The Spiritual Journey
- Zion Jeng
- 5月12日
- 讀畢需時 17 分鐘
已更新：8月3日
Preface
Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and might have [it] abundantly.” (John 10:10) This means that Christians must reach the stage of abundant life in their progress along the walk in the path of life. On the other hand, the Apostle Paul spoke about how the Israelites left Egypt, walked through the wilderness, and entered Canaan to signify walking in the path of the Lord. Their failures serve as admonition for us, upon whom the ends of the ages have come (I Corinthians 10:1~11).
The author of this book, in his messages delivered during the summer conference held at Baguio City, Philippines in 1990, pointed out 24 important spiritual experiences. He used as background the journey of the Israelites—how they left Egypt, walked through the wilderness, and entered Canaan. With their being born again as the starting point (observing the Passover at Rameses); followed by walking through the pathway of heavenly life station after station (journeying through the wilderness); and finally attaining the abundant spiritual life (entering Gilgal of Canaan to observe the Passover).
These messages point out to Christians the goal and pathway of their lifetime pursuit. At the same time, they provide the saints who are walking the spiritual pathway of life the means to check the extent of their own spiritual growth. They also serve to encourage the readers to continue straining forward to what lies ahead and press on toward the goal (Philippians 3:13~14)!
Christian Ministry Training Center Bookroom
October 1993
Synopsis
The Journey of Spiritual Life - out of Egypt, through the wilderness, into the land of Canaan
Bible verses:
1 Corinthians 10:1-6
Ephesians 4:13
Exodus 3:8
God has a great plan to accomplish in the universe, and so He created all things and mankind. Knowing that man would fall, He prepared a perfect redemption.
This eternal plan of God is to establish Christ as the center of all things, granting Him the highest position, so that Christ may fill all things in the universe.
The reason God redeemed us is to connect us with His eternal plan and to make us co-workers with Him to fulfill this eternal plan. Therefore, after we are saved and born again, we must determine the direction of our lives, which is to align with God’s eternal plan. We must also recognize our calling, which is to fulfill God’s eternal plan.
The process of fulfilling God’s eternal plan is what we call the "Journey of Spiritual Life." Regarding this journey, there is a clear typology in the Old Testament: the Israelites' journey from Egypt to Canaan. This time, we use the Israelites' journey from Egypt, through the wilderness, and into Canaan as the background to discuss the spiritual experience of Christians entering the fullness of Christ.
Coming out of Egypt, journeying through the wilderness, and entering into Canaan is the representation of the spiritual journey
1 Corinthians 10:1-6 mentions that our forefathers were under the cloud and passed through the sea, referring to the Israelites coming out of Egypt and crossing the Red Sea. Later, they ate spiritual food and drank spiritual water. This means that while walking through the wilderness, God provided manna from heaven for them to eat and caused water to flow from the rock to sustain them. However, on this journey, most of the Israelites failed to enter Canaan and instead died in the wilderness. This serves as a warning for believers in the last days.
1 Corinthians 10 mentions twice that the experiences of the Israelites is our type (type means symbol in the original text). It shows that what the Israelites experienced in the past reflects what believers in the New Testament experience today, as a reminder for us, the saints of the last days, to be vigilant and avoid failure by living in indulgence and following the flesh, just as the Israelites did. As Romans 15:4 also says, "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning..."
Therefore, we must specifically highlight two aspects of the spiritual experience of Christians: the first is the goal, and the second is the path.
Goal — The Fullness of Christ
Exodus 3:7-8 records: "The Lord said, ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry... I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey" This passage clearly reveals that when the Lord planned to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, He explicitly set their goal: to enter the land of Canaan.
The land of Canaan was the goal of the Israelites
In other words, God placed Canaan ahead as the goal for the Israelites. Although the Bible does not explicitly record this, it can be assumed that when they were about to leave Egypt, the children would certainly ask their parents, "Where are we going?" I strongly believed that their parents would have answered, "Moses is leading us to the beautiful land of Canaan." Thus, it is evident that from the young to the old, they all clearly understood that their destination was Canaan.
Similarly, today, as we walk on earth (the wilderness), we are not without goals or direction. Although it may seem far away and out of sight, there will come a day when we reach Canaan. So what does "Canaan" refer to? Thank God! The New Testament explains this to us: Canaan refers to the fullness of Christ, the abundance of Christ, the riches of Christ. Before the Israelites entered Canaan, the Bible used three expressions to describe it: "good" "spacious" and "a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8)
Good — The glorious beauty of Christ
In the entire universe, only Christ is the most beautiful. King David of Israel, who held the highest throne, enjoyed the greatest authority, honor, and glory. However, when he wrote Psalm 27:4, said: "One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple." This means that the beauty of the Lord surpasses everything; among millions, He is the most glorious. The attraction of His beauty makes us forget the pleasures of the earth, causing us to adore and long for Him. From this, we can see that Canaan is a good land, symbolizing Christ's glory and beauty. May the Holy Spirit reveal to us so that we can be captivated by Christ's beauty throughout our lives, acknowledge Him, follow Him, pursue Him, and seek nothing else.
