From: Bro. Earl White
To:      heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: The Five deaths of Moses


        THE FIVE DEATHS OF MOSES
        Joshua 1:2

Verse 2 says, "Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this
Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them,
even to the children of Israel."

God is speaking to Joshua, the new leader, to take the leadership of the
nation after the death of Moses. Deut. 34:5-6 says, "So Moses the servant
of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the
LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against
Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day." These verses
describe the physical death of Moses. There are more that one kind of
death. I want us to look at FIVE DEATHS OF MOSES. First let's look at,

THE DEATH OF MOSES TO EGYPT

This is described in Hebrews 11: 24-27: "By faith Moses, when he was come
to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing
rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater
riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense
of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the
king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible."

Egypt in the Word of God is a type of the world. This is where Moses is
saved typically. We are told that "By faith . . . when he was come to
years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter . . . Choosing
rather to suffer affliction . . . Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater
riches than the treasures in Egypt . . . he forsook Egypt . . ." Moses made
a choice that affected his whole future in Egypt. His decision resulted
from a choice. Salvation is a choice that God gives us. But it is not an
unintelligent choice. It is a choice between Christ and the world.

Sin in the life that harmonizes one with the world system must be seen as
offensive to God. Then one must change his mind (repentance that results in
a change of direction).  This must be exercised so that one sees sin, and the
world from God's viewpoint, and decides to change to God's side. Moses made
a choice that cost him his relationship to Pharaoh's daughter, his access
to the treasures of Egypt, and made him the enemy of Pharaoh. He
effectively died to Egypt.

Why would Moses give up something like this? Verse 26 tells us: "Esteeming
the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he
had respect unto the recompence of the reward." Moses looked at the END
when he would stand before God. Moses knew about CHRIST. For those who
believe Moses was saved another way, and claim that he knew nothing of
Christ at that time, need to take a new look at what the inspired Word of
God in the New Testament says Moses knew.

It is disturbing that there are those who minimize (or say that it is not
necessary) the need for repentance in salvation. It is not only needed it
is required (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 20:21). Repentance is such a change of mind
that it involves a total different outlook on the world after it takes
place. It is a decision that upsets the world with us that we disclaim its
authority over us (Moses was not afraid of the king's commandment) from the
point of salvation.  Moses died to Egypt and what it had to offer him when
he made the decision to identify with "the people of God," rather "than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." In other words, "Moses knew that
his decision involved a change from enjoying "the pleasures of sin" to
taking on "the reproach of Christ."

Where does this leave the one who professes salvation, where he continues
to enjoy the pleasures of sin, and since his lifestyle has not changed, so
that there is no "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches," because
there has been nothing given up? I will presume to answer that.  It leaves
him without Bible salvation. Moses died to the world the day he decided to
identify with Christ and His people. Then next let's look at,

THE DEATH OF MOSES TO HIS OWN ASPIRATIONS

Exo. 2:11-15 says, "And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was
grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and
he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked
this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the
Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day,
behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did
the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a
prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the
Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when
Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the
face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a
well."

When Moses came to faith in Christ and sought to identify with His people,
he discovered that his help was rejected. What Moses had to offer Israel
after his salvation would have to be based on what he had learned in the
schools of Egypt (Acts 7:22). God would not anoint his past learning so
that it could be used. God does not use the wisdom of this world to advance
His people. Moses knew at that early stage in his new experience of Christ
that he had a destiny that involved the deliverance of his people from
Egypt (Acts 7:25). He understood God's call upon his life, had aspiration
to do the job he felt God called him to do, but did not understand that God
could not use him at this time. There were some things he would have to
unlearn first. So when Moses defended his brethren and they rejected his
efforts to help them, and Pharaoh put a contract out on him, he grabbed
what was necessary for a long journey and TOOK OFF! Moses died at that time
to his own aspirations.

