Israel, not Entering the Land

Ryan McClure, addressing the topic of human regret and Godly remorse, maintains that feelings of remorse and regret have the possibility of either leading to destruction or to repentance. Examples of regret and remorse permeate the scripture, including the regret of ancient Israel for having left the "comforts" of Egypt. Any sorrow which does not lead to repentance and a resolution to follow God's way is deadly, leading to re-imprisonment to sin and to the deadly consequences of carnal human nature. As God's called ones, once we have put our hand to the plow, we dare not look back wistfully, as Lot's wife did, but instead must keep doggedly plowing toward God's Kingdom. Worldly sorrow is superficial and unproductive, while Godly sorrow is highly productive, yielding not only repentance, but also a bumper crop of the fruits of God's Holy Spirit.

Richard Ritenbaugh, observing that Americans treasure their work ethic, suggests that the weariness we experience from our toil is a carryover from the curse upon Adam—that we eat as a result of our sweating. The Sabbath is an antidote to the weariness we experience. On the Sabbath, we recall God's pausing after completing His physical creation, and we look ahead to the Millennial rest, when He will restore the earth to its original splendor. God will then eliminate pain, sorrow, tears, and death. The Sabbath rest is a time to refrain from physical labor and contemplate the next phase of creation-our spiritual character. It is not a time to crash, but to become reinvigorated by contemplating God's intervention in and sanctification of our carnal lives. We stop all carnal thoughts and activities and contemplate the wonderful future God has prepared for His called-out ones. The Sabbath is a memorial of our redemption and a restorative inspiration of what God is fashioning us into. The function of the Sabbath rest is to prepare future sons and daughters for their role in the Kingdom of God. As we use this hallowed time for study, prayer, and meditation, we incrementally become copies of the True God in the flesh.

James Beaubelle, focusing on the infamous narrative in Numbers 13-14 of the ten timid and two bold spies, referenced in four other books of the Bible, concludes that it behooves us to carefully consider the offenses preventing many ancient Israelites from entering their rest. That evil generation, despite its daily contact with God, refused to trust Him, but complained every step along the way. There was not a single day of rebellion, but a whole series of aggravating incidents, including complaining about bitter water, griping about the lack of food, , attempting to gather manna on the Sabbath, fashioning the golden calf, and the ten spies' dispiriting the people from entering the Promised land. We have the same carnal nature as our forebears and should learn from their example that complaining equates to lack of faith and that we must be ready to listen to and obey the One Who called us.

Kim Myers, tracing ancient Israel's abject bondage to the Egyptians and their subsequent redemption and journey to their great gift (that is, the Promised Land), draws a parallel to the Israel of God. We have been in bondage to sin, enslaved to alcoholism, adultery, lying, and other carnal pulls. Like the ancient Israelites, we have a tendency to gripe and complain, wrongly thinking that the days before conversion were enjoyable, forgetting we were wallowing in slop and eating garbage. Like the ancient Israelites, we sometimes come to yearn for our previous bondage. Because God loved ancient Israel, He spoke to Moses 72 times, giving specific guidance; He has given us His Holy Spirit for the same purpose. The ancient Israelites grumbled when God gave them the land of the Amalekites, fearing God would not back them, even after the backdrop of witnessing many incontrovertible miracles. After the deaths of the recalcitrant first generation (a collection of rebels who preferred bondage to godly freedom), an emergent second generation entered the land of milk and honey, with God winning all their military victories for them. No other people in the world have been given a gift like that. If we understood God's divine purpose for us, we would live our lives entirely differently. God's ways from the world's point of view are strange; the world thinks we are nerds. But living God's ways will enrich us with the fruits of the Spirit. Most of us do not comprehend the magnitude of the gift God has given us, a trillion times better than the gift He gave to the ancient Israelites. Obedience to God's law is the key factor in growing toward God's Holiness.

