GOD WILL NOT OVERLOOK THE CROSS OF CHRIST JESUS
There are people who
erroneously believe there are many ways to get to God. The truth is, there is
only One Way to get to God Almighty, Creator of the Universe, the heavens, the
earth and all that is in them, and that is through Salvation found on the Cross
of Jesus Christ, His Son our Lord and Saviour.
In the wilderness in Horeb
when the Israelites complained about thirst, God commanded Moses to strike the
rock with his staff the first time in His (God's) presence to bring out water
for them to drink (Exodus 17:1-6).
The next time the Israelites
wanted water and complained at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin, God commanded
Moses to gather them again and in His (God's) presence speak to the rock to
bring out water for them to drink.
In his anger at the rebellious
attitude of the Israelites of always complaining about everything, Moses struck
the rock a second time rather than speak to it as God commanded. As a result,
God told Moses that he and his brother Aaron would not lead the people to enter
the Promised Land at Canaan but Joshua, Moses' successor was to do so (Numbers
20:1-13).
Moses later pleaded with the
Lord to allow him enter into the Promised Land but the Lord rejected this
request and commanded Moses to speak no more about it. God rather showed Moses
the land from the top of Mount Abarim (Numbers 27:12-14; Deuteronomy 3:24-27).
The question is, why was God
angry with Moses for disobeying His command to the extent that Moses was not
allowed to enter the Promised Land? Moses and the Israelites had disobeyed some
other commandments but none had such grevious consequences for Moses like the
one of drawing the Water a second time from the Rock at Kadesh by striking as
Moses did and not speaking as God commanded.
We find the answer in 1
Corinthians 10:4, "and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank
of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ."
Recall from my previous
posts that we have seen that Jesus Christ is the Word of God (John 1:1,14; 1
John 5:7; Revelation 19:13) and God's Word must be obeyed always without
question.
Now since Christ is the
Rock, Moses was supposed to strike the Rock once to let out the Water to quench
the thirst of the Israelites who complained against God and sinned, just the
way Christ was struck ONCE ONLY on the Cross of Calvary, for the sins of
mankind, to shed His precious blood to give Salvation to all who genuinely
thirst for God as the solution to all their needs, spiritual and material.
Subsequently, Moses was
supposed to speak to the Rock to draw Water of life to quench the Israelites'
thirst, just as anyone who believes in Christ Jesus will speak to Him, believe
in Him and the Cross of Calvary to draw Salvation and Grace to quench the
thirsts and challenges of this life and obtain eternal life in the hereafter.
In striking the rock a
second time, Moses not only disobeyed God's Word but struck the Rock, Christ
Jesus, a second time, thus disrupting God's Salvation plan. This certainly had
grave consequences for Moses because Jesus Christ had to be crucified once only
(1 Peter 3:18) and there is no other sacrifice to take away sins of mankind
(Hebrews 10:26).
Moreover, anyone who falls
from God's Grace to sin crucifies Christ over and over again, makes a mockery
of the Cross of Calvary and offends God in the process (Hebrews 6:4-6). Such
people make themselves enemies of the Cross of Christ with grave consequneces
if they do not repent (Phillipians 3:18-19).
Dear friend, you now see why
Moses had to bear such grave consequence for his disobedience of God's Word. If
God did not overlook what Moses did and gave Moses such harsh punishment, then
you can be sure that God will not overlook anyone who disregards the Cross of
Calvary of Christ Jesus His Only Son, our Lord and Messiah who suffered
terribly, once, to die for sins of mankind to reconcile mankind to God.
Unfortunately, there are
false doctrines that preach that Christ Jesus never died on the Cross of
Calvary and that God exchanged Him for someone else.
This doctrine is from the
pit of hell orchestrated by satan and his demons to deceive people who believe
it so they can miss out on God's Great Salvation based on God's immense love
for makind.
The devil or satan or
lucifer and his demons have lost every right to heaven due to foolish rebellion
against God Almighty their Creator and now operate in hell forever where they
have been condemned and they have vowed to ensure all humans miss heaven too
and enter hell with them through whatever means possible.
The false doctrine that
denies Christ Jesus' death on the Cross of Calvary is one of such means satan
employs but Christians know this is not correct because without the Cross and
shedding of Christ's blood, there cannot be forgiveness of sins and eternal life
for mankind (Hebrews 9:13-14,22).
Dear friend, I will remind
you that God's Word is truth and nothing can change that fact (Psalm 119:160).
God's Word is settled forever in heaven (Psalm 119:89).
If God Almighty, the Creator
and Owner of the entire Universe has revealed something and asked us to accept
it, we have no choice because He has the final say in all things and He will
not overlook anyone who doubts and disobeys until death, just as He did not
overlook Moses who disobeyed His Word and struck the Rock a second time, and
that Word of God and that Rock is Jesus Christ the Messiah and Lamb of God who
takes away the sins of the world.
God loves us so much and
wants us to spend eternity with Him in heaven. All He asks of us is to repent
of sin and evil, accept the Good News of Jesus Christ as Messiah, believe in
Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross of Calvary, live a holy life by God's
Holy Spirit and share the Good News with others.
Is this so difficult to do
for one's eternity?
God bless you as you heed
His Word today, act on it and share with others in Jesus' Mighty Name, Amen.
Gabriel Ama.