Thoughts as I was reflecting on the Passover and the crucifixion the last couple of days and listeni...
Thoughts as I was reflecting on the Passover and the crucifixion the last couple of days and listening to the End Days teachings on Love Israel. A couple realizations that were pretty obvious but I had just missed until this year. First, I had only ever really considered Yeshua as represented in the lamb on Passover. This year I finally understood that He is also represented in the death of the firstborn. "He is the image of the invisible G-d, the firstborn over all creation." Colossians 1:15 G-d's firstborn died on the cross. Then we also see "Thus saith the L-RD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn." Exodus 4:22 It's just something that struck me this year because again I always just saw Yeshua in the lamb, but I think He is also represented in the death of Egypt's firstborn as well as in the salvation of the firstborn of Israel who put the blood on the doorposts. It's interesting to consider that picture of salvation because it is always and totally absolutely always comes to be seen in Yeshua. That's where I always end up, and I don't know how G-d can be so loud and yet so quiet. The Passover picures the Torah choice that is then literally put before us in the person of Yeshua. In His body is either your life or your death, your blessing or your cursing and that's really profound in my mind to consider.
" I call heaven and earth as witness today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the L-RD your G-d, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to HIm, for He is your life and the length of your days; that you may dwell in the land which the L-RD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them." Deuteronomy 30:19-20 So now just curious to understand more the relationship between the physical land and spiritual salvation as understood in the Old Testament.
Then I realized that we can see the same type of choice in the thieves on the cross. G-d tells us that he will separate the goats from the sheep, which I think is represented in the thieves that hung on either side of Yeshua on the cross. What strikes me the most that I think G-d is pointing me to consider more completely is that we are not just dealing with unbelief from the unbelievers. The church has made it very simplistic, and I don't think it's good in terms of preparing us for what we are headed for that way. It is not just about do you believe in G-d, do you believe in Yeshua. There is much more hard heartedness and evil involved in how the world will approach this question than I think I was prepared for by the church. I also wonder if perhaps this issue is just revealing more wickedness as the world moves closer to the end or if it's just because I've lived longer and learned more. Anyway, one thief tells Yeshua, "If you are the Messiah, save yourself and us." then the other thief says "Do you not even fear G-d seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong" (Luke 23: 39-40) I find myself struggling with understanding my purpose in this life. Often when I study prophecy, I struggle with the feeling that I'm only here to die. I know how prideful that is considering I deserve to die. The difficulty for me is reconciling that with the truth that in G-d's grace I have a purpose that I need and is somehow for the good in this life. It's strange that G-d gives us a purpose and at the same time we are totally unnecessary. That's a hard one for me to really come to terms with for some reason. I think it's hard to pray in hope and faith when G-d has already shown us where this is going. He has helped me pray in hope against the coronavirus for example, but I had to ask HIm to help me because I don't see hope in the truth of prophecy. All I can do is aske for Him to do something, and that's good, but odd because I'm here. Now He's directed me toward the thieves and I realize we are not just dealing with convincing people that G-d loves them, Yeshua died for them, or G-d exists, We are in a world where the bottom line for unbelievers often just seems to be about what's in it for me. I'm not sure what He wants me to do with that, and it makes me sad because I wonder if one day the only hope in my life won't be in some broader idea of evangelistic salvation, but just that G-d is glorified. He has told me just to pray that He be glorified, and I'm wondering how much He wants me to see in that. That's something between Him and the adversary I believe, and on the other side of this life, I'll get it. But here and now, when people are dying, it's hard to submit to something you can't really understand. G-d is all about salvation, so I know there's going to be more to this understanding, but for some reason now He is keeping me at this point. There is a really sad and painful reality for believers in this life that I don't think the evangelical church has prepared us for. One day it may not be about someone else's salvation. It may really just be about you and testimony toward those who don't want it. it may just be about G-d revealing your faith and salvation through His strength in the face of evil and those who know He is active and real, but don't want Him. That's where I struggle with just being here to suffer and die, and then it is just about you glorifying HIm and not about who else you may help bring to Him. I don't know, some depressing thoughts these days that have come up before but not so much as now. Kind of sad to see you can't really do anything, and hard to submit to the strange paradox of hope in a world destined to die because it's so easy to come back to "what's the point then but just to suffer and die?" But I do have Yeshua so I know that's not a valid question., so no worries. I get it. It's just a necessary one for me to work through. "He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left" Matthew 25 I think Yeshua gave us a lot to consider in this being represented in the thieves on the cross. "Then he said to yeshua, 'L-rd remember me when you come into your Kingdom.' and Yeshua said to him, 'Assuredly I say to you, today you will be with me in
paradise.'" Luke 23:42-43 G-d has went through so much with us, and how much is going to really hit us upside the head one day because so much of the pain, suffering, and confusion, I really believe was not ultimately necessary in terms of His perfect will We have all taken a long, hard wrong term according to His permissive will. And though on one level the suffering and pain wasn't necessary, it's only Yeshua who suffered unnecessarily. Just a lot here I think I need to somehow submit to more completely to be more humble and aware. My grandma always said "we're not promised the next breath" another one because she has way more than most to complain about in life "count your blessings". She has went through so much and doesn't complain. So much wisdom in humility and a lot is said (again very loudly but quietly like what I see G-d do so think i'm on a good track) in just being humble. I think the humility of believers is where I need to somehow start seeing more hope for this world.