Richard Ritenbaugh, reflecting on Malachi 3:13-15, which does not describe Israel's greatest moments, reminds us that God has never said the Christian life would be easy and that life would always be fair. Jesus Christ urged all of us to count the cost. Difficulties and tests are given to test our hearts and promote humility, a valuable nutrient for spiritual growth. David's experience with the successive stages in defeating the Amalekites, in which the 200 of the 600 men who became battle-fatigued received their share of the booty, indicates that God doesn't deal in favoritism. God judges everybody equally; to whom He has given more, much more will be required of him. The book of Numbers, considered incoherent and incomprehensible by proponents of the Documentary Hypothesis, is definitely logically ordered by Almighty God to demonstrate the cause and effect nature of sin, recording the death tolls until the entire first generation of stiff-necked rebels had their carcasses strewn throughout the desert. The second generation survived and was protected by God for 40 years. God provided them supernaturally food and drink, just as the Israel of God receive spiritual food and drink. Miraculously, the clothing of the Children of Israel did not wear out. As they complained about the 'boring' manna, God flooded them with 110 bushels of quail per person until the gluttonous lusts brought about death. Similarly, the Israel of God cannot yield to the intense craving for the world or go back to the 'good old days' before our conversion. Murmuring and complaining about God's servant, as Miriam had done, brought about the horrendous curse of leprosy. In the Israel of God, we are warmed not gossip, slander, or malign the character of our teachers or our brethren. As ancient Israel feared the Anakin more than they trusted God, we have to learn to fear God more that the problems and people we confront. Our hearts must be fixed on God as He tests us and prepares us to lead.

Richard Ritenbaugh, reminding us that the ninth of Av, occurring at sundown tonight, July 25,2015, a time when the Jewish community will commence the fast of Tisha b'Av, recounts the horrific disasters which have embroiled Judah/Levi over the years, including the destruction of both Solomon's Temple and Herod's Temple, the first Crusade, in which Jews and Muslims were slaughtered by "Christians," Germany's declaration of war on Russia, unleashing a virulent strain of anti-Semitism there, and the mass deportation of the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka. Book Three of the Psalms addresses the compulsion to fast and to mourn. In Zechariah 7, God reminds Judah that their faithlessness and disobedience brought about the horrific destruction of Jerusalem, and if they would get with the program He has outlined for them, curtailing their pity parties, their fasts would be more productive and actually would transform into periods of rejoicing and praising God. If we keep God's Commandments, He promises to help us. If we sin, having the knowledge of His Commandments, we are asking to be crushed more than anyone else, because we should have known better. We should fast for the right reason-to get closer to God—and not to "get Him to do something for us." If we seek God's Kingdom first (life is more than the fulfilment of physical things which will not last for eternity), we will have no need to weep and mourn. If we repent and draw close to God, all of these fasts could be turned into periods of thanksgiving. After we beseech God, we must discipline ourselves to wait for Him to act.

Martin Collins, speculating as to why Joshua was left out of the honor roll of the faithful in Hebrews 11, suggests that possibly Joshua's deeds far eclipsed Joshua the human being. It is clear that all of Joshua's remarkable deeds were actually a demonstration of God's mighty power. Joshua was the faithful assistant of Moses, qualifying to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. At one point, Moses seemed to reprimand Joshua for his apparent jealousy that he was not allowed to prophesy. The name Joshua means "God will save" or "God will help." Joshua and Caleb were the only spies who told the truth and remained faithful to God. Joshua was anointed and granted God's Holy Spirit, capable of leading God's people. Joshua, whose name has the same etymology as Jesus Christ, has been designated as a type of Christ, leading his people into the Promised Land as Christ leads us into the Kingdom of God. The farewell blessings of Moses, Joseph and Paul indicate the special nature of Joshua's leadership. Joshua similarly charged those who would continue the leadership of God's people, admonishing them to remain courageous, loving God and His Law ardently, serving Him with all their heart and soul. Joshua, after reminding the people how God had intervened for them, warned the new leaders not to assimilate into pagan culture, but instead to choose to follow God and His Holy Law, reminding them that obedience brings blessing; disobedience bring curses.

Human beings are fearful folk. All kinds of strange phobias have been documented, and some people are so timid that they jump at their own shadows when caught unaware. Yet, our fears can have far more serious consequences. Pat Higgins shows that the Bible warns that the wrong kind of fear is sinful and could keep a person from entering God's Kingdom.

