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Verse 1 – In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth
out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
I. Israel came into the wilderness of Sinai on the first day of the third
month after they came out of Egypt.
A. The term "same day" refers to the first day of the third
month.
B. According to Exodus 12:3, Israel separated the Passover lamb on the 10th
day of the first month.
1. The lamb was separated until the 14th day of the first
month when it was killed at the evening.
2. Remember the Jewish day begins at evening, or when the sun was going
down; therefore the Passover lamb was killed at the beginning of the 14th
day, and eaten before midnight of that day when the Lord passed over Egypt
and killed all the firstborn who were not covered by the blood.
3. Israel left Egypt on the 14th day of the first month,
therefore they traveled away from Egypt for 16 days that first month,
counting the 14th as the first day of travel and counting 30
days in the first month.
4. Counting 30 days in the second month, Israel had traveled from Egypt
46 days when they came to the wilderness of Sinai.
5. They will prepare themselves for the receiving of the law for three
days, then on the 50th day from the exodus from Egypt, God
appears on Mt. Sinai, giving them the Ten commandments.
C. The feast of Weeks (Pentecost) is 50 days from the Passover.
1. Exodus 34:22 states, And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks,
of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the
year’s end.
2. Deuteronomy 16:9-10 states, Seven weeks shalt thou number unto
thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to
put the sickle to the corn. 10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto
the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand,
which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God
hath blessed thee:
3. The feast of Pentecost is also described in Numbers 28:26-31 and
Leviticus 23:9-23.
4. The 50 days is calculated from the …morrow after the Sabbath…
or the Passover day. Leviticus 23:15,16 states, And ye shall count
unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought
the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16 Even
unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and
ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
II. Many commentaries state that the receiving of the law is the birthday
of the nation of Israel, and the comparable time (the day of Pentecost) is the
birthday of the Christian church.
A. They are totally and completely in error.
1. They do not understand the New Testament.
2. They do not understand what the Feast of Pentecost means in the
grand scheme of God’s eternal plan.
B. The New Testament makes it clear that Christ organized the church
during his personal ministry.
1. Therefore the church could not have been "born" on the Day
of Pentecost.
2. Christ already organized the church.
3. The church received the external manifestation of the internal
authority and power (which they received from Christ in John 20:22) of God
on the Day of Pentecost.
4. It makes no sense to say the church was born on the Day of Pentecost
and it makes no sense to say that Israel was born when they received the
law of God, as both assumptions are wrong.
C. God called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees; informing him that he
would be used of God to form a great nation.
1. The Old Testament repeatedly states that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
were the beginning of the nation of Israel, and that before Egypt.
2. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were as much a part of the nation of Israel
as Peter, James and John were members of the first church.
III. The law of God is what separates Israel from all other nations, just
as the external power of God separates the church of the Lord Jesus Christ
from all other churches.
A. The law of God was given by God to separate Israel from all other
nations, because they were to have a higher standard of living than all
other nations.
1. Israel was not supposed to be forced to obey the law of God.
a. God intended the law to be a constant reminder to Israel that they
belonged to him.
b. Numbers 15:37-41 states, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them
fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations,
and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: 39
And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and
remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek
not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a
whoring: 40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be
holy unto your God. 41 I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of
the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.
1) The ribband of blue is a single thread sewed into the inside
of the hem of every garment.
2) It is not a broad, wide blue strip of cloth placed on the outside
of the garment as the Pharisees observed during the time of Christ.
c. The whole purpose of the law is to constantly remind Israel they
are different from all the nations of people.
2. Israel was not supposed to force others to obey the law of God,
except as others willingly placed themselves under that law.
a. Israel was never commanded to kill others who did not obey the law
of God except in a war or battle.
b. Israel was continually ordered by God to enforce the law of God
upon its citizens.
1) Numbers 15:32-36 – Israel was ordered to stone the man
gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.
2) God never intended for Israel to try to force other nations to
obey the law God gave to them.
B. Pentecost power is reserved exclusively for the Lord’s local
churches, which trace their heritage to Christ.
1. Today, few Baptist churches reflect the power of Christ.
a. I hesitate to say it is God’s fault that his power is not
reflected today.
b. I also hesitate to say it is completely the fault of God’s
people, although much of the blame must lie with us.
c. We are living in the last of the last days, when the power of
Satan is increasingly filling the land, just as prophecy declares.
2. There are many instances of God’s power in churches, but that
power is not what the world expects or desires.
a. The following scriptures relate what God expects of his churches.
1) John 13:35 – By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another.
2) 1 Thessalonians 3:12 – And the Lord make you to increase
and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we
do toward you:
3) 1 Peter 2:17 – Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear
God. Honour the king.
b. I do not doubt that God’s churches have failed to be a good
witness for Christ, as we often doubt he is able to do in us what he
calls us to do.
1) God wants his churches to live by faith, stepping out on his
promises and do "impossible" things instead of relying on
their own resources.
2) Ephesians 3:14-21 is Paul’s prayer for the church at Ephesus.
a) Note the entire prayer speaks about spiritual growth and a
continual growing dependence on Christ.
b) Verse 20 reveals that God can do …exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh
in us.
c) I Thessalonians 5:19 – God will not force us to use the
power he gives to us, but will allow us to quench the spirit.
c. The following is what men generally expect in a
"powerful" church.
1) A very large building, with an impressive attendance.
2) A lot of activities, many of which are not Bible based.
a) A gym with all the related activities.
b) Different activities for different ages.
c) Something happening (not Godly activities) every day and
night.
3) "Moving church services" where the flesh is
entertained and fulfilled.
4) The "church" having a reputation in the community,
instead of Christ having a reputation.
5) The church must be "growing" in attendance, with plans
to grow even bigger.
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