The Apostolic Church Bible Study

LESSON ONE	LESSON TWO	LESSON THREE	LESSON FOUR
LESSON FIVE	LESSON SIX	LESSON SEVEN

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

The early Church saints were called the people of “this way” in Acts 9:2. They were the people of “the way” because everything they did and said reminded people of what Jesus did and said. They turned the world upside down for Jesus because of the supernatural power that they had as the people of God. The Bible holds the keys of what they believed, and what they did to become associated with a particular way of serving God.

In the day and age in which we live, most people might think it arrogant that someone would say that they know the only way to receive salvation and have a personal relationship with God. There are hundreds of Christian sects in the world today, so how can we possibly know which one is correct? Are they all correct? The true way of salvation is found in Jesus Christ, and in His Word. All denominational teaching needs to agree with the Word or that teaching is in error. The quest of this Bible study is to discover God’s way and discard man’s way. We will find that the only way to come to God is through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament is divided into four divisions: the books of the Law; the books of History; the books of Poetry; and the books of Prophecy. The Way’s first four lessons will look at some highlights of the books of the Law.

The Law was broken into three types of categories: moral, civil, and ceremonial law. The moral law deals with things like the Ten Commandments and how to live a moral life before God. The civil law covers the things that pertain to living in an organized, civil manner with one another. The main focus of future lessons is the ceremonial law. The ceremonial law reveals man’s approach to God. It shows us how to enter into God’s presence without being destroyed because His holiness demands that we be without sin.

According to history, 32 authors wrote the Old Testament over a period of approximately 1500 years. If we look closely at Scripture we will find that there is really only one author, and that is God. He used 32 men to write down what He told them. II Peter 1:20-21 says,

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The Word lets us know that the only author of the Bible is the Holy Ghost and that scripture is not to be interpreted by us according to our own thinking. Since the Holy Ghost wrote the Word of God, then we should ask the Holy Ghost to help us interpret the Bible accurately as we read. If we ask Him, He will help us. In II Timothy 3:16, 17 we read,

At the time that Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, how much of the Bible do you think they possessed? All they had at the time was the Old Testament. The first thing that Paul said the Scripture (the Old Testament) was good for was to understand doctrine; yet many say that the Old Testament does not apply to us today. In this series of studies we will find that the New Testament doctrine taught by the Apostles was first revealed in the Old Testament.

1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

Paul was referring to the Old Testament civil law that said that no man could be convicted of a capital crime unless there were at least two or three witnesses. In the same manner we look for God to be consistent in His Word and give us at least two or three witnesses concerning Biblical truths. Would you rather build a doctrine from one verse of Scripture, or from two or more verses? The wise man says, “From two or three”.

Continuing with the groundwork for how we will approach this study, let’s read Hebrews 13:8.

You do not have to be a Bible scholar to understand that this verse is saying that God has never changed and He never will. Those who say that God is doing things in a different manner because of our modern times and ways do not totally understand God. He will never change. Hebrews 10:7 says,

7 Then said I, Lo I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will O God.

This verse quotes a prophecy of the book of Psalms that is referring to Jesus. He came to do God’s will on earth and it is recorded in the volume of the book, or in the whole Bible if you will. Thus, when we study the Old Testament we expect to find Jesus all through it. The Old Testament is full of types and shadows pertaining to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. A type or a shadow is an event or object that God used in order to show what He was going to do in the future

The last thing in our groundwork for proper studying of the Bible is to read Matthew 5:17.

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament because it was all about Him. It told of His coming to earth as well as His reason for coming.

Day 1 God said “Let there be light” and it was so (Genesis 1:3). The light emanated from God himself since the sources of light we have today (sun, moon, and stars) were not yet made. I John 1:5 declares,

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

He divided the light from the darkness. This division began the conflict between the two spiritual kingdoms in the world today, light and darkness. God also established the fact that He wants to keep those that are of the light separate from those in darkness. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says,

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Day 2 God caused the waters of the upper atmosphere to divide from the waters on the face of the earth (Genesis 1:6-8). The face of the whole earth was covered by water.

Day 3 God spoke and the dry land appeared, and the seas came to rest in their given places (Genesis 1:9-13). He then caused the ground to bring forth all the plants and trees which had the ability to reproduce themselves. God put seeds in them that would keep their own kind from dying out.

Day 4 God made the sun, moon, stars, and planets (Genesis 1:14-19). God’s plan for the sun, moon, stars, and planets was for them to serve as signs, seasons, days, and years. Thus, time, as we know it began. Scientists look to the stars for the best known clock to be found; they do not vary in the least. God also established the rule of the sun over the day and the moon over the night.