Spacious --- The breadth, length, depth and heigth of Christ
The Bible mentions the land of Canaan and further describes it as "vast" (or spacious). This indicates that Canaan is not only beautiful but also immeasurably large. "Vast" also refers to Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul devoted his life in pursuing to know Christ, and in Ephesians 3:18, he said: "may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height...to know the love of Christ" The dimensions of "length, width, height, and depth" signify something beyond measurement—something unfathomable and surpassing human understanding. Throughout history and across cultures, people are left in awe when speaking about the vastness of Christ. Oh, my Savior Jesus Christ, Your vastness exceeds human comprehension, human discussion, and human praise. In other words, Christ's vastness is infinite. How long? Endless! How wide? Boundless! How high? Infinite! How deep? Unfathomable!
Land flowing with milk and honey --- The infinite abundance of Christ
The third description of the land of Canaan is "a land flowing with milk and honey". Milk is produced when cows and sheep graze, and honey is produced after bees collect nectar from flowers. Therefore, "milk" and "honey" are the combined essence of both animals and plants. Additionally, the phrase 'a land flowing with milk and honey' also portrays the sweetness and abundance of that land. Colossians 2:9 says: "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." This illustrates the infinite richness of Jesus Christ. As the hymn goes:
He is so rich! He is so full!
How can I tell all that I know?
He is so sweet! He is so true!
This I have tasted in my soul.
The fullness of Christ is the goal of the saints
In the past, the Israelites regarded the land of Canaan as their goal. Similarly, the saints of today (Christians) also consider Christ’s fullness as their goal in life. Therefore, from the moment we are born again and baptized into Christ, we have to be clear and certain about our direction in life. We must be aware that attaining Christ’s fullness is our goal.
Count all things as rubbish to gain Christ
Before the apostle Paul met the Lord, his goal was to become a leader within Judaism. The direction he pursued was one of earthly wealth, fame, and status. However, through the Lord's mercy, one day on the road to Damascus, he met Jesus, and his life’s goal instantly transformed. He became clear about the meaning and purpose of life and determined that Christ would be the ultimate goal of his life. From then on, Christ became the focus of Paul's lifelong pursuit. When he wrote Philippians 3:7-8, he described how he regarded Christ as the goal of his life: "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."
Strain forward
Before he met the Lord, Paul was filled with great ambition and lofty aspirations within the religious world. He strictly adhered to the law, became a Pharisee, and was taught under Gamaliel—all of which demonstrated his hope to become a leader in the religious community, gain fame, and achieve power. However, after meeting Christ, he regarded all these things as loss, realizing that reputation, status, and glory would prevent him from entering into the fullness of Christ. Therefore, Paul considered all things as garbage in order to gain Christ. Hence, he devoted himself daily to pursuing Christ. Even at that point, he did not consider himself to have already attained it. By then, Paul had believed in the Lord and had been greatly used by Him for some years, accumulating profound spiritual experiences. Yet, he still said, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me." (Philippians 3:12)
Press on toward the goal—Christ is our goal
Furthermore, he said: "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal." (Philippians 3:13-14). The goal is Christ. This signifies that although Paul was advanced in age and spiritually mature, the fullness of Christ is so infinite that there was still much to attain. Just as when Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan, he was already old, yet the Lord said to him: "...there are still very large areas of land to be taken over." (Joshua 13:1). From this, we see clearly that the fullness of Christ is the ultimate goal for us Christians throughout our lives.
Pathway
In the past, two to three million Israelites, led by Moses, left Egypt in a grand exodus and crossed the Red Sea. However, the Red Sea was not their destination; they had to continue their journey through the wilderness until they reached Canaan. This historical fact serves as a foreshadowing, illustrating how Christ today leads us on the journey of spiritual life, guiding us into His fullness. Thus, when we meet each other, we may ask one another,"Brother, what is your goal?" Some might reply, "My goal is to purchase a large piece of land in the future and build houses." Others may say, "My goal is to become a renowned entrepreneur." Still, others might express desires like immigrating to a certain place or other ambitions. Yet, these are not the true goals for us Christians, for we have only one goal—Christ. In Christ, there are infinite riches awaiting us to enter into, experience, and make our own. Regarding the path to entering into the fullness of Christ, there are four aspects of significance:"
The pathway of Life
The path toward Canaan (the fullness of Christ) is the pathway of life. When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years, the Lord provided manna from heaven daily as their food, meaning their sustenance did not come from the earth. Today, we consume rice, vegetables, and fruits that are products of the land, but during their forty years in the wilderness, they had no time to cultivate crops. Instead, they relied on gathering manna every morning for survival. When Jesus was on earth, He spoke to the people about manna, saying, "'It is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.' They said, 'Sir, always give us this bread.' Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life.'" (John 6:32–35). To walk the pathway of life, one must rely on the bread of life for sustenance, which is why this path is called the pathway of life.
