Testimonio sobre el sonido del Shofar!
¿SOPLAR EL SHOFAR ES PARA JUDÍOS Y CRISTIANOS?_________________________________________________________ DISEÑADO PARA LA LIBERACION*
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El Antiguo Testamento ha sido especialmente diseñado por Dios para hacer que las grandes verdades del Nuevo Testamento lleguen como algo vivo hasta nosotros. Necesitamos que esto suceda en nuestra experiencia cristiana porque muchas de las enseñanzas son sencillamente conocimiento académico, en lo que a nosotros respecta, hasta que cobran vida cuando las vemos interpretadas en las dramáticas presentaciones del Antiguo Testamento. Esto es especialmente cierto en lo que se refiere a los primeros cinco o seis libros del Antiguo Testamento, porque en ellos Dios establece el modelo que sirve de fundamento a su obras. En una visión panorámica de las Escrituras, los primeros seis libros, del Génesis a Josué, trazan el modelo del que se vale Dios para obrar en la vida humana. Su modelo será exactamente el mismo en su vida que en las vidas de Adán, de Abraham, de Moisés, de David y de otros. Seguirá el mismo modelo que hallamos en Génesis, Exodo, Levítico, Números, Deuteronomio y Josué. En estos libros veremos de que modo se mueve Dios en nuestras vidas.
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Por lo tanto, al estudiar estos libros es necesario relacionarlos brevemente unos con otros. Génesis es el libro que revela la necesidad que tiene la humanidad y trata acerca del hombre, su creación, su pecado, el nuevo mundo que aparece después del diluvio, el lento viaje del hombre a través del tiempo, vacilando ante Dios. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob y José, cuatro hombres que siguieron a Dios, ponen de manifiesto la necesidad que tienen los hombres de la justificación, de tener una relación como hijos, de la santificación y de la glorificación. Pero lo que es más importante todavía, el Génesis termina con las palabras "en un ataúd en Egipto. Todo cuanto podemos decir acerca del hombre una vez que se ha dicho todo lo que hay por decir, es que vive en el ámbito de la muerte.
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Pero el Exodo es todo acerca de Dios. El Exodo es la respuesta de Dios ante la necesidad del hombre y la manera en que ha suplido la solución para el pecado del hombre. Comienza de inmediato con la actividad de Dios y durante todo el curso del libro se ve a Dios obrando con poder. Por lo tanto, el libro viene a ser una imagen de la redención, de la actividad de Dios por redimir al hombre en su necesidad, en su pecado, en su degradación y en su desgracia. Como tal, es una maravillosa imagen que contiene unas lecciones tremendamente instructivas para nosotros acerca de lo que significa la redención, es decir, de lo que ha hecho y está haciendo Dios en nuestras vidas, así como de lo que pretende hacer con nosotros y los pasos que va a dar.
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Pero la redención no se completa en este libro, nunca hallaremos la historia entera de la redención en Exodo. Es preciso seguir con Levítico, Números y Deuteronomio. El cuadro completo aparece al llegar al libro de Josué, donde encontramos a Israel que ha sido llevada a una tierra de triunfo y de victoria sobre sus enemigos, que es una imagen de la experiencia cristiana triunfante y victoriosa. Israel es, por lo tanto, una imagen del pueblo de Dios, de la iglesia de Dios y de usted como hijo de Dios. Estos libros han sido maravillosamente diseñados por el Espíritu Santo y describen hechos históricos que han sucedido de tal manera, bajo el gobierno absoluto de Dios, que representan para nosotros grandes verdades redentoras. Es por ello que Pablo dice, escribiendo a los Corintios: "Estas cosas les acontecieron como ejemplos [literalmente, representaciones] y están escritas para nuestra instrucción. (1ª Cor. 10:11). Por lo tanto, bueno es hacerles caso.
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El libro de Exodo empieza con el nacimiento de un bebé. Queda claro el dedo de Dios desde el principio mismo del libro, porque está es la historia de un bebé que nació bajo sentencia de muerte, pero cuya vida fue conservada de una manera maravillosa gracias a la intervención de la mano de Dios. ¡Resulta delicadamente irónico, cosa que vale la pena observar y espero que ninguno de ustedes se lo pierda, que Dios en la persona del Espíritu Santo, se mueve de tal manera que, a pesar de la ley del faraón, según la cual había que matar a todos los bebés varones hebreos en Egipto, no solo se salva Moisés, sino que el Faraón contrata a la propia madre de Moisés para que cuide del bebé! No cabe duda de que este propósito es una de esas deliciosas expresiones del humor de Dios. Si usted aún no ha descubierto que Dios tiene un sentido del humor, le espera a usted un gran descubrimiento. A lo largo tanto del Antiguo como del Nuevo Testamento se encontrará usted con algunas de estas visiones fugaces y humorísticas. Yo no puedo leer la Biblia sin encontrarme ocasionalmente riéndome a carcajadas ante algunas de las cosas tan inteligentes que hace Dios, por medio de las peripecias irónicas, dándole hábilmente la vuelta a las situaciones y tal es el caso de la historia de Moisés.
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Lo interesante de este planteamiento es que cuando Dios quiere hacer algo, casi siempre empieza con un bebé, pero nosotros no. Creemos que los bebés no son muy importantes. Allá por el 1809 el mundo entero estaba ansiosamente esperando noticias de las batallas de Napoleón, que amenazaba con convertirse en un dictador mundial, siendo el Hitler de su época. Napoleón hizo temblar al mundo entero con sus tiránicos deseos y sus impulsos egomaniacos, ¡pero ese mismo año estaban naciendo bebés en los hogares y en las familias del todo el mundo y qué bebés! En Inglaterra vinieron al mundo Tennyson, Charles Darwin y Gladstone, que llegaría a convertirse en primer ministro de la Gran Bretaña. Aquí en este país, es decir, en Estados Unidos, en una cabaña de troncos de Kentucky, nació Abraham Lincoln, además de Wendell Holmes y otros hombres que, al hacerse hombres, se convirtieron en gigantes que conmovieron y cambiaron el mundo. Todo ello quiere decir que cuando Dios quiere cambiar la historia, no empieza con una batalla, sino con un bebé.
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De manera que Dios empezó con este bebé. Moisés creció y fue criado en la corte del Faraón, teniendo acceso a todo el conocimiento de los egipcios y siendo educado en la mejor universidad del más grande imperio de aquella época. Fue el hijo adoptivo del rey mismo y disfrutó de todos los privilegios, teniendo todas las ventajas posibles, pero cuando llegó a la mayoría de edad, Dios le habló y se dio cuenta de que habría de convertirse en el libertador de Israel. De modo que se marchó, intentando llevar a cabo su labor, al menos eso creyó, y acabó asesinando a un hombre y teniendo que huir al desierto. Al seguir el curso de su historia, nos encontramos que Moisés se tuvo que marchar de la tierra de Egipto y pastorear ovejas durante cuarenta años en el desierto. Fue precisamente allí donde Dios le halló y tuvo el extraordinario encuentro con él en la zarza ardiente. Dios le volvió a llamar para que cumpliese con la misión que se le había encomendado originalmente, para la que no estaba ni mucho menos preparado hasta que se enteró de que Dios mismo era todo cuanto precisaba para hacer cualquier cosa en su nombre.
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Volviendo a la estructura de Exodo, podrán ustedes entender la historia del libro si recuerdan cuatro cosas. Todo el libro gira alrededor de cuatro acontecimientos de gran importancia. La primera de ellas es la Pascua. Los capítulos uno al catorce nos llevan y hallan su punto culminante en este gran acontecimiento. El segundo suceso es el del pueblo de Israel cruzando el Mar Rojo, que se describe en el capítulo catorce. El tercer acontecimiento es la entrega de la ley en Sinaí y el cuarto la construcción del tabernáculo en medio del campamento de Israel. Estos cuatro sucesos resumen el libro de Exodo.
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Los dos primeros sucesos están íntimamente relacionados y lo mismo sucede con los otros dos. La Pascua y el Mar Rojo son dos aspectos de una misma verdad: la liberación del pueblo de Israel, que se encontraba esclavo en Egipto. Una imagen de algo muy importante en la experiencia cristiana, lo que llamamos conversión o regeneración, la liberación de una persona de la esclavitud del mundo y si quieren ustedes saber lo que hizo Dios al hacerse usted cristiano estudie la Pascua y el momento en que el pueblo cruzó el Mar Rojo, algo que estudiaremos en un momento.
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Los otros dos acontecimientos también están relacionados entre sí. La entrega de la ley y la construcción del tabernáculo son acontecimientos totalmente inseparables. Recordemos que a Moisés le fue dado el plano del tabernáculo cuando estuvo en el monte con Dios, al mismo tiempo que le fue entregada la ley. Es preciso que comprendamos por qué estos dos sucesos, la ley y el tabernáculo, están intrincadamente unidos y en un momento veremos por qué.