So many have experienced the same thing in principle. The new Christian is
motivated by first love, is filled with enthusiasm to serve the Lord,
offers himself in service, and is disappointed when the pastor says,
"BEFORE you take on the responsibility of leadership, you must take the
time to get rid of Egypt with its learning, and wait God's timing for your
place of service. You must realize that serving God in His kingdom operates
by an altogether different set of guidelines and philosophy than what you
have learned in the past." Moses had to die to his own aspirations and so
do we. Next let's look at,

THE DEATH OF MOSES TO PASSIVITY

Moses had been on the backside of the desert of Midian for forty years. He
is now eighty years of age and forty years of that time in the desert as a
shepherd has done a pretty good job on his learning in the schools of
Egypt. Moses self-confidence had been shaken.

Now when you compare Moses' call at the burning bush, with his first effort
to deliver his people (Acts 7:25), you will find an attitude change. Moses
does not want to go to Egypt to deliver Israel. He is satisfied to let
things go as they are. He was satisfied being a shepherd in the desert.
When it came to delivering Israel, he was passive.

Well, Moses had given it his best shot and failed. His people rejected him,
God was silent to him in those days, Pharaoh had a contract out on his
life, what could he possibly do but remain in exile? Because your first
efforts are rejected does not mean that God does not have a plan to use
you. If you were hurt by the feeling of rejection, I must tell you that
that was also a part of God's plan for you. That does not mean that you can
permanently resign the ultimate fulfillment of God's purpose for you and
remain in exile.

Not only was Moses wrong about the timing for his time of leadership, he
was wrong to conclude that he was wrong in feeling that God was going to
use him to deliver Israel. He heard right but acted on his own to do what
he knew God wanted him to do. If God is going to use us, we must not feel
that God has rejected us, just because He lets us pass through the feeling
of rejection in the desert as a necessary preparation to do His will.

Moses must now die to passivity. He has to realize that it is not too late
to serve (age 80). He must realize that the shepherd-life was a training
school for service not a place of escape from hostile enemies. God will
take care of those who have the contract out on him. God could have done
that long ago. But one can't do overnight what it took the desert forty
years to do in the life of Moses. Moses had to die to his eagerness to
serve and to the resignation from service. This is a little confusing but
it is exactly how God dealt with Moses. Next let's look at,

THE DEATH OF MOSES CELEBRATED

This happened when Moses kept the passover by faith: Hebrews 11:28 says,
"Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he
that destroyed the firstborn should touch them." The passover is a type of
salvation through Christ our Substitute (1 Cor. 5:7). The passover became a
permanent memorial to the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The
firstborn (the adamic life) must have a substitute or die. The lamb must
die, its blood be shed and applied, or the firstborn in the family would
die. Moses had died to Egypt forty years ago but this is the first known
celebration of it. You don't celebrate deliverance from Egypt with its NBA,
golf courses, the Cairo Cowboys, restaurants, and affluence in the desert!
In fact, it is altogether possible that you will look around and feel you
got cheated on your trade! How many Christians have discovered after they
were saved that separation from the world is a traumatic withdrawal. It
goes something like this: "If I had known what it was going to cost me when
I became a Christian, I probably would not have become one." My answer to
that is that you probably didn't. If this upsets you, I ask you to read
Matthew 27 and examine the price Jesus had to pay for your salvation, and
if you are saved, it will return you to your senses.

When Moses killed the lamb, he saw in that lamb, God's LAMB dying in his
place. It is the cross that marks the separation point between us as
Christians and the world. Gal. 6:14 says, "But God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is
crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Moses did not deliver Israel from
Egypt until he first celebrated his deliverance. Where are you living? In
the desert, or, in celebration of your deliverance? Moses celebrated his
death to Egypt that he died forty years before. Next let's look at,

THE DEATH OF MOSES TO CANAAN

Moses led Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, to the edge of the land
of Canaan, then wandered with them for forty years in the desert. He led
them back to the edge of Canaan but this is as far as he will go. It is sad
in a way. He has identified with them the whole time and now a new leader
must take them the rest of the way. It is not because he does not have the
strength or is too old. We are told in Deut. 34:7: "And Moses was an
hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his
natural force abated." Moses didn't even need glasses at this age. His
natural force (strength) had not gone from him. Moses had to die to
entering Canaan in his own strength.

