Christ in the Old Testament - Water from the Rock - Again - Chapter Four by Wade Wright

Chapter Four – Water From The Rock—Again

By Wade Wright

       ⁷And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ⁸ Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. ⁹ And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. ¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? ¹¹ And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. ¹² And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. ^1[1]

     In the book of Numbers, chapter20:1-11, there is the telling of a very similar, and yet very different story concerning water from the rock. It is similar in that Moses struck a rock with his rod, producing water, and yet altogether different in its meaning to us. In the story from the book of Exodus, Moses followed God’s instructions precisely, striking the rock one time, and all was well. In the account in Numbers, he was instructed to speak to, rather than strike the rock. Even though God was displeased, life giving water came out of the rock. Israel had water, but all was not well this time, for disregarding God’s commandments brings bitter consequences. Moses died in the wilderness, rather than entering the land of Canaan, for the simple act of striking this rock with a rod. None the less, there was water.

     In comparing the two stories, the first difference we find, is that rather than pitching, or setting up camp, in Rephadim [bed of rest] Israel now dwells in Kadesh. Not only is this an actual place, but as is often the case, the name has a meaning which lends a greater depth to the story. Kadesh means sanctuary, and as a people who are said to dwell in Kadesh, Israel pictures those who are safe in a place of refuge provided by the Lord himself. They arrived there by his guidance, under the leadership of Moses, who still represents God’s law. For us, today, the standard of God’s commandments is a safe guide to bring the believer to a place of communion with and service to our creator. Such a place could well be called a sanctuary, and is pictured in the tabernacle Israel was instructed to build, where the holy place is also called a sanctuary. It pictures a people, already covered by the blood of God’s perfect sacrifice, in the true sanctuary of God’s forgiveness, where the judgment of sin has been satisfied. There is no need of striking this rock, for the people are no longer in need of a savior; they dwell in “Kadesh”; but they still require life giving water from the rock, and even when the best of mans intentions are not quite what God instructed, water, and spiritual life from above still flows.

     God himself stood before the rock that was struck in the Exodus account, giving his sanction to a symbolic judgment simply by his presence. But in Numbers, he does not say he will be there, only that Moses was to take his staff and go, and there speak to the rock. We are here on this earth, dwelling safely in the love of God, but our savior has returned to his eternal estate. Even the Hebrew word that is used for rock implies this for it has a secondary meaning of a fortress, or a stronghold high atop a lofty mountain crag. Such a place would be hard to reach to strike against it, but remember Moses was only to speak to the rock this time. Jesus is no longer in a place where he might be struck with anything, having returned to his home in glory and nothing in this world can reach him there. One time, he was struck for the sins of all mankind, but he will be struck twice for no one. When we imagine that we fall from grace, and must be washed again in the blood of Christ, we dishonor his sacrifice by deeming it to be inadequate to sustain us. Water still comes from the rock; God does not cast us away, for this sin is covered by that same blood that covered all our sins. Hebrews 6:4-6 explains this to us and also tells why God would be upset with Moses for hitting a rock with a stick. When Moses disobeyed, he marred two pictures of Christ in the Old Testament.  

       Almost the entire book of Hebrews portrays Christ as our high priest, and Moses was to deal with this rock in such a way as to demonstrate an established relationship which a believer has with his savior. In the temple worship of the Old Testament, the high priest went into the sanctuary daily to intercede with God for the sins of Israel. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has gone into the true sanctuary in heaven, and there intercedes on our behalf, just as the priests of old pictured in the rituals of temple worship. We do not come to him with a symbol of judgment, or with any violent intentions, but we speak to him as Moses was instructed to do. We can safely share the deepest needs and desires of our heart, bare our soul in confession, for he already knows us with greater intimacy than we can understand. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that He can divide the soul and the spirit, and knows the thoughts and intents of our heart. We can’t even adequately define the soul and spirit. When we kneel in prayer, the Holy Spirit which indwells us speaks to this great high priest with groanings which cannot be uttered [Romans 8:26], communicating to him things we cannot find a voice for. How wonderful, that we might speak out of the very core of our being and be heard in God’s presence, and yet our story holds yet a further meaning.

