FALSE STATEMENT 4: Moses’ writings are not from God, but are instead his own instructions to lead an unsaved group of people, the people of Israel. - FALSE
4b. Moses led an unsaved group of people, Israel - FALSE
In the second part of this statement, we see a false and completely unscriptural statement which is that “Israel was a group of unsaved people.”
Let us delve into the unchanging words of our Lord and find out the truth!
Acts 7: 38 “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:”
Look at the phrase “Church in the wilderness”
God called this group of people whom Moses led, the CHURCH, because they were saved and redeemed by the Lord.
What does the word “church” mean?
The word church in the Bible comes from the Greek word ecclesia, which means “a called-out ones” or “a called-out company or assembly” (for special purpose).
The church is a New Testament concept – meaning those who are saved, baptized in water, baptized in the Holy Spirit, and partaking in spiritual food and drink.
Here we see Israel was God’s church in wilderness.
Deuteronomy 33: 29 – “Blessed are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord?”
This scripture clearly says that Israel was not an unsaved people, but a blessed group of people saved by the Lord.
Exodus 15: 13 – “In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength, you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”
They were a people on whom the unfailing love of God had been lavishly poured out on; they were a group of people redeemed by the Lord - His holy dwelling place in the wilderness.
Psalms 51: 12 – “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
The Old Testament people knew the joy of salvation because they were saved.
Look at the following scripture and find out how they became Church?
Hebrews 11: 28 – “Through faith he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.”
They were all saved by faith through the blood of Jesus, the sacrificed blood of Passover the lamb – Hebrews 11:28
1 Corinthians: 10: 1-4 – “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual food; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
What do the scriptures above reveal?
By faith they were all saved by faith through the blood of Jesus, the sacrificed blood of Passover the lamb – Hebrews 11:28
By faith they received water baptism by passing through the sea – 1 Corinthians 10:1
They were all baptized into Moses just like we were all baptized into Jesus our redeemer – 1 Corinthians 10:2
By faith they received the baptism of the spirit by passing under the cloud – 1 Corinthians 10:1
They all ate the spiritual food – 1 Corinthians 10:3
They all drank the spiritual drink – 1 Corinthians 10:4
They all came out of Egypt – Egypt symbolizes the “world”
They all came out of Pharaoh’s slavery – a mirror of the devils’ slavery.
The Old Testament people (Israel) was the shadow of the New Testament church, that’s why it was called “the church in the wilderness” – Acts: 7: 38
God commends His people:
Exodus 19: 5b – 6a – “you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
You are my treasured possession – more than the whole earth
You will be my kingdom priests
You are a holy nation
Deuteronomy 7: 6 – “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession”
They are holy to the Lord our God
They are chosen by the Lord our God
They are a treasured possession to the Lord our God
Numbers 23: 9b. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
Numbers 23: 21b. The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them.
Numbers 24: 5. “How beautiful are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel!
Numbers 22: 12. But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”
We see the phrase “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God” 15 times in Moses’ writings and 67 times in the whole Old Testament.
When we have this amount of evidence about Israel, then who can say that Israel was an unsaved people.
The conclusion is that Moses led God’s holy people who were
saved, baptized, spirit-led, and who enjoyed the spiritual food and drink – God’s holy Church in the wilderness.