The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)

Paul - a steward of God's grace

An Outline of History

 Change is difficult - difficult to face and often difficult to manage.  Few people enjoy it.  Children starting school, moving school, or even just changing classes can be unhappy for a while, at least until a new routine has been established. Moving home or starting a new job can be traumatic. Nevertheless, change is also inevitable, change is natural, and change should be expected. Because growth brings change – progress brings change – life brings change. Apart from the immutability of God, nothing stays the same forever.  And even the Immutable has initiated change. He has introduced change in His dealings with humankind. The world and its inhabitants are under the sovereign control of God.  He is the Creator and all of humankind is responsible to Him. Paul makes this very point in his speech in Athens. “God, who made the world and everything in it … He is Lord of heaven and earth”. (Acts 17:24) Jesus also refers to His Father as “Lord of heaven and earth”. (Mt 11:25; see also Luke 10.21) Events that appear to contradict this truth only happen within the permissive will of God. This is clearly the main message of both Job and Daniel. The calamitous events that Satan inflicted on Job and his family were only allowed within the will of God.  With this in mind, the Bible sometimes views the world as a household under stewardship. The word used is οἰκονομία so translated in the NASB, “I have a stewardship entrusted to me” (1 Cor. 9.17); and “… if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you” (Eph.3.2). And again, “Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God” (Col.1.25). In Ephesians and Timothy it is translated ‘administration’.  “… with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth” (Eph 1:10); “and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things” (Eph 3:9); and Timothy; “… nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith” (1 Tim. 1:4). It is not too great a stretch to understand that the world and its occupants are viewed as a household; a household under the sovereign control of the ‘Lord of heaven and earth’; a household ordered and administered according to the principles He put in place.

 In this paradigm, that the world and humanity that occupies it are viewed as a household, it is not an overstatement to say that God has certain ‘house’ rules.  They are the outworking of those principles of righteousness that govern His relationship with humankind. He does not change, He is the Immutable; and He is sovereign and holy.  Those that approach Him can only do so by acknowledging this.  Celestial servants of His cry night and day, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty” (Rev. 4.8; cf. Isa.6.3). But as our circumstances change, so there are changes in God’s ‘house rules’. It could be considered in terms of growing up. As a child matures so the disciplines placed upon him become more sophisticated. When God changed His house rules, it has usually been in the wake of an event that has had far-reaching effects.

 When Adam transgressed the one commandment, God changed the house rules.

                  When the nation Israel was delivered from slavery, for them He changed

                           the house rules.

                           When the Messiah died for the sins of the world, He changed

                                    the house rules.

 In God’s household, responsibilities are held by chosen individuals. In the verses where Paul uses the word ‘οἰκονομία’ he refers to his responsibility under God in terms of him occupying the office of steward. In that office and with that responsibility he was charged to promulgate the new ‘house rules’ that were brought in as a result of the sacrifice of the Son of God.

 Let us examine the history of the relationship between God and humankind and consider the constancy of the Immutable and the education He instituted for the benefit of us mortals. We will pay particular attention to the change in His ‘house rules’ at the time of the decease, resurrection and ascension of the Messiah, and consider how the new house rules were communicated and if the early church found any difficulty in applying them. The covenants of the Bible, the main subject of this book, are statements that illuminate and elucidate God’s house rules and an examination of them will surely prove profitable.

Next Time: Changes initiated by the Immutable

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[1] Job.1.12; 2.6;

The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)

The Glory of God (Continued)

The Glory of God and the Terrestrial

The problem, of course, was that generally, humankind was unable to appreciate God’s glory properly. Like the glory of the sun, it was only observed from afar. While the glory of the Lord was unknown to most, some were able to see the outworking of it, that is, the hand of the Lord in blessing. But everything changed with the coming of the Son of God. He has brought the glory of God close to man without endangering him. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth”.  (John 1:14) As was revealed to Moses, the essence of the glory of God is that He is full of grace and truth. The glory of Jesus is that He is full of grace and truth. If we imitate Moses and ask God for a glimpse of His glory, He will direct us to Jesus. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. (2 Cor. 4:6) Jesus is , “… the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person”. (Heb. 1:3)

