Christ the great leader of Israel, then Moses. Moses is one of the most prominent figures in the Old Testament. God specifically chose Moses to lead the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt to salvation in the temporal Promised Land.During the first exodus, out of Egypt a few million Israelites headed for the temporal physical land of Canaan, a relatively short distance away. Moses did indeed lead the children of Israel to the promised land. He did not lead them into the land, but he led them closer to the point of entry.
They were not still wandering in the wilderness, but were preparing to enter. This is made clear in Numbers 33:50 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, Thus Moses was at the place where they were gathered waiting to go in.
This is repeated in chapter 35:1. Obviously, Moses had to be in a place of some relative proximity for him to see the land of Canaan. Moses was 120 years old when he died, and the Bible records that his “eye was undimmed and his vigor unabated” (Deuteronomy 34:7).
Most commentators agree that Moses was not t allowed to enter the promised land because he struck the rock twice with his staff. In Numbers 20:8, the Lord told Moses, "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."
Numbers 20:9-11 records Moses' response: "So Moses took the staff from the LORD's presence, just as He commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, ‘Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank."
Numbers 20:12 gives us the Lord's response, "But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."
What did Moses do that warranted such a severe penalty from the Lord? Moses disobeyed a direct command from God. God commanded Moses to speak to the rock. Instead, Moses struck the rock twice with his staff. Moses’ punishment was that he would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land. Numbers 20:12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” Such a public example of direct disobedience could not go unpunished.
But there is more to the story that most commentators miss. The physical Promise Land of Canaan was a type and shadow of a greater Heavenly Promise Land to be fulfilled only in Christ. Because Moses represented the Mosaic covenant of the law (the covenant of sin and death). The covenant that Paul said he died under in (Romans 7:9). Moses was not permitted to enter into the temporal promised land after their exodus, out of Egypt because he represented the law. God, therefore chose Joshua as a leader to give the nation of Israel the possession of the temporal land.
The book of Joshua is the story of God making good on his promises. It tells how Israel entered and conquered the land God had promised them. In fact, God’s faithfulness is so complete that at the end of the book we hear this proclamation: “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed’’ (Joshua_23:14). The answer from Joshua is a resounding “Yes!’’ Jeremiah 32:21–23: “You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Where also conditions placed on possessing the temporal land. God also stated his condition of obedience. Deuteronomy 28:63 Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess. If they abandon the conditions, they lose the land. This is another very important lesson in Jewish history which is repeated, and it is also one of the most often repeated prophecies. Joshua 23:15-16; Deuteronomy 4:25-27 The Assyrian and Babylonian captivity illustrates how Israel lost the land.
The book of Joshua picks up the story of Israel’s history after the death of Moses and carries it through the entry, conquest and division of the Promised Land. However, it is very important to understand the Jewish relationship with the land. The Jews were only given the land because of their mission. The temporal land was only a type and shadow of a higher promise to Abraham and was never meant to be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. (Hebrews 11:8-10)
The temporal land belongs not to the nation of Israel, but to God. Leviticus 25:23 "The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine, for you are strangers and sojourners with Me." And once again, Israel is reminded that ultimately, the land belongs to God.
Those who dwell upon the land, work it, buy and sell it may presume they are the owners, but they are not the owners they are in fact, tenants. The literal Promised Land was just a temporary type and shadow pointing to a greater Promised Land in Christ.
What makes Jesus a superior leader then Moses. After the first exodus, out of Egypt. Moses led the nation of Israel right up to the temporal promise land, but was not permitted to enter into the land.
Jesus leads God’s spiritual Israel after the exodus of the cross all the way into the eternal promise land. Jesus leads God’s Israel with signs, and with wonders, and a strong hand all the way into the Promised Land.
After the nation of Israel possessed the temporal land condition of obedience were put in place for them to stay in the land. In the heavenly land were spiritual Israel resides there are no condition of obedience for Christ has fulfilled all the law. There was temporal rest given in the literal land Christ gives eternal rest in the heavenly land.
I hope you can now clearly see how, the Exodus story acts as a huge arrow pointing directly to Christ. If we understand the transition period, of the two covenants then you have a good grasp on understanding the time frame of the Second Exodus.
Many of our dispensationalists brothers reject the Bible clear teaching that Israel’s possession of the temporal land was only a (type shadow of a higher promise to Abraham). There for they teach the Bible is NOT fulfilled siting scripture such as "2 Samuel 7:10 and Jeremiah 16:14-15 as proof text that God has to re-gather the fleshly nation of Israel in the land again on order for the promise to Abraham and the nation of Israel to be completely fulfilled.
I would like to put out a $100.00 challenge to anyone who can show me from the New Testament were Jesus or any of his disciples ever mention Jeremiah 16:14-15 or any of the verses related to the literal land of Palestine (in the Old Testament) as the fulfillment of God's land promises to Abraham and Israel under the new covenant.
As an old saying put it, the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New. So if the literal land promise in the Old Testament are apart of the New Covenant promises Jesus and his disciples should have told us about it. Not one time do they ever mention the temporal land as part of God’s promise in the New Testament.