The Lord is the "bread of life". In a spiritual sense, it is through the bread of life that spiritual life grows. This is the pathway of spiritual life. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Therefore, Christians, having received Christ’s life, must continuously progress toward greater abundance. By receiving the spiritual sustenance from the Lord, they gradually grow and attain fullness.
David wrote a renowned golden psalm, saying of the Lord: "You are my Lord; my goodness is nothing apart from You. Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup." (Psalm 16:2, 5). Toward the end, he declared, "You will show me the path of life." (Psalm 16:11). Outwardly, David ruled as king, governing the nation of Israel; but spiritually, he walked the path of life. This idea was highlighted when, on Pentecost, the apostle Peter stood to deliver his first sermon. He quoted Psalm 16, emphasizing how David sought the Lord to reveal the path of life.
Matthew 7:13–14 records: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and [b]difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." This passage presents two paths before us. The people of the world walk the road to destruction, which has a wide gate and a broad path. However, the Christians walk the path of life, which leads to eternal life and enters into the richness of Christ. Yet, the gate is small, and the road is narrow. Therefore, anyone who has received grace and believes in Jesus but returns to walking the same path as the world—the wide gate and broad road—ultimately chooses the path leading to destruction. May the Lord show us mercy and preserve us throughout our lives, helping us enter the narrow gate and walk the path of life. Hence, in the church, we do not speak about morality or religion, nor do we concern ourselves with discerning right and wrong, good and evil.
After God created the first ancestors of humanity, He established a garden in Eden in the East and placed the man He had created there. God caused every kind of tree pleasing to the eye and good for food to grow from the ground, and in the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil... God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. He also commanded, "Of every tree of the garden you shall freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:7-17)
This historical account reveals that God's intention for humanity is to engage with life and walk the path of life. Today, as we set Christ as our goal, we too walk the path of life. Reflecting on this, we might ask ourselves: Have our lives grown? Are they abundant?
The heavenly path
When the Lord sent Moses to lead the Israelites out of the land of slavery in Egypt, He called them to walk the path of the wilderness. This road symbolized a heavenly journey until they entered the land of Canaan, which represents the fullness of Christ. During the Israelites' forty years in the wilderness, they dwelt in tents. Tents could be dismantled and set up again, move from place to place according to their journey and having no fixed shelter. The wilderness was a place where they could not take root, meaning that they had nothing on earth. In other words, the path was not an earthly path but a heavenly path. The Israelites' observance of Passover symbolizes Christians' acceptance of redemption and being saved and born again. Being born again is being born from above.
John 3:31 states: "He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all." This explains that we are born from above, born of heaven. Therefore, Philippians 3:20 says, "But our citizenship is in heaven." It is like the Chinese emigrants living in the Philippines today—through the Lord's care, many have applied for and obtained Filipino citizenship. Yet, no matter what, they still feel that their ancestral home is China; they firmly identify as Chinese. Likewise, while Christians live on the earth among the people of this world, we are born of heaven, and our identity is as citizens of heaven.
The Lord Jesus further told His disciples, "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" (John 17:16). This means that we are not people of this world; we are heavenly citizens, those who walk on the heavenly path. A servant greatly used by the Lord, Brother Bunton, once said, "Christians have only one road in life and only one grave in death," signifying that Christians leave the world without gaining anything from it.
No wonder Abraham longed for a better country, a heavenly one (Hebrews 11:16). Since we are citizens of heaven, it is only natural that we return to our homeland to enjoy our territory, inheritance, and heritage. A defining feature of Abraham's life was living in tents on earth, signifying that he was a sojourner and a temporary resident. His eyes were always fixed on that city with foundations, which is in heaven.
Brothers and sisters, there is a spiritual book called "Pilgrim's Progress." It states that we are all travelers walking this heavenly path. Abraham's eyes were always set on the city with foundations, and after many years, the holy city of Jerusalem was revealed in the Bible. However, Abraham in the Old Testament had already seen it through faith. Today, we too use the eyes of faith to see this glorious holy city, this better homeland. Therefore, we must tread firmly on this heavenly path today. The Bible records that when the Israelites walked in the wilderness, the Lord specifically instructed them to sew a blue tassels on the corners of their garments (Numbers 15:38). This signifies that they are heavenly citizens walking a heavenly pathway.