      Romans 12:5 tells us that we are the members of the body of Christ, and it is plain to us that we remain here in this world. If any hand be raised against Jesus in this world, it must be raised against his church. Persecution is a reality that we here in the United States are largely insulated from. As I observe the state of our nation, I wonder how long God will permit our comfortable circumstances to continue. But for those for whom persecution is a reality, the story of Moses and the rock reveal how Gods unwavering love can allow this to happen. Remember that Moses and his rod, even though he disobeyed God, still represent God’s law and authority. When Moses struck the rock the first time, the rod was an instrument in the hand of the law-giver, and the type is true in the second story. Whenever persecution comes, it only comes as far as God allows, and not a step further, for the persecution is an instrument in the hand of God, just as the rod was in the hand of Moses. There is a picture of this in action in the first chapter of Job, where Satan comes before God, having been watching Job.

      God allows him to take everything from Job except his very life, and yet we see that Job has in no way fallen from God’s favor. The key to understanding the story is to realize that Satan could do only what God allowed. Perhaps it would have been small comfort to Job to have this whispered in his ear while he sat upon the ash heap scraping his boils with a shard of broken pottery, and remembering his family, but his faith is a wonderful record to us now. God accomplishes his purposes with eternity in view, and our eternal good in mind and those things are not always the same as what appears to us in our daily walk. Whatever comes to a Christian comes from the Hand of a loving God who will not harm him. Persecution brings the activity of the Holy Spirit (water from the rock) in a way that prosperity never can, for even the persecution comes at God’s own hand.

      Moses acted as a sinful man in raising his hand against the rock, and he pictures all men who raise their hands against God’s church. It is a presumptuous act, for in doing so man places himself in a place reserved for God alone. No one has the right sit in judgment over the body of Christ, but God himself, and in doing so men trespass against God, by standing in a position that belongs exclusively to God. Moses sin is prophetic of many people and institutions, who through the course of history dare to lift their hands against the Church as though they had authority to judge that which belongs to God. He also ruined the picture of Christ being crucified once for all men, but twice for no one. Can a man sin a great sin and lose the salvation which is by grace through faith? And if so, just how great a sin would it require?

      If there was a second chance at salvation, Moses striking the rock again would have been a true and accurate picture for our understanding. However there cannot be a provision for a second, unless there is a need for it. Look again at Hebrews 6:4-6, and see if it doesn’t dash any hope of twice being saved. There is no provision for it because there is no need. Look at the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples found in John 13:2-11. It is a wonderful picture of the humility of Jesus, and like much of scripture there is a great deal more there that we can learn. Notice what Jesus said when Peter was indignant at the thought of having the Lord Jesus kneeling before him to wash his feet. He pointed out that there was a difference between a bath and washing the dust from your feet. Peter was clean, that is washed in the blood, but the sins of his day’s journey had soiled his feet. If the things that caused Peter to need a foot washing had caused him to be as he had been before salvation, he would have needed another bath to make the picture accurate. Jesus pointed this out when he said “he that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit”. If this is hard for you to understand, skip ahead to the chapter on the brass alter and the laver of cleansing, or just consider it and ask for God’s assurance of salvation. The born again child of God need not stand in jeopardy or fear for his soul lest he fall from grace, for his standing is by grace and not the works of his hands.

       The Bible tells that Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Two separate concepts, or the work of grace and mercy. Mercy in the forgiveness of sin, and grace for the new life we now live in Christ Jesus. Bathed in the cleansing blood of Calvary’s Lamb (the rock once struck), and cleansing from all unrighteousness through prayers and supplications (speak to the rock). This is beautifully portrayed in the temple worship, where an Israelite brought a sacrifice to the alter and was assisted in making his sacrifice by the priest. From here the Israelite turned back, and the priest went on to the laver of cleansing, where he washed his hands and feet before entering the Holy Place. Mercy portrayed at the alter in the offering of the sacrifice, and cleansing at the laver. Even the priest is symbolic, in that he goes into the place of communion and service where the natural man could not. He is a picture of us, forgiven of our sins, and kept clean in our walk, all by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was once offered, and only once. The Lord Jesus Christ, who now intercedes for us at the throne of grace as our great high priest, and tells the groanings which man cannot find voice for to the Father in heaven.

      

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^[1]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (Nu 20:7-13). Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA

Christ in the Old Testament - Water From The Rock Chapter Three by Wade Wright

Chapter Three- Water From The Rock

by Wade Wright

     And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. ⁶ Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ And he called the name of the place Massah^a, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?  ^[1]

     Through out the bible, there are certain things which are consistently used symbolically. In this text there are three of these; Moses, water and rock. Moses, who went up on the mountain to receive the Law and commandments from the hand of God, is representative of that law. Jesus is portrayed as the cleft of the rock [Exodus 33:18-23], where God hid Moses, as the cornerstone of our faith [1 Peter 2:7], as the stumbling stone to Israel [1 Peter 2:8], and the rock cut out without hands [Daniel 2:34], which smites, and judges the nations. Water is often representative of the Holy Spirit.

