Title: Wilderness Classroom
Contents
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17. After Pharaoh let the people go, though the way of the land of the Philistines was near, God did not lead them by that way, for God said, lest this people repent when they see war and return to Egypt.
18. Therefore God led the people by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea, and when the children of Israel built their harbors out of the land of Egypt,
19. Moses took the skull of Joseph, for he had made the children of Israel swear firmly, saying, "God will surely admonish you, and you shall take my skull and go out from here."
20. And they departed from Succoth and pitched their tents in the wall at the end of the wilderness.
21. And the LORD went before them, to guide their way with a pillar of cloud by day, and with a pillar of fire by night to give light to them to go by day and night.
22. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
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1. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Also through him we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3. Not only this, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, for afflictions
4. It is knowing that patience produces refinement, and refinement produces hope.
5. Hope does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6. As promised, while we were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly.
7. It is not easy for one to die for the righteous, but for a good man there may be some who dare to die.
8. God demonstrates his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9. Much more then, now that we have been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through him.
10. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11. Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now have obtained the reconciliation.
Content
Subject : Wilderness Classroom
Text: Exodus 13:17-22, Romans 5:1-11
The birth of the chosen people of Israel was accomplished through the training process in the wilderness. After leaving the land of Goshen, the granary along the Nile River, the descendants of Abraham enter the wilderness. It is because of the providence of God (Exodus 13:17,18). In fact, there is no special road in the wilderness. It becomes a path when a person goes. The training the people received in the wilderness classroom was [God's experience] when they entered the wilderness, where there was no road. He allowed us to experience God's presence and walk through the pillars of cloud and fire. It was to experience God's presence in the wilderness, which we had only heard from our ancestors. In Exodus, ‘cloud’ (19:9; 33:9-10; 40:34-38) or ‘fire’ (3:2; 9:23; 19:18) meant the appearing of God. Therefore, the fact that the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire went ahead was an experience of the people of Israel [God who goes ahead at all times and places].
It is also the figure of the shepherd in the Song of Saint David (Psalm 23). It is a shepherd who is in charge of all the sheep’s daily schedule. When we know God is one step ahead of us, the anxiety in the wilderness has been resolved. These are the words given through the apostle John of love. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). The grace that we knew and loved before we knew the Lord Jesus is the grace of salvation (Hymn 98). The grace of loving first and loving to the end is the grace of salvation (John 13:1). That is why he allowed them to experience the grace of salvation in all the crises of their lives. As I followed the word of the Exodus, God used to deal with the crises I had to go through every day (the Red Sea crisis, the lack of drinking water, the lack of food, the crisis of the enemy standing in the way, etc.)
The experience of crossing the Red Sea will be a representative example among them. Behind them was Pharaoh's army pursuing them, and in front was the Red Sea. This is the message given through Moses, the man of God, in the midst of a crisis of death. “Do not be afraid, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today” (Exodus 14:13). When Israel's natural enemy, Amalek, stood in the way, God's salvation also allowed them to experience the victory of [Jehovah Nissi] (Exodus 17:8-16). God, who helps in this way, turned all the troubles of Israel into joy. The experience of manna and quail allowed us to experience [God's economy] (Exodus 16:18). The result of 40 years of training through the wilderness classroom was ‘a life that believes and lives according to the word of God’ (Deuteronomy 8:3).
New Israelite believers in the New Testament are no exception. Today's New Testament text (Romans 5:1-11) speaks of the training experienced by those who enter into the grace of salvation through faith in God's love. It is said that the justified believers hope and rejoice in the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2), but there are trials that they will face (Romans 5:3-5). It is because we rejoice even in the midst of tribulation. It is because they know that “Tribulation produces patience, patience produces refinement, and refinement produces hope.” Because we know the outpouring of God's love through the comfort and work of the Holy Spirit, the confirmation of the love that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. To those of us who live knowing this wonderful grace and love, ‘Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing! In everything give thanks! (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) is the gospel. Hallelujah Amen.