Acts 11:26 "And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." Who is a Christian? Today the word is used very popularly, yet there is much confusion. Webster's dictionary defines a Christian as "a believer in the religion of Christ or a professor of his belief in the religion of Christ." But is that what it is to be a Christian? Is it simply adhering to the teachings of Jesus? No, the Scriptures give a far deeper definition. Before the world began, God loved His people. He chose them for His own, and in His rich Eternal Love, He wrote their names upon the Lamb. But the law said, “Die.” Yet God, in Wondrous Grace, came and took their place. Christ paid the debt one day. He's the only Way. He died upon the tree to set them free. In His Sovereign Grace, the LORD Jesus took their place. Thank God, He included them. To be the LORD's by His Sovereign Electing Grace, redeemed by the death of the LORD Jesus Christ on the cross, and in time called to Him by the Spirit of Grace, is what it is to be a Christian. The apostle Peter describes those who are the LORD's as: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Peter 1:2-5). The "foreknowledge of God the Father" is His knowledge from eternity of those that He decreed should be saved as the elect of God. The "sanctification of the Spirit unto the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ," is the calling out and setting apart of those for whom Christ shed His blood unto death. These are CHRISTians, ones who have been made heirs of Christ and possess in Him an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that can never fade away, and who are kept by the Power of God through Spirit-revealed Faith unto that Salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The word "Christian" literally means the " anointed ones ," because of their union and relationship with Christ, the Anointed One. You cannot be a Christian outside of the LORD Jesus Christ. Being a Christian pertains to Who He is and what He has accomplished. He is The Christ. Psalm 2:2 says, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his Anointed.” In the Old Testament, prophets, priests, and kings were anointed by God. Christ combines all three in Himself. He is the Prophet, revealing the Word of God. He is the Priest, standing before God as the Representative of His people. He is the King, ruling over all, and His subjects, Christians, are brought into submission and subjection to Him by the Grace of God. Even as the high priests were anointed, “and the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons after him to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them” (Exodus 29:29) , so Christ was anointed by God the Father. He was set apart from all eternity to be the Savior, and His people were set apart in Him (Isaiah 42:1). When He lived a perfect life and laid down His life in obedience, His people were represented in Him. When He rose again, all of God's elect were raised with Him (Ephesians 2:6). Now, ascended on high, He intercedes for everyone for whom He died. To be a Christian is to be anointed and set apart in their Head, Christ Jesus the Savior. "' And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence," (Colossians 1:18). The Apostle John writes, “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (1 John 2:20). This unction is Christ Himself. The Spirit communicates this Grace, but the glory is Christ's alone. It is by the Spirit that sinners are drawn to Christ, yet the anointing, the standing, and the blessing come from Him. Being a Christian is being found in Christ, not having righteousness of our own, but the Righteousness of God by Faith through Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:9). Acts 11:21 shows Faith’s Source: “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.” Faith’s evidence is that sinners believe the Record that God has given of His Son, as 1 John 5:9-10 declares, "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son." Faith’s Object is the LORD Himself; believers are turned by the Spirit of Christ to Him alone, away from themselves and their foolish works and efforts which are nothing more than idolatry to hold on to dead works of this flesh. In 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10, Paul declares: “Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God…how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus.” This is what it means to be a Christian: to be chosen by God, redeemed by Christ, united to Him in life, death, and resurrection, and set apart for His glory. It is all of Christ, all by His work, and all for His glory. It is not moral behavior, nor simply a belief system, or human effort that the Scriptures call "dead works," . These are actions or deeds that are devoid of Christ and not motivated by the Faith of Christ for His own. Dead works are any attempt to either gain or maintain salvation by one's personal efforts, thinking that somehow they might be accepted before God. These works are seen as ineffective for salvation and therefore "dead," in contrast with the living FAITH which is the Revelation of Christ in His Person, and His finished work of salvation on the cross. Have you been brought by God’s Hand to believe, to turn to the LORD, to be found in Him? This is the work of God, the glory of the Savior, and the calling of all who bear His name. A Christian is anointed, set apart, redeemed, and united to Christ. All that He is, all that He has done, all that He accomplished, is the reason for the name, "Christian". “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Their lives so clearly bore the likeness, doctrine, and Spirit of Christ that observers could find no better name to describe them. It was not a title of their own choosing, but a witness given by the world to the Grace of God in Christ. Their unity, devotion to the apostles’ doctrine, love for one another, and bold proclamation of the Gospel marked them as a people belonging to Christ alone. Any testimony we may have to the glory and honor of the LORD Jesus is ALL of His Grace for us and in us.

