What an exciting time in God’s Word this morning! Our focus was on 1 Corinthians 10:9-10, and the issue of the nation of Israel’s rebellion in the wilderness. God dealt very harshly with the nation, in the Dispensation of Law. He expected obedience from his chosen people. There seemed to be a constant struggle with murmuring, rebellion, idolatry, covetousness, and immorality. Each time God dealt with them in a very clear and decisive way. Please read the verses in the picture, to refresh your memory.
As stated on the board, (Delayed obedience is disobedience. Partial obedience is disobedience. We looked at another example in 1 Samuel 15, and the issue of King Saul not fully obeying God, as God commanded — Destroy everything, every person, and every animal. Bring nothing back alive, because it was all polluted. God was the overall protector of the purity of the people. He needed to make sure that the bloodline remained pure, for Messiah to come. The first time that Saul was commanded to obey God in a very direct way, he failed, and God stripped him of the kingdom, although it did not completely happen for many years to come. God still let Saul know that He was through with him.
(We saw a similar circumstance before the flood, with Noah and his family. Noah had the only untainted bloodline, and his family was the only one saved from the cataclysm! God was so serious that anyone who sought to disrupt or destroy His plan, was severely dealt with.)
As se saw in Matthew 1:3-6, concerning David’s genealogy, Pharez was the bastard son of Judah and Tamar — Genesis 38, because Er, Judah’s oldest son, died without any children. Tamar was given to Onan to raise up heirs to Er. Onan refused to have children with her, because he knew they would be considered ER’s children, and thus be the inheritors of everything. Tamar played the harlot, and got pregnant by Judah. She had twins — Pharez and Zarah, Pharez being the great grandfather of David 10 generations removed. This is where the authority of God’s Word is revealed. The Law stated that no descendant of an illegitimate child can enter the congregation of the Lord until the 10th generation. Deuteronomy 23:2: A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.
King Saul was from the wrong tribe — Benjamin, hence the wrong king. Once David was considered an adult, Samuel was commanded to go and anoint him king in 1 Samuel 16. The Dispensation of Law was one of strict obedience. We, in the Dispensation of Grace, have a completely different situation. Through Christ, we have a personal relationship with our heavenly Father. When we sin and break fellowship with Him, we have the opportunity to repent and ask God’s forgiveness! I am so glad that 1 John 1:9 was written to born again believers. We know that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.
1 John 1:9- 2:2: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Rebellion in the Dispensation of Law caused separation from God, and loss of life. Rebellion in the Dispensation of Grace can be forgiven, and fellowship restored.