This dispensation is perhaps the most privileged of all, for both Jew and Gentile are encouraged to work for the glory of God. And those that are engaged in this pursuit will meditate much on the Lord Jesus, and the more they consider His attributes and the more they understand His character, the more they will perceive His glory. And then the object of their affection will in turn affect them. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord”. (2 Cor. 3:18) And as they acknowledge the worth and worthiness of their Master, they will foreshadow that great congregational act that is yet to come when every tongue will, “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. (Phil. 2:11) Those that work to the glory of God are on course to share in the glory of God. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”. (2 Co 4:16-19)

The Glory of God and Jesus

For those who wish to make a difference for good in this world the example of the Savior is the highest that can be viewed. Jesus did all for the glory of God. And since the mercy of God, which we have identified as being an essential element of the glory of God, depends on the substitutionary death of Jesus to satisfy the aspect of justice and righteousness which is also involved, then the death of Christ must be seen in terms of the glory of God. This is exactly so, and the closer Jesus got to His judicial execution the more this aspect of His service was emphasized. His death and resurrection were to be, for His contemporary generation, the sign of the prophet Jonah. The raising of Lazarus from Hades was orchestrated in such a way that it was an initial example of the sign. Before Lazarus had died, but in anticipation of the final result, Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4) Of course, to complete the sign of the prophet Jonah, Lazarus had to be dead three days and three nights. So when Jesus finally arrived at the tomb and commanded that it should be opened, practical Martha was compelled to raise an objection to the actions of the Lord. His response was to return to the information that He had recently provided. He said, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40) So the raising of Lazarus, the act that would pre-figure His own resurrection, as well as being the most vivid illustration of His assertion, “I am the resurrection”, was identified as being a demonstration of the glory of God.

This was further enforced when, in Passion Week, certain visitors to Jerusalem asked for an audience. Jesus saw in their request a further indication of His mission and again referred to His sacrificial death. He said, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain”,  (John 12:23,24) adding  “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name’.” (John 12.27,28) In other words, let this act of obedience be to the glory of the Father. An assurance was given in a Bat Kohl. “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” (John 12:28) The Father had accepted it as such and assured His Son that the work accomplished by His death would redound to the glory of the Godhead again and again and again. This was re-enforced for the disciples on Passover evening when Peter and John visited the Temple to kill a Lamb that was without blemish – a Lamb that was to once again typify the death of the Lamb of God that would take away the sin of the world. The blood which was dashed against the altar was first caught in a golden vessel, gold signifying the glory of God.

 Then again on the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus prayed: “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do”. (Jn 17:4)

So we return to our original statement, that God is working all things for His own glory.  This will be central to our understanding of the covenants of Israel, as well as critical in any understanding of the different economies that God uses to relate to humankind.

More Next Time

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The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)

A Consideration of the Glory of God (Continued)

THE GLORY OF GOD AND PAUL

As we turn to the example of Paul, we must make mention of a fundamental difference in their experiences. While Job (our previous example) was a reluctant participant in the drama which defeated Satan, Paul embraced his part. Like Job, Paul’s life, viewed from a human perspective was a long succession of calamities. His experience testifies to a life of difficulties. “in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches”. (2 Cor. 11:23-29) Earlier in his letter he offered some reason for it. He wrote: “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus”, (2 Co 4:8-10) why? “that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body”. But the overarching reason was - “For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.” (2 Co 4:15) Paul acknowledged that while he remained faithful to the will of God, all that happened to him and all that he accomplished would be to the glory of the LORD.

THE GLORY OF GOD AND THE CELESTIAL

Glory is an intrinsic quality of God. It belongs to Him as light and heat belong to the sun. Unfallen angels, together with the redeemed in heaven, sing His praises and acknowledge His glory. The first words uttered by the heavenly host at the unveiling of the Savior of the world were “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14) It is a sin of enormous proportions to withhold from Him a proper acknowledgement of His glory. He suffers injustice if any of His created beings do not recognize His worthiness. Satan said, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation, on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High,” (Is 14:13,14) but God declared: “I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another”. (Isa. 42:8) That which is of prime importance to angels is not their relation to the inhabitants of earth, but rather their service to God. In other words, for all celestial beings, God is the centre of their world, not man. Theirs is primarily a service of worship that understands the ineffable majesty and glory of God, and which, because of the infinity of the worthiness of God, continues without ceasing forever. John states that in their worship the living creatures: “rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8) Isaiah asserts that they “cried one unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa. 6:3). Their humility, suggested by the covering of their feet, is natural since they are ever before Him whose majesty and glory is transcendent. The ministry of angels to the Godhead is no small thing, and inasmuch as they ministered to Jesus, it speaks volumes as to His deity. The birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ were to the angels, stupendous realities. It is of no small consequence that, as stated by the Apostle, Christ, while here on the earth, “was seen of angels” (1 Tim. 3:16)

