The Father is Spirit. Throughout the Old Testament, God used metaphors to describe His power, redemption, salvation, omnipresence, acceptance, mercy, judgement, and authority.

These metaphors include the arm, eyes, ears, nose, face, back, and hand. God used these metaphors so we could better understand and relate to God, as we are physical beings.

God’s arm is a metaphor of His power, redemption, and salvation. The Bible says God redeemed the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage with His arm.

"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:" - Exodus 6:6 KJV (Deuteronomy 9:29, Psalm 44:3)

All of humanity needed a redeemer. More than redemption from Egyptian bondage, mankind needed redemption from the bondage of sin and death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

The Bible says that God saw there was no man that could redeem mankind from sin. Why? Because all are born in sin. Only God Himself – our Heavenly Father – could step in and redeem mankind from sin and death. Only our Heavenly Father could be our Savior. The Bible describes God’s salvation as His arm.

"And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him." - Isaiah 59:16 KJV

Isaiah prophesied of the revealing of God’s arm. Isaiah begins his prophecy with the statement, "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” The rest of the chapter describes in detail in advance of the now familiar life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ – foretold through prophecy by Isaiah hundreds of years before Christ’s birth. (John 12:37-41, Romans 10:13-16)

"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? ... He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief... But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed...when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days…by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities…because he hath poured out his soul unto death…and he bare the sin of many..." - Isaiah 53:1, 3, 5, 10-12 KJV

It is clear the arm of the LORD is Christ – the Father in a human body. He is our Savior and Redeemer.

"The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." - Isaiah 52:10 KJV

Why is it so important to believe Jesus is the Father?

Only the Father could die for our sins. Why? Only the Father is holy and without sin. Because of this, any other sacrifice than the Father Himself could not be acceptable to take away our sins. And only the Father can raise the dead.

How could the Father die for our sins when the Father is Spirit? (Hebrews 2:14-15, 2Corinthians 5:19)

The only way the Father could die for our sins, was for Him to robe Himself in flesh.

His flesh had to be in the form of man. Sin entered into the world by first man Adam. It was necessary that a second man pay the price of blood for this sin.

"For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." - Hebrews 10:4 KJV

"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." - Hebrews 9:22 KJV

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: ... For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." - Romans 5:12, 19 KJV

Jesus said,

"For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." - Matthew 26:28 KJV

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." - Acts 20:28 KJV

God’s body is called the Son of God. The “Son” of God is the flesh of God. Jesus Christ was born the Son of God. (Matthew 1:21, Acts 20:28, Hebrews 2:14-15)

The body of Jesus was born without sin (1Peter 2:22, 2Corinthians 5:21). It appears that it was necessary for man to be bypassed so that sin would not be passed on to God’s Son (God’s body). Sin had been passed down since Adam (Romans 5:12). This would be why Joseph was not to be responsible for the conception of Jesus’ body with Mary.

Luke 1:35 KJV - And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

While the Son of God, God’s body, was born without sin, we were born in sin (Psalms 51:5, Romans 5:12). We need to be born again in order to become sons of God.

John 1:12-13 KJV - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

We are born of God by water and of the Spirit. (John 3:6, 3:5)

We are born of water and of the Spirit by water baptism in Jesus name (water) and by receiving the Holy Ghost (Spirit). This is how WE BECOME the sons of God.

Acts 2:38 KJV - Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Philippians 2:15 KJV - That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

When Jesus was speaking to His disciples, He was speaking to men that believe in God. They knew God is a Spirit. They knew God as their Heavenly Father. They knew there is only one God. (John 4:24, Isaiah 64:8, Malachi 2:10, Deuteronomy 6:4)

Jesus had been with these men for quite some time. They had seen His miracles. They had seen Him raise the dead, open blind eyes, heal the sick, cleanse the leper, multiply fish and loaves, even command the wind and seas and they obeyed Him. They even saw Him walk on water.

