Did you know that although Moses is depicted inside the Supreme Court…he is…merely one of many “great lawgivers of history”, i.e. Sacred Kings, on the South and North walls?
Moses (holding two tablets) is standing among other allegedly historical lawgivers such as Menes (holding an Egyptian ankh), Hammurabi (who allegedly received his laws from the Babylonian Sun God), Solomon (who was wise enough [not!] to manage 700 wives and 300 concubines), Solon, the legendary Lycurgus (the central figure, who consulted the Oracle at Delphi), Draco, Confucius, Octavian, Justinian, Muhammad… Charlemagne, King John, the Crusader Louis IX (“Saint Louis”), Hugo Grotius, Sir William Blackstone, John Marshall, and Napoleon, as well as allegorical or mythical lawgivers such as the Greek goddess “Fame,” the Egyptian goddess “Authority,” the “Light of Wisdom” goddess, “Equity,” “Philosophy” and “History.”
These lawgivers defined culturally-defined, changing with the times, based on social strata regulated human relationships with each other, and in some cases, with a myriad of competing gods, to guard against abuse and exploitation, and ways and means of obtaining supernatural benefits.
Only Moses’ laws defined permanent, consistently-applied across social strata and cultures regulated human relationships with and other and one Singularity Creator God. And humans don’t get to make or change them.
They were given to humanity through Moses.
Leading inexorably to the conclusion that Moses – not Jesus Christ – is God’s primary messenger to humanity for our post-Flood era.
Shocking.
Yeah. It was to me too.
Although there are two solar eclipses yearly, they are only visible in some areas…If you’re lucky enough to be in the path of a solar eclipse, though, it’s important to use solar eclipse glasses to protect your eyes…Your retina is located at the back of your eye. It transmits images of what you see to your brain. The light from the sun can damage or destroy the cells on your retina, leading to solar retinopathy, also known as “eclipse blindness”.
Keeping this in mind as we read the Apostle Paul’s analogy helps us make sense of what he is explaining.
- “the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance;”
- “But we [who have been sanctified with Christ] all, with open face
- straight on with no blocking of the light from darkened lenses
- beholding as in a glass / mirror / reflection the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image…by the Spirit of the Lord.” (II Corinthians 3:18)
- it’s our OWN reflection!
Paul is explaining to a bunch of converted pagans how the promised eternal life is effected. This information is new to believers in our day as well.
We can’t overlook the fact that Paul starts by reminding them of Moses’ role in the process. This has been a big issue with Gentile converts for the last two thousand years and counting.
What Moses taught in word and deed in the Old Testament is fundamental to understanding ANYTHING about YHVH’s Savior in the New Testament.
“The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me / Moses; unto him ye shall hearken;” (Deuteronomy 18:15)
“As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth…Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be…And after…shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself…And he shall confirm the covenant with many…and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate.” (Daniel 9)
“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts…But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings… Remember ye the law of Moses my servant…
These instructions were, of course, written to people who knew the law of Moses. This is why Jesus stated that he was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
“And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased…When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith Make the men sit down…in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the [5] loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the [2] fishes as much as they would.
Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world…
The logical deduction is that anyone who identifies themselves with “that Prophet” are also identified with Moses.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24)
It is not blasphemy to equate the one who “sent” YHVH’s Savior with both YHVH and Moses. Not after Moses became so strongly identified with both YHVH and his Redeemer.
“The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet…like unto me…According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God…that I die not.
And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet…like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19)
Christians can’t begin to understand their identity “in Christ” without understanding Moses’ identity. How is it that “Bible teachers” totally skip over this?
“You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.” (Ephesians 2:19, New International Version)
In this passage, Paul is encouraging followers of Christ to remember that they are all part of one family. They are to be unified with each other. This can only happen if you understand that you are a legitimate child of God. You are part of His family.
Whoa! Where is the exposition on “no longer foreigners but fellow citizens?” Back up!
“at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel…But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:12-13)
Wow. Bigotry showing.
So if we take at face value the word of God, we should be paying close attention to Moses’ redemptive work. In other words, instead of assuming “Jesus paid it all”, we realize that we become partners in redemption as we fulfill humanity’s mandate to take dominion over the earth.
The difference is huge. As in spoiled rich kids indulging themselves vs laborers in a refugee camp.
“And Moses said to the LORD…
- shew me now thy way,
- that I may know thee [as intimately as a married couple].
Just as Moses knew / became united / identified as belonging to his adoptive Egyptian parent as he learned to speak her language, eat her food, dress in the style she dressed him, acted in proper manner she taught him, he is asking to know God / be identified as One With Him BY HIS BEHAVIOR.
And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name / attributes to know and take on as one’s own attributes of the LORD…
all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
- I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
- But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: For thou shalt worship no other god:” (Exodus 33)
This should sound familiar.
How many times does the Most High God have to repeat himself?
“I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of…the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me / Audaciously In My Face!” (Exodus 20:2-3)
We aren’t identified with, united with, one with YHVH unless we actively participate in HIS WAY.
And his “way” of redemption did not change with the birth of YHVH’s Savior.
“I AM / YHVH the LORD / YHVH, I change not.” (Malachi 3:6)
A Christianity that promises grace to sin without consequences under a “New” Covenant is a false religion.
Salvation from sin’s resulting death cannot be achieved by identification with the Christ Jesus’ DEATH alone.
Salvation from sin can only be achieved through identification with his LIFE.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus / YHVH’s Promised Savior, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death…That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-5)
“Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?…
- For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death,
- we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection…
- reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin,
- but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body….For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6)
Repeat after me:
“I AM / LORD / YHVH, I change not.” (Malachi 3:6)
YHVH’s Savior identifies with YHVH exactly as Moses presents him to us: the Glory of the LORD.