John Ritenbaugh, focusing on the sin residing within us, warns that we will be battling sin for the rest of our lives. We were in bondage, seemingly powerless before the addiction which enslaved us. Satan, the primary slave owner, tries to control us with the residue of his spirit. We need to be in continual contact with the Son to scour the corrosive residue of Satan's spirit. Because of our conversion, we are enabled to listen to and respond to Christ's corrective instruction, which helps us to overcome our contaminated human nature which keeps us in bondage to the world. We are in various stages of our wilderness journey, not knowing for certain where our journey will take us—even though God knows exactly where He is taking us. These twists and turns give us opportunities to develop and strengthen our faith in God. We need to yield to and trust in God's purification and refinement, having the goal of overcoming fixed in our mind. As former slaves to Satan's system, we have had very little opportunity to exercise our God-given freedom to the best advantage. Sometimes, we seem hopelessly inexperienced, and would be in danger of failing were it not for God's Holy Spirit, prompting us like the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud guided our forebears through the uncharted wilderness. We are never alone. We have an advantage over our forebears in that God has made a heart that is capable of accepting and yielding to His commandments, mixed with life-giving faith, prompted through His Holy Spirit. God has called all of us out individually of metaphorical Egypt-a spiritual Egypt of sin, having plans for us as future members of His family.

John Ritenbaugh reiterates that God is a working God, creating holy, righteous, divine character with the goal of recreating man in His image. From the time of our justification until our glorification in God's Kingdom, it almost seems 'downhill,' with sanctification being a difficult road. Works are not only required during sanctification, but they determine to a great degree the magnitude of our ultimate reward. We are God's creation, created for good works. As the clay, we must allow God to mold us into whatever He wants, cooperating with Him until we are fully in the image of His Son, a brand new spiritual creation. Until then, we are commanded to make life-and-death choices, with the emphatic admonition of choosing life or putting on Christ and putting off the old man. We are begotten children of God, protected within the metaphorical womb of the church, until the spiritual birth at our resurrection. We are also metaphorically a work in progress, as in the construction of parts of a building. Ultimately, all individuals who have ever lived will be judged according to the quality of their works; people will be judged according to what they do after they make the covenant with God. Works are required and rewarded.

David C. Grabbe:  Decades after the death of Herbert Armstrong, only a small percentage of the former membership of the WCG can be found following shepherds who have held onto the core doctrines of the church of God. Even now the law of entropy is proved, as the splintering and crumbling of the various church groups continues. How long until an "outside force" intercedes to arrest this momentum and turn it around? How long will we be in this scattered condition?

Charles Whitaker continues the search for criteria to determine where the people of Israel are today. The covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai provides important clues to their whereabouts.

Richard Ritenbaugh, reflecting on God's presence in the pillar of cloud and fire, suggests that it is a vital part of the meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread and depicts God's visible presence and protection, His Shekinah, which appeared continuously for forty years above the Tabernacle. God has appeared to many people in various forms and in various degrees of glory. We dare not fixate or limit God's appearing to one form or another. Ultimately, God's glory is His awesome goodness and righteous character, embodied in Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth. His glory is composed of all those things that are part of God's way and character. Remarkably, these godly attributes may and should (by means of the Holy Spirit, Christ in us) be transferred to us, unifying us with the Father and the Son, our hope of eternal glory.

John Ritenbaugh contends that those who believe in the "once saved always saved" doctrine foolishly fail to see that God has a more extensive and creative plan for mankind than merely saving them. One can fail to bring forth fruits of repentance and thus qualify for the Lake of Fire. By denigrating the role of works in repentance and building character, the proponents of the "no effort, no works, love Jesus only" idea ignore the lessons of Scripture and mock God's plan for mankind, suggesting that He requires nothing productive of His contractual partners. Salvation is not unconditional. If we deliberately choose death (Deuteronomy 30:19), rejecting God's covenant, He is not responsible for our breach of contract.