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Pero primero volvamos a la Pascua. Ustedes conocen la historia de cómo Dios llamó a Moisés, le desafió y le envió de vuelta a Egipto. Al principio Moisés se mostró reacio a ir y en todas estas historias encontramos maravillosas lecciones. Aquí, por ejemplo, cuando Dios le dijo a Moisés: "Moisés, quiero que vayas y liberes a mi pueblo Moisés le contestó: "Señor, yo no puedo hacer eso, no sé expresarme bien, no soy elocuente, yo no sé hablar. No puedo presentarme ante el faraón. Dios no reprendió a Moisés por decir esto ni se puso furioso porque esa no era más que la manifestación de la insuficiencia humana de Moisés, ya que no hay nada de malo en eso. Hemos sido creados para ser de ese modo y Dios no nos considera nunca culpables por sentirnos inadecuados cuando nos pide que hagamos algo.
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Pero a continuación Dios le dijo a Moisés: "Ya sé que no sabes expresarte, pero te voy a decir lo que voy a hacer. Tú ve a Egipto y yo seré tu lengua y hablaré a través de ti. A lo que Moisés replicó: "Mira Señor, creo que lo mejor sería que te busques a otro. Y la Palabra nos dice: "Entonces el furor de Jehová se encendió contra Moisés. (Exodo 4:14). La primera vez Moisés estaba diciendo: "no puedo hacer una cosa así, no soy mas que un hombre y Dios le contestó: "sí, ya lo sé. Yo te he creado de ese modo, pero yo lo haré por medio de ti. Pero cuando Moisés le dijo la segunda vez: "mira Señor, será mejor que te busques a otro lo que estaba diciendo realmente era "Señor, no puedo hacer eso y creo que tú tampoco puedes. Cuando Moisés desafió a Dios de este modo, despertó su ira en su contra. Este es un buen punto que recordar cuando Dios nos desafía a que hagamos algo.
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A Dios no le preocupa nunca que su reacción inicial sea la de echarse atrás, pero una vez que él le ha recordado a usted que él va a estar con usted en aquello que le ha pedido que haga y que va a hacer por medio de usted se echa usted atrás entonces es cuando ha insultado a Dios y es como si le hubiera dicho: "no creo que tú tampoco puedas hacerlo.
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Entonces Moisés salió y se marchó a Egipto, llevando consigo la vara de Dios e inmediatamente tuvo un conflicto con el Faraón. No hay nada más dramático en todo el Antiguo Testamento que esta tremenda confrontación de las voluntades entre el Faraón y Moisés, que son los representantes de Satanás y de Dios. En este caso Dios se mueve con poder en contra del Faraón y resulta casi increíble leer la historia de cómo Dios envió una serie de plagas espantosas que afectaron a toda la tierra de Egipto. Y a continuación leemos: "El faraón endureció su corazón y se negó a dejar ir al pueblo cosa que sucedió repetidamente.
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Veremos al avanzar en el relato que Dios hace que se reúna todo el pueblo. Ha enviado a Moisés a ellos y por fin se consigue vencer la actitud del Faraón, cuya voluntad se ve abrumada por el poder de Dios. Consiente, pues, después de la muerte de su primogénito, y deja marchar al pueblo de Israel. Es muy importante que seamos conscientes de que cuando Moisés fue a Egipto, el pueblo de Israel no era una nación, sino que se convirtieron en nación después de haber pasado por el Mar Rojo. Ese es el significado de las palabras que encontramos en Primera de Corintios: "Todos en Moisés fueron bautizados en la nube y en el mar. (Iª de Cor. 10:2) En el mar se convirtieron en un cuerpo porque antes no habían sido más que una multitud desorganizada. Después de haber pasado el Mar Rojo salieron como una unidad, una unidad en Cristo. Este es un precioso reflejo de la verdad que descubre todo cristiano. Antes de hacerse cristiano no es más que una persona luchando y esforzándose por abrirse camino en la vida, pero cuando ha vivido la experiencia de la Pascua, cuando ha visto la sangre del Cordero clavado en una cruz por él, salpicando la cruz con su sangre por él y se ha apoyado en ese hecho, de igual modo que el pueblo de Israel se apoyó en el símbolo de la sangre de un cordero, rociada sobre los dinteles de sus casas la noche de la Pascua y hasta que no ha vivido la experiencia del Mar Rojo, dejando atrás su vida pasada para seguir adelante, para vivir la vida cristiana, habiendo proclamado su fidelidad a Dios y pasando, de esa manera y de modo simbólico, por las aguas del Mar, nunca entenderá completamente que se ha convertido en parte de un cuerpo, del cuerpo de Cristo, y que se ha unido con una unidad viva, con todos los demás cristianos y esta es una imagen que nos ofrece el libro de Exodo.
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La pascua es una imagen de la cruz de Cristo. ¡Es una historia realmente preciosa! Es la historia de cómo pasó el ángel de la muerte por toda la tierra y murieron todos los primogénitos, todos menos los de los israelitas que, por fe, sencillamente por la fe, tomaron de la sangre de un cordero y la extendieron en los dinteles y en los marcos de sus puertas y gracias a ello estuvieron perfectamente a salvo en sus casas. Esto nos ofrece una imagen que nos hace ver que el sencillo hecho de la fe en la que descansamos y el saber que Jesucristo ha muerto ha dejado solucionada la culpa que teníamos ante Dios y el ángel de la muerte pasa sobre nosotros. El ángel del juicio no se cruzará nunca en nuestro camino porque nosotros hemos depositado nuestra fe en la sangre del Cordero de Dios, que es una maravillosa verdad.
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Pero no es esa la historia completa. Recordemos que la Pascua no tiene realmente valor hasta que no se relacione con ella la experiencia del Mar Rojo. El pueblo tuvo que abandonar la seguridad de sus casas, salir al desierto y llegar a la orilla del mar y a ellos cruzarlo les pareció imposible, causándoles la impresión de que iban a perder lo que habían conseguido. Entonces el pueblo comenzó a clamar a Moisés y a preguntarle por qué les había llevado a morir en el desierto.
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La respuesta que les da Moisés es fabulosa. Les dice: "¡No temáis! Estad firmes y veréis la liberación que Jehová hará a vuestro favor. (Ex. 14:13) Esta era una exclamación de fe, pero la palabra de Dios se oyó de inmediato diciendo: "Marchad adelante, no os quedéis ahí parados, no ha llegado el momento de pararos, seguid adelante. "Está bien dijo el pueblo, "¿a dónde? Tenemos las aguas ante nosotros y los egipcios vienen detrás de nosotros. ¿A dónde podemos ir? Y Moisés contestó: "No importa, Dios dice que debéis seguir adelante, así que hacedlo.
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El Señor le había dicho que extendiese su vara sobre el mar y cuando lo hizo, las aguas se separaron y pudieron pasar a salvo al otro lado, mientras que los egipcios que les venían siguiendo se encontraron atrapados por las gigantescas olas que se precipitaron sobre ellos y se ahogaron en el mar.
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¿De qué es figura el Mar Rojo en su vida? Es una figura de la separación del mundo. Egipto se encuentra en esos momentos al otro lado y una vez que hubieron atravesado el Mar Rojo es cierto que se encontraron en el desierto, pero habían logrado salir de Egipto y un río de muerte había quedado entre ambos lados. Es exactamente el mismo río de muerte que se encuentra entre usted y el mundo al pedirle usted a Cristo que sea su Señor.
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Aquí tenemos algo en lo que debemos fijarnos. Cuando estaban celebrando la Pascua, se hallaban descansando en sus casas, no tuvieron que hacer nada, sencillamente estar ahí. Estaban dependiendo solo de la obra de otro. Sin embargo, cuando llegaron al Mar Rojo, fue el poder de Dios el que hizo que las aguas se separasen haciendo posible que escapasen, pero se exigió al pueblo que hiciese algo y se vieron desafiadas sus voluntades y tuvieron que pasar por el mar.
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Ese es el motivo por el que muchas profesiones de fe cristiana no llegan nunca a materializarse ni llegan a nada. Hay personas que están dispuestas a sentarse bajo la sangre de la Pascua, que están dispuestas a recibir a Jesucristo como Salvador, pero que no están dispuestas a pasar por las aguas del Mar Rojo. No dan nunca el paso necesario para dejar atrás su vida pasada, que les separe del mundo porque aún siguen pensando que se encuentran en Egipto. No seguirán adelante para cruzar el Mar Rojo y hasta que eso no suceda se encontrarán todavía sujetos a esclavitud y bajo el control de Egipto.
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Fijémonos, en el capítulo quince, en el que se nos relata que solo después de haber atravesado el Mar pudo Israel prorrumpir en un cántico y en Egipto no habían cantado, porque había sido una tierra de esclavitud, de sufrimiento, de desgracia, de un interminable trabajo y de continuo peligro, pero al llegar al desierto y al otro lado de la orilla del Mar Rojo, prorrumpen en un cántico. La verdadera liberación pone un cántico en nuestros corazones. ¿Tiene usted un cántico de liberación?
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Esta es una norma que observo con frecuencia en la vida actual. No hace mucho vino a verme un joven que estaba luchando con la bebida y evidentemente se había producido una crisis en su vida y deseaba ser libre. De algún modo se había dado cuenta de que había fortaleza en Cristo para librarle. Vino a verme y estuvimos hablando. Inclinó su cabeza y recibió al Señor, pero unas tres semanas después me llamó por teléfono y me dijo que estaba metido otra vez en el mismo lío. Estaba exactamente igual que antes, así que le pedí que viniese a verme y volvimos a sentarnos a charlar.