Day 5 God created the sea life and the birds of the air (Genesis 1:20-23) They were all designed to reproduce after their own kind. Man’s theory of evolution is scientifically impossible. It is in direct contradiction not only to God’s word, but also to sound scientific study.

Day 6 God created the animals, which also reproduced after their own kind. Lastly God made man (Genesis 1:24-31).

Day 7 God rested from all His work and blessed the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3).

Let us look in Genesis chapter one at the creation account and notice the first three words in each of the following verses: vs. 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, and 26. What does each verse have in common? “And God said.” The very power, or authority, of creation was in God’s spoken Word. When God spoke, things came out of the nothingness to become tangible, solid matter. God spoke these things into existence only once. Every thing He made is still here today, held together by the power of His word. Hebrews 11:3 tells us

3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

How important should the Bible be to us since it is God’s written Word to mankind? It also holds power that cannot be comprehended in its totality because of its awesome depth. We should reverence God’s Word. It is the power that God has given to man to bring about the knowledge of Eternal Life.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

What do you suppose the Bible means when it says we are made in the image of God? Wasn’t God a spirit being? Adam was not a spirit. So what is it about man that makes him in the image of God? Genesis 2:7 says,

7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

This verse reveals to us that man is made up of flesh and spirit. The dust became man’s flesh and God’s breath became man’s spirit. How can a man with both flesh and spirit be in the image of God who is only spirit?

The answer is that God was looking into the future to the time that He would come to earth as a man. God made man in the image of Jesus Christ who would come in the fullness of time. Colossians 1:15 confirms that thought. Speaking of Jesus it says,

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.

Since Jesus came in the womb of Mary long after the first created being, this verse refers to what God had already planned. It was in the plan of God that Jesus existed before the first man was created. Before the earth was made, God knew that He would come as the Lord Jesus to save mankind from sin, therefore He made man in the image of Jesus, who was both flesh and spirit.

(Here is an interesting thought. Man is 98% water by weight, and 66% water by chemical composition. When you mix dust and water you get mud. Therefore, man is a glorified mud ball.)

8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

It must have been a wonderful life for Adam and Eve in the garden. They had each other for company, as well as authority over all the animal kingdom. Every day God would come and talk with them. God had given them only one commandment. They were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He had given them the power of choice to obey or disobey Him. They exercised their power of choice in Genesis chapter 3 when the serpent came and tempted Eve to disobey God and to eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree. Satan, in the form of the serpent, caused Eve to doubt God’s word. When she gave in and ate, Adam followed right along without a fight. They did what God told them not to do, but a strange thing happened. They didn’t die. Or did they? Let’s take a closer look at this. What two things was man made of? (Answer: flesh and spirit). Their spirit died that day when God drove them out of the Garden of Eden and separated them from His presence. Sin had broken communion with God, and man was doomed to eternal death in hell.

But what about their flesh? Why didn’t their flesh die that day? Was it because God didn’t keep His word? Some would say that they started to die that day, and that is what God meant. But God didn’t say that the day they ate of the fruit they would surely start to die. So, why didn’t they die? Let’s read Genesis 3:21-24 and see if we can find out.

21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Do you remember what Adam and Eve did when their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked? They sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. God didn’t accept their clothing, but it says He clothed them in animal skins. There was a death that day. It was the death of the animals that God killed to clothe the guilty pair. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, and God had to see a death that day. So we have the first substitute sacrifice given in the Bible, which is a type of Jesus’ death for us. God gave them a covering of death so that when He saw them, He saw shed blood, which was the covering for their sin. In Leviticus 17:11 we read,

11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

The word “atonement” simply means a covering. God made it possible for them to have their sins covered, so that when He looked at them, he saw death instead of their sin, thereby meeting their need for mercy and His need to see judgment for sin. What a merciful God He is.

Sin will always bring the judgment of God. Let’s read what happened in Genesis 3:14-19.

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

We see in this passage of Scripture that four curses were brought about because of the sin committed. Here is the easy way to remember them.