Matthew 17:1-3 says, "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and
John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was
transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his
raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses
and Elias talking with him."

Guess where the Mount of Transfiguration is? I am looking at it, while I
write these lines, in a picture I took when I was in the holy land. Moses
made it into the holy land but had to die first. The holy land is a type of
the life of victory in Christ just as Egypt is a type of the world.
Spiritually, the life of victory is entered by death to self. This truth is
illustrated in Romans chapters six, seven, and eight. Who brought Moses into
victory? Jesus. It was not Moses and Jesus. Moses died. Jesus brought Moses
out of death in the wilderness into His resurrection life in Canaan. All
Moses did was die and you can't brag about that! God even helped him with
that!!! God is so good. Someone hold my mules!!!

Moses died five deaths and all of them were necessary in the path of God's
will for his life. They illustrate five deaths every Christian must die to
be fruit bearing Christians. It is natural for us to want to skip some of
these but it is like a baseball player trying to skip some of the bases
when he hits the ball.  One cannot skip God's bases. If you are not living
in victory, meditate on these deaths, and see if possibly you are trying to
skip one.

May the Lord bless these words you our hearts.

In Christ,

Bro. Earl White

**********************************************************************

To educate, train and equip for study both the Jew and
Non-Jew in the Rich Hebraic Heritage of our Faith.

Please visit the Hebraic Roots Global Network
Web Site located at:

http://www.hebroots.org/


     1999 Feast of Tabernacles Celebration
                   and
     Hebraic Roots of Christianity Conference      

         September 24 - October 3, 1999    
            Ocean Shores, Washington

 "... the fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be
the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord ...
and you shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days
in the year. It shall be a statute FOREVER in your
generations: you shall celebrate it in the seventh month."
(Leviticus 23:34,41)

  Plan NOW to attend. Experience the JOY of celebrating the
Feast of Tabernacles while hearing some of the BEST teachers
and leaders of the Hebraic Roots of Christianity. Speakers
include:

Dr Brad Young .... Gospel Research Foundation
Randy Felton  .... Potter's Clay Ministries
Dr John D. Garr .. Restoration Foundation
Ken & Lenore Mullican ... HaKesher Ministries
Doug & George Dolly ..... Messianic Congregation Leaders
Dean Wheelock  .......... Hebrew Roots Ministries
Eddie Chumney  .......... Hebraic Heritage Ministries Int'l
Robert Somerville ....... Awareness Ministries
Steven Berkowitz  ....... Hineni Ministries Int'l
Dr. Danny Ben-Gigi ...... Hebrew Language Instructor

Our target for 1999 is 500 attendees.

The Feast of Tabernacles at Ocean Shores is a non-denominational,
non-sectarian event sponsored by Christian Renewal Ministries
International (CRMI).  Attendance is open to all. There is no
conference registration fee and no fee to attend workshops and
seminar's during the festival celebration. It is paid for entirely by
donations to CRMI. All contributions, to CRMI, pay for this event
because our staff are all volunteers. Hotel discounts are available.

More information about the 1999 Feast of Tabernacles at Ocean Shores,
Washington is available at: http://www.Shalom-CRMI.org/html/ftos.htm

E-mail: Rick@shalom-crmi.org
Phone: 1-800-333-5208

P.S. Since CRMI provide's airfare and accomodations for our guest
speakers our expenses are quite high.  If you would like to help us in
this effort you can send a tax-deductible donation to:

CRMI
P.O. Box 111
Auburn, WA 97071-0111