Genesis 19:17-29 "And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore, the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt." In Genesis chapter 19, we see the importance of the angels appearing to Lot in Sodom and warning him of the impending doom. Even though he lingered because of acquaintances and associates in that city, yet the angel mercifully grabbed him by the hand, the LORD being merciful unto him. There may only be one in an entire family to whom the LORD is pleased to show saving Mercy, and in this case, it was Lot. They brought him forth and set him without the city, and the word was clear: “escape for thy life; look not behind thee” (v. 17). Here then is the urgency—escape for your life and do not look behind you. Sheep are dumb animals by nature, unaware of the dangers around them, and so it is with the LORD's sheep. They were not chosen because of any goodness or wisdom in them, but rather are ignorant, depraved, and hopeless without the Great Shepherd rescuing them. If it were left to us, we’d be destroyed with the world. But Grace intervenes, Grace that is particular, purposeful, uncommon, and in Christ alone. Lot said, "Behold now thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy" (v. 19). He knew it was particularly regarding him. And the LORD caused Lot to implore that there be a city to run to, a picture of Christ, the City of Refuge. This brings us to Abraham’s confidence: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25). Abraham rested there, and we rest there—that whatever God does is right, and it’s right because He does it. God had determined to spare Lot, one of the LORD’s, one who vexed his righteous soul night and day (2 Peter 2:8). He would not die with the unjust. He would be delivered out, just like all those God has purposed to save have been delivered out through the death of God's Son so that they be not destroyed with the world, as a firebrand plucked from the fire, ( Jude 1:23). "Therefore, the name of the city was called Zoar" (v. 22) —small, insignificant. Yet it was the place of Mercy for Lot, and therein a type of the LORD Jesus Christ. The world looks at Him as a little one. “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). They saw Him as a little root out of dry ground, and yet He is the Redeemer and Savior of His people. All the cities were destroyed except this one, because one of the LORD’s was there. Even so with the LORD Jesus Christ, the preservation of His people is in Him alone. "Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven" (v. 24). The sun had risen when Lot entered Zoar, and then the destruction came. A great judgment, fire and brimstone, from God. Yet even with such mercy set before them, Lot’s wife looked back from behind him and became a pillar of salt. When the angel of the LORD said, "Look not behind thee" (v. 17) , it's the Word of the LORD and therefore to be followed. If the LORD has delivered you, then you run "looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith," (Hebrews 12:2). Her looking back revealed the state of her heart—lost and set on destruction, unconcerned for the state of her soul. And how many are like that today? We would never know the depravity and sinfulness of our own soul if the LORD did not grant Grace to see our need and look to Christ. She "looked back" connotes looking intently, lingering, and possibly even returning. But Lot did not turn with her. One that is bought and drawn by the Spirit will run with their eyes set upon Christ rather than follow their companions into destruction. Abraham rose early in the morning and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. Looking toward Sodom and Gomorrah, he saw that “the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace” (v. 28) —a vivid picture of Divine condemnation. Yet it also testified that God remembered Abraham and brought Lot safely out from the midst of the destruction. And so we bow. God’s way is always perfect. He spared Lot, brought him out, and then destroyed the cities. Salvation is of the LORD. His Mercy, His Grace, His sovereign will accomplished in Christ, our Zoar, our City of Refuge.

Isaiah 55:8-13 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." Here in Isaiah 55, we see our glorious LORD God set forth, the Great I AM, Jehovah God, Whose thoughts are not our thoughts and Whose ways are not our ways. God reveals Himself as the glorious LORD God, Redeemer, Justifier, Reconciler, and Savior of His elect. Even using these descriptives, it is not enough to describe God for Who He is. Men today trivialize their little g-o-d, but not ours. He reveals Himself in saying: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD” (v.8). This is God Himself speaking. He is infinitely above anything we could ever think in His Wisdom and in His Way. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts (v.9). The distance is so great that unless He is pleased to condescend to come down to where we are and reveal Himself, we could never know Him. Men think that God is like they are. That is what an idol is, an image like unto your imagination, much like men themselves. But the God of Scripture is not like the imaginations of men. Isaiah had been prophesying judgment, captivity, and then foretold of a remnant that would be brought back from captivity because God had promised and God's Word cannot fail. He always accomplishes what He says He will do. History is HIS-story. He writes it as He wills. And particularly the Deliverance spoken of here has to do with how He is pleased to deliver and save sinners. Left to ourselves, our thoughts and our ways can in no way grasp with a natural mind how God can be God and not lower His standard to save sinners. Many think God can accept an imperfect offering or a supposed righteousness, yet all of our works are nothing but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Many think God can pardon a sinner without His justice being fully honored. But what kind of Judge would He be? A god who could pardon without justice may one day condemn without reason. A god who could set aside his righteousness may one day set aside his mercy. A god who could deny his law may one day deny his gospel. A god who could change His character may go back on His promises. That is the little g-o-d that men have today, but not the God of Scripture. In verses 8 and 9 we see that His ways are past finding out by the most intelligent of mortal men and women. If we could know God by our thoughts, we would no longer be His creatures or He would no longer be God. God is not above in heaven thinking and planning as we do. His ways and His thoughts are infinite. That is why we need the Spirit to guide us when we read the Scriptures. Prayer does not change God; prayer aligns our will with God’s. "Thy will be done" is the Spirit’s work in us (Matthew 6: 9,10) . The heavens higher than the earth show us that the distance between His thoughts and ours is greater than billions of galaxies. That is why the majority of the world lives in idolatry. But God has not left His people to themselves. His ways are manifest in how He came to this earth in the Person of His Son. Seeing there was none righteous, He took it upon Himself to come in the flesh to earn and establish the Righteousness necessary for Him to be Just and to justify sinners (Isaiah 59:16). Heaven came down when the LORD Jesus Christ came to earth. Unless by His Spirit and His Grace we are brought to see the LORD Jesus Christ as all of God’s Glory, we remain in our thoughts and our ways. Verse 10 declares, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven. ” Rain and water point to the LORD Jesus, the Water of Life. Snow represents Christ in His Purity and Whiteness. So shall His Word be. “It shall not return unto me void” (v.11). That Word is Christ, the Word made Flesh. His inspired Word, and His incarnate Word are all in Him. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). When the Father sent the Son, He spoke what the Father gave Him to speak. So shall His  Word be — even Christ Himself, the eternal Logos (Word) sent forth by the Father. He came down from heaven to do the Father’s will, to accomplish the Work of Redemption entrusted to Him. He fulfilled all Righteousness, laid down His Life for the sheep, and rose again in triumph. Having ascended on high, He returned to the Father with the full harvest of those given to Him from eternity. Not one was lost, for the Word cannot fail. As surely as rain waters the earth, so Christ, the living Word, prospered in the purpose for which He was sent. This is how the distance was bridged. Psalm 8 asks, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalm 8:4). This Man is the God-Man, the LORD Jesus Christ, made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). It is His inspired Word declaring how God Himself has purposed to declare sinners righteous through the Work of the LORD Jesus Christ. When He cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30) , nothing remained but Righteousness and Justice to impute to all those sinners given to His Son. So shall His Word be. “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with Peace” (v.12). This is our glorious LORD God, revealed in His thoughts, His ways, His Word, and His Son. This concludes the Gospel call with the sure fruit of Christ’s accomplished Redemption. All who are brought to Him by sovereign grace “shall go out with joy, and be led forth with Peace,” for Christ Himself is their Joy and their Peace. The curse is reversed: instead of the thorn comes the fir tree, and instead of the brier the myrtle tree — a picture of the New Covenant Work of Christ wrought for every redeemed soul. All is the LORD’s doing, the everlasting sign of His Covenant Mercy in Christ, which shall not be cut off.