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Le dije: "¿Qué te pasó al volver a tu casa hace tres semanas después de haber dicho que habías recibido al Señor? ¿Hicistes algo al respecto? Me contestó: "No, no lo hice. Solo me fui a casa. Entonces le pregunté: "¿Qué esperabas que sucediese? y me contestó, "no lo sé. Me limité a irme a casa y supongo que me olvidé del tema. Yo le dije entonces: "Si hubieras tomado la decisión de establecer una sociedad de negocios, si hubieses decidido que querías un cierto trabajo y para ellos tuvieses que dar algunos pasos, ¿te marcharías a casa y te olvidarías de todo el asunto?
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"Claro que no me contestó. "Empezaría a moverme en esa dirección. "Pues bien le dije, "¿crees que puedes convencerme de que has pedido a Jesucristo que entre en tu vida y que vas a permitir que él la controle cuando veo que te has ido a casa y te has sentado, te has cruzado de brazos y te has olvidado del tema. Me contestó: "Supongo que no.
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Tomar una decisión es una cosa y la decisión hace que el poder de Dios se manifieste en nuestras vidas y nos libera de la culpa del pasado y podemos regocijarnos en ello porque la Palabra de Dios es verdad, pero también está la experiencia de atravesar el Mar Rojo, que nos llama a que sigamos adelante y cortemos todos los lazos que nos atan al mundo y a que demos los pasos necesarios para que sea posible que el río del juicio de Dios fluya entre usted y la manera de actuar el mundo. Cuando da usted ese paso, lo que hace es colocarse de modo que Dios more en su interior. Como ve aquí en Exodo, en el capítulo 15, Dios no toca nunca a su pueblo ni va junto a él hasta que no han pasado por el Mar Rojo. Cuando lo han hecho entonces Dios mora entre ellos.
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un precioso poema que dice:
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¿Has llegado al Mar Rojo en tu vida? donde a pesar de todo cuanto puedas hacer,
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¿Ha llegado usted a ese lugar? Pues precisamente ahí es donde muchos necesitan llegar, porque hasta que no lo hagan, no podrán nunca llegar a conocer la morada de Dios en sus vidas.
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Al seguir leyendo el capítulo quince, nos encontramos con un cuadro muy interesante. Leemos la historia acerca de las aguas de Mara, el lugar de la amargura, que sigue de inmediato a la del pueblo cruzando el Mar Rojo. A fin de purificar estas aguas, Moisés corta un árbol que el Señor le mostró, lo echó en las aguas y estas se volvieron dulces (Ex. 15:25). En lo que se refiere a la aplicación que tiene esta imagen a nuestras vidas, se darán cuenta de que sucede justo en el lugar apropiado. Lo que nos está diciendo es que la cruz, aquel gran árbol del que estuvo colgado el Señor Jesús, es la respuesta de Dios a la amargura de la vida. Cuando hemos pasado por la Pascua, confiando en su sangre y cuando hemos atravesado el Mar Rojo, cortando totalmente los lazos que nos unen a las cosas del mundo, descubrimos que la cruz es para siempre la respuesta a toda la amargura producida por el pecado de nuestra vida pasada. La respuesta de Dios a la amargura de la experiencia de la persona es esta experiencia de la cruz, que elimina la desdicha del pasado y todas las frustraciones del presente endulzando las aguas de nuestra vida.
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Inmediatamente después de todo esto llegaron al desierto donde recibieron el mana y donde comenzó a manifestarse el cuidado paternal de Dios. ¿No descubrió usted eso al hacerse cristiano? En cuanto se hizo usted cristiano y dejó completamente atrás su vida anterior, después de haber atravesado el Mar Rojo, ¿no descubrió usted de inmediato el amor y el cuidado paternal de Dios? El le estuvo cuidando, él le alimentó y le llevó sobre alas de águila, como lo hizo aquí con estos israelitas, pero, incluso así, el pueblo comenzó a murmurar. Eso es algo que hacemos en demasiadas ocasiones en nuestra vida, quejándonos en contra de Dios, ¿no es cierto?
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En el capítulo 17 tiene lugar una batalla, la primera batalla con la carne. Esto es siempre algo que pilla completamente por sorpresa a los nuevos creyentes. Una vez que han experimentado la gloria de la Pascua, del Mar Rojo, la poderosa liberación del pecado en sus vidas, el sentido de ese amor paternal al darles el maná y de haber hallado la comunión con Cristo en sus nuevas vidas, descubren que aún tienen una batalla que luchar con la vieja carne. Este puede ser un descubrimiento aplastante, pero ahí lo tenemos. Amalec viene y lucha con Israel, pero Dios le declara una guerra sin fin a Amalec (Ex. 17:10) "Porque la carne desea lo que es contrario al Espíritu, y el Espíritu lo que es contrario a la carne. Ambos se oponen mutuamente. (Gal. 5:17). No se puede hacer nunca la paz con Amalec.
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Así que después de examinar la enseñanza típica de este libro llegamos al capítulo 19 acerca del Sinaí, es decir, la ley y el tabernáculo, la tercera y cuarta sección de Exodo. Unamos estas dos. Como es natural, tenemos en el Sinaí el momento en que se entrega la ley. Pero ¿en qué consiste la ley? Es sencillamente una imagen de la santidad de Dios, es decir, del carácter de Dios. Permítanme decirlo de otro modo. Es el hecho de que Dios es inmutable, que tiene un carácter inflexible. Por eso es por lo que la ley y la entrega de dicha ley es un tiempo de terror. Porque no hay nada más terrible para los seres humanos que tener que afrontar sin tapujos el hecho de que Dios es completamente inmutable y que nada va a hacerle cambiar. Esto es un maravilloso consuelo para nosotros cuando pensamos acerca de su amor y su gracia, pero nos asusta pensar en su santidad, su ira y su furia. Esto quiere decir que nunca podemos convencerle de nada y nunca le podemos comprar. No podemos conseguir que baje el nivel en modo alguno. La ley es el nivel absoluto e irrevocable de la personalidad de Dios, que es lo que descubrimos cuando nos encontramos con la experiencia del Señorío de Cristo, que es totalmente inmutable y que jamás hará que lo que nos exige en nuestra vida sea menos.
Por lo tanto, la ley por sí sola es algo que asusta y la personalidad de Dios nos aterroriza. ¿Nos tomamos realmente en serio lo que Dios dice acerca de sí mismo? Escuchen: "Sed, pues, vosotros perfectos, como vuestro Padre que está en los cielos es perfecto. (Mat. 5:48) ¿Se toma usted en serio estas palabras? La verdad es que la mayoría de nosotros pasamos mucho tiempo intentando restarles algo de importancia. ¡Ser perfectos! ¡Eso nos asusta! ¿Cómo puedo yo ser perfecto? La respuesta que tiene Dios a esa pregunta es el tabernáculo, el ritual del sacrificio relacionado con él. Por eso es por lo que en el monte, sí, en el mismo monte en el que dio la ley es la revelación de su carácter, se dio su tabernáculo, su provisión para venir a morar en el hombre, porque Dios habitó en su pueblo por medio del tabernáculo.
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Me gusta visualizar el campamento de Israel. Recordarán ustedes que estaba dividido y en él estaban todas las tribus. Algunas al este, otras al norte, en el oeste y en el sur. Estaban colocadas en perfecto orden y en el centro mismo se encontraba el tabernáculo. Sobre él y sobre todo el campamento estaba situada la gran nube de día y la columna de fuego por la noche. He pensado con frecuencia que el campamento de Israel debió tener un aspecto un tanto parecido al que tiene la ciudad de Los Angeles, en el desierto, extendido y sobre él la nube, de humo mezclado con niebla en el caso de Los Angeles, como es lógico, pero en Israel era una nube que hablaba acerca de la presencia de Dios y allí él habitaba entre su pueblo.
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Eso era algo que solo podía hacerse mediante un complejo sistema de sacrificios y de rituales así como un complicado procedimiento mediante el cual podía reunir a su pueblo ante su presencia.
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Si una persona entrase en el campamento de Israel, tendría que pasar por fuerza entre todas las tribus, entrase por donde entrase, y encontrar por fin el camino hasta el centro del campamento, donde estaban los levitas. Al continuar entre ellos, llegaría hasta el tabernáculo. Primero pasaría por una gran verja al atrio donde encontraría ciertos objetos, el altar de bronce y el lavacro de bronce y estaba además el edificio interior con un velo sobre la entrada, que nadie se atrevía a pasar a menos que fuese un sacerdote porque solo él podía entrar en el lugar santo. Detrás de otro velo estaba el lugar santísimo. El único mueble que había en él era el arca del pacto, incluyendo a los querubines de la misericordia con sus alas extendidas y tocando unas la de otro sobre el arca. Se nos dice que solamente el sacerdote podía entrar en él y solo una vez al año, bajo las más rígidas y precisas condiciones.
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¿Qué nos enseña todo esto? Sencillamente que Dios es inmutable y santo y solo puede habitar entre el pueblo bajo las más rígidas condiciones. El problema con el tabernáculo era que solo se permitía al pueblo presentarse ante Dios de una manera representativa, pero de hecho, ellos estaban excluidos de su presencia. El pueblo común no podía nunca llegar ante su presencia, solo lo podía hacer el sumo sacerdote, que temía por su vida, y solo una vez al año, eso era todo. Esa es la restricción de estos rituales del Antiguo Testamento.
