Bible Study Time Introduction (8-14-11) (Introduction to a radio Bible study.)

Welcome to Bible Study Time. We come to you each Sunday morning on behalf of the Peace Church, and we want to invite you to join us for any of our services. We’re located 8 miles south and a half a mile west of Indiahoma, and we’re just 12 miles east of Manitou right on the Baseline Road. If you’d like more information about the Peace Church, you can find that on our website, which is www.ok-peacechurch.org

Joshua came up out of Egypt with Moses. He loved Moses and he understood that God was directing Moses. Joshua lived the first half of his life in submission to Moses because Joshua was in submission to God.

In Numbers, Chapter 11, we read that there was a time when Moses gathered the seventy elders of the tribes of Israel around the tabernacle of the Lord. The Lord came down in a cloud and took the Spirit of the Lord that was in Moses and shared it with the seventy elders. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, they began to prophesy, and all of the people knew that the Spirit of the Lord was with them even as it was with Moses.

But two of the seventy men remained in their tent and did not show up at the tabernacle. However, the Spirit of the Lord came upon them also, and they began to prophesy. This did not set well with Joshua because they had failed to show up at the tabernacle, so he urged Moses to make them stop prophesying. But Moses said, Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them! (Numbers 11:29 NKJV). Once Moses spoke, that was the end of the matter for Joshua. He trusted Moses because Moses had proven Himself to be a leader who was led by the Spirit of God.

After the death of Moses, when Joshua became the leader of the nation, God came to Joshua and said, No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5 NKJV). Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. (Joshua 1:7 NKJV).

Notice that God did not tell Joshua that if he was faithful to keep the Law, he would gain eternal life. Eternal life was never promised in connection with the keeping of the Law for anyone at any time. God told Joshua that if he kept the Law, he would prosper wherever he went. And that was precisely the promise of the Law. God promised physical blessings for the nation of Israel if they would conduct their national affairs in accordance with the dictates of the Law.

As we read the Law today, we see that most of it was simply a criminal justice system. God knew that there are always those who steal and kill and bear false witness, and so forth, but God told Moses and Joshua that they were responsible for enforcing the precepts of the Law so that the nation of Israel would prosper with physical blessings.

Now it's important to note that some people who lived under the Law did receive eternal life. God has always offered eternal life to people, but it was never been offered on the basis of their ability to do good works.

Even after Adam and Eve sinned, God accepted them and clothed them in His righteousness simply because they were willing to come to Jesus Christ by faith. After they sinned, Jesus Christ came to them in His preincarnate form. He called out Adam and Eve, and by faith they came to Him, confessing their sin. After that, Jesus Christ sacrificed an animal to provide animal skin clothing for them, and this symbolized the fact that He had covered them in His righteousness.

When the Law was given, it promised the physical blessings which symbolize the spiritual blessings that flow through Jesus Christ to all those who put their faith in Christ. Today, we'll talk a little bit about the two and a half tribes who elected to settle on the east side of the Jordan River. They agreed to go into the promised land to fight for the land, but then they returned to their homes outside the land. These tribes symbolize the small remnant of Jewish people who did have true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though they never actually received the kingdom that was promised to Abraham, they will someday be resurrected from the grave, like Abraham, to receive that eternal kingdom.

Now, let's continue our Journey Through the Scripture with Pastor James Roberts.