       Imagine, if you will, the nation Israel, at the time of this story, nomads, two million strong journeying in a barren wilderness. Their travels are directed by the LORD, and they are fed supernaturally by manna from heaven. For four hundred years they had been slaves in Egypt, where they had recently witnessed the awful plagues brought against Egypt by God. They had watched as Pharaoh’s army drowned in the red sea, where moments before they had walked with water standing on either side of them. Still, they had not learned to trust in the Lord, for upon making a dry camp, they began to complain to Moses.

       Moses, who stood before Pharaoh and proclaimed plagues sent from God, who cast his rod on the ground to become a serpent, who stretched his rod out over the red sea in the sight of all Israel causing it to part. He was a symbol of the power and authority of God, yet Israel complained and argued with him. In keeping with his character, he represents God’s judgment in this story.

         Israel is like a lost man, wandering through life in a dry and inhospitable place. Although we may not see our condition, for it is spiritual rather than physical, we wander in just such a place. We may go happily along for years, our basic human needs well met, but in a spiritual desert. Some will go through all of life without coming to grips with their spiritual poverty, and others will, as Israel did, pitch, or camp, in “Rephadim”. The word means a “bed of rest”. It pictures a lost man, who comes to the understanding of his lost condition; a bed of rest, for there is no hope for anyone until they see their need, and yet, they still have a great problem. Two million Israelites, with their livestock, and the mixed multitude which came with them out of Egypt, are now in a dry camp, and the trouble soon begins.

       No sooner are they pitched, or camped, than they begin to struggle with Moses about the lack of water. Moses has led them, and been a guide to them, and brought them to this bed of rest and yet he cannot satisfy their thirst, and so it should be. For Moses is the symbol of the law, that is the man who represented Israel in giving of God’s holy law. God’s law; it is the standard of holiness. It is the standard by which God, the supreme authority of all creation judges the nature and the works of his creature, man. If we seeing ourselves as under God’s sovereignty, study his law, observe it in our conduct, and measure ourselves by it, it will guide us through this spiritual wilderness to a place rest. That place for us is the realization that we are condemned by God’s law in that we have violated it in every way imaginable. When a man comes to know that he is far removed from God by sin, it is perhaps the most significant moment in his entire life, for he will never seek to reconcile himself to God, while he thinks himself a good person. Having seen his problem, a man will begin to struggle with the law, just as Israel argued with Moses. They were in the place of rest, but could not be at rest until there was water to drink. In the same way, knowing our lost and undone condition before a Holy God does not fix our need. We may complain against God’s law all we want to, but it remains the same standard, and we remain in violation of it. To mankind the law is condemnation, but thank God, there is a provision made for us, just as there was for Israel.

     When Moses, a symbol of the law, and therefore the authority to judge, took up his rod, a symbol of judgment and struck the rock [Jesus], water [Holy Spirit] came forth; Sweet life giving water; satisfaction to a thirsty soul. In Ezekiel 36:26, 27 God tells us he will put a new spirit in us and place his spirit within. Jesus, the rock struck upon the cross of Calvary, yielded himself unto the judgment of God, paid the price of sin by his death. He satisfied the commandments of the law, having never sinned against it, and fulfilled the ordinances of the law, by submitting to a death he had not earned. The rock in the wilderness had no need of being struck by Moses’ rod, just as Jesus had no need of being nailed to the cross, but went there entirely for our good. The law and being guided by the law cannot give eternal life, just as Moses could not provide water to Israel. What he could do was to carry out an act of condemnation, which is the function of the law. Judgment having been satisfied, in that a suitable object had been found to be struck, and had been struck, life giving water flowed from the wound caused by that act of judgment. In the same way, the judgment being satisfied in striking Jesus on our behalf gives us life eternal.

      When Christ died for our sins, his blood flowed freely, just like the water from the rock. But that water was of no use to anyone who would not drink from it. That is a ridiculous thought isn’t it. Why would anyone stand there by this life giving flow, and be thirsty? Is it any more absurd to know the story of Jesus and refuse him? Perhaps you have never given it serious consideration. Israel only received the picture of life giving water from the rock after being guided by Moses to the place of rest, and there coming to terms with their guide. My prayer is that you will make the journey they pictured, that you will allow the holy law of God to show you your true condition, and that you will partake of this life giving flow.   