It would seem at first glance that Adam and Eve were left in a hopeless situation with no way of ever seeing a better day. But on a second look, we find a promise that gave hope to fallen man. Do you see it there where God mentions the seed of the woman bruising the serpent’s head? Here in the Word we find the first prophecy concerning what happened at Calvary. It says the serpent would bruise the woman’s seed on the heel, but the same seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head, or in other words, take away his power. In the Bible the head figuratively denotes the place of power. When Satan caused men to hang Jesus on that old rugged cross, it was like a bruise on the heel of Jesus compared to what Jesus did to the Devil. Jesus crushed him when He went into the earth, and took away the keys to death, hell, and the grave. Since then, Satan has been a defeated foe and is just playing out the role that God has given him until Jesus comes and finishes him off.

1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Did you notice Eve’s excitement about having a son? She knew that some day a son would be born that would bruise the serpent’s head. She must have had a hope that this was the one. She was looking for God’s promise to come to pass. That’s what faith is. Today, we should be the same way concerning the promises of God.

Let me ask you a question. Do you think it was fair of God to accept Abel’s sacrifice and not Cain’s? What did God require to cover one’s sin? (Answer: death and shed blood). Abel brought a sacrifice of blood, but Cain brought the vegetables of his garden and everybody knows you cannot get blood out of a turnip. The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.

Of course, God was fair to Cain. Not only did Cain not bring a blood sacrifice, he brought a sacrifice from the ground which had been cursed. When it says that they brought their sacrifices “in the process of time”, it lets us know that Adam and Eve had time to raise their two sons and tell them about what had happened in the garden. They would have warned them not to go there, so that the angel would not kill them. They certainly heard the story how that God made them coats of animal skins to cover their sin. So Cain was not innocent, but was in rebellion to God’s way. And thus, we have the start of the two religions in the world today. There are lots of names for religions, but in reality there are only two: God’s way and man’s way. Man’s way will never be able to satisfy God and His righteousness. These two ways are typical of the flesh and spirit and the war that goes on between them.

God, who has all foreknowledge and the power to create all we see, had devised a plan for fallen mankind before the earth was created. His mercy and grace are plain to see when we read the story of Adam and Eve. Although they deserved to die, God made a way for them to be restored to eternal life when He took on the form of a man and died for all mankind. This is God’s way.

6. What were the four curses? (Devil eat dirt, pain in childbearing, thorns and thistles, and no more free ride)

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We don’t read very far in the Old Testament until we come to the story of Noah and the great flood. Man had increased in number, as well as in wickedness. Let’s read Genesis 6:3.

3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Up to this point in time, men had lived for hundreds of years, the oldest man living to be 969 years old. It’s hard to imagine isn’t it? After the flood men still lived a long time. With each generation, men lived a shorter period of time until ultimately man’s age ended at 120 years or less.

God also said He would not always strive with men. It is an important lesson to learn from this verse that we need to respond to God when He is dealing with us so that He will not quit striving with us, but will continue to lead us on to repentance.

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

We see in this passage that three major conditions prevailed at that time in the earth.

1. Minds filled with evil. It says here that man’s thoughts were evil all the time. If we aren’t careful the same thing will happen today. It’s a fact that pornography sales greatly exceed that of the five major news magazines. And what can be seen on television in our own homes is a shame to even be mentioned.

2. Violence. Violence is uncontrolled emotions. As Christians, we should have our negative emotions under control. The more the spirit of this world gains control of men’s emotions, the more violent the earth will become.

3. Corruption of God’s ways. Man had taken every good thing that God had given him and turned God’s gifts around to please man’s own evil nature. Mankind turned from the worship of the One True God and worshipped false gods.

Did you notice that the Bible says that Noah was a just man who walked with God? What was it about Noah that made him a “just” man? Let’s read Romans 1:17 and find out.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

According to this verse of Scripture, Noah was just because he was a man of faith. Let’s read more in Romans 10:17.

Noah walked with God, and listened to Him, and did what He told him to do. Faith requires an action that has to be taken upon the hearing of God’s Word. We must obey what we hear to be men of faith. Hebrews 11:6 says,

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Apparently, the reason that Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD is because he had faith. Faith pleases God, but unbelief displeases God. In Hebrews 11:4 we read,

This verse shows us that Cain and Abel both heard what to bring as a sacrifice to God, because it requires hearing to have faith in God’s Word.

If we look back at Genesis 6:6, we read that it repented God that He had made man. This is a good example of what repentance really is. What did God do to the thing that caused Him to repent? He destroyed it. That is what we are supposed to do with our sins when we repent of them--destroy them.

Noah’s ark is a type of salvation to the New Testament believer. We can learn several things from it.

