able to extinguish all the fiery darts or the flaming missiles of the wicked.
4. A coward is a person who might under normal circumstances be fine, but a coward cannot think under pressure.
1Co 10:13 God is faithful, who will not permit you to be tested above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
When I use the word cowardice, I am not using it in an insulting way, but I am using it for blanking out or for blacking out under pressure situations.
5. Concentration is required then, not only for learning Bible Doctrine and metabolizing it, but concentration is required even to a greater extent when under a stress situation.
6. Adversity, suffering, disaster, stress, is certainly designed to destroy your concentration and to cause your rate of forgetting to exceed your rate of learning.
a}. Because of the Angelic conflict and the issue of human freedom. b} To accelerate the spiritual growth of the believer.
7. This point explains in part why it is so difficult; it is the suddenness of it all.
8. Normal reaction to disaster can very easily be fear and panic.
Deu 31:6 Be strong and of courageous, do not be afraid because of them, for the lord your god is the one who goes with you, he will not fail you nor forsake you.
It wasn't a matter of their salvation but the fact that they could not handle stress, they could not handle pressure.
They had one major problem which led to many more - fear.
The reason is that so many believers are just not in the spiritual condition to handle the shield of faith.
The principle is also found in Psa 56:3 when David said, "When I am afraid I will trust in you.
Trust = batach which is the word for body slamming or casting all your worries upon the Lord.
True faith always selects something that is stronger than the strength of stress.
Prin - The suddenness of a change often from prosperity, or what appears to be prosperity causes stress.
The Jews have just been freed from slavery and therefore their big problem is gone.
They wanted to return to slavery even though they had the greatest leader in all of human history leading them.
Israel is often a perfect picture of our own soul.
For many believers do not want freedom, they want security.
The solution is found in the faith rest drill as a problem solving device.