Como vemos, el problema que encontramos en el Antiguo Testamento y los santos de aquellos días no era la ley y no había nada de malo en ella. La ley es algo positivo, según nos dice Pablo. Algunas veces nos referimos a la ley como si fuese algo negativo, pero no lo es. La ley era perfectamente buena y lo sigue siendo. El problema tenía que ver con el tabernáculo y el sistema de los sacrificios, que no eran suficientemente completos ni reales. No eran más que sombras, solo imágenes y no podían realmente hacer nada. Por eso es por lo que, al llegar al libro de Hebreos, todo el libro está dedicado a enseñarnos que la ley de Dios sigue siendo inmutable, pero el enfoque es totalmente diferente, porque venimos ante el que es lo contrario de la figura, la realidad, que simbolizan todas estas sombras. En Hebreos leemos: "tenemos plena confianza para entrar al lugar santísimo (Heb. 10:19) sin el menor temor, porque mediante la sangre de Jesús y gracias a la cruz, Dios ha eliminado todo lo que separa y nos ha acercado a sí mismo.
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El gran mensaje del libro de Exodo es que por medio de la cruz, Dios ha hecho posible que un Dios santo e inmutable habite con nosotros. Todo el tabernáculo no es otra cosa que una imagen de Dios morando con su pueblo. La verdad importante para nosotros aquí es que Dios ha resuelto de tal modo el problema del pecado en nosotros, lo ha resuelto totalmente, que Pablo dice en Romanos 8: "ahora, pues, ninguna condenación hay.... Ni la más mínima. ¡Ninguna! Tenemos acceso perfecto al Padre por medio del Hijo y el Espíritu de Dios que mora en nosotros y que nunca nos dejará ni nos abandonará porque ha hecho su tabernáculo en nuestros corazones y en nuestras vidas.
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Una de las cosas sobre las que estoy en contra es la costumbre de las maestras de escuela dominical (que son las más culpables de hacerlo) de enseñar a los niños que el edificio es la casa de Dios. El motivo por el que no me gusta es principalmente porque no es verdad. Hubo un edificio que fue la casa de Dios en el Antiguo Testamento, el tabernáculo, pero fue sencillamente una sombra.
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El templo de Jerusalén ocupó su lugar, pero también eso es una sombra. Sin embargo, al llegar al Nuevo Testamento no se encuentra nunca un edificio que haya sido diseñado como la casa de Dios porque la casa de Dios en el Nuevo Testamento es el cuerpo humano. Pablo dice "sois templo de Dios (Iª Corintios 3:16). Por lo tanto, no estamos nunca fuera de la iglesia.
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Creo que hemos enseñado a nuestro niños uno de los más espantosos errores cuando les enseñamos que un edificio es la casa de Dios. Cuando decimos esto les cuesta mucho trabajo entender la idea de que sus cuerpos son templos de Dios y eso es lo que él quiere que aprendamos, que no estamos nunca fuera de la iglesia. Que el propio Jesucristo habita en nuestros cuerpos, que son templo suyo y que han sido creados exactamente igual que el tabernáculo, con una triple estructura. El atrio es el cuerpo de sangre, carne y hueso, que podemos ver. El lugar santo es el alma, el ámbito de las emociones, de la mente y de la voluntad. Ese es el aspecto que nos permite relacionarnos unos con otros, hablar y compartir juntos las experiencias, pero en el fondo del centro está el lugar santísimo, nuestro espíritu y en él mora el Espíritu de Dios. De modo que cada uno de nosotros somos un tabernáculo andante. Todo el libro de Exodo pretende grabar en nosotros, al leerlo, esa gran verdad del Nuevo Testamento, la gloria que representa vivir con Dios mismo en medio de nuestra vida y de lo que nos exige la verdad, las responsabilidades que representan y los privilegios que nos permiten disfrutar. La gran necesidad que tenemos es la de caminar descansando solo en la obra acabada del Señor Jesucristo, haciendo todo ello nos sea posible.
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Con todo y con eso, no basta con Exodo. Es preciso que leamos el Levítico y veamos lo que hace a nuestro favor esta ley exigente, en su esfuerzo por corregirnos y guiar nuestras vidas. En Levítico encontrarán ustedes otra gran verdad que, si todavía no han aprendido, explicará por qué nos encontramos atados, obstaculizados y encadenados por una experiencia de continuos altibajos.
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Oración
Padre nuestro, qué agradecidos nos sentimos por esta poderosa palabra de verdad. Señor, cuando pensamos de qué modo ha llegado hasta nosotros por medio de los profetas y de los apóstoles, de los pescadores, de los hombres corrientes como nosotros mismos, que escribieron siendo inspirados por ti y de que modo ha sido protegida esta palabra y ha llegado hasta nosotros, al precio del derramamiento de sangre, del sudor, de las lágrimas y de la muerte, nos sentimos asombrados. Señor, ayúdanos a valorar esta palabra, a creer en ella y a caminar bajo su luz, sabiendo que aquí tenemos una palabra de libertad y de sabiduría que nos puede hacer libres. Te damos gracias por ella, en el nombre de Cristo. Amen.
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Profeta: TERESA AQUINO.*
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Testimony on the sound of the Shofar!¿Blow the shofar IS FOR JEWS AND CHRISTIANS? _________________________________________________________ DESIGNED FOR THE RELEASE *______________________________________________________
The Old Testament has been specially designed by God to make the great truths of the New Testament come alive as something to us. We need to happen in our Christian experience because many of the teachings are simply academic knowledge, as we're concerned, until we come to life when interpreted in the dramatic presentations of the Old Testament. This is especially true in regard to the first five or six books of the Old Testament, because in them God sets the pattern that underlies his work. In an overview of the Scriptures, the first six books, from Genesis to Joshua, trace the pattern that God uses to work in human life. His model will be exactly the same in their lives than the lives of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and others. Follow the same pattern we find in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua. In these books we will see how God moves in our lives.
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Therefore, to study these books is necessary briefly to relate to each other. Genesis is the book that reveals the need of humanity and is about the man, his creation, sin, the new world that appears after the flood, the slow man's journey through time, hesitating before God. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, four men who followed God, show the need for men of justification, to have a relationship as children, sanctification and glorification. But even more importantly, Genesis ends with the words "in a coffin in Egypt. All we can say about the man once said all there is to say, you live in the realm of death .
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But the Exodus is all about God. The Exodus is God's answer to man's need and the way it has supplied the solution to man's sin. Begins immediately with the activity of God throughout the course of the book sees God working in power. Therefore, the book becomes a picture of redemption, of the activity of God to redeem man in his need, in their sin, in its degradation and misfortune. As such it is a wonderful image that contains a tremendously instructive lessons for us about the meaning of redemption, that is, what he has done and is doing God in our lives, as well as it claims to do with us and steps will provide.
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But redemption is not completed within this book, never find the whole story of redemption in Exodus. Should continue with Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The whole picture appears to reach the book of Joshua, we find that Israel has been brought to a land of triumph and victory over their enemies, which is an image of the triumphant and victorious Christian experience. Israel is, therefore, an image of God's people, the church of God and you as a child of God. These books have been beautifully designed by the Holy Spirit and describe historical events that have happened so under the absolute government of God, which account for us great redemptive truths. That is why Paul says, writing to the Corinthians: "These things happened to them as examples [literally representations] and are written for our instruction. (1 Cor. 10:11). Therefore, it is good to ignore them.
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The book of Exodus begins with the birth of a baby. Clearly, the finger of God from the very beginning of the book, because it is the story of a baby born under sentence of death, but whose life was preserved in a wonderful way through the intervention of the hand of God. It gently ironic thing worth watching and I hope none of you miss it, that God in the person of the Holy Spirit moves in such a way that, despite the law of the king, according to which had to kill all male Hebrew babies in Egypt, Moses not only saved, but the Pharaoh employs Moses' own mother to take care of the baby! There is no doubt that this purpose is one of those delightful expressions of humor of God. If you have not yet discovered that God has a sense of humor, you expect a breakthrough. Throughout both the Old and New Testament you will find some of these glimpses and humorous. I can not read the Bible occasionally find myself laughing out loud at some of the smart things as God does, through the vicissitudes ironic, cleverly giving back to the situations and this is the case in the history of Moses.
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The interesting thing about this approach is that when God wants to do something, almost always begins with a baby, but not us. We believe that babies are not very important. Back in 1809 the world was anxiously awaiting news of the battles of Napoleon, who threatened to become a world dictator, with the Hitler of his time. Napoleon shook the world with their tyrannical egomaniacal desires and impulses, but that year they were born babies in their homes and families around the world and what babies! In England came into the world Tennyson, Charles Darwin and Gladstone, who would become prime minister of Great Britain. Here in this country, ie United States, in a log cabin in Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln was born, as well as Wendell Holmes and other men who, to become men, they became giants that shook and changed the world. This means that when God wants to change history, it begins with a battle, but with a baby.
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So God began with this baby. Moses grew up and was raised in Pharaoh's court, having access to all knowledge of the Egyptians and being educated in the best university of the greatest empire of that time. He was the adopted son of the king himself and enjoyed all the privileges, taking every advantage possible, but when he reached adulthood, God spoke and realized that was to become the liberator of Israel. So he left, trying to carry out its work, at least I believed, and ended up killing a man and having to flee into the wilderness. By following the course of its history, we find that Moses had to leave the land of Egypt and herd sheep for forty years in the wilderness. It was there where God found him and took the extraordinary encounter with him in the burning bush. God called again to fulfill the mission entrusted to him originally, for which there was far less prepared until he learned that God was all I needed to do anything for you.