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^[1]The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (Ex 17:5-7). Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor, WA

Christ in the Old Testament - Christ in the Garden of Eden - Chapter Two by Wade Wright

 Chapter Two:  Christ in the Garden of Eden
by Wade Wright

      The third chapter of Genesis leaves the story of creation, and tells the sad tale of the fall of Adam, and Eve from their first estate as God’s beloved creature made in his own image. God labored in creation, until it was complete, and then He rested. In chapter three, He is once again active, for we see Him walking in the garden, seeking Adam. Adam had no way of seeing all that has become history to us, but we can look into our history, and see Adams future, where it is once again said that the Lord was at rest. Twice in the book of Hebrews, Christ is said to have sat down at the right hand of God. We read this and note that He has been given a place of honor, and agree that it is deserved. Like much of the scriptures, however, there are other meanings to the fact that Christ; the Lamb of God is seated. Just as God labored in creation until it was finished and then rested, Jesus began the work of redemption when He came to seek and save that which was lost, Adam and Eve. He continued that same work in Israel where the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost, and rested when it was finished. He declared the work He began in Eden to be complete when He bowed his head on the cross, said it is finished, and dismissed his spirit. All of creation reflects the character of the creator, and the more we explore the universe of which we are a part, we find it to be a place of order. God, in his infinite wisdom foresaw man’s need of a savior, and took counsel with himself to restore his creature. In Hebrews 13:20 we see the phrase; the blood of the everlasting covenant. If a covenant, or anything else for that matter, is to be everlasting, it cannot be in any way dependant on a man to be a principal of that covenant for two very good reasons. First of all, man is not everlasting, for he has a beginning, and secondly, the character of man is hardly reliable enough to imagine anything he undertakes to be everlasting.

       Revelation 13:8 speaks of “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”, and the context shows this clearly to refer the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:4 makes reference to those chosen before the foundation of the world. None of this was the work, or even the thinking of man, for man’s beginning was some time after the foundation of the earth was well established. These things were settled in the immutable counsel of God outside the boundaries of time. When he came walking in the garden seeking Adam and Eve He began the work of redemption, just as He had purposed, and agreed with himself, forming the everlasting covenant. In keeping with his holy and perfect character, He saw it through to completion, bowed his head, and declared it to be finished, when He had poured out his life’s blood on Calvary. Only then is He pictured as seated at the right hand of the Father. There is more to Jesus, however, than his deity.

       On the one hand, it might seem odd to think of being more than God, yet it is plain from the scriptures that Jehovah God humbled himself to take up the form of man his creature, thereby becoming both man and God. The first chapter of the gospel of John is devoted to this subject, and in 1 Corinthians 15:45-47, Jesus is referred to as the last Adam, and the second man. The second man, for from the time our earthly father, Adam, until the first coming of Christ, no other was in the image of God. God created man in his image, but sin came and the image was marred, until Jesus came. Begotten by the Holy Spirit of God, without sin, there was for only the second time, a man in God’s own image. He is the last Adam, for there will not be another. And all the redeemed of the earth have their standing before God in Christ Jesus. He is our spiritual father, just as Adam is our earthly. Adam is a picture of Jesus, there in the garden, for he is the father of a people.

      Adam is also the husband of a beloved wife, just as Jesus is portrayed as the husband of his church. Imagine for a moment that we could freeze time, and look at the sixth verse of Genesis chapter three, and let’s freeze it after Eve has eaten from the forbidden fruit, but Adam has not. In that brief moment, Adam’s beloved wife is alone, lost ruined, eternally separated from God’s love by a single act of disobedience. She has been deceived, [1 Timothy 2:14] but Adam has a conscious decision to make. Does he obey God and remain sinlessly perfect, but alone, or does he join his beloved wife who is now also alone, but in a new and ruined state. Your very existence and mine hang in the balance as Adam looks at the fruit his wife holds out to him. What other reason could there be for Adam to willingly sin against God, but his love for Eve? And what other reason could you give for Jesus to go willingly to Calvary, except his great love for us?

      The parallel becomes clearer if you examine the nature of sin from God’s perspective. I began to understand this when, quite by accident I discovered that the Old Testament word for sin is often used for sacrifice. From our point of view, the sacrifice is the cure for sin, so how can you call it the same thing? God’s perspective is that He judges sin, but will judge a suitable sacrifice instead. Adam, in a willful act of disobedience became the object of God’s judgment, while Jesus, in a wondrous act of love became the Lamb of God, also the object of judgment, and both on behalf of their beloved bride. Wonderful story of love, tell it to me again!