The way of the cross
According to the typology in the Old Testament, the path the Israelites walked through the wilderness is the way of the cross. The Bible describes it as a "great and terrible wilderness" (Deuteronomy 1:19), meaning a harsh and challenging path—the way of the cross. This was ordained by God, for only by passing through the wilderness could they enter Canaan. In terms of experience, it signifies that only through the cross can one enter into the fullness of Christ. The Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness. In the Bible, "forty" is the number of trials. For instance, the Lord Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness for forty days, which also signifies the experience of the cross. Thus, walking this path of the cross entails many hardships, carrying the meaning of trials from the Lord.
When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24). This means that the path of following the Lord is the way of the cross. Luke 9:23 further states, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." This implies that we have to take up the cross daily to follow the Lord and to walk the way of the cross, not attempting to put the cross down any single day. Those who lack revelation may shrink back in fear upon hearing this. However, there is truly nothing to fear, for the cross is not greater than His grace, and storms cannot hide His blessed face. I am satisfied to know that with Jesus here below, I can conquer every foe. Therefore, for those with revelation, the way of the cross is not difficult to walk.
Back then, the Israelites traveled from Rameses in Egypt to Gilgal in Canaan, completing a journey of forty-two stations. In the Bible, "forty-two" is the number representing suffering (Revelation 12:6). Indeed, the way of the cross is marked by hardships and trials, yet it is filled with God's grace, enabling us to complete this journey. Revelation 14:1-5 records, "The Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him were one 144,000... They follow the Lamb wherever He goes." This signifies that Jesus, as the Lamb, lived His life walking the way of the cross. The 144,000 followers of the Lamb symbolize those of us who dedicate our lives to following the Lord and walking the way of the cross. Having suffered with Him on earth, we now stand gloriously with Him in eternity on Mount Zion! How glorious! May the Lord reveal to us the preciousness of the way of the cross, so that we may stay on this path for life, and on that day, share in His glory in heaven.
The path of faith
The path the Israelites took—from leaving Egypt, through the wilderness, and into Canaan—was also a path of faith. For the Lord gave them His promise: "I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites..." (Exodus 3:8). This signifies that the Israelites were to hold fast to the Lord's promise and walk this path of faith.
For the Israelites of that generation, they had never seen Canaan and relied entirely on believing in the Lord's promise, not on what they saw. As 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." They trusted in the Lord's word and moved forward in faith. However, the facts tell us that during the forty years in the wilderness, all those over twenty years old perished in the wilderness (except for Caleb and Joshua). They did not enter Canaan to inherit the promised land because of one reason—unbelief (Hebrews 3:19).
Today, we are like the Israelites, setting our goal towards the fullness of Christ. Our feet tread on the path of faith, aiming to enter into the fullness of Christ. The road we walk is a path of faith. If we lose faith or harbor an evil heart of unbelief, the result will likewise be failure and collapse, unable to enter into the fullness of Christ.
On the other hand, there is also a glorious example—Caleb and Joshua. After forty years in the wilderness, they ultimately entered Canaan, completing the journey of faith. The Bible says, "But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully..." (Numbers 14:24). Caleb became a witness of victorious faith, inspiring us to walk the path of faith.
So how should we proceed, and what attitude should we have to complete the journey of faith? It is by "looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and finisher of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:2). Christ enters into us, and His faith becomes our faith. He is the author and perfecter of our faith. He will guard our faith, make it grow, and nurture it to perfection in the end.
Spiritual Journey of the Israelites
1. The Feast of Passover | Christ is the everlasting life |
2. Feast of Unleavened Bread | Christ is the holy life |
3. Consecrated to God | Christ is Lord |
4. Pillar of cloud and pillar of fire | Christ’s guidance |
5. Crossing the Red Sea | The death of Christ |
6. Bitter waters turned sweet | Christ’s loving kindness and grace |
7. Springs of water and palm trees | Christ is our satisfaction and rest |
8. Manna | Christ is the bread of life |
9. Rock of living water | Christ is the water of life |
10. Defeating the Amalekites | Christ is the victorious life |
11. Handing down of the Law | Christ is the power for service |
12. The Making of the Sanctuary | Christ is the wisdom (vision) in service |
13. Fire consumed all the complaints | The trial and refining of the cross of Christ |
14. Smote the greedy | Christ is everything (world) |
15. Miriam contracted leprosy | Establishing the upright spirit of Christ |
16. Not allowed to enter Canaan | Establishing Christ’s spirit of faith |
17. The destruction of the tribe of Korah | Establishing Christ’s spirit of submission |
18. Plague befell the assembly | Establishing Christ’s spirit of gentleness |
19. The budded staff | Knowing the body of Christ |
20. Moses acted without authorization | Knowing the authority of Christ as the Head |
21. Raised up the serpent of brass | Setting our eyes upon Christ |
22. Fornication and idolatry were punished | Being filled with Christ |
23. Crossing the Jordan | The deeper death of the cross of Christ |
24. Entering the land of Canaan | Attaining the fullness of Christ |
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
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