Good morning,
Israel are God’s chosen people. They were blessed by God, given His promises, covenants, and leadership. This was a picture for what was to come.
The fulfillment came in the person of Jesus Christ. God’s perfect lamb, who paid the penalty for man’s sin, once for all.
Read today’s devotion with this in mind.
Surely God is good to Israel–to those who are pure in heart!
(“Every Day!” Author unknown, 1872)
“Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD!” Deuteronomy 33:29
Were God’s ancient people distinguished among all nations for their privileges and blessings? Then much more happy are God’s spiritual Israel. They are redeemed from a viler slavery than that of Egypt, and with a more glorious manifestation of power and grace.
Believers now have not the tabernacle in the wilderness, nor the temple at Jerusalem–but they have all the precious realities typified by them. They are not mere outer-court worshipers, but have access to the Holy of holies through the blood of the Lamb.
They are not fed with the manna of the desert, but with “the True Bread of Heaven.”
They do not drink of the waters of the rock of Horeb, but of the river of life flowing from the Rock, Christ Jesus.
They do not have in prospect an earthly Canaan, but a heavenly city, whose builder and Maker is God.
They do not have a temporal inheritance–but an incorruptible, undefiled and unfading inheritance!
Israel of old had the shadows, Christians now have the substance.
“Surely God is good to Israel–to those who are pure in heart!” Psalm 73:1
~ ~ ~ ~
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
Leave a Reply