More Next Time

The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel

The Glory of God (Continued)

THE SHEKINAH GLORY

But goodness and grace, though vocalised, and perhaps accompanied with the noise of trumpets as were other declarations of the Lord, could not be seen by Moses. To complete the encounter, God in His grace provided a visible expression of His presence to accompany the declaration. Moses was allowed to see the ‘after-glow’ of the Shekinah, the outward manifestation of the glory of God revealed in terms of light and colour. The word ‘Shekinah’ means ‘that which dwells’, and was used by the Rabbis to refer to the visible presence of God among men. Repeatedly in the Old Testament we come across the idea that there were certain times when God’s glory was visible. In the desert, before the giving of the manna, the children of Israel “looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud”. (Exod. 16:10) Before the giving of the Ten Commandments, “the glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai”. (Exod. 24:16) When the Tabernacle had been erected and equipped, the glory of the Lord filled it. Other instances of the manifestation of God’s glory include the time when Solomon’s Temple was dedicated. These were localized terrestrial manifestations of something that was essentially celestial. Ezekiel in his ecstasy saw “the likeness of the glory of the Lord”. (Ezekiel 1:28). In the Old Testament the glory of the Lord came at times when God was very close.

While, for Moses, the passing by of a physical manifestation of the presence of God was but the work of a moment, the whole encounter lasted some six weeks, at the end of which he returned to report back to the Hebrew nation. The Bible tells us that his face shone with the glory of God, and that he had to wear a veil before the elders of Israel would approach him.

So we have two main aspects of the glory of the Lord - the inherent element which is the fusion between mercy and righteousness; and the radiated element which falls on our sight in terms of light and colour. But there is also a more abstract element presented in Scripture. Let’s take two examples, one from the Old Testament and one from the New.

THE GLORY OF GOD AND JOB

Job, great man that he was, was distressed in his situation and condition; and who wouldn’t be? He had lost his family, his possessions and his health. He felt he had a legitimate complaint against God. He thought, ‘why is this happening to me? If I could find Him I would argue my case, I would explain to Him that this is unfair’. What he did not realize was that God was working out things for His own glory. He did finally meet with God, but the wisdom of God silenced him. The LORD said, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7) In other words, when I created the world I had a purpose and a plan, and I am still working to that higher purpose and I want you to get on board. The higher purpose was, of course, His own glory, of which Job was a part. For it began with, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1:8) In other words, Job had been living his life to the glory of God. Yet the actions of a wise God would refine and purify Job’s testimony to bring even more glory to Himself. God was accomplishing something in the life of Job through suffering that perhaps could not be accomplished in any other way, simultaneously humbling Satan while revealing His own wisdom.

In Job’s situation, if you considered the catalogue of calamities from his point of view, things were difficult to understand. But if you considered events from God’s point of view then they had a completely different complexion. Job was being educated to have a more elevated perspective – to understand more of the character of God. In the first two chapters of the book God is introduced and referred to by his name YHWH. In the middle section (the main argument) Job and his four friends all refer to God by His Name ‘Elohim’. If, as many suggest, Job is a very ancient book, it is likely that Job, in the first instance, did not know God as YHWH. However, by the time we come to the end of the book, he is brought to know God by His covenant Name because, in the last chapters, it is the LORD YHWH that answers. By the end of the experience, Job had been educated to know God better, and to understand something more of His ways. He has learned that God’s mathematics are superior - that by subtraction you can increase. And Job, through his suffering also learned to appreciate the infinite wisdom of God, through which Satan was defeated and the LORD glorified.

The end for him was compensating. It turned out to be twice as good as the beginning, and both celestial and terrestrial realms were brought to marvel at the way God ordered all aspects of the experience to redound to His own praise and glory. We must ever remember that the throne room of heaven is central, even for us earthlings. “The Most High God rules in the kingdom of men”. (Dan. 5:17,21) Daniel also served the Most High God, but it did not immunize him from calamity. Like Daniel, we need to see things from heaven’s point of view, through heaven’s eyes.