     We don’t usually think of Genesis as a book of prophecy, but there is a prophecy here, directly from the mouth of the LORD God. When in verse 15 He promised the woman a seed which would war against the serpent and would bruise his head. Today, thousands of years later, there is still spiritual warfare between the people of God, and those who are of their father the devil. It is not customary to mention a “seed” as belonging to a woman, but rather to the offspring of a man. It is a reference to the miraculous birth of Jesus, who had no earthly father. His humanity was entirely from his mother, Mary. When he gave up his life on Calvary, the serpent had bruised his heel. But, praise God He did not remain dead as all other men must do. Because He had no sin death had no authority over him, and the grave could not hold him. He forever bruised the head of the serpent [Satan] when he rose from the grave, victorious over sin and death.

     Jehovah God, seeking that which was lost, the loving husband casting his lot with his beloved, and a prophecy of the victory won for all mankind at Calvary, and yet the picture is not complete, for there is a fourth portrait of Christ in the Garden of Eden. Having sinned, man discovered his nakedness, and tried to cover himself with fig leaves. Fig leaves were not acceptable to God, who provided them with skin garments. Do you suppose God was being practical, knowing the fig leaves would quickly wither? They did of course, but God was giving us a much more important bit of information. First of all, anything man did would be unacceptable to a holy God, for man was now defiled by sin. Even though Adam had imagined he could cover his sin, when the LORD arrived in the garden, he realized he was still naked. Some great and sad day all of mankind will stand in the presence of that same LORD, and those who have clothed themselves only in their own works will know that they are naked still, just as Adam was. It is true today, for the bible plainly tell us that our works are as filthy rags beside his holiness. In order to make man presentable before a holy God, the wages of sin would have to be paid, and that wage is death.[Romans 6:23] If God had sent Adam and Eve to the place of eternal judgment, the lake of fire mentioned in the twentieth chapter of Revelations, the issue of sin would have been settled between God and man, but you and I would never have been. Our loving father made provision for them, and us, by taking the life of an innocent animal to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve, a picture of the coming Lamb of God, Jesus Christ the Lord, who once and for all gave his life on Calvary for our sins. Nothing any of us can do would render us as acceptable to a holy God, just as the fig leaves were not acceptable, but God’s mercy provided the only acceptable substitute. By his grace Devine, He provided himself, the only one who could give a sinless offering, and clothed us in his righteousness, rather than the works of our hands.

      There is yet another, perhaps more obscure element of Christ’s work portrayed in Eden, in the ill fated serpent. Poor loathsome creature of today, once the most subtle of God’s creatures, the serpent was cursed above all others, for the entire earth was cursed for man’s sake. He was cursed in that he was subjected to the judgment of Almighty God, and such a judgment that no other would know the depths of it. Jesus became the object of God’s judgment in our place, and thereby a curse. And just as the serpent was cursed above all others, this same Jesus is also more cursed than any other, for He bore the sins of all mankind. God’s love comes freely to all men, but only because the justice of His unbending authority has made Jesus to be that which is judged and cursed above all else. There is no grace or mercy extended to us unless the judgment of sin is settled. But, praise God, it was settled when Jesus became a curse for us. Redemption’s wondrous work of love, covenanted in the timeless mind of Almighty God, set in motion in Eden, and finished on the cross of Calvary. My song shall ever be how marvelous, how wonderful, is my saviors love for me.

Christ in the Old Testament -Christ in Creation - chapter one by Wade Wright

Chapter One: Christ in Creation: read Genesis chapters 1&2
by Wade Wright

     The logical place to begin would be the beginning it seems, and if we look there we can indeed see Christ. John 1:1 tells us that He was in the beginning, that He was both God, and “with God”, and verse three tells us that He created all things. In the general account of creation contained in Gen.1:1 the word God is used. However in the detailed account of mans creation in chapter two, it is the LORD God who makes man “in our image”. If you translate the word Jesus from English back to Greek, and then back to the Hebrew name it began as, you find it to be a contraction of two words, one being Jehovah, the other yasha, meaning savior. When translated directly from Hebrew to English it comes out Joshua, and the meaning of it is Jehovah savior. The name Jehovah is usually designated in our English bible as LORD, all in capitals. Jesus is Jehovah God, contained in a human form, so that He could provide himself to die a sacrificial death and become our savior. We see him there, in the beginning, active in the work of creation, and on the seventh day of creation, He rested, having completed that which He set out to do. It was Jehovah God who breathed life into man, making him a living soul. This set man apart from all other creatures, who have a soul after a sort, in that they can think and interact with their surrounding, but man alone has an awareness of God, for his soul is designed to be alive unto his creator.