Leviticus 4:1-12 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:  If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the Lord for a sin offering. And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the Lord. And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation: And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the Lord, before the vail of the sanctuary. And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away, As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering. And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt." Here in Leviticus 4, we see that the Old Testament is a picture book of Christ. These sacrifices of the Old Testament point to the LORD Jesus Christ, that’s what it’s all about. Here in this particular chapter is the sin offering. We read of a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering, a pretty big sacrifice, because when you consider what sin is before the LORD, it is immense. Yet where sin did abound, Grace did much more abound. This sin offering is an offering unto the LORD for sin, whether priest or people. Even the priests were not blameless. There’s only One Priest that has ever been blameless, and that’s the LORD Jesus Christ, but these were types. The bullock is without blemish, its blood is taken, and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD. We read again and again that all the blood is poured out at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission. This is how it typifies the LORD Jesus Christ. He came not merely to give an example of what it is to live a holy life before the LORD—though it was necessary that He be blameless—but that He lay down His Life and shed His blood unto death before His Father for the congregation. Which congregation? That people that the Father had given Him. We read that it is a sin offering . The laying on of hands did not make the animal sinful. So also, when Scripture says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21), He was made to be a sin Offering. The sin transferred to the Sacrifice did not make Him a sinner. The animal didn’t become guilty because the animal was without sin, blameless, just like Christ. Christ knew no sin—never had an evil thought—yet His Soul was made an Offering for sin. Again and again the chapter declares that the blood must be shed unto death. Not a pinprick blood, not merely the blood of the crown of thorns, nor the blood from His back, nor the blood of circumcision. It had to be shed unto death. And so Christ, slain without the camp, fulfills the picture. God putting aside all those Old Testament types and pictures, because even the priests were not without sin, establishes through Christ an entirely new Covenant outside the camp. The theme continues through all the transitions: the individual, the whole congregation, the ruler, and the common people. There is none righteous, no, not one (Psalm 14:1-3, Romans 3:10,11) . All need a sin offering. But in every case, the offering must be without blemish, the blood must be shed, and the priest must make an atonement. Yet this atonement is a covering. Nothing about the blood of bulls and goats could put away sin. It was God’s forbearance. But when Christ came, His death was not an atonement, it was an actual Propitiation. It was an actual Redemption, whereby He did put away the sin. That’s why there’s no more offering for sin today. “And the blood shall be to you for a token… and when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). What blood? It represented the blood of the LORD Jesus Christ.  “Without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). God had to be satisfied through the death of His Son. Thus our acceptance is entirely before God in the Sacrifice of the LORD Jesus Christ. Under the blood of Jesus is our Deliverance and Salvation. It’s in what He did and what He accomplished. And this blood alone enables us to come into the Presence of the holiest of holies, God Himself, and to be heard in Mercy.