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Returning to the structure of Exodus, you will understand the history of the book if you remember four things. The whole book revolves around four major events. The first is the Passover. Chapters 1 to 14 lead and find a head in this great event. The second event is the people of Israel crossing the Red Sea, which is described in chapter fourteen. The third event is the giving of the law at Sinai and the fourth building of the tabernacle in the camp of Israel. These four events summarize the book of Exodus.
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The first two events are closely related and so do the other two. The Passover and Red Sea are two aspects of one truth: the liberation of the people of Israel, who was a slave in Egypt. A picture of something very important in the Christian experience, which we call conversion or regeneration, releasing a person from the bondage of the world and if you want to know what God did to make you study the Christian Easter and the time the people crossed the Red Sea, which discuss in a moment.
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The other two events are also related. The giving of the law and the construction of the tabernacle are totally inseparable events. Recall that Moses was given the level of the tent when he was in the mount with God, while the law was given. We need to understand why these two events, the law and the tabernacle, are intricately linked and in a moment we will see why.
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But first back to Easter. You know the story of how God called Moses, challenged him and sent him back to Egypt. At first Moses was reluctant to go and in all these stories are wonderful lessons. Here, for example, when God told Moses: "Moses, I want you and my people liberes Moses replied," Lord, I can not do that, I can not express myself well, I am not eloquent, I can not speak. I can not stand before Pharaoh. God did not rebuke Moses for saying this and was furious because this was not the manifestation of human insufficiency of Moses, there's nothing wrong with that. We are created to be that way and God does not consider us guilty never feel inadequate when we are asked to do something.
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But then God told Moses, "I know you do not know to express yourself, but I'll tell you what I do. You go to Egypt and I will be your tongue and speak through you. To which Moses replied: "Look, Lord, I think you'd better look for another. The Word tells us: "Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses. (Exodus 4:14). The first time Moses was saying," I can not do that, I am only a man and God answered: "Yes, I know. I have created in this way, but I will do through you. But when Moses told the second time," Look Lord, you better look for another what he was really saying was "Lord, I can not do that and I think you can not. When Moses challenged God thus aroused his anger against them. This is a good point to remember when God challenges us to do something.
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God does not ever worry that your initial reaction is that of backing down, but once he has reminded you that he will be with you in what has been asked to do and you will do through you is thrown back then is when you have insulted God and is as if he had said, "I do not think you can not do it.
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Moses went out and went to Egypt, taking the rod of God and immediately had a conflict with Pharaoh. Nothing is more dramatic in the Old Testament that this tremendous confrontation of wills between Pharaoh and Moses, who are the representatives of Satan and God. In this case God moves in power against Pharaoh and it is almost incredible to read the story of how God sent a series of terrible plagues that affected the whole land of Egypt. And then we read: "Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let the people go thing happened repeatedly.
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We will see the progress in the story that God makes all the people you meet. He sent Moses to them and finally manages to overcome the attitude of the Pharaoh, whose will is overwhelmed by the power of God. Consent, then, after the death of his firstborn, and let go the people of Israel. It is very important to be aware that when Moses went to Egypt, the people of Israel was a nation, but became a nation after having passed through the Red Sea. That is the meaning of words found in First Corinthians: "All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. (I Cor th. 10:2) In the sea became a body because they had not previously been more than a disorganized mob. After having passed the Red Sea came as a unity, a unity in Christ. This is a beautiful reflection of the truth that every Christian view. Before becoming a Christian is not just a person struggling and striving for their way in life, but when she had the experience of Easter, when he saw the blood of the Lamb nailed to a cross for him, splashing the cross with his blood for him and has relied on that fact, just as the people of Israel was based on the symbol of the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the doorposts of their houses the night of Passover and until he has had the experience of the Red Sea, leaving behind her past to move forward, to live the Christian life, having proclaimed their loyalty to God and going on that way and symbolically, by the waters of the Sea, will never understand completely that it has become part of a body, the body of Christ, and has together with a living unit, with all other Christians and this is an image that gives us the book of Exodus.
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The Passover is a picture of the cross of Christ. It's a really beautiful story! It is the story of how he spent the angel of death throughout the land and killed all the firstborn, all but those of the Israelites who, by faith, simply by faith, taken from the blood of a lamb and spread on the doorposts frames and doors and through that were perfectly safe in their homes. This gives us a picture that shows us that the simple act of faith in which we rest and know that Jesus Christ has died has left the guilt that we had solved before God and the angel of death passes over us. The angel of judgment is not never cross our path because we have placed our faith in the blood of the Lamb of God, which is a wonderful truth.
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But this is not the whole story. Remember that Easter does not really value until it is not related to the experience of the Red Sea. The people had to leave the safety of their homes, leaving the desert and reach the sea and it seemed impossible to cross them, causing the impression that they would lose what they had achieved. Then the people began to cry out to Moses and ask him what had led to die in the desert.
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The answer given Moses is fabulous. He says, "Fear not! Stand still and see the deliverance the Lord will do in your favor. (Ex. 14:13) This was a cry of faith, but the word of God is heard immediately by saying:" March on, do not stay standing there, has not time to pararos, step forward. "Okay people said," Where? We have water in front of us and the Egyptians are behind us. Where can we go? And Moses said, "Never mind, God says you must go on, so do it.
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The Lord had told him to stretch out his rod over the sea and when he did, the waters parted and they could pass safely on the other hand, while the Egyptians were following them were caught by the giant waves rushed over them and drowned at sea.
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What the Red Sea is a figure in your life? Is a figure of separation of the world. Egypt is in those moments the other side and once they had crossed the Red Sea is certainly found in the desert, but had gotten out of Egypt and a river of death had been between the two sides. It is exactly the same river of death that lies between you and the world by asking you to Christ to be your Lord.
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Here is something that we should look. When they were celebrating the Passover, were resting in their homes, did not have to do anything, just being there. They were depending only on the work of another. However, when they reached the Red Sea, was the power of God that made the waters to separate out enabling them to escape, but the people were required to do something and their wills were challenged and had to go through the sea.
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That is the reason that many professions of Christian faith never fail to materialize or come to nothing. There are people who are willing to sit under the blood of the Passover, they are willing to receive Jesus Christ as Savior, but are not willing to go through the Red Sea. Never give the necessary step to leave behind his past life, that separates the world because they are still thinking they are in Egypt. It will proceed to cross the Red Sea and until that happens you find slavery still subject to and under the control of Egypt.
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Notice, in the fifteenth chapter, which tells us that only after Israel crossed the Sea could burst into a song and had sung in Egypt because he had been a land of slavery, suffering, misfortune, a endless work and constant danger, but on reaching the desert and across the Red Sea shore, burst into a song. True liberation puts a song in our hearts. Do you have a song of liberation?
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This is a standard that is often observed in the present life. Not long ago came to me a young man who was struggling with drinking and obviously there was a crisis in his life and wanted to be free. Somehow they had realized that there was strength in Christ to save him. He came to me and we talked. He bowed his head and received the Lord, but three weeks later I phoned and told me that he was involved again in the same predicament. It was exactly as before, so I asked him to come and see me and went back to sit and chat.
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I said, "What happened to go home three weeks ago after saying that you had received the Lord? You did something about it? He replied:" No, I did not. I just went home. Then I asked, "What did you expect to happen? And he said," do not know. I just go home and I guess I forgot about it. I said then: "If you had taken the decision to establish a business partnership, if you had decided you wanted a certain job and for them you had to take some steps, do you marcharías at home and forget the whole thing?
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"Of course I did not answer me." Would begin to move in that direction. "Well I said," do you think you can convince me that you have asked Jesus Christ into your life and you're going to allow him to control it when I see you've gone home and you sit, you've crossed arms and you've forgotten about it. He said: "I guess not.
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Making a decision is one thing, the decision makes the power of God is manifest in our lives and frees us from the guilt of the past and we can rejoice in it because the Word of God is true, but also the experience of crossing the Sea Red, who calls us to go ahead and cut it all ties that bind us to the world and we take steps to make it possible for the river of judgment of God to flow between you and the procedures the world. When she gives you that step, what it does is positioned so that God dwells within. As seen here in Exodus, chapter 15, God never touches his people or going with him until they have passed through the Red Sea. When they have done then God dwells among them.
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a beautiful poem:
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Have you come to the Red Sea in your life? where in spite of all you can do,
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Have you come to that place? Precisely there is where many need to go, because until they do, they can never get to know the dwelling of God in their lives.
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As you read the fifteenth chapter, we find a very interesting picture. We read the story about the waters of Marah, the place of bitterness, which immediately follows that of the people crossing the Red Sea. In order to purify these waters, Moses cut a tree that the Lord showed him, threw it into the water and they became sweet (Ex. 15:25). In regard to the application that has this image to our lives, they will realize that it happens just in the right place. What we're saying is that the cross, the great tree from which hung the Lord Jesus is God's answer to the bitterness of life. When we have gone through Easter, trusting in your blood and when we crossed the Red Sea, completely cutting ties that bind us to things in the world, we find that the cross is always the answer to all the bitterness caused by the sin of our past life. God's response to the bitterness of the experience of the person is the experience of the cross, which removes the misery of the past and all the frustrations of this sweeten the waters of our life.