1. It was big. (Genesis 6:15) The ark was the length of one and a half football fields. It was three stories tall with enough room for all of the animal life that God chose to save from the flood, as well as anyone who would choose to believe God. God has also made enough room for all people of our time period to come into His “ark” and be saved.

2. One door in the side. (Genesis 6:16) When we think of the door in the side of the ark, the only entrance into the ark, we think of Jesus when He said that He was the door. The only way to be saved is to come through the door that Jesus made for us through His death, burial, and resurrection. There are some parallels in the Bible that are amazingly consistent:

A. Adam’s bride came from his side because God brought Eve into existence from the rib of Adam.

B. Jesus’ bride, the Church, was born into existence from what came out from His side. When His side was pierced, the blood and water that came out of the wound were the elements that God used to save His people from the curse of death.

3. The ark was pitched within and without. (Genesis 6:14) The root of the word “pitch” is the same as the root of the word atonement (covering). The ark covered Noah and his family from the judgment of God.

4. It had never rained before. One reason people had such a difficult time believing that God was going to send a flood was because it had not rained before. God watered the earth with the dew. No one today has ever seen the taking away of the church either. But, just as it rained and destroyed the earth, some day Jesus will come and get His church. Just because it has not happened before, does not mean it cannot happen. When God is ready, He will come to get His bride.

5. God shut the door. (Genesis 7:4-16) About one week before God sent the flood, He told Noah to get all the animals and his family into the ark. During that week anyone could have come into the safety of the ark. But, when God was ready to destroy the earth, He shut the door and sealed it. After that time, no one was allowed to enter inside. When God shuts the door to this present age, no one else will be able to enter into the church.

6. God gave a sign of His covenant. (Genesis 9:11-17) When Noah and his family came out of the ark after about a year inside of it, God made a covenant with him. God promised never to destroy the earth again by water. As a sign, God gave man the rainbow. The next lesson will tell us of another sign of His covenant with man.

After the flood had receded, and Noah and his family again dwelt on dry land, they were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth. His three sons became the fathers of the nations that exist today. Shem became the father of the Jewish and Arab peoples. Ham is the father of those that dwell in Africa, Egypt and so on. Japheth fathered the people that settled in the European continent.

One of the descendants of Ham was named Nimrod. He was a man who was rebellious against God. Nimrod is the father of nearly every pagan practice of worshipping idols and false gods, as well as astrology and witchcraft. Under his leadership the people decided to build a tower to reach heaven.

When God saw the people and their determination to work together to defy God, He came amongst the people and confused their language. Different groups of people could not understand one another, naturally causing them to separate into language groups. This is the beginning of the different nations and languages. This is another example of man’s way versus God’s way. And again God does not accept man’s way.

A descendent of Shem named Abram was called by God to leave his idolatrous country and go to a land that God would show him. Let’s read Genesis 12:1-3.

1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Wow! What a promise to be made to a man by God. Can you imagine how Abram felt? God was letting Abram know that the Messiah was going to come through him. He told him that all families of the earth would be blessed through him.

The blessing would not stop there. God promised to give him so many offspring that his descendants would become a great nation. This promise given to Abram (later to be called Abraham) is called the Abrahamic covenant. Every one who was to be one of God’s chosen people had to be born a descendant of Abraham or become a Jew through a certain method which we will discuss in the next lesson. Wouldn’t it be great if we who were not born a Jew could become a Jew and also be one of God’s chosen people?

What do you think it would require for us to become children of Abraham today? Let’s read Genesis 22:17.

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.

When God mentions an offspring as numerous as stars and sand, do you think He could be talking about a natural offspring, and a spiritual offspring? After all, we are finding a lot of examples of flesh and spirit in our study. Perhaps the sand refers to the natural seed of Abraham (the Jews), and the stars to the spiritual seed. And if God is referring to a spiritual seed, how do we become the spiritual seed of Abraham? Let’s read Galatians 3:27-29 and find out.

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

There is a way to become a child of Abraham and have the promises of God as our own. What does the Scripture say we must do to make this happen? We must be baptized into Christ. There are those who say that baptism doesn’t have any thing to do with salvation. According to the Bible this it is the only way to receive the promised salvation given to Abraham and his descendants. God also lets us know that salvation is for every one, and that we are all equal in God’s sight when we are in Christ. Notice that we are Abraham’s seed (spiritually) when we are in Christ, or baptized into Christ. God’s covenant with Abraham is still in effect today.

Again we find that God has definite laws concerning our salvation that cannot be altered by man. God’s mercy has provided a way for all mankind to escape the coming judgment, but we must do things God’s way.