Yet, they were still having trouble grasp that this man Jesus, that grew tired, hungry, and thirsty, was their Heavenly Father in a human body. (John 1:1, 14)

It appears that in His attempt to bridge the span of their understanding, Jesus used language to transition His disciples thinking to understand He is the Almighty God operating within a human body. The invisible God was now revealed. (John 1:18)

"Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me." - John 12:44-45 KJV

"For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak." - John 12:49-50 KJV

Jesus communicated that He is a man, but at the same time the Spirit of God is within Him. He was letting His disciples know, His body/flesh is the image of their Heavenly Father. (Colossians 1:15, 2Corinthians 4:4-6)

Jesus said to Thomas,

"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." - John 14:7 KJV

"Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?" - John 14:8-9 KJV

Jesus let them know that the words He spoke was God speaking to them, for God is in Him. (2Corinthians 5:19)

He reminded them of all the works that He had done that only God can do.

"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake." - John 14:10-11 KJV

Then later Jesus told His disciples,

"He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father." - John 15:23-24 KJV

Jesus let them know,

"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. ... They understood not that he spake to them of the Father." - John 8:24, 27 KJV (Exodus 3:14)

The House of God is more than just a place where the Gospel is preached and obeyed. (1Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 6:1-7, Acts 2:38) It is more than a place of preaching and instructing. (Ephesians 4:11-12, Romans 10:14-16) It is a place of praising the name of Jesus in spiritual songs with thankful hearts, rejoicing in the Lord and the power of His might. (Hebrews 13:15, Colossians 3:16, Philippians 4:4, Psalm 32:11, Zephaniah 3:14)

When King David brought the ark of the Lord into the city of David, he danced before the Lord. He and all the house of Israel brought the ark up with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.

"And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet." - 2 Samuel 6:13-15 KJV

"Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing." - Psalm 107:21-22 KJV

Time for Church!

Leaving Egypt

For the children of God, Egypt was a place of burdens and bondage. They looked to the Lord to save and deliver them, and He answered their cry.

"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:" - Exodus 6:6 KJV

Sin is like Egypt – it is a burden that is a heavy weight and bondage that only Jesus can save and deliver us from.

Just as Pharaoh ruled Egypt, the devil is the ruler, the god of this world (2Corinthians 4:4).

Just as the Lord’s stretched out arm - God’s power to redeem, brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, the arm of the Lord – God in a human body – is able to bring us out of sin. (Exodus 15:16, Psalm 77:15, Isaiah 53:1-12)

"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:" - Exodus 6:6 KJV

"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? ... But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." - Isaiah 53:1, 5 KJV

Just as God judged Egypt, God judged His own flesh on the cross. It was through water – the Red Sea – that the children of Israel were saved, and Pharaoh and his armies destroyed (Exodus15:19).

When we leave Egypt – a life of sin – by repentance, we are on the path to God’s promised inheritance of eternal life with Jesus in heaven (Romans 6:23, Acts 26:18).

Jesus saves us by water – baptism in Jesus name for the remission of our sins – destroying sin and the devil in our life (Mark 16:16, 1Peter 3:21, Hebrews 2:14-15, Romans 6:3-6, Acts 2:38).

Jesus promises us the gift of His Holy Ghost to give us power to live holy (Acts 2:38, Acts 1:8). The Holy Ghost is God’s Spirit in us, to lead and guide us in righteous living (John 14:26). It is the earnest of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14).

To leave Egypt, we need to leave all the things of the world that would drag us back to our old life of sin. The god of this world, the devil, would like to keep us blind to the ways of God (2Corinthians 4:4, Acts 26:18).

To keep from failing and to become stronger in Jesus daily, we must guard what we watch, what we listen to, what we read, and where we go (1John 2:15-17, Luke 9:23-26, Hebrews 12:1).

Jesus has equipped us with His name, His blood, and His Spirit. Through Jesus we have the victory!

The Old Testament is a pattern and shadow of the New Testament.

"Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." - Hebrews 8:5

"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things…" - Hebrews 10:1 [Another translation: “…a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves.”]

The Old Testament points to God coming in the form of man in God’s name of salvation – Jesus. It points to heavenly things. It points to baptism in Jesus name for remission of sins, and to the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Jesus. It points to the rapture…

Ironically, it is not the physical that is the reality; it is the spiritual that is the reality. The spiritual is what is real and eternal.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39

*This chart is from the Bible Study, “Exploring God’s Word.” The teacher’s manual is available at: http://cgcmadison.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Exploring_Gods_Word_TE.pdf  (Go to "Resources" then “Bible Studies” then "Exploring God's Word." Color charts are available at: http://www.riveroflifeupc.org/our-beliefs.php