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Immediately after this came to the desert where they received manna and he began to manifest God's fatherly care. Do not you find out that to become a Christian? As you became a Christian and completely left his old life back, after crossing the Red Sea, did not you immediately found love and fatherly care of God? He was caring, he fed him and took him on eagles' wings, as it did here with these Israelites, but even so, the people began to murmur. That is something we do too often in our lives, railing against God, is not it?
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Chapter 17 is a battle, the first battle with the flesh. This is always caught completely by surprise that the new believers. Once you have experienced the glory of Easter, the Red Sea, the mighty deliverance from sin in their lives, the meaning of that fatherly love by giving them manna and have found communion with Christ in their new lives, they discover that even have a battle to fight with the old flesh. This can be an overwhelming discovery, but there you have it. Amalek comes and fights with Israel, but God declares an endless war with Amalek (Ex. 17:10) "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. Both oppose each other. (Gal. 5:17). You can not ever make peace with Amalek.
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So after considering the typical teaching of this book we come to chapter 19 on the Sinai, that is, the law and the tabernacle, the third and fourth sections of Exodus. Join these two. Naturally, we Sinai the delivery time of the law. But what is the law? It is simply a picture of the holiness of God, ie God's character. Let me put it another way. It is the fact that God is immutable, that is an inflexible character. That is why what the law and the provision of the Act is a time of terror. Because there is nothing more terrible for human beings have to face openly the fact that God is altogether immutable and that nothing will change him. This is a wonderful comfort to us when we think about His love and grace, but we are afraid to think of his holiness, his anger and fury. This means that we can never convince you of anything and can never buy. We can not get him to lower the level at all. The law is absolute and irrevocable level of the personality of God, that's what we found when we have the experience of the Lordship of Christ, which is completely unchanged and will never do what we require in our lives is less.
Therefore, the law alone is frightening and the personality of God terrifies us. Do we really take seriously what God says about himself? Listen: "Be ye therefore perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matt. 5:48) Do you take these words seriously? The truth is that most of us spend much time trying restarles something of importance. be perfect! That frightens us, how I can I be perfect? The answer to that question is God is the tabernacle, the sacrificial ritual connected with it. That is so in the bush, yes, the same mountain on which gave the law is the revelation of his character was his tabernacle, its provision coming to dwell in man, because God dwelt in his people through the tabernacle.
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I like to visualize the camp of Israel. You will recall that it was divided and were all the tribes. Some east, some north, west and south. They were arranged in perfect order and in the center was the tabernacle. About him and the whole camp was situated the great cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. I have often thought that the camp of Israel should look somewhat like having the city of Los Angeles in the desert, and he extended cloud of smoke mixed with fog in the case of Los Angeles, as is logical, but in Israel it was a cloud that talked about God's presence and there he lived among his people.
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That was something that could only be done through an elaborate system of sacrifices and rituals as well as a complicated procedure that could gather his people before him.
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If a person came into the camp of Israel, would have to go through all the tribes force, enter where entered, and finally find the way to the center of the camp, where were the Levites. By continuing between them, come to the tabernacle. First pass through a gate into the court where he would find certain items, the bronze altar and the laver of bronze and was well inside the building with a veil over the entrance, which no one dared to pass unless it was a priest because only he could enter the holy place. Behind another veil was the holy of holies. The only furniture was in it was the ark of the covenant, including the cherubim of mercy with outstretched wings and touching each other on the ark. We are told that only the priest could enter it and only once a year, under the most rigid and precise conditions.
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What all this teach us? Simply that God is immutable and holy and can only live among the people under the strictest conditions. The problem with the tabernacle was that only people allowed to stand before God in a way representative, but in fact they were excluded from his presence. The common people could never come before his presence alone could do the high priest, who feared for his life, and only once a year, that was all. That is the restriction of these rituals of the Old Testament.
As we see, the problem we find in the Old Testament and the saints of those days was not the law and there was nothing wrong with it. The law is good, as Paul says. Sometimes we refer to the law as something negative, but it is not. The law was quite good and it still is. The problem had to do with the tabernacle and the sacrificial system, which were not sufficiently complete and real. There were only shadows, only images and could not really do anything. That is why, to get to the book of Hebrews, the entire book is dedicated to teaching God's law remains unchanged, but the approach is completely different because we come before you is the opposite of the figure, the Actually, they symbolize all these shadows. In Hebrews we read: "We have confidence to enter into the holiest (Heb. 10:19) without any fear, because through the blood of Jesus and from the cross, God has been removed and all that separates us closer to each other thereof.
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The great message of the book of Exodus is that through the cross, God has made it possible for a holy and immutable dwell with us. All the tabernacle is not nothing but a picture of God dwelling with his people. The really important for us here is that God has so resolved the problem of sin in us, fully resolved that Paul says in Romans 8: "therefore now no condemnation .... Not the slightest. No! We have perfect access to the Father through the Son and the Spirit of God dwelling in us and will never leave us nor forsake us because he has made his dwelling in our hearts and our lives.
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One of the things that I am against is the custom of Sunday school teachers (who are most guilty of it) to teach children that the building is the house of God. The reason I do not like it mainly because it is not true. There was a building that was the house of God in the Old Testament, the tabernacle, but it was just a shadow.
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The temple of Jerusalem took place, but that's a shadow. However, upon arrival to the New Testament is never found a building that was designed as the house of God because God's house in the New Testament is the human body. Paul says "ye are the temple of God (I Corinthians 3:16). Therefore, we are never outside the church.
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I think we have taught our children one of the most dreadful mistakes when we teach that a building is the house of God. When we say this have a hard time understanding the idea that their bodies are temples of God and that is what he wants us to learn, that we are never outside the church. Jesus Christ himself dwells in our bodies, which are his temple and that have been created exactly like the tabernacle, with a triple structure. The atrium is the body of blood, flesh and blood, we can see. The holy place is the soul, the realm of emotions, mind and will. That is the aspect that allows us to relate to each other, talk and share experiences together, but deep down the center is the most holy, our spirit and he dwells the Spirit of God. So each of us is a walking tabernacle. The entire book of Exodus aims to write to us, to read, that great New Testament truth, the glory of living with God in the midst of our life and what that demands the truth, the responsibilities and privileges represent allow us to enjoy. The great need is to walk the rest only in the finished work of Jesus Christ, making it all possible.
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With everything and that is not enough to Exodus. We need to read Leviticus and see what he does for us this law demanding in their effort to correct us and guide our lives. In Leviticus you will find another great truth that, if you still have not learned, explain why we are tied, chained and hampered by an experience of continuous ups and downs.
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Prayer
Our Father, how grateful we are for this powerful word of truth. Lord, when we think of how it has come down to us through the prophets and apostles, fishermen, ordinary men like ourselves, who wrote as they were moved by you and in what way this word has been protected and has reached us, the price of bloodshed, sweat, tears and death, we are amazed. Lord, help us to assess this word, to believe in it and walk in His light, knowing that here we have a word for freedom and wisdom that can make us free. We thank you for it, in the name of Christ. Amen.
_________________________________________________________Profecía.Prophet: TERESA AQUINO. *_______________________
The Old Testament has been specially designed by God to make the great truths of the New Testament come alive as something to us. We need to happen in our Christian experience because many of the teachings are simply academic knowledge, as we're concerned, until we come to life when interpreted in the dramatic presentations of the Old Testament. This is especially true in regard to the first five or six books of the Old Testament, because in them God sets the pattern that underlies his work. In an overview of the Scriptures, the first six books, from Genesis to Joshua, trace the pattern that God uses to work in human life. His model will be exactly the same in their lives than the lives of Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and others. Follow the same pattern we find in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua. In these books we will see how God moves in our lives.
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Therefore, to study these books is necessary briefly to relate to each other. Genesis is the book that reveals the need of humanity and is about the man, his creation, sin, the new world that appears after the flood, the slow man's journey through time, hesitating before God. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, four men who followed God, show the need for men of justification, to have a relationship as children, sanctification and glorification. But even more importantly, Genesis ends with the words "in a coffin in Egypt. All we can say about the man once said all there is to say, you live in the realm of death .
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But the Exodus is all about God. The Exodus is God's answer to man's need and the way it has supplied the solution to man's sin. Begins immediately with the activity of God throughout the course of the book sees God working in power. Therefore, the book becomes a picture of redemption, of the activity of God to redeem man in his need, in their sin, in its degradation and misfortune. As such it is a wonderful image that contains a tremendously instructive lessons for us about the meaning of redemption, that is, what he has done and is doing God in our lives, as well as it claims to do with us and steps will provide.
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But redemption is not completed within this book, never find the whole story of redemption in Exodus. Should continue with Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The whole picture appears to reach the book of Joshua, we find that Israel has been brought to a land of triumph and victory over their enemies, which is an image of the triumphant and victorious Christian experience. Israel is, therefore, an image of God's people, the church of God and you as a child of God. These books have been beautifully designed by the Holy Spirit and describe historical events that have happened so under the absolute government of God, which account for us great redemptive truths. That is why Paul says, writing to the Corinthians: "These things happened to them as examples [literally representations] and are written for our instruction. (1 Cor. 10:11). Therefore, it is good to ignore them.