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LESSON THREE

Let us take a moment to review lesson two. God chose Abraham to be the father of all those that God wanted to have worship Him, and follow Him. God gave Abraham sure promises about becoming a great nation with many blessings. Many times when God makes a covenant with man, He gives a sign or token of that covenant. A covenant is like a contract with God. If we uphold our end of the contract and allow Him to uphold His end, He will be our God and Savior.

Let’s read Genesis 17:1-14 and find out more about this covenant that God made with Abraham.

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.

12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

What is the meaning of the phrase, “that soul shall be cut off?” It refers to the fact that the man was not in covenant with God; therefore he was lost, and doomed to Hell.

In lesson two we read about the seed of Abraham being as many as the stars in the sky and the sand of the seashore. We discussed how this Scripture referred to two types of offspring: the natural children of Abraham, and the spiritual children of Abraham. We read in Galatians 3:27-29 that we become the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise by being baptized into Christ.

Do you think that there could be a spiritual circumcision for spiritual children of Abraham? The Jews had a circumcision of the flesh because they were the fleshly descendants of Abraham. The Bible also talks of a circumcision made without hands. Let’s read Colossians 2:8.

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Paul was warning against being swayed by man’s thinking, and self-serving lies, and traditions, and the ways of the world. Let me tell you a story about traditions of men before I read the rest of the verses to you.

One Thanksgiving, a girl asked her mother why she cut the end of her ham off before putting it in the pan. The mother said that she did it because her mother did it. So they called the grandmother to find out the reason for cutting off the end of the ham. Grandmother responded the same way as the mother, she did it because her mother did it. So they called great-grandmother and put the question to her. She said that the reason she cut off the end of her ham was because the pan was too small for the ham. How many people in religious circles today are following the traditions of men without knowing why they believe what they do? Let us continue reading in Colossians 2:9-13.

10 And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12 Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

There it is in black and white, spiritual circumcision is baptism. There are those who say that baptism is not a part of salvation, but without it, you have no covenant with God, just as the earthly children of Abraham had no salvation without circumcision. Baptism is our token of God’s covenant today. The circumcision of the flesh was a blood covenant, and we will find out in a later lesson that baptism is also a blood covenant. There is no stronger covenant with God than a blood covenant. Isn’t God consistent?

Abraham finally had a son in his old age whose name was Isaac. Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, became expectant through the prayers of Isaac, for she was barren. In Genesis 25:22-28 it says,

22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the LORD.

23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Two very different boys were born to Isaac. Esau was the kind of son that most fathers would like to have. He was strong, a hunter, a real man’s man. On the other hand, Jacob was a mother’s boy. He would rather stay around the kitchen with his mother than be outside hunting. The strange thing about this story is that God loved Jacob and Esau was hated. Why? It was because Esau had no respect for the spiritual things.

As the eldest son, he should have been the one that the Messiah would come through. He knew that this was his right because of the birthright. But one day while coming in from an unsuccessful hunting excursion, he saw Jacob cooking a pot of stew, and asked for a bowl. Jacob, who had the ability to be very sneaky, said he would give Esau a bowl of his stew in exchange for his birthright. Esau was so hungry that he felt the bowl of stew was more important than the birthright and all that went with it. I am not condoning Jacob’s method, but he had a great desire for the spiritual things, and was willing to do whatever was necessary to get hold of the right to be the spiritual head of the family. God respected Jacob for his hunger for Spiritual things, but He did not approve of his lying and cheating ways.

Later on, when it was time for Esau to receive the blessing, Jacob stole that too. The blessing consisted of the father (Isaac) laying his hands on the eldest son and pronouncing a blessing that would come to pass. The eldest also received twice as much of the inheritance as the younger child. Jacob deceived his father into thinking he was Esau, and received the blessing meant for Esau.

Esau’s anger was so great that Jacob had to flee to Padan-aram, the place where Rebekah’s brother dwelt. On the way, Jacob had a vision while sleeping one night. He saw angels descending and ascending to heaven on a ladder. He called the place Bethel, which means the house of God. His spiritual journey, which was not easy, had begun.

Jacob reaped the harvest for his deceitful ways when he worked for seven years for Rachel to be his wife, but found out that he was given her older sister Leah instead. He had to work seven more years to get the wife he wanted.

After many years passed, Jacob’s family grew, as did his herds of cattle, flocks of sheep, and other animals. God spoke to Jacob and told him to go back home. On the return trip he camped at Peniel. While there, he wrestled with an angel all night. In Genesis 32:24-28 we read about Jacob’s encounter.

