We ought not be surprised to find that Paul and Jesus had more to say about how to stay saved --- then how to be saved. It does rattle the idea that once we are saved, we shall stay saved. This may please our ears, but this does not get the support we so earnestly desire. To remain on the path of redemption is an enormous task for the sheep and also for their shepherds:

Yahweh (the Lord) was merciful to Israel! And Yahweh remained faithful to the “Promise” He made to Abraham. Yahweh sustained the Israelites for forty years with manna, quails, and water. Yahweh entrusted the social leadership to Moses and to Joshua. The religious and spiritual matters Yahweh put in the hands of Aaron and his sons. The power, Yahweh had given to Moses and his staff, was transferred to the content that was placed and kept in the Ark of the Covenant. The content, particularly the Law, was the Word of the Spirit of God and not the words of man. The same Word, that made the world with everything in it, also was the Word put in writing to lead man on earth to teach him how he could partner with God and God’s Spirit. Jesus, the Son of God, was sent to reiterate that concept to his disciples and to all the people in the world (John 1:1-5). Jesus, Himself, embodied the Word of God, that was the Law (the Ten Commandments). The Jewish fathers had obliterated the Law of God. The Jewish fathers replaced the Ten Commandments with their own traditions (Mark 7:5-13; John 7:19). Moses, and not God, allowed man to break the marriage vow (Matthew 19:1-9). To Jesus and to Moses, the Ten Commandments were issued by the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3). Yahweh burned the first set of the Ten Commandment on two stone plates. Moses broke the two plates when he came down the mountain and saw the golden calf being worshiped in place of God (Exodus 32:15-21). Before we return to the impact the Ten Commandments had on Israel, let us look what the Ten Commandments mean to us today. We derive their authenticity mostly from Jesus and Paul. However, we seem to differ in our understanding of their applications. Paul, inadvertently, with the Greek word “telos,” has given translators the idea that Christ was the “end” of the Law (Romans 10:4). Yet, in Romans 3:31, Paul upholds the Law. In Romans 7:22, Paul delights in the Law. In Romans 7:12,14, and 16, the Commandments for Paul were holy, spiritual, and good. While we ponder over Paul’s use of the Law, we shall let Jesus give His view on God’s Word, who, as a man, impersonated the Word or Law of God.

Moses, himself, had come to the conclusion that God had bigger and better things in mind for man. God was not about to let Satan destroy “His Image” and “His Likeness” in man. God let Moses have a glimpse of the person who would set man free from Satan’s dominion over the flesh.

The world is filled with mysteries, but none is like the one that was given to John the Baptist, who announced, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the World.” John did not introduce Jesus as the “King of Israel,” but as “God’s Lamb” that could atone for man’s sins. All the other atonements and all the other sacrifices had become of no use to the redemption of mankind. The sacrifices became monumentally important when the people, to whom the atonement sacrifices were entrusted, became delinquent in their application only to themselves. The apostle Paul clarified the reason why Judaism was not fulfilling, but rather resisting “God’s Redemptive Will” for the world:

To the descendants of Jacob, the conquest and the division of the conquered territory into twelve parcels, for the twelve tribes was a fulfillment of God’s Promise to Abraham, and to the "Covenant" given to Moses. At last, Yahweh had given the Israelites what they always wanted. It was a piece of real estate where they could make a name for themselves. We continue with the reason why the sun appeared not to have gone down?

The period, which Moses had to overcome was also the one period that Paul, later on, identified as, “a fight not only against flesh and blood, but also against invisible spirits,” which disrupted and literally wanted to halt the progress of God to form a godly state on earth (Ephesians 6:12). It was the same evil spirit that wanted Peter to stop the Son of God to complete His Redemptive Work (Matthew 16:21-23).

John the Baptist introduced Jesus the Christ as the Son of God, who would baptize people with the Holy Spirit, and deliver them from their sins as the Lamb of God. The same John became offended at Jesus because Jesus had not met his expectation of some heroic figure, which Jesus had never intended to be. The Jewish leaders also were offended when Jesus did not comply with their wishes, or co-operated with them. The leaders became the obstacle course to the Lamb’s redemptive road.

The Israelites were under strict orders not to take anything from the natives for themselves, before the Lord and the Levites had taken theirs. Achan broke that pledge. And therefore, he had to die. The lesson of Achan’s transgression turned the Hebrew army into being more savage with Ai. This led to another renewed commitment to the Covenant. The result led to a gentler Joshua and a gentler army to deal with the deceiving Gibeonites.

Jesus, the Heavenly King, entered the world as a baby and not as a conquering hero! Like any other human being, Jesus grew into Manhood. He lived through and faced the most difficult troubles and tragedies, which beset some of the most misfortunate people in the world. Jesus was blamed and He was feared for the misfortunes of others. Jesus was betrayed by a friend. While Jesus had withdrawn to Gethsemane to pray with his disciples, Jesus was arrested. When Judas brought the temple guards to arrest Jesus, one of the disciples struck the high priest’s servant and Jesus said this:

Who then let Satan, the destroyer, loose? Or who let Satan, the real serpent, loose against Pharaoh and against the Egyptians? Pharaoh, a disciple of Mammon, the god of materialism and the god of earthly glory, the same one who offered Christ the nations of the world, was destroying his own admirers (Matthew 6:24; 4:8-9). No human being is a friend of Satan! Because man is a special creation of God! The magician’s snakes were all swallowed up by the demon Moses and Aaron released.