According to the Apostle Paul, the Old Testament story of Israel provides us with physical “examples” or illustrations of New Testament spiritual truths (1 Corinthians 10:1-11). In this vein, the third and fourth chapters of the book of Hebrews present the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, wandering in the wilderness, and conquest of Canaan as an allegory of the three categories of men.

The first category of men may be called the natural man. The natural man is a lost sinner represented by Israel in Egypt. Just as Israel was enslaved to the Egyptians, the natural man is enslaved to sin. He is spiritually dead to God, indentured to the cruel taskmaster of his fallen nature and forced to live in the flesh; that is, by what his fallen mind makes of the faulty information he receives from a fallen world through the five senses of his fallen body. His only hope of deliverance from bondage is “Christ [his] Passover [who has been] sacrificed for [him]” (1 Corinthians 5:7). As Israel’s salvation from Egypt depended upon them applying by faith the blood of their Passover lamb to the doorposts and lintels of their homes, the natural man’s salvation from sin depends upon him applying by faith the blood of his “Passover”—Jesus Christ—to the doorposts and lintels of his heart.

The second category of men may be called the carnal man. The carnal man is a carnal Christian represented by Israel in the wilderness. God brought Israel out of Egypt in order to bring them into Canaan. Yet, because of their disbelief and disobedience, Israel ended up wandering around in the wilderness and never stepping foot into the Promised Land. God has brought the carnal man out of bondage to sin in order to bring him into an abundant spiritual life in Christ. Yet, because of his disbelief and disobedience, the carnal man wanders around in a spiritual wilderness without ever experiencing, enjoying or entering into all that God has promised him in Christ. Although he is spiritually alive and capable of living in the Spirit—by every word Christ speaks to his heart through the person of the Holy Spirit who lives within him—he continues to live in the flesh—by what his fallen mind makes of the faulty information he receives from a fallen world through the five senses of his fallen body. As a result, the carnal man tires of the things of God, craves the things of the world and is never able to get anywhere spiritually, no matter how hard he tries.

The third and final category of men may be called the spiritual man. The spiritual man is a Spirit-filled Christian represented by Israel in Canaan. Following the death of Israel’s unbelieving generation, a new generation of Israelites arose who had learned to live “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3). Consequently, this generation was able to conquer their enemies, take possession of the land that God had promised them, and enjoy the fruits of the land all the days of their lives. The spiritual man, like Israel’s Canaan conquering generation, has also learned to live “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord.” He no longer lives in the flesh, like the natural or carnal man, but in the Spirit. By living his life according to every word spoken to his heart by the still, small voice of God’s infallible Spirit the spiritual man is able to conquer his enemies (Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8), possess God’s promises, and experience and enjoy all that is his in Christ.