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

I certainly don’t think for a moment that the one who wrestled with Jacob could not get away if he wanted to. After all just a touch of his hand made Jacob’s hip go out of joint. God was testing Jacob’s desire to change. And just like the Christian becomes a new creature at the new birth, Jacob was changed that day. For the rest of his life he walked with a limp. When we wrestle with God at an altar of repentance, and refuse to let Him go until He blesses us, God will change the way we walk also.

Not only was Jacob’s walk changed, but his name was changed as well. In those days names meant something. Your name described what you were as a person. Jacob’s name meant “deceiver, heel grabber, usurper.” It was a negative name. God gave him a new name because He had given him a new nature. Israel meant “prince.” He received a princely nature and received power with God. God will also give us a new nature when we come to Him determined not to let Him go until he blesses us. Then it is just as God told Rebekah that it would be, with the elder serving the younger. In the spiritual sense the elder, which is the old carnal nature, now serves the younger nature which is the spiritual nature.

Israel had twelve sons. His favorite son was Joseph. Joseph’s brothers hated him because he was the favorite, and because he had dreams in which his brothers bowed down before him. When the chance came, they sold him as a slave to a band of Midianites. He was then sold to Potiphar who elevated Joseph to a position of authority in his household. But Potiphar’s wife was wicked and tried to lure Joseph to sin with her. When he would not comply because he was a righteous man, Potiphar’s wife accused him of attempted rape. Joseph was then thrown into the prison.

While there, he interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s servants who had been put in prison. One servant was restored to his post; the other one was put to death just as Joseph had interpreted. When Pharaoh had a dream that could not be interpreted by his wise men, the servant who was restored remembered Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams, and told Pharaoh about him. Pharaoh called for him, and Joseph successfully interpreted the dream through God’s power. He also outlined a plan to offset the effect of the coming famine and was promoted to the number two position in the land.

The dream let Pharaoh know that a famine was coming that would devastate the land. Because of the wisdom that God gave Joseph, the people were saved from starvation. Joseph made sure that there was plenty of food stored while times were plenteous.

Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food because the famine extended into the land of Canaan. Joseph hid his identity from them so that they did not know him. Finally, he revealed himself to them. Joseph arranged for his father and brothers to come and live in Egypt during the famine. They were given some of the best land in Egypt for their flocks.

Egypt represents the world in the Bible. God’s people were not supposed to be there. They were supposed to be in the land that God had given them. After hundreds of years, the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians. It was at this point that God brought Moses on the scene. Moses was an Israelite baby whose mother refused to let him be killed. You see, Pharaoh had given an order for all male children to be killed. Moses’ mother put him in a reed basket in the Nile River where Pharaoh’s daughter found him. She wanted to make him her own son. God worked it out for Moses’ mother to raise him until he was weaned, after which he went to Pharaoh’s palace to live.

When Moses was older, he saw an Egyptian striking an Israelite man. Knowing that he also was an Israelite, Moses struck the Egyptian so hard that he died. Moses buried the body thinking that no one saw him. But the next day, while trying to break up a fight between two Israelite men, Moses learned that they had seen him kill the Egyptian. So Moses fled to the wilderness.

While in the desert, Moses married and became a sheepherder. One day while taking care of his flocks, he saw a strange sight. There on the side of a mountain was a bush on fire, but it was not being consumed. Moses went to see this phenomenon up close. When Moses approached the burning bush God spoke to Moses out of the bush and told him to go to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to let God’s people go. Moses did not want to go and gave several excuses why he was the wrong man for the job.

Finally, he told the LORD that the Israelites would not believe that God had sent him. He asked what he should say to them when they wanted to know who sent him. In Exodus 3:14 God gave him the answer.

14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

God did not say WE ARE THAT WE ARE. He identified Himself as the one and only I AM. God let Moses know that He was the self-existent One of eternity. HE just is and always has been. In John 8:58 Jesus says,

Jesus identified Himself as the God who spoke to Moses in the fiery bush that day.

I am sure you know the story of how Moses went to Egypt with his brother, Aaron, and went before Pharaoh to demand the release of God’s people. Pharaoh, of course, would not listen and only made things harder on the Israelites. God sent ten plagues upon the land of Egypt before Pharaoh relented and let the Israelites go. These plagues can be divided into four categories:

blood; they worshipped frogs; and the darkness overcame the Sun, another one of their gods.)