Moses:
And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever…And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people…And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.” (Exodus 19:9-16)
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights…And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.” (Exodus 34:27-28)
Jesus the Christ:
“The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God…And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.“” (Acts 1:1-11)
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven…the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:29-31)
“And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle…And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
And another angel came out of he temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And…blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” (Revelation 14:14-20)
Nothing has changed in thousands of years. Only the language, not the culture.
Choose you this day whom ye will serve…
- the gods promising to show you how you can do whatever you want
- or the LORD / YHVH / I Am / Singularity / Creator. (Joshua 24:15)
Moses “the man / ish / identical one of God” had as much an exclusive relationship with God in the post-flood world as Adam did in the old world. Notice how much God identifies with Moses, and delegates him as his earthly representative / vicar.
God even names His own policies and procedures “the law of Moses.” This is consistent with God’s delegation of authority to Adam and his successors like Enoch.
“Aaron the Levite thy brother…can speak well…
- I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say…
- THOU shalt speak unto him [Aaron]…he shall be thy spokesman unto the people
- THOU shalt be to him instead of God.” (Exodus 4:10-16)
This is the same role that Elihu took on with Job when Job was convinced he was being punished by God and feared worse yet to come if he complained but couldn’t figure out how to get back into God’s good graces.
“Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram…Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay. Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid…For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not…If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his [God’s] uprightness: Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom...all these things worketh God oftentimes with man…Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me…for I desire to justify thee.” (Job 32-33)
All four-dimensional humanity is overcome with the basic human survival instinct when encountering hyper-dimensional Almighty God.
‘According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God…that I die not. ” (Deuteronomy 18:15)
The natural state of mind of anyone who is defying authority is to hide from authority.
And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8-9)
And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19)
Jesus Christ is certainly the penultimate Melchizedekian successor to Moses in this regard.
“I have given unto them [the twelve disciples] the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me...I have given them thy word…Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world…
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” (John 17:8-21)
The people who have the hardest time admitting their need for God are the ones who don’t do anything wrong according to their legalistic standards, meticulously following the rules whether Save The Planet by setting out their recycling or religious by not wearing makeup or current fashions.
But notice how judgmental they are, always blaming others for social problems.
I used to have a walking buddy who was an elitist humanist. Her answer to every social problem was “education.” What she really meant was “re-education centers” by the elites, of which she considered herself because she listened to NPR and attended the Forums of those who set the educational, political, and media standards of right and wrong.
Missing the point that right-eousness is not so much what you don’t do as it is what you do do – losing your own sense of self-worth, entitlement, and value in order to merge your identity with a merciful God, whose greatest defining likeness is compassionate love.
Self-righteous individuals need inferiors to whom they can contrast themselves to feel good, while God’s righteousness is to elevate each individual to equal standing with him.
“And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican / tax collector.
- The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
- And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other.” (Luke 18:9-14)
“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem…And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years…he saith unto him…Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
This guy knows the scriptures. You want God’s blessing, you do what he says.
“And therefore did the Jews persecute Yeshua, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.”
Since the rulers can’t very well “accuse” Yeshua of “healing”, they fall back on a version of “It’s not what you said / did (which they can’t deny was true), it’s how you said / did it.”
“But Yeshua answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he…said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”
Which, clearly, he was, in working miracles transcending humanity’s limitation to four dimensions, just like their founder Moses, who had told them that another Prophet, just like him, would come to them in the future.
And Yeshua patiently explains this – further enraging the false-authority-assuming rulers, so probably really speaking more to the crowds who weren’t well informed on the scriptures.
“Then answered Yeshua and said unto them Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth / teaches, demonstrates, makes known to him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
For the Father…hath committed all unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not Father which hath sent him.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath [more than temporary healing, but] everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;”
And obviously, at this point, he targets the rulers who are executing judgment on him.
“And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of (hu)man / Seed of the Woman.
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
If I bear witness of myself, my witness [by itself] is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me...
- ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth…He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
- But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. [Just like he sent their founder Moses, proven by the miracles – but mainly the plagues – heads up!]
- And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me [through his prophets]…ye have not his word abiding in you…Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life…
- Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words [as he quotes Moses]?” (John 5)
Jesus Christ is the peerless Advocate like Moses, sacrificing his life for others.
“And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” (Exodus 32:31-32)
In contrast to Moses, Jesus’ uniquely sinless death is the only sacrifice capable of restoring eternal life to humanity.
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yeshua’s Promised Savior / Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation [appeasement] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world…
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who ALSO maketh intercession for us. (I John 2:1-2, Romans 8:33-34)
These scripturally literate writers are surely referring back to Moses.
“Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of [hu]man / Seed of the Woman hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.
But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.” (Matthew 9:2-8)
How did the multitudes of Jews know to glorify their own God, and not the latest deity from somewhere in the Roman Empire?
Because their nation had preserved God’s words through his verified prophets, such as Isaiah who is a bridge between Moses and Jesus Christ.
“Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence…to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him…To the law and to the testimony…
For unto us a child [Seed of the Woman] is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 7-9)
Jesus Christ validated all his claims, including the impact of his death and resurrection, through Moses’ writings.
“Jesus himself drew near, and…he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another…And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people…the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel...Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken…And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:15-27)
Moses laid down the law on how to avoid righteous God’s judgment on sin.
“this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live.” (Deuteronomy 30:11-16)
Jesus Christ gave the same instructions.
“a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till ALL be fulfilled.” (Luke 10:25-28)
Kingdom Come 