The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)



"He believed in the Lord"

The Abrahamic Covenant (Continued)

The importance of faith

This element of faith is of vital importance. In a further encounter with God, Abram expressed a prayer for a son. “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” (Gen. 15:2) God replied, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” (Gen. 15:5) “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness”. (Gen. 15:6) This very episode became a corner stone of the doctrinal writings of Paul, that great expositor of Christology. He referred to it in Romans. “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3; see also v. 9 and v.22) and again in his Galatian letter (Gal.3:6).  James also quoted it. (Jas.2:23) It is almost impossible to exaggerate the magnitude of this episode in the patriarch’s life. God made him a promise and he believed. The encounter began with an expression of doubt vocalized by Abram, to which God responded with a renewed promise of staggering proportions, and concluded with Abram fully embracing it. While the fulfillment of the initial covenant depended only on the faithfulness of the Lord, this event, surely known beforehand to God, demonstrated Abram’s wholehearted engagement in the purposes of the Lord. Abram’s response to the promise, identified faith as the catalyst to activate the blessing that was to come to the Jewish nation, and indeed the blessing that would fall to all who had similar faith to Abram. Those that trust in the promise of God, and in the God of the promise, will be blessed. “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” (Rom. 4:16)  That Paul wrote after the death of the Messiah, and identified the inclusion of the Gentiles, demonstrates the quality and scope of the covenant with Abram.

The observation of Moses,  that Abram believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness; inserted as it is in the historical narrative, must lead to the question, how did Abram demonstrate his faith to make Moses remark on it? And how did the Lord demonstrate He had accepted it and valued it so highly? The answer is found in that which immediately follows. The promise to Abram by the Lord was ratified in such a way to establish it beyond contradiction. It came in the wake of a plea from Abram for such an assurance. When the Lord repeated that Abram would be given future title to the land of Canaan, (Gen.15:7) Abram asked, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” (Gen. 15:8) The Lord’s response was to initiate a ceremony that would give the promise covenant status. This event needs to be laid out in order to get the full impact.

 1.            God assured Abram that the land would be his; “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.” (Gen. 15:7)

2.            Abram asked for some kind of sign to confirm this promise, saying “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” (Gen. 15:8)

3.            God commanded Abram to bring an heifer, a goat, a ram and two birds.

4.            Abram laid them out in the fashion of a ceremony designed for the ratification of an agreement between two parties. “Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.” (Gen. 15:10)

5.            These portions of the sacrifice had to be protected by Abram. “And when the vultures came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away”. (Gen. 15:11)

6.            After the sun went down, God placed Abram in a deep sleep during which he had a nightmarish dream. “Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him.” (Gen. 15:12)

7.            Then God spoke to Abram and told him the time for possessing the land was not yet, so they would not occupy the land for more than half a millennia. “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions”. (Gen. 15:13,14) (Maimonides (Moses Ben Maimon), the celebrated Jewish commentator from the 12^thcentury, suggests the oppression of Israel in Egypt was the result of Abram’s inadvertent sin in going down to Egypt at the time of famine in Canaan. (See his comment on Gen.12.10 referred to in the Jewish Study Bible))

8.            God indicated that Abram would have long life. “Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age”. (Gen. 15:15)

9.            God added the reason for the delay in their taking possession of the land. “But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (Gen. 15:16) This meant that the Amorites, one of the occupying tribes of Canaan were not yet ripe for punishment - punishment here being the loss of Canaan.

10.        In the darkness of an eastern night after the sun had set, Abram’s deep sleep continued, in which God unilaterally established the covenant between the two of them. “And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.’” (Gen. 15:17-21)

 The fire of the theophany, for such it was, symbolized judgment on the enemies of the seed of Abram, who were the subject of the prophecy that introduced the event. From the furnace there emanated shafts of fire. While the contract was made between the two parties, it is clear that the Lord was the only guarantor of the contract, a covenant of grant. He alone passed between the separated animal carcasses. Abram was present solely as the beneficiary.