Today, God may deal with us the same way to get our attention and make us say yes to His will. He may have to afflict our finances, or our bodies to make us come to Him. He may have to remove our gods, which can be anything that stands between us and His will for us. Our gods today might be family, money, jobs, or positions of importance. It is better to have God deal with us than to be left to ourselves, which He may also do if we do not repent. Remember, God said during the time of the flood, that His Spirit would not always strive with man.

We next want to talk about the tenth plague, which was the Passover. (Please read Exodus 12 on your own to get a better understanding of the Passover).

The tenth plague was the night that the Death Angel passed over the land of Egypt. The only way that a house would not experience the death of the firstborn child was to slay a lamb and sprinkle its blood on the doorposts and lintel of the house. The Israelites obeyed God and the Angel of Death passed over their houses. But most of the Egyptians did not use the blood, and that night a great cry went up in the land as many children died at the hand of the Death Angel. Just as the animal skins on Adam and Eve kept them from dying, so the blood acted as an atonement (covering) for the children of Israel. It is interesting to note that when you draw a line through the blood on the doorposts and the lintel, it is in the shape of the cross.

The Egyptians were more than glad to get rid of the Israelites. They even gave them a great wealth of jewels, gold, silver, other metals, and cloth, all of which would later be used to build the Tabernacle. The children of Israel left in a hurry, and headed in the direction of the Red Sea. Meanwhile, Pharaoh became stirred up against the Israelites and decided to chase them. Pharaoh and his armies followed them to the Red Sea where God performed a mighty miracle. God opened the sea with a strong wind and the Israelites went through on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to follow, they were drowned by the waters crashing back in on them. The Israelites had a great time of celebration as they danced and sang before the LORD in victory. With them was the glory cloud of God’s presence that led them through the wilderness.

Please note the sequence of events as I repeat them. They will play a part in the next lesson. The children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt (a type of the world) by the Death Angel. They then went through the waters of the Red Sea, after which they worshipped God with a great celebration while being attended by the pillar of cloud.

God made Abraham a mighty nation just as He had promised. Now God would lead the nation of Israel back to the Promised Land and in the process would give them a set of laws to live by

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When the children of Israel left the Red Sea, God led them to Mt. Sinai. It was here with an awesome display of supernatural power that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. He also gave Moses instructions about building the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. Let’s read Exodus 25:8-9.

9 According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Does it sound like God is suggesting to Moses how to build the Tabernacle? No, God was simply telling Moses the way He wanted to be approached in worship as well as the way for the people of that dispensation to handle the problem of sin.

1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

The Bible says that they had to sacrifice animals daily for sin and once a year the blood of an animal sacrifice was offered for the sins of all the people on the Mercy Seat. Those sins were not forgiven. They were only moved ahead one more year, still to be dealt with. The law was just a shadowy image of the true salvation that would someday come through Jesus, the One that was written about in the volume of the book. Therefore, in the Tabernacle we expect to find types and shadows of Jesus and His purpose for coming to earth. We read in Hebrews 8:5,

5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.

Because the Tabernacle was a shadow of heavenly worship God would not allow Moses to build it in any other way than according to a precise pattern. The Tabernacle contained so many types and shadows of the plan of salvation that God demanded total adherence to His plan.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

The law taught men about Jesus so that by faith they might believe in Him as the way of salvation when He came to earth as a man.

Did you notice that God wanted Moses to build a tabernacle so that He might dwell among His people? The tribes of Israel camped around the Tabernacle in such a way that it was the first and last thing they saw every day. God still wants to dwell among His people and be the central focus of our lives today.

The word tabernacle is another word for a dwelling place. The Tabernacle in the wilderness was a tent surrounded by a tall linen fence. It had three parts: the outer courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies.

As previously mentioned, the people camped around the Tabernacle. The Levites who were chosen to be the priests camped between the people and the Tabernacle. God has given us the ministry today to stand between God and us. The ministry is a gift from God to benefit us. Our pastors hear from God for us. Then, when they preach, they let us know what God wants to say to us through His Word. Every man needs a pastor to stand in the gap because it is God’s way to work through a chain of command.

The only door into the courtyard was on the east side of the fence. There were four posts that made up the door. On those posts hung four different colors of fine linen cloths. Their colors were white, purple, scarlet, and blue. Also the people were broken up into four groups of three tribes each. Each group had a different banner under which they marched. Each banner had one of four pictures: a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. These four colors and pictures represent the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each Gospel portrays a different facet of the fourfold ministry of Christ.