God's sense of justice comes into question in the minds of men when they read of His judgments in the Bible and see His acts in history. His judgments seem unfair because man can never please God on his own since God's standards are higher than he can achieve. Yet He has made it clear that even the smallest infraction of His law merits the death penalty. Everyone is guilty! God, then, is absolutely justified in what He decides regarding the judgment and punishment of us all (conversely, He always rewards righteousness). Moreover, we do not know all the circumstances and reasons for His judgments, so our opinions of God's decisions are at best ill-informed. Of all judges, only God is absolutely fair and incorruptible. And when He shows mercy it manifests His lovingkindness and grace.

One aspect of sovereignty that causes some confusion is predestination. John Ritenbaugh explains how God's sovereignty does not remove a person's free moral agency.

Richard Ritenbaugh warns that individuals arrogating to themselves the authority to change doctrine are on extremely dangerous ground, presumptuously or boldly setting up idols in place of God. We dare not put words into God's mouth. The work of God in the latter days is to turn the people from their sin and back to God. Any other work is either window dressing or directly contrary to God. The consequences of presumptuous (intentional) sins are far more deadly and permanent than for sins committed in ignorance (unintentional). Presumptuousness equates to competition with God, following in the footsteps of Satan. The antidote to presumption is to 1) submit to God, 2) remain humble, and 3) wait for Him to exalt us.

Richard Ritenbaugh warns that being reared in a democratic nation sometimes complicates our relationship with God. The type of liberty we have in this form of government is different from our liberty granted by God, a condition of our slavery to righteousness. God's government is actually a sovereign, benevolent dictatorship. Our entrance into the Kingdom of God requires total submission ' to the spirit, letter, and intent of His law. The scriptures are replete with examples of the consequences of murmuring or rebellion- including exile and scattering. If someone rejects a servant of God, who speaks the truth,he also rejects God the Father and Jesus Christ. Both submission and rebellion are totally voluntary, but the consequences are different. God has both a good and a severe side.

John Ritenbaugh stresses that salvation is an entire creative process undertaken by God to justify, sanctify, and glorify a called out body of individuals. Ephesians 2:8 uses the perfect tense 'saved,' indicating an action started in the past and continuing on into the present. As with the typology of the Israelites 'saved' from bondage, the process was not completed until a remnant made it to the promised land—with the sobering example of many dying in the wilderness. Likewise, we are warned about the dangers of backsliding and resisting God's will (II Peter 2:20; Hebrews 10:31) rendering the erroneous 'once saved, always saved' assumption a foolish and dangerous misconception. God assumes the burden for our salvation, but we are obligated to yield to His workmanship—made manifest by good works—the effect rather than the cause of salvation.

Christians must live by faith. But what is faith? John Ritenbaugh navigates the misconceptions of this topic, emphasizing just how vital it is!

John Ritenbaugh ponders the qualifier "righteous" when applied to Lot. Unlike Abraham who separated himself from sinful society, Lot seemed to involve himself in the affairs of the perverted city, arrogating to himself the role of a judge, attempting to change the behavior of the people- but nevertheless, attempting to co-exist with sin. Evidently Lot's close proximity to the evil behavior, while not corrupting him personally, gave him a somewhat confused divided attention, compromising the safety and morality of his family, leading him to prostitute his principles to gain favor of the world. When communicating with God, Lot, unlike Abraham, equivocated with God's instructions, looking for conditions and escape clauses, showing him to be a very self-centered, worldly wise, carnal Christian, attached to or compromised by the values of the corrupt world.

John Ritenbaugh, expounding upon the sixth commandment, focuses upon the curious aberration of 'holy wars,' killing in the name of religion, or the motivation for waging 'just' wars. God has never given mankind the prerogative to determine whether war is just or not. Because God has supreme sovereignty and authority over all government, we are subject to (the sanctions and penalties of) all governmental authority, but are obligated to obey the highest authority- namely God Almighty. God promised the children of Israel that if they would obey Him, He would fight their battles for them- driving their enemies out. Ancient Israel's choice to go to war was not sanctioned by God. Likewise, God has promised to protect us upon the condition of our unconditional obedience to our covenant with Him. We have the responsibility to trust God unconditionally.