1 John 3:1-3 "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." When we open the Scriptures and look upon these words in 1 John chapter 3 , we are called to think upon God’s singular Love for His children—Love that springs from the Father and manifests itself toward those whom He has made His sons in Christ. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (v.1) . This free-saving Love of the Father revealed in us as God's children, not as something earned, but bestowed. It is redeeming Love, objective Love, Love that looked upon sinners and purposed to save them by sending His Son to satisfy His law and justice. This Love is hidden from the world. “Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not” (v.1). As we walk down the street or sit at a table among men, nothing of this singular Love appears to them. They know only earthly fathers and earthly cities. They knew Him not when His Son walked this earth; how would they recognize His Son in us now? Yet, we know the work of Grace that the Spirit of the LORD has done in our hearts because of Christ. The world may call one of God's children a nice person, but they cannot give the glory to God the Father, because they don't know Him. This is a hidden Love, a special privilege given to His children, even though concealed from others who are still in darkness and lost. But there is also an aspect of this Love we cannot fully comprehend. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be” (v.2). In this fallen flesh, with many cares, we hardly appreciate even the earthly beauty of God’s creation. How then can we grasp the Spiritual Love of God for sinners in His Son? It will take transformation; it will take glorification. To be in the Presence of God forever is beyond our comprehension. Yet we know this: “When he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (v.2). Not for anything in us, but because of Christ. This Love gives Hope—the Hope of God in Christ, Who is  our Hope (1 Timothy 1:1). We read in 1 Corinthians 13 of faith, hope, and love, yet the greatest of these is Love. Faith is needed now, and hope is needed now, because “we see through a glass dimly.” But when Christ comes again, hope will give way to sight. Love, however, will never fail. The greatest of these is Love because to know His Love, to be known of Him, and to love Him in return is the everlasting portion of His children. Though we cannot say that we love God as He deserves, we look to Christ, asking God to increase in our hearts that love for Him because of Who He is and what He has done for sinners such as we are. Thus, “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (v.3). This purifying is not making oneself holy, but a setting apart unto Christ. Scripture uses this word in the sense of ceremonial washing, as in “purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9). It is a separating out from the works of the flesh, from the do’s and don’ts of legalism, and looking to Christ Alone. Hope causes the heart, by the Spirit of God, to look outside itself to Christ. That is the purifying. That is the washing of water by the Word. Therefore, behold what manner of Love! Look with wonder and astonishment at this free Love, hidden Love, everlasting Love, and hopeful Love—the Love of God for sinners in His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ. Our hearts are drawn back to the Fountain of all Grace: the sovereign, electing Love of God that has made us His children in Christ.

1 Kings 10:1-9 "And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice." Here we see Solomon as a type of the LORD Jesus Christ, the King and Ruler over His people. In this particular incident, the Queen of Sheba, having heard of Solomon, came to see for herself if these things were so. This is a picture of coming to Christ, showing how sinners are drawn to the LORD Jesus Christ by the report of His Wisdom. She had heard of Solomon’s renown concerning the Name of the LORD and came to test him with hard questions. The LORD had placed within her a desire to seek him out—just as the Spirit of God humbles the heart, strips away all boasting, and reveals that we were nothing but illiterate, rebellious, and wretched until Christ is exalted before our eyes. As she poured out the questions of her heart, Solomon answered them all, a type of our LORD Jesus Christ, Who is all-knowing and omniscient, in Whom dwell all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge (Colossians 2:3). The LORD opens the understanding of the heart, showing that nothing is hidden from Christ and that He, the Wisdom of God, graciously reveals Himself to needy sinners (1 Corinthians 2:13-16). As the LORD reveals Christ in the heart, we begin to learn of Him. Even after many years, the Scriptures continue to reveal the glories and beauties of the LORD Jesus Christ, as pictured in Solomon. When the queen beheld all Solomon’s wisdom, the house he had built, and all the things that were types of the LORD Jesus Christ, there was no more spirit in her. Anything we once presumed to be of value or significance in ourselves dissipates in the Light of the Sun. Whatever little candle we carried is now extinguished. We stand still and behold the greatness of the true King, Whose glory leaves no room for pride or confidence in the flesh. She acknowledged that the report she had heard was true, just as the Gospel is the record God has given of His Son (1 John 5:11) . She did not fully believe the words until she came and her eyes had seen, and even then she realized that the half had not been told her: “Thy wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard.” So it is when the LORD draws sinners—He causes them to hear not merely with the physical ear, but Spiritually—to find the report true, and to see that the half has not been told. The discovery of Christ always surpasses the expectation of the sinner, for His mercy, His Righteousness, and His finished work exceed anything we could have imagined. The LORD Jesus Christ uses this example in Matthew 12:38–42: “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. ..As  Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth...The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." In Jonah 1:17, “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." The men of Nineveh repented at Jonah’s preaching, yet this generation rejected the One of Whom Solomon was only a type. Solomon’s wisdom came from the LORD, as 1 Kings 3:5–14 declares: “In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.… Behold, I have done according to thy words.… And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour.” This is a picture of Christ, Who learned obedience and in Whom the Spirit was given without measure, that every act might be true to the law and justice of the Father, in Hebrews 5:8 --“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." And as Hebrews 1:3 declares: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” This is the fame concerning the Name of the LORD, the report written of Him, the treasures of Christ in both Old and New Testaments. In all these things, we see that the greater than Solomon is here. Therefore, the queen of Sheba stands as a living witness to every sinner whom the LORD draws by His sovereign grace. She heard a report of Solomon, yet she did not rest upon the report; she came, compelled by a God-given desire to see for herself. And when she stood before the king, all her doubts were swallowed up in the overwhelming glory of his wisdom and the riches of his kingdom. But behold, a greater than Solomon is here . Christ Jesus, the true King, calls weary sinners to come and see that the half has not been told. In Him are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge; in Him is Righteousness, Peace, and Life everlasting. As the Queen was left without breath in the presence of Solomon, so the believing sinner is silenced by the surpassing Grace revealed in Christ. And all who come to Him, drawn by the Father’s hand, will confess with joy that His glory far exceeds every report they ever heard, and that blessed indeed are they who stand continually before this greater King and hear His Wisdom.