1. Matthew wrote of Jesus as the King. Purple represents royalty in the Bible, and the lion represents the kingship of Christ. He was called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, which is the tribe the kings came from. The lion is king of the beasts.

2. Mark portrayed Jesus as a servant. The color red was for suffering or sacrifice. The ox was a servant to men, but was also an animal that was sacrificed for their sins. Jesus was our servant by coming to minister to us, and was our sacrifice when He died for us.

3. Luke showed Jesus in His humanity. White stands for God’s holiness. Jesus was a sinless man because He was God in the flesh, thus, the banner of the man.

4. John depicted Jesus in His deity as God Himself. Blue represents deity, and the banner of the eagle also represented the deity of Jesus.

The Gospels point to Jesus as the door to God. The colored linens at the door of the Tabernacle, and the banners are a type of Jesus as the doorway to kingdom of God. Many people today look to the four Gospels for the revelation of the plan of salvation. But just as the door to the Tabernacle was only the beginning of the way to approach God, the Gospels are only the doorway to finding our approach to God. We find our approach in the book of Acts, which we will discuss later.

When the priests came through the door in the fence, the first thing they came to was the brazen altar. It was made of acacia wood which was overlaid with brass. Brass stands for judgment in scripture. Wood is a type of humanity. The altar was the place where man’s sins were judged and blood was offered for those sins. It is a type of Jesus’ death on Calvary. There man’s sins were judged, and Jesus in His humanity took on our sins and paid the price for them with His blood.

Once a year, blood from an animal sacrifice was taken into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. Israel’s sins were then rolled ahead for another year. Only the High Priest could go into the Holy of Holies.

All the fires in the Tabernacle had to be lit from the coals of the brazen altar. God gave the instructions that it should be so. Let’s read Leviticus 10:1-2 and see what happens when man does things his own way.

1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.

2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

God meant business! God wants us to bring the fire from off the altar of repentance and with a sincere heart worship Him. Apparently these two men got their fire from another source. Remember that God had to see bloodshed for sins. Since their fire did not come from a place of bloodshed, God required their own blood to be shed.

The next piece of furniture in the courtyard was the Brazen Laver. It was made of the mirrors of the ladies. What a sacrifice. The priests were to wash themselves before going into the Holy Place to minister before the LORD. It was a place of cleansing. It was also a requirement to stop here. In Exodus 30:20-21 we read,

20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:

21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

Again, we see a warning from God that they had to obey His way or suffer the penalty of death.

When the priest entered the Holy Place, he left the natural light of the outdoors. Inside the Holy Place were three pieces of furniture. The Seven Branch Golden Candlestick, which provided the light, the Table of Shewbread, and the Altar of Incense.

The ceiling of the Holy Place was beautifully woven with pictures of angels flying. Above that was a layer of goatskins, then a layer of ram’s skins died red, and the badger skin roof. The Tabernacle is a type of the born again man housing God’s Spirit in a natural body and having a covering of the blood of Jesus Christ.

We will discuss each piece of furniture separately since they have meaning to us today in understanding our approach to God.

1. The Seven Branch Golden candlestick. The candlestick was made of pure beaten gold. The beaten gold stands for purity. God’s church needs to be pure and holy. It had seven hollow tubes through which olive oil could flow. It represents the seven churches in Revelation. Each of the seven churches must be a light to the world just as Jesus was the light. The light must never go out, so there always must be oil in the lamp. Also oil is a type of the Holy Ghost and we must always stay full of the Holy Ghost for the world to see our light shine.

2. The Table of Shewbread. The table was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. On the table were 12 pieces of shewbread, which the priests were to eat daily. Bread of course, is a type of the Word. Jesus was the bread of life and He was the Word. (John 6:35,51 & John 1:1) The shewbread was sprinkled with frankincense which is bitter. Sometimes the Word of God is bitter to the flesh in its demands, but to the soul it is sweet when we do what it says. The table was anointed with a mixture of ingredients, the main one being myrrh. What did the wise men bring as gifts to Jesus? Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Jesus, the bread of life, was born in Bethlehem, which means, “house of bread.” We need to partake of the Word (bread) every day if we are to maintain strength.

3. The Altar of Incense. This altar was also made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. It was here that incense was offered to God. It represents the prayers of the saints. (Revelation 8:3) The fire to light the incense had to come from the brazen altar. Likewise, our prayers must come from a repentant heart. The incense covered the stench of death. The odor of our prayers is like a sweet smell to God. The incense was offered daily, and our prayers should be daily.