Now for Pastor Hoekstra in his teaching on Grace, looking into the Israelites crossing of the red sea, by faith. That done I will turn my attentions toward the puzzle of people not knowing Christ, with the use of the ESV translation and the LORD's leading.
"The Israelites Passing through the Red Sea, by Faith"
"By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned." (Hebrews 11:29)
"By faith, Moses called God's people to apply the blood of the Passover lamb that they might be delivered from the judgment that was to befall Egypt. "By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them" (Hebrews 11:28). Then, Moses led the people out of Egypt, eventually passing through the Red Sea, by faith.
Instead of sending Israel directly north toward the promised land, the LORD sent them eastward toward the Red Sea. "So GOD led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea" (Exodus 13:18). From the outset of their journey, the LORD became their guide. "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light" (Exodus 13:21).
Yet, Pharoah's heart hardened against Israel once again. "So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea" (Exodus 14:9). Soon, the people were trapped between the formidable sea and a mighty army. They were overtaken with fear, so Moses pointed them to the LORD. "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today" (Exodus 14:13). Then, as the LORD had instructed him, "Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left" (Exodus 14:21-22). Into this intimidating setting, by faith in the LORD, the children of Israel advanced. "By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land."
Again, as the LORD commanded, Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. "Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained" (Exodus 14:28). The rebellious Egyptians could not follow where God's people had gone by faith. "Whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned."
Now do not be confused the LORD of the old is the same LORD-Christ of the new. In mans rebirthing and covenant of Grace, in one body. After the old man of sin's spirit nature is annulled and the void is filled by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, that was within and in control of the man Jesus as the Christ of GOD's presence in Him.
Ignorance Concerning Christ, Christ unknown,
John 1:9-13 and 19-21, 24-28 "The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right (by a type of marriage) to become children of GOD, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of GOD."
"This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the LORD,' as the prophet Isaiah said." (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)
They further asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even He who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing."
John 4:7-14 "A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." (For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to Him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of GOD, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." The woman said to Him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock." Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
John 8:12-14 "Again Jesus spoke to them (those of the priesthood who brought the adulterous woman to Him), saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." So the Pharisees said to Him, "You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true." Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, My judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father Who sent Me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. (Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15) I am the one who bears witness about Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness about Me." They said to Him therefore, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor my Father. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also." These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; but no one arrested Him, because His hour had not yet come."
John 9:24-34 "For the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?" And they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of GOD and does His will, GOD listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from GOD, He could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out."
John 14:8-14 and 16:1-4 "Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own authority, but the Father Who dwells in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me (becomes one with Me, as in a marriage of agreement) will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name (indicating a marriage of two in spirit), this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son (being is one accord with Him by salvation). If you ask Me anything in (bearing) My name, I will do it."
John 16:1-4 (Jesus is speaking) "I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to GOD. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. "I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you."
Acts 13:26-41 and 1John 3:4-10 (Paul is speaking to the officials in the synagogue)) "Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear GOD, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize Him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning Him. And though they found in Him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have Him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But GOD raised Him from the dead, and for many days He appeared to those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now His witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what GOD promised to the fathers, this HE has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm (2:7), "'You are MY Son, today I have begotten You.' And as for the fact that HE raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, HE has spoken in this way (in Isaiah 55:3), "'I will give You the Holy and sure blessings of David.' Therefore HE says also in another psalm (16:10), "'You will not let your Holy One see corruption.' For David, after he had served the purpose of GOD in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but He Whom GOD raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness (the annulling) of sins is proclaimed to you, and by Him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the Law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets (in Habakkuk 1:5) should come about: "'Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.'"
1John 3:4-10 "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there was no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of GOD appeared was to destroy (nullify) the works of the devil (in mans spirit, in which the evil one dwelt as mans fallen nature). No one born of GOD makes a practice of sinning, for GOD's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of GOD. By this it is evident who are the children of GOD, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of GOD, nor is the one who does not love his brother."
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