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The book of Exodus begins with the birth of a baby. Clearly, the finger of God from the very beginning of the book, because it is the story of a baby born under sentence of death, but whose life was preserved in a wonderful way through the intervention of the hand of God. It gently ironic thing worth watching and I hope none of you miss it, that God in the person of the Holy Spirit moves in such a way that, despite the law of the king, according to which had to kill all male Hebrew babies in Egypt, Moses not only saved, but the Pharaoh employs Moses' own mother to take care of the baby! There is no doubt that this purpose is one of those delightful expressions of humor of God. If you have not yet discovered that God has a sense of humor, you expect a breakthrough. Throughout both the Old and New Testament you will find some of these glimpses and humorous. I can not read the Bible occasionally find myself laughing out loud at some of the smart things as God does, through the vicissitudes ironic, cleverly giving back to the situations and this is the case in the history of Moses.
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The interesting thing about this approach is that when God wants to do something, almost always begins with a baby, but not us. We believe that babies are not very important. Back in 1809 the world was anxiously awaiting news of the battles of Napoleon, who threatened to become a world dictator, with the Hitler of his time. Napoleon shook the world with their tyrannical egomaniacal desires and impulses, but that year they were born babies in their homes and families around the world and what babies! In England came into the world Tennyson, Charles Darwin and Gladstone, who would become prime minister of Great Britain. Here in this country, ie United States, in a log cabin in Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln was born, as well as Wendell Holmes and other men who, to become men, they became giants that shook and changed the world. This means that when God wants to change history, it begins with a battle, but with a baby.
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So God began with this baby. Moses grew up and was raised in Pharaoh's court, having access to all knowledge of the Egyptians and being educated in the best university of the greatest empire of that time. He was the adopted son of the king himself and enjoyed all the privileges, taking every advantage possible, but when he reached adulthood, God spoke and realized that was to become the liberator of Israel. So he left, trying to carry out its work, at least I believed, and ended up killing a man and having to flee into the wilderness. By following the course of its history, we find that Moses had to leave the land of Egypt and herd sheep for forty years in the wilderness. It was there where God found him and took the extraordinary encounter with him in the burning bush. God called again to fulfill the mission entrusted to him originally, for which there was far less prepared until he learned that God was all I needed to do anything for you.
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Returning to the structure of Exodus, you will understand the history of the book if you remember four things. The whole book revolves around four major events. The first is the Passover. Chapters 1 to 14 lead and find a head in this great event. The second event is the people of Israel crossing the Red Sea, which is described in chapter fourteen. The third event is the giving of the law at Sinai and the fourth building of the tabernacle in the camp of Israel. These four events summarize the book of Exodus.
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The first two events are closely related and so do the other two. The Passover and Red Sea are two aspects of one truth: the liberation of the people of Israel, who was a slave in Egypt. A picture of something very important in the Christian experience, which we call conversion or regeneration, releasing a person from the bondage of the world and if you want to know what God did to make you study the Christian Easter and the time the people crossed the Red Sea, which discuss in a moment.
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The other two events are also related. The giving of the law and the construction of the tabernacle are totally inseparable events. Recall that Moses was given the level of the tent when he was in the mount with God, while the law was given. We need to understand why these two events, the law and the tabernacle, are intricately linked and in a moment we will see why.
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But first back to Easter. You know the story of how God called Moses, challenged him and sent him back to Egypt. At first Moses was reluctant to go and in all these stories are wonderful lessons. Here, for example, when God told Moses: "Moses, I want you and my people liberes Moses replied," Lord, I can not do that, I can not express myself well, I am not eloquent, I can not speak. I can not stand before Pharaoh. God did not rebuke Moses for saying this and was furious because this was not the manifestation of human insufficiency of Moses, there's nothing wrong with that. We are created to be that way and God does not consider us guilty never feel inadequate when we are asked to do something.
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But then God told Moses, "I know you do not know to express yourself, but I'll tell you what I do. You go to Egypt and I will be your tongue and speak through you. To which Moses replied: "Look, Lord, I think you'd better look for another. The Word tells us: "Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses. (Exodus 4:14). The first time Moses was saying," I can not do that, I am only a man and God answered: "Yes, I know. I have created in this way, but I will do through you. But when Moses told the second time," Look Lord, you better look for another what he was really saying was "Lord, I can not do that and I think you can not. When Moses challenged God thus aroused his anger against them. This is a good point to remember when God challenges us to do something.
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God does not ever worry that your initial reaction is that of backing down, but once he has reminded you that he will be with you in what has been asked to do and you will do through you is thrown back then is when you have insulted God and is as if he had said, "I do not think you can not do it.
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Moses went out and went to Egypt, taking the rod of God and immediately had a conflict with Pharaoh. Nothing is more dramatic in the Old Testament that this tremendous confrontation of wills between Pharaoh and Moses, who are the representatives of Satan and God. In this case God moves in power against Pharaoh and it is almost incredible to read the story of how God sent a series of terrible plagues that affected the whole land of Egypt. And then we read: "Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let the people go thing happened repeatedly.
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We will see the progress in the story that God makes all the people you meet. He sent Moses to them and finally manages to overcome the attitude of the Pharaoh, whose will is overwhelmed by the power of God. Consent, then, after the death of his firstborn, and let go the people of Israel. It is very important to be aware that when Moses went to Egypt, the people of Israel was a nation, but became a nation after having passed through the Red Sea. That is the meaning of words found in First Corinthians: "All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. (I Cor th. 10:2) In the sea became a body because they had not previously been more than a disorganized mob. After having passed the Red Sea came as a unity, a unity in Christ. This is a beautiful reflection of the truth that every Christian view. Before becoming a Christian is not just a person struggling and striving for their way in life, but when she had the experience of Easter, when he saw the blood of the Lamb nailed to a cross for him, splashing the cross with his blood for him and has relied on that fact, just as the people of Israel was based on the symbol of the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the doorposts of their houses the night of Passover and until he has had the experience of the Red Sea, leaving behind her past to move forward, to live the Christian life, having proclaimed their loyalty to God and going on that way and symbolically, by the waters of the Sea, will never understand completely that it has become part of a body, the body of Christ, and has together with a living unit, with all other Christians and this is an image that gives us the book of Exodus.
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The Passover is a picture of the cross of Christ. It's a really beautiful story! It is the story of how he spent the angel of death throughout the land and killed all the firstborn, all but those of the Israelites who, by faith, simply by faith, taken from the blood of a lamb and spread on the doorposts frames and doors and through that were perfectly safe in their homes. This gives us a picture that shows us that the simple act of faith in which we rest and know that Jesus Christ has died has left the guilt that we had solved before God and the angel of death passes over us. The angel of judgment is not never cross our path because we have placed our faith in the blood of the Lamb of God, which is a wonderful truth.
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But this is not the whole story. Remember that Easter does not really value until it is not related to the experience of the Red Sea. The people had to leave the safety of their homes, leaving the desert and reach the sea and it seemed impossible to cross them, causing the impression that they would lose what they had achieved. Then the people began to cry out to Moses and ask him what had led to die in the desert.
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The answer given Moses is fabulous. He says, "Fear not! Stand still and see the deliverance the Lord will do in your favor. (Ex. 14:13) This was a cry of faith, but the word of God is heard immediately by saying:" March on, do not stay standing there, has not time to pararos, step forward. "Okay people said," Where? We have water in front of us and the Egyptians are behind us. Where can we go? And Moses said, "Never mind, God says you must go on, so do it.
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The Lord had told him to stretch out his rod over the sea and when he did, the waters parted and they could pass safely on the other hand, while the Egyptians were following them were caught by the giant waves rushed over them and drowned at sea.
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What the Red Sea is a figure in your life? Is a figure of separation of the world. Egypt is in those moments the other side and once they had crossed the Red Sea is certainly found in the desert, but had gotten out of Egypt and a river of death had been between the two sides. It is exactly the same river of death that lies between you and the world by asking you to Christ to be your Lord.
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Here is something that we should look. When they were celebrating the Passover, were resting in their homes, did not have to do anything, just being there. They were depending only on the work of another. However, when they reached the Red Sea, was the power of God that made the waters to separate out enabling them to escape, but the people were required to do something and their wills were challenged and had to go through the sea.
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That is the reason that many professions of Christian faith never fail to materialize or come to nothing. There are people who are willing to sit under the blood of the Passover, they are willing to receive Jesus Christ as Savior, but are not willing to go through the Red Sea. Never give the necessary step to leave behind his past life, that separates the world because they are still thinking they are in Egypt. It will proceed to cross the Red Sea and until that happens you find slavery still subject to and under the control of Egypt.
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Notice, in the fifteenth chapter, which tells us that only after Israel crossed the Sea could burst into a song and had sung in Egypt because he had been a land of slavery, suffering, misfortune, a endless work and constant danger, but on reaching the desert and across the Red Sea shore, burst into a song. True liberation puts a song in our hearts. Do you have a song of liberation?
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This is a standard that is often observed in the present life. Not long ago came to me a young man who was struggling with drinking and obviously there was a crisis in his life and wanted to be free. Somehow they had realized that there was strength in Christ to save him. He came to me and we talked. He bowed his head and received the Lord, but three weeks later I phoned and told me that he was involved again in the same predicament. It was exactly as before, so I asked him to come and see me and went back to sit and chat.