      Perhaps it seems unimportant to rehearse some of the creation story, but it is vital to understand that the circumstances in which mankind exists are rightfully imposed upon us by our God, for He is the rightful owner of all creation, just as you would be the rightful owner of a home you built for yourself, and entitled to all the privileges and uses thereof. If in a man’s life he discovers that God does indeed have rightful authority over him, it will forever change the course of that life. Once you truly settle in your own mind that you should serve God, it changes how you perceive yourself. No longer are you master of your own destiny, in your mind, but instead, you become a creature, subject to the will of the One who created you. It is no great leap of the mind to bend your will to the will of God, but to someone who cannot see God as being God, and man as Gods creature, it is completely foreign to his way of thinking.

        In the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus, we find him walking on water, calming the angry seas and the raging winds of a violent storm. There are countless incidents his curing diseases, causing lame persons to walk, and the blind to see. He cast out demons, and even raised dead people back to life. We read these things, and see the mercy, and kindness of a loving God, but they also tell us of the power and authority of Jesus Christ. Power over the forces of nature, over the diseases which ravage the bodies of men, just as sin ravages the souls of mankind. It chronicles his authority, over unclean spirits, and even over death.

       Rightful authority is a foreign thought to the natural mind of a man. Instead, we think in terms of power and control. There is an account in Matthew 8:9 of a roman centurion who understood authority. When he said to Jesus “I am a man under authority”, rather than a man of authority, he gave us the key to our relationship to the sovereignty of God, and the stewardship of man. God created man and gave him dominion over the earth, because it pleased him to do so, and it was his to give. That dominion is valid because it is endorsed by God who has complete dominion over all, making man a steward, rather than an owner. The centurion was a steward of the authority of Rome, and he knew it, unlike most men who imagine themselves to be persons of authority.

      To some extent, even the best intentioned of Christians, myself included think in terms of power and control, rather than stewardship. For instance, my wife and I own 12 acres. It has been here since the beginning of creation, and will be here until the Lord rolls the heavens and the earth together at the time of judgment, but I own it. In a few short years, I will have departed from this life and be forgotten in this world, but in my mind, I own that twelve acres. God, who created all, and owns all, and who gave man dominion over the earth, owns my twelve acres, and has given me stewardship of it. Knowing this doesn’t take from my rights to use my home, but reminds me to acknowledge God in the way I treat my home, and everything else I have possession of. We think of money when we think of stewardship, but it should extend to how we use time, talents, relationships, and all the wondrous gifts of God. One thing in particular that man has taken liberty with is the truth. We even go so far as to deny that there is an absolute truth, but that things are ‘’relative”, or “it depends on your perspective”. To those who do not wish to be under the authority of God, it is necessary to deny the story of creation, for to accept it as written requires obedience to our creator. In order to justify rejecting God’s authority, we invent an alternative story, like evolution, which relieves us of any obligation to a higher power, by denying his existence. The only problem with this is that what we believe doesn’t change the truth, nor does it change our responsibility to God for how we regard his word.

       Authority and order were well established in Gods creation, until Satan began to envy Gods power and authority, and imagined that he could set his throne above Gods, and be worshipped as God. When Adam and Eve joined Satan in disobedience by eating the fruit which God had forbidden them, in their minds they did the same thing Satan had done. Not only did man become a fallen, ruined creature, just as Satan is. But it affected all things which were under the dominion of man. God’s beautiful earth, which He had declared to be “good, and very good” was now under the dominion of a fallen creature. It would seem the better solution in man’s thinking to erase and start over. But God’s ways are not our ways. The character of God is such that He will never go back on his word. Having delegated to man authority over creation, He still allows us much control over our earthly home. When He entered the human race as our savior Jesus Christ, He became the perfect man, who will be king over all the earth and restore pure and rightful authority over his creation.

       We never stop to think through our actions and the motives behind them, or the consequences of them, but every sin we think, or do in effect removes God from his rightful place on the throne in our hearts, and places our own will in his stead. Our gracious loving God allows us a great deal of latitude in how we live our lives, but be assured that a day of accounting will come. Dear friend, you cannot afford to go through this life and never bow to the will of your creator. He will allow you to do so if you wish, but the consequences of spending eternity outside of his loving favor are more than you can afford to pay.