1. Israel is a picture of the believer's redemption
   • 1Corinthians 10:11 -- "Now all these things happened unto them for [types]"
   • Hebrews 4:1 -- "Let us therefore fear, lest... any of you should seem to come short of it"
   • 1Corinthians 5:7 -- "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us"
   • John 3:14 -- "As Moses lifted up the serpent... even so must the Son of Man be lifted up"
   Like Israel, the believer is saved and brought into blessing.
2. The geopgraphical types
   1. Egypt (the world)
      • Exodus 3:8 -- "I am come down to deliver"
      • Luke 19:10 -- "Come to seek and to save"
      • John 6:33 -- "Cometh... giveth life unto the world"
      • John 16:28 -- "Am come into the world"
      • John 17:14 -- "The world hath hated them"
   2. The wilderness (journey as a believer)
      • John 17:6 -- "Out of the world"
      • Romans 7:15-24 -- "What I hate, that do I... the good that I would I do not... O wretched man"
      • 1Corinthians 1:11 -- "Contentions among you"
      • 2Corinthians 11:2,3 -- "I am jealous... I fear... your minds should be corrupted"
   3. The promised land (Heaven)
      1. Blessings of Israel
         • Ephesians 1:3-14 -- "Blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ"

         The blessings of Israel were wonderful (Deuteronomy 8:7-10), but they were all in Canaan. After they had, in part possessed their possessions (Obadiah 1:17), Joshua could say the Lord had given them a land "for which ye did not labour" (Joshua 24:13). Here they had rest, victory, and possession (Joshua 21:43,44), in contrast to the wilderness where they had unrest, defeat, and wandering.

      2. Blessings of believers
         • 1John 1:9 -- "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us." Fellowship maintained.
         • Galatians 5:22,23 -- "Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." The Fruit of the Spirit.
         • Galatians 2:20 -- "Christ liveth in me." Indwelling of the Spirit (also Philippians 1:21).
         • Ephesians 5:18-20 -- "Be filled with the Spirit." Filling of the Spirit.

         The heavenlies signify abiding in the great realities of our salvation, in contrast with worldliness. "In Christ" (Ephesians 1:3), is true of every believer (1Corinthians 12:12,13), and we see that all blessing flows from Christ as we abide in unbroken fellowship with Him. The Holy Spirit gives us the actual experience of these blessings (Galatians 4:6).

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