How shall we escape!

(Hebrews 2:3) “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;”

“Typology”, what role does it play in the believers life? It has a very important function I believe but I am not sure many share my sentiment. Firstly let us look at what the word actually means and then why we should pay particular attention to its responsibility in our lives.

Typology means the study of religious texts for the purpose of identifying episodes in them that appear to prophesy later events and more importantly the study or systematic classification of types that affect our lives. In other words, how can we learn from those who have gone before us?

What can others teach us about God and what He requires from us…?

Obviously it is the Word of God that gives us instruction on how we should live, but it is also the Word that uses the examples of others, training us to learn from their mistakes where and when needed.

The writer of Hebrews pays special attention to the children of Israel in the Wilderness. Let us therefore look at some of His warnings. He has instructed us to pay even more special attention to what we have heard, least we let them slip; “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.' As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.'" Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:7-13)

It would be good for us to study their journey in parallel to our journey hear on earth and to learn great lessons from them. Time will not permit us to look at this in any depth, but my encouragement would be to read through the book of Exodus and Numbers and put ourselves in their shoes with a sincere heart and then see the similarities of their lives with ours. There is much we can learn!

I look at my life and I see a nagging trait that without much effort looks to disobey God’s Word and I am fearful for it. But I am convinced that God’s Word will stand, regardless of people’s opinions. Maybe it is time to fast and pray or like Jacob to wrestle with the angel of the Lord until these truths sink into souls and they become like second nature in our lives. For if we chose to ignore these warnings we will suffer loss; “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:14-19)

What fascinates me is this is not the first time I have considered these warning and yet I find myself just like they found themselves walking in circles. May our great God and Father continue to have compassion on all His struggling children! Not all struggle but many do! I am however convinced that He who has begun a good work in us, although at times on reflection it seems somewhat distant, He will nevertheless complete His quest and all of God’s children will eventually arrive safely in the New Jerusalem. But we must pay careful attention to His instruction.

Let us not look to the left or the right, let us not look for justification as we excuse ourselves and accuse others; this is not the purpose behind this text. It is no different in type to the instruction that the Apostle Paul gives us in Corinthians prior to taking communion; “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” (1Corinthians 11:28) – Note we must examine ourselves and not one another. Sure we are to learn from the mistakes of others, this is the purpose of this text, however these warnings are to teach us to fear by learning from their mistakes and not to look for self-justification.

This then is our daily prayer; "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:9-15)

The day is coming when the love of many will wax cold, let us therefore guard our hearts in and through our great Saviours sacrifice; praise His name!

Signing off

Tyrone