Hebrews 11:29 "By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned." What a divine testimony to the Sovereign Grace of God in Christ Jesus. The crossing of the Red Sea is more than a story of deliverance—it is the Revelation of the Gospel of Christ, a type and picture of the Salvation of the LORD’s elect through His Person and work of salvation for the elect. Not all who crossed the Red Sea were God's spiritual seed, for “the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2). When the Scriptures declare "by Faith" they passed through the Red Sea, that is the specific reference those who are of THE FAITH (chosen by God, redeemed by the LORD Jesus and called out by the Spirit of God). It's not by the sinner's decision or dedication, but by the LORD Jesus Christ Himself—the Object of Faith, the Substance and Foundation of all God-given Faith (Acts 4:12) . By Christ, they passed through the Red Sea. It was not their act that made the way, but the LORD Himself who opened it. “Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:9). In Exodus 14 we read, “The LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided” (Exodus 14:21). Between the sinner and God there is a great gulf fixed, a sea of separation that none can cross unless the LORD Himself make the way. And He has! The LORD Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). All the work was given to the Mediator. “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea” (Exodus 14:21). Moses was a type of Christ. As Moses led the people forth from Egypt by the power of God, so the LORD Jesus Christ leads His people out of bondage through His death and resurrection (Ephesians 4:8). When He stretched forth His hands upon the cross, the Way was opened for His people to pass safely through the waters of judgment. Christ our Passover was slain (1 Corinthians 5:7) The pillar of the cloud stood between Israel and Egypt. “It was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these” (Exodus 14:20). The Gospel is the same today—light to some, darkness to others. To the believer it is the message of Grace, to the unbeliever it is foolishness. But it is God Who makes the difference. “For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). The Egyptians pursued and went in after them to the midst of the sea. They endeavored to enter by their own strength, but “the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea” (Exodus 14:27). Here is the contrast between Grace and works. Those who attempt to cross by their own righteousness shall perish. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5). But of Israel it is written, “The children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left” (Exodus 14:29). That is the Wall of Salvation—the sure Defense of all who are in Christ. None of those chosen and redeemed shall be lost. “Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians” (Exodus 14:30). Their deliverance was full, free, and final. And what was the result? “And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses” (Exodus 14:31). Belief was not the cause but the fruit of deliverance. When the LORD opens the sinner’s eyes to see the great work of Christ, faith springs forth as the effect of Grace. “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). Even so, when the believer looks upon Christ crucified, he sees that every enemy—sin, law, Satan, and death—has been conquered. “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again” (Romans 8:33–34). Thus we see that Salvation is entirely the work of the LORD. The Egyptians assayed to do it, but were drowned. Those who trust in their own works perish, while those who rest in Christ pass through on dry ground. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). The LORD made a difference between Israel and Egypt, between those under wrath and those under Mercy. Christ Himself bore the flood of judgment that His people might go free. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day. And so He saves all His people today—by Faith, by Grace, by Christ alone. To Him be all the glory!

Deuteronomy 12:3  "And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place." This Scripture declares God's absolute disdain for false worship, and His holy command to utterly destroy every trace of it from the land, tearing down altars, breaking pillars, burning groves, and cutting down graven images. This is not a charge for us to go and destroy buildings and altars that we believe to be places of false worship. There may be some who are so zealous that they might attempt such a thing, as some have done in crusades in the past. This is more than an act of physical cleansing; it is a picture of the spiritual work that Christ accomplishes in the hearts of His people. Where Christ is revealed in the heart of a sinner, idols are cast down. As we contemplate the Word of God, we are reminded that the Gospel of Christ does not coexist with error—it triumphs over it. Christ alone is worthy of all worship, and by His sovereign grace, He purges our hearts of every rival, that we might serve Him in truth. The Word reveals the truth concerning the LORD Jesus and His finished work at the cross, which He alone has accomplished on behalf of those whom the Father has chosen and given to Him to save. It is in the message of the Gospel of the LORD Jesus that we see a clear distinction made between grace and works, between the sovereign will of God and the so-called “free will” of man. Whenever we declare that difference, are we not tearing down every false notion? We demolish every one of those altars at which they worship—the altar of “free will” works, and man-centered religion: "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”   (2 Corinthians 10:5) The Gospel message of Christ and Him crucified is the singular means that God has given His ministers today to sift out the chaff from the wheat. A preacher has not done what the LORD has given Him to do if He has not laid out the work of the LORD Jesus from Scripture, line upon " line, precept upon precept "(Isaiah 28:10) . When people react against the message that gives the LORD Jesus all of the glory alone, you know that you have made it plain. As a preacher, you get hate mail. People will contest, saying, "Why did you say this? How can you say that? Aren't you excluding a great number by saying this or that?" And yet there can not be any room for compromise. Paul said that if he would be a servant of men, preaching what they want to hear rather than the clear distinct Word of God, then he could not be the servant of God (Galatians 1:10). Obviously, we are not to seek the approval of men, but the glory of God alone in Christ. If our focus is Christ alone, then we are truly the servants of Christ! We don’t need to worry about offending the LORD’s sheep. Yes, the Gospel is an offense to our flesh and to our desire to share in His glory. Yet in Christ’s sheep, He tenderly draws them to Himself, making them willing, against their will. The Gospel message will indeed offend all of us at some point, but for the goats, there is no convincing them anyway. As goats, left to themselves, they will never come to Christ. The LORD told the religious leaders of His day, "But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you," (John 10:26). Nevertheless, Christ’s sheep must hear the Truth, because this is how God has purposed it. They must  hear the truth revealed in the LORD Jesus and His finished work of salvation at the cross alone. In hearing it—though it may not be immediate—the Lord will draw them in His time. Our LORD Jesus Christ will not lose even one of His sheep: "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day"  (John 6:39) . The true Gospel exalts Christ alone and lays waste to every idol of man's heart—whether self-righteousness, religious tradition, or worldly glory. As the light of Christ shines forth, all that is false is exposed and torn down, not by sword or fire, but by the power of God in the Gospel. It is in the preaching of Christ crucified and risen that every refuge of lies is swept away, and sinners are brought to worship the true and living God in spirit and Truth. Thanks be to our great God and Savior for His exclusive glory revealed in the singular message of the LORD Jesus!

