Introduction to our Christian journey from being saved to warfare in the heavenlies.
The wilderness journey of the Children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan is a type of the Christian journey from salvation to living in the heavenlies. I am not talking about when we die and go to heaven, but right now as mature Christians involved in spiritual warfare in the heavenlies. All the way through the wilderness journey of the Children of Israel we have examples of the Christian journey. I am not following every step of their journey, but highlighting some of the examples for our benefit.
This journey starts of in Egypt when the Israelites sprinkled the blood of the lamb on the door posts and lintels of their houses, This dealt with their sins and saved them from death, then we have the waters of the Red Sea which separated them from the Egyptians who kept them in bondage. Forty years later they went through the River Jordan and entered into the promised land, this dealt with the flesh.
The blood deals with our sins, the cross deals with sin, which is the power that kept the “old man”, the Adam life, in bondage.
The Red Sea represents Christ dying on the cross and going down into the grave. The book of Romans is linked with the blood on the doorposts in Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea. The blood and Red Sea are types of what Christ has done for us by His death on the cross and His being placed in the grave. He has cleansed us from all sins and forgives us of our sins, He has also dealt with the bondage to sin problem. The Red Sea is a type of water baptism where we acknowledge our death and burial with Christ as shown in Romans chapter 6.
Forty years later the Israelites crossed through the River Jordan. When they came out of Jordan they were in Canaan, the promised land. Canaan represents for us the heavenlies as found in Ephesians and Colossians. Coming out of Jordan represents the raising up of Jesus from the grave, that is the resurrection. We are also raised up with Him.
When the Children of Israel came out of the Red Sea they came into the wilderness. When they came out of the wilderness through the River Jordan they were in the promised land. When Christ was raised from the dead He ascended into the heavenlies where He is seated at the right hand of the Father till His enemies are made His footstool. We too are raised up together and made to sit down together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
Now, although the sin question has been dealt with in Exodus and Romans, when we come to the book of Joshua, which relates to Ephesians and Colossians, the first thing we need to do before the warfare, is circumcision, which for us means dealing with the flesh and selfish independence.
Now if that is the first time you have heard anything like that then you will be thinking ‘What on earth is he talking about’. Hopefully you will understand it more as we go on, but please ask the Lord to make it clear to you.
In the following articles in this section we will be looking at the time in the wilderness and what it means to us.
Mark Greenwood September 2022