A Sidebar

As I was writing last week's blog many things spoke to my heart...as I hope it did your's.
But there was a couple of things I noticed, but I didn't want to do any more sidebars and distract from the main points.
So here are some of those thoughts from last week I wanted to expound on.

The parallels between Moses's experience with the 10 commandments and Jesus's fasting and temptation in the desert.

📖 Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments. Exodus 34:28

📖 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. Exodus 34:29


📖 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.  Matthew 4:1-2
So begins the spiritual battle where Satan tries to tempt Jesus, who battles against each temptation with God's word, nothing more.

📖 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:11

📖 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew  4:17

See what I got so excited about?!...Moses was spending time in communion with God on Mt Sinai and fasted for 40 days. When he was done he brought down God's law for His people.
Jesus was lead into the wilderness by The Spirit (of God)
where He fasted for 40 days  (and as I said, I believe He prayed). When He was done angels came and took care of Him and after moving to Capernaum, which fulfilled prophecy, He then began to preach and bring God's law to His people! A "New Law"!

📖 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them Matthew 5

He didn't come to get rid of the old law but to use it as a foundation for something better, for example; 
The Old Law
📖 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5
The Improved
📖 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”  Mark 12:30-31

Jesus didn't abolish the old laws...He made them more succinct... He came to live them out.

In Matthew 5 (click on link to read ) Jesus is giving what is called The Sermon on the Mount and beginning in verse 17 He  begins to go through much of the "old law" with
"you have heard it said..." and then goes on to say "but I tell you..." and builds something more on it.

Both fasted and spent time with God, and came from it prepared to show the people who God is;
Moses by bringing God's law to the people.
Jesus by being God's law to the people.
Moses was so changed by his time with God his face literally radiated...shone from the presence of God.
Jesus was God in the flesh and came to shine His light on all.

📖 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

Moses was an example Jesus would have learned about in His religious education growing up, and he is an example for us as well.
Jesus is more than an example... He lived His life as a perfect reflection of His Father.
My prayer for you today is that you choose to live as Jesus taught us. 🙏❤