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I said, "What happened to go home three weeks ago after saying that you had received the Lord? You did something about it? He replied:" No, I did not. I just went home. Then I asked, "What did you expect to happen? And he said," do not know. I just go home and I guess I forgot about it. I said then: "If you had taken the decision to establish a business partnership, if you had decided you wanted a certain job and for them you had to take some steps, do you marcharías at home and forget the whole thing?
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"Of course I did not answer me." Would begin to move in that direction. "Well I said," do you think you can convince me that you have asked Jesus Christ into your life and you're going to allow him to control it when I see you've gone home and you sit, you've crossed arms and you've forgotten about it. He said: "I guess not.
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Making a decision is one thing, the decision makes the power of God is manifest in our lives and frees us from the guilt of the past and we can rejoice in it because the Word of God is true, but also the experience of crossing the Sea Red, who calls us to go ahead and cut it all ties that bind us to the world and we take steps to make it possible for the river of judgment of God to flow between you and the procedures the world. When she gives you that step, what it does is positioned so that God dwells within. As seen here in Exodus, chapter 15, God never touches his people or going with him until they have passed through the Red Sea. When they have done then God dwells among them.
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a beautiful poem:
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Have you come to the Red Sea in your life? where in spite of all you can do,
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Have you come to that place? Precisely there is where many need to go, because until they do, they can never get to know the dwelling of God in their lives.
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As you read the fifteenth chapter, we find a very interesting picture. We read the story about the waters of Marah, the place of bitterness, which immediately follows that of the people crossing the Red Sea. In order to purify these waters, Moses cut a tree that the Lord showed him, threw it into the water and they became sweet (Ex. 15:25). In regard to the application that has this image to our lives, they will realize that it happens just in the right place. What we're saying is that the cross, the great tree from which hung the Lord Jesus is God's answer to the bitterness of life. When we have gone through Easter, trusting in your blood and when we crossed the Red Sea, completely cutting ties that bind us to things in the world, we find that the cross is always the answer to all the bitterness caused by the sin of our past life. God's response to the bitterness of the experience of the person is the experience of the cross, which removes the misery of the past and all the frustrations of this sweeten the waters of our life.
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Immediately after this came to the desert where they received manna and he began to manifest God's fatherly care. Do not you find out that to become a Christian? As you became a Christian and completely left his old life back, after crossing the Red Sea, did not you immediately found love and fatherly care of God? He was caring, he fed him and took him on eagles' wings, as it did here with these Israelites, but even so, the people began to murmur. That is something we do too often in our lives, railing against God, is not it?
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Chapter 17 is a battle, the first battle with the flesh. This is always caught completely by surprise that the new believers. Once you have experienced the glory of Easter, the Red Sea, the mighty deliverance from sin in their lives, the meaning of that fatherly love by giving them manna and have found communion with Christ in their new lives, they discover that even have a battle to fight with the old flesh. This can be an overwhelming discovery, but there you have it. Amalek comes and fights with Israel, but God declares an endless war with Amalek (Ex. 17:10) "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. Both oppose each other. (Gal. 5:17). You can not ever make peace with Amalek.
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So after considering the typical teaching of this book we come to chapter 19 on the Sinai, that is, the law and the tabernacle, the third and fourth sections of Exodus. Join these two. Naturally, we Sinai the delivery time of the law. But what is the law? It is simply a picture of the holiness of God, ie God's character. Let me put it another way. It is the fact that God is immutable, that is an inflexible character. That is why what the law and the provision of the Act is a time of terror. Because there is nothing more terrible for human beings have to face openly the fact that God is altogether immutable and that nothing will change him. This is a wonderful comfort to us when we think about His love and grace, but we are afraid to think of his holiness, his anger and fury. This means that we can never convince you of anything and can never buy. We can not get him to lower the level at all. The law is absolute and irrevocable level of the personality of God, that's what we found when we have the experience of the Lordship of Christ, which is completely unchanged and will never do what we require in our lives is less.
Therefore, the law alone is frightening and the personality of God terrifies us. Do we really take seriously what God says about himself? Listen: "Be ye therefore perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matt. 5:48) Do you take these words seriously? The truth is that most of us spend much time trying restarles something of importance. be perfect! That frightens us, how I can I be perfect? The answer to that question is God is the tabernacle, the sacrificial ritual connected with it. That is so in the bush, yes, the same mountain on which gave the law is the revelation of his character was his tabernacle, its provision coming to dwell in man, because God dwelt in his people through the tabernacle.
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I like to visualize the camp of Israel. You will recall that it was divided and were all the tribes. Some east, some north, west and south. They were arranged in perfect order and in the center was the tabernacle. About him and the whole camp was situated the great cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. I have often thought that the camp of Israel should look somewhat like having the city of Los Angeles in the desert, and he extended cloud of smoke mixed with fog in the case of Los Angeles, as is logical, but in Israel it was a cloud that talked about God's presence and there he lived among his people.
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That was something that could only be done through an elaborate system of sacrifices and rituals as well as a complicated procedure that could gather his people before him.
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If a person came into the camp of Israel, would have to go through all the tribes force, enter where entered, and finally find the way to the center of the camp, where were the Levites. By continuing between them, come to the tabernacle. First pass through a gate into the court where he would find certain items, the bronze altar and the laver of bronze and was well inside the building with a veil over the entrance, which no one dared to pass unless it was a priest because only he could enter the holy place. Behind another veil was the holy of holies. The only furniture was in it was the ark of the covenant, including the cherubim of mercy with outstretched wings and touching each other on the ark. We are told that only the priest could enter it and only once a year, under the most rigid and precise conditions.
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What all this teach us? Simply that God is immutable and holy and can only live among the people under the strictest conditions. The problem with the tabernacle was that only people allowed to stand before God in a way representative, but in fact they were excluded from his presence. The common people could never come before his presence alone could do the high priest, who feared for his life, and only once a year, that was all. That is the restriction of these rituals of the Old Testament.
As we see, the problem we find in the Old Testament and the saints of those days was not the law and there was nothing wrong with it. The law is good, as Paul says. Sometimes we refer to the law as something negative, but it is not. The law was quite good and it still is. The problem had to do with the tabernacle and the sacrificial system, which were not sufficiently complete and real. There were only shadows, only images and could not really do anything. That is why, to get to the book of Hebrews, the entire book is dedicated to teaching God's law remains unchanged, but the approach is completely different because we come before you is the opposite of the figure, the Actually, they symbolize all these shadows. In Hebrews we read: "We have confidence to enter into the holiest (Heb. 10:19) without any fear, because through the blood of Jesus and from the cross, God has been removed and all that separates us closer to each other thereof.
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The great message of the book of Exodus is that through the cross, God has made it possible for a holy and immutable dwell with us. All the tabernacle is not nothing but a picture of God dwelling with his people. The really important for us here is that God has so resolved the problem of sin in us, fully resolved that Paul says in Romans 8: "therefore now no condemnation .... Not the slightest. No! We have perfect access to the Father through the Son and the Spirit of God dwelling in us and will never leave us nor forsake us because he has made his dwelling in our hearts and our lives.
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One of the things that I am against is the custom of Sunday school teachers (who are most guilty of it) to teach children that the building is the house of God. The reason I do not like it mainly because it is not true. There was a building that was the house of God in the Old Testament, the tabernacle, but it was just a shadow.
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The temple of Jerusalem took place, but that's a shadow. However, upon arrival to the New Testament is never found a building that was designed as the house of God because God's house in the New Testament is the human body. Paul says "ye are the temple of God (I Corinthians 3:16). Therefore, we are never outside the church.
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I think we have taught our children one of the most dreadful mistakes when we teach that a building is the house of God. When we say this have a hard time understanding the idea that their bodies are temples of God and that is what he wants us to learn, that we are never outside the church. Jesus Christ himself dwells in our bodies, which are his temple and that have been created exactly like the tabernacle, with a triple structure. The atrium is the body of blood, flesh and blood, we can see. The holy place is the soul, the realm of emotions, mind and will. That is the aspect that allows us to relate to each other, talk and share experiences together, but deep down the center is the most holy, our spirit and he dwells the Spirit of God. So each of us is a walking tabernacle. The entire book of Exodus aims to write to us, to read, that great New Testament truth, the glory of living with God in the midst of our life and what that demands the truth, the responsibilities and privileges represent allow us to enjoy. The great need is to walk the rest only in the finished work of Jesus Christ, making it all possible.
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With everything and that is not enough to Exodus. We need to read Leviticus and see what he does for us this law demanding in their effort to correct us and guide our lives. In Leviticus you will find another great truth that, if you still have not learned, explain why we are tied, chained and hampered by an experience of continuous ups and downs.
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Prayer
Our Father, how grateful we are for this powerful word of truth. Lord, when we think of how it has come down to us through the prophets and apostles, fishermen, ordinary men like ourselves, who wrote as they were moved by you and in what way this word has been protected and has reached us, the price of bloodshed, sweat, tears and death, we are amazed. Lord, help us to assess this word, to believe in it and walk in His light, knowing that here we have a word for freedom and wisdom that can make us free. We thank you for it, in the name of Christ. Amen.
_________________________________________________________Profecía.Prophet: TERESA AQUINO. *_______________________
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