Numbers 15:39 "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:" The LORD speaks through His Word to call His people to remembrance. Here in Numbers 15:39 we read of that ribbon of blue placed on the fringe of Israel’s garments. It was not for show, nor for merit, but for remembrance —a constant reminder that they were not their own. The LORD had said, “I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God.” Every time they looked upon that fringe, they were to remember Whose they were and what He had done for them. Those who are the LORDs are not to seek their own, because they are not their own. They have been chosen in electing grace by God the Father, purchased by the redeeming blood of God the Son at the cross, and called by the regenerating power of God the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:4, 7, 13, 14). That fringe of blue, that heavenly color, was God’s own mark upon His people. It spoke of divine distinction— a people set apart unto Himself. It was a type, a picture of Grace, and of Christ Himself Who fulfilled all righteousness for His people. “Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it” (Isaiah 45:8). To seek after one’s own heart, to follow one’s own way, is spiritual adultery. The LORD calls it “going a-whoring.” Harsh language, yes—but true. To follow after self-will, dead works religion is to turn away from the LORD Himself as the only Way of salvation. And that is why we need constant reminders. The believer, looking upon that fringe, was to remember that he belonged not to earth, but to the God of heaven . Thus, the blue typifies Christ’s heavenly nature — His Deity. Christ, the true Israelite and perfect Fulfiller of all the law, was marked not merely by outward sign but by inward reality: " The Second Man is the Lord from heaven.” — 1 Corinthians 15:47. As the robe of blue on the high priest typified Christ’s divine nature, so the blue ribbon on every Israelite spoke of union with the heavenly Man , a reminder that their life and obedience were by HIS life and obedience imputed to their account, and the only reason they were accepted, was in Him Who is the Beloved of the Father (Ephesians 1:6). The Gospel writers record a significant moment that ties directly to this command: “And, behold, a woman… came behind him, and touched the hem (border) of his garment.” — Matthew 9:20. The “hem” ( kraspedon  in Greek) is the same as the fringe  of Numbers 15. The woman touched the very symbol of divine holiness  and heavenly virtue — that border of blue — and virtue (power)  flowed from Christ. This shows that in Christ, the tekeleth ( Hebrew for "ribbon" or "thread") finds its living fulfillment: the divine grace that Israel could only look upon symbolically became personally accessible in the incarnate Son of God. When the LORD Jesus Christ came, He fulfilled every type and shadow of the law. If this fringe was a reminder of obedience and holiness, He alone perfectly fulfilled it. He is the true heavenly blue , the Righteousness from above, the One in Whom all the commandments of God are remembered and done. He alone sought not His own heart or His own will, but the will of the Father. And in that perfect obedience, He became the Righteousness of His people. Our righteousness is not in our own garment, but that of Christ's righteousness imputed to us upon completion of His work on the cross. That is the robe of Righteousness that covers every elect child of God. The fringe of blue is but a picture of His grace manifested in the lives of His redeemed. The believer’s hope is not in his works, not in his remembrance, not in his obedience—but in Christ’s obedience unto death (Romans 5:19). Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, “Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” That is the meaning of the fringe. We belong to Him Who purchased us with His own blood. The fringe of blue—grace from above—reminds us to glorify God in all that we are and all that we do. And as Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:1–2, the Spirit stirs up our “pure minds by way of remembrance.” The grace of God, like that ribbon of blue, is never given to make us boastful or proud. It is given to humble us—to remind us that we are a purchased people, that we have been redeemed not with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ. So, as the ribbon of blue circled the garments of Israel, so does the Gospel of Christ circle our hearts. Let it remind us not to seek after our own heart or our own eyes, but to set our affection on things above, "where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). For when we look to Him—He Who died, rose again, and sat down having finished the work—our hearts are turned from idols, our affections fixed on the LORD Jesus Christ, and our walk adorned with His grace. The fringe of blue speaks peace to every elect, redeemed, and called child of God: Remember Whose you are. Remember Him Who brought you out, Who bought you with a price, Who clothed you in His righteousness. And as we look upon Christ, the heavenly blue of all our Hope, may we ever flee from our own way and rest in Him alone. " Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Numbers 17:1-10 "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod. And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not." “And the LORD spake unto Moses.” It is the LORD Who speaks. Salvation begins not with man, but with God Who reveals His will, Who appoints His Mediator, Who confirms His own righteousness before all the congregation. In this passage, the LORD commands that twelve rods be taken, one for each house of their fathers, and that Aaron’s name be written upon the rod of Levi. Each rod was but a dry stick — lifeless, fruitless, dead. Yet the LORD would make one rod to live, that all murmuring might cease, and that His chosen priest be made known. This is a picture of the Gospel. It is the LORD’s doing, not man’s. “I will make to cease from me the murmurings,” He says. The test of the rods was not for Moses’ sake, nor for Aaron’s, but for Israel’s — that they might see the difference between that which God has chosen and that which man would presume to offer. “No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron” (Hebrews 5:4). The LORD’s appointed Mediator stands in contrast to every false claimant. The rod of Aaron was laid up among the rest in the tabernacle before the testimony, in the presence of God. And it was there, in that place of death, that life sprang forth. “And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds” (Numbers 17:8). From death came life. A dead rod — a symbol of man’s helplessness — became fruitful. This is the Gospel: life from death. Christ Himself, the greater Aaron, was made to die, yet in Him was life. “As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). His resurrection is the budding of the rod, the divine proof that He is the appointed High Priest over the house of God. The LORD would have His people know that salvation is through His chosen Priest alone. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). The murmuring of Israel against God’s way of salvation is the murmuring of every natural heart. Men want another priest, another way, another means of acceptance. But God will have none of it. He puts an end to all self-righteous effort by exalting His own Priest — the One He has chosen, the One Who lives though He was dead. When Moses brought out the rods, each man’s rod was as it was — dry, dead, unchanged. Only one bore fruit. So it is with all who stand before God apart from Christ. They remain as they are, lifeless, under condemnation. But in the rod of Aaron, in Christ, there is fruit — the fruit of righteousness, of life everlasting. “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth” (Isaiah 42:1). And the LORD said unto Moses, “Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels” (Numbers 17:10). The token remains — a continual witness that life is found only in God’s chosen Mediator. The budding rod was laid before the ark, beside the tables of the law and the golden pot of manna (Hebrews 9:4) . Yet in time, when Solomon brought the ark into the temple, “there was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone” (1 Kings 8:9). The law remained because the law must be fulfilled. The rod had served its purpose — the Priest had come, and the promise had been fulfilled in Christ. Here is the end of all murmuring. Here is the peace of the Gospel. The dead rod has blossomed. Christ has risen. God’s Priest lives and reigns forever (Acts 2:31-37) . Life has come from death, righteousness from substitution, peace through the blood of the cross. “That they die not,” says the LORD — for in His chosen Priest, death has been taken away, and everlasting life has been brought to light.

Numbers 19:1-10 "And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke: And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face: And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times: And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn: And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer. Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even. And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even. And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin. And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever." In the Book of Numbers, chapter 19, the LORD gives a solemn ordinance: a red heifer, without spot or blemish, and never yoked, was to be taken, slain outside the camp, and wholly burned. Its ashes, mingled with cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet, were carefully gathered and laid aside for the people of Israel. From them would come the “water of purification,” a cleansing for sin. At first, these details can seem complicated. But every detail matters, for they point us to Christ: The heifer was to be red, a sign of the redemption accomplished by His blood. It was to be without blemish, showing the sinless perfection of our LORD Jesus (1 Peter 1:19) . No yoke was ever laid upon it, signifying that Christ laid down His life freely. As He Himself said, “I lay down my life for the sheep… no man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself” (John 10:15, 18). The sacrifice was performed outside the camp, for the offering itself was counted unclean. This reminds us of our Savior Who suffered “without the gate” (Hebrews 13:12–13) , bearing reproach for His people. Yet unlike those priests, who became unclean by handling the ashes, Christ bore our sins without being defiled. He remained holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners (Hebrews 7:26). The ashes were to be kept and mixed with water for cleansing. But this was not a beauty treatment, not a cleansing of the body. It was a picture of sin being dealt with before God. Still, it was only a shadow. The blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, but they could never remove sin. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:13–14). Here is the connection: the ashes point to Christ’s death, and the water to the purifying work of the blood of the LORD from the cross in the heart of the elect sinner when given life in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit (setting the sinner apart) to Christ in God-given Faith. Baptismal water cannot purify the heart. You can go into that water a lost sinner and come out a wet lost sinner. Only the Spirit of God , through the finished work of Christ, can purify the heart and bring peace with God, cleansing the guilty conscience from dead works . The LORD Jesus said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). The ashes were mingled with running water (living water as a type of Christ), and this mixture became the “water of separation” (or “water for impurity”), used for cleansing those who had been defiled by death (touching a dead body, bone, or grave). The central issue is that death’s defilement separates the person from the camp and the tabernacle, which is what our sins do in separating us from God in spiritual death. The water of separation was applied with hyssop, signifying the need for purifying grace coming from outside oneself, through the blood shed of the LORD Jesus. When Christ was pierced, blood and water flowed out (John 19:34) . This is not an incidental medical detail but an important Gospel truth: The blood  signifies death and the immediate justification of those sinners for whom Christ died because of the satisfaction of God’s justice completed at the cross. The water  signifies cleansing and sanctification — the elect sinner, having been set apart in justification at the cross, is then set apart by the Spirit and His sanctifying grace because of Christ's death. This sanctifying does not render the flesh progressively holier. The flesh is continually sinful, and therefore, there is a need for the continual sanctifying work of the Spirit to draw the heart outside of itself for righteousness in the finished work of Christ. John himself later reflects on this, emphasizing that both water and blood came forth together as a testimony to Christ’s sacrificial death as the Substitute for His people (1 John 5:6, 8). Even the details of cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet cast into the fire remind us of the cleansing of lepers in Leviticus 14. Leprosy was a picture of sin, and all of it was consumed in the burning. So when Christ died, He bore all the sins of His people—past, present, and future. “He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26). And how often was the heifer offered? Only once. The ashes were preserved for generations, a lasting provision until Christ should come. This also points to Him, for “ by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). Once. Finished. Complete. So what is our hope? Not our works, not our zeal, not our attempts at righteousness. As Paul wrote, many go about seeking to establish their own righteousness, but refuse to submit to the Righteousness of God. Yet “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” (Romans 10:4). And so, we who believe by God's grace rest in this Truth: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1) . In Him, your sins are taken away—every spot, every blemish, every trace of leprosy consumed in the fire of His Sacrifice.

Numbers 21:8 " And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live." When Satan tempted Adam and Eve, he did it through a serpent (Genesis 3:1) . All through Scripture, we find the serpent being a type of sin, Satan—a type of all that is evil. In Numbers chapter 21, we read of a time when the Lord sent fiery serpents among the children of Israel. These serpents were a type of judgment. "And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore, the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people" (Numbers 21:5–7). Moses was God's mediator. He served here as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom God purposed to deliver His people, the church. So, to speak against Moses was to speak against God, His mediator, and therefore against Christ. To find dissatisfaction with Christ as the Mediator is rebellion—against Him as the only Substitute, the only Way of Righteousness, and the only Way by which God can forgive sin. Therefore, to speak against Moses as a type of Christ is a grievous complaint. And yet we read, " And Moses prayed for the people."  A mediator stands between God and the sinner and intercedes on their behalf. What a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ! There could be no favor, there could be no grace, no mercy, apart from the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ for His own. How important is this particular story regarding the type and picture of redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ? In John 3:14–18, we read where our Lord was speaking with Nicodemus, who was a Jew who understood the Old Testament Scriptures, and yet was ignorant as to how this very story pertained to the Lord Jesus Christ. We find the Lord Jesus using this very story to serve as a type of His being lifted up in death as the Substitute for sinners: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." In Numbers 21, many perished, even though God had directed Moses to lift the brazen serpent on a pole. But that serpent was not for them. Some preach that God would like to save everybody if they only "will." Well, if that were the case, such a "god" is a miserable failure, because the majority of people die in their sins without ever having any knowledge, understanding, or belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and His death. If God can will the salvation of sinners, and yet His will does not effectually save, what then does the will of God have to do with salvation? Many say that God should leave the choice up to the sinner, but were that the case, none would believe. Those whom God leaves to themselves will perish in unbelief, because only God can grant faith to believe. Even John 3:16 doesn't say that God sent His Son into the world to save everybody. It says, "whosoever believeth in him."   Those who believe—God has given them eyes to see Christ and rest in Him. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;"   in other words, it's not everybody that’s going to be condemned, " but that the world through him might be saved."   By the word "world,"   He is describing the world in an ethnic sense, Jew and Gentile—sinners from every tribe, nation, and tongue. He sent His Son into the world, that the world, those in the world, through Him might be saved (Revelation 5:9) . " He that believeth on Him is not condemned" (John 3:18).  Why? Christ already bore their condemnation in His death. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit"  (Romans 8:1). But "he that believeth not is condemned already,"  because no ransom was ever paid for those who continue in unbelief. The wrath of God abideth on them (John 3:36). They are vessels of wrath, and therefore justly condemned to suffer His eternal condemnation (Romans 9:22). But for those whom God purposed to deliver, He told Moses to make a brazen serpent and to lift it upon a pole so that all who looked upon it should live. That serpent was made in the likeness of the fiery serpents. How then does that brazen serpent depict the LORD Jesus dying on the cross (John 3:14) ? The brazen serpent was made in the likeness of those fiery serpents, but there was no venom in that brazen serpent. Even so with Christ—He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, but there was no venom or sin in Him: " For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"  (Romans 8:3). He came to bear the sin of His people, but in Him was no sin. There are those today who say that when Christ died on the cross, He died personally guilty for the sin of those whom He came to represent, that somehow His nature was corrupted with their sin, and therefore God put Him to death. That's blasphemy! "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him"  (2 Corinthians 5:21). He was made the Sacrifice for sin. He was made the Substitute for sin. He was made the Offering for sin— Who knew no sin.  He was made of a woman, bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh, but He did not bear the sinful nature of Adam. He was made of a woman, not of a man and a woman. Therefore, His very nature was protected from being sinful by God. That was important because to be the Substitute, He had to be without sin. And yet, the Scriptures say He was numbered with the transgressors: "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors"(Isaiah 53:12). He was numbered in the sense that He identified with their sin. The serpent of brass had no venom. Christ had no sin. He was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15) . The cross was a symbol of condemnation—of judgment. The Scriptures say that when He was nailed to that cross, He died as the sinless Sacrifice. That's why He's called the Lamb of God.  It required the shedding of the blood of a man as a Substitute. All of the animals that were offered in the Old Testament were powerless to put away sin, because the blood of animals could not answer the justice of God for the sin of fallen men. It had to be The Man , Christ Jesus, representing sinful men of God’s choosing (Hebrews 10:4). Christ the Man—the God-Man—dying on the cross, was the only Sacrifice that God the Father ever accepted for the salvation of those He chose to save and has saved and justified when Christ died. So efficacious was His death that in Colossians 2:14 it says: " Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." We see then that by His death, every ordinance that stood against those for whom Christ died—that people whom God purposed to save by His grace—their sin was put away. The animal sacrifices were an "atonement,"  or a temporary covering. Christ's death was an actual propitiation (1 John 4:10). Consequently, all for whom Christ died were saved at one time, in one place, and by one sacrifice... Christ, and Him crucified.