 But how was the promised blessing of God to be realized?  Sarai was barren – she had not, nor could have, children. The answer seemed obvious - Abram must take another wife. Sarai’s maid, Hagar, brought up from Egypt, was chosen. But God’s ways are higher than man’s ways, even Abram’s. As Abram could not be blessed while resident in Babylonia, so also an Egyptian slave girl cannot be the mother of the nation elected by God to be the cradle that would hold the Messiah. Ishmael was born and Ishmael would be the father of a great nation, but it would not be the elect people. (Gal.4:21-31)

More Next Time

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Passover and Easter

This time of the year is especially precious for the Christian as he/she is able to follow, in the Scripture narrative, the footsteps of the Messiah as He set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem "to give His life a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28).

This blog is concerned with the day of the Passover itself when Jesus ate a final celebratory meal with His disciples, then yielded Himself into the hands of the Jewish and Roman leadership to be crucified as He predicted (Matt.20:19). But the darkness of Golgotha does give way to the light of resurrection morning for not only did He lay down His life at Passover, but He took it again at the Feast of Firstfruits - Hallelujah!

This year Passover began on the evening of the 18th April while the Christian remembrance of the death of Christ is on Friday 22nd April. Let us remind ourselves that the Bible places great emphasis on the Passover and how its events impacted on the death of the Messiah.

Messiah’s Last Passover Meal

On the night in which Jesus was betrayed He shared His last meal with His disciples, saying "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer". (Luke 22:15) Earlier that day, Peter and John had been sent to make preparations for the evening celebration. They had been directed to a room that Jesus had already selected, with the instructions, ‘… say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, "Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"’ (Mark 14:14)

The Torah required that the lamb for the Passover meal be slaughtered between dusk and darkness in the evening, so Peter and John attended the Temple at that time. As with the arrangements for the upper room so, no doubt, arrangements were already in place for the supply of a lamb, without blemish and without spot, because it is unlikely that the Messiah would have contemplated buying one of the animals from the mercenaries selling them on the Temple mount.

The ceremony took place in the priests’ court, which was designed to accommodate the ritual slaughter of animals. It was also the court which housed the great altar, the central, most important piece of Temple furniture needed for the Passover ceremony. After dusk, Peter and John joined the queue of pilgrims awaiting their turn to be ushered through the giant Nicanor doors. With so many in Jerusalem for the feast, not only drawn by Daniel’s prophecy regarding the unveiling of the Messiah, but also the very public ministry and claims of Jesus, the number seeking a place in the priests’ court was larger than usual.

The pilgrims and celebrants were gathered together in groups of fifty, and each time the Nicanor doors were opened one of these groups was ushered in to the priests court to participate in the ritual. Thus it was that Peter and John were in a large company of men who entered the Nicanor gate together. As the doors closed behind them, the Levitical choir began singing the Hallel. Then, when their turn came, either Peter or John killed the lamb and the attendant priest caught the blood in a vessel that had no brim. The dish of blood was passed along a line of priests to be dashed against the foot of the altar.

When all was completed, the two disciples took the lamb and its fleece home. The fleece was set aside as a gift to the householder in whose home they were guests, in gratitude for the use of the upper room.

Ensuring that no bone of the lamb was broken, Peter and John arranged for it to be roasted on a spit of pomegranate wood. The imagery continued to be important, for Jesus suffered the wrath of Satan, the wrath of man and the wrath of God while hanging on a wooden spit, and not a bone of His was broken, fulfilling the Scripture, "He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken". (Psalm 34:20; cf. John 19.36)

When all preparations had been completed and the time came to eat the Passover, Jesus reclined at the table with the twelve disciples. The first cup of wine was mixed and the Messiah recited the double blessing. First, a blessing for the day that would see His execution, a blessing that began, "Blessed be Thou for this good day". He will sing a little later "this is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it". (Psalm 118.24) Then a blessing for the wine mingled with water, which would symbolize the blood and water that would pour from His side on Calvary.

Then the unleavened bread, the bitter herbs and the haroset were brought to the table. At this juncture all thirteen ritually washed their hands. This is the time that the Messiah took a towel and a bowl of water and washed the feet of the disciples.

After the foot washing the Messiah took some of the herbs, dipped them in salt water, ate some Himself and gave to the others. At this point Jesus, the greatest Teacher that ever lived, began to relate the history of the Israelite nation. When the historical narrative was complete, He explained the symbolism of the Paschal lamb, the bitter herbs and the unleavened bread.

Then they sang the first part of the Hallel (Psalms 113 and 114).

Next came the breaking of the unleavened bread. Each dipped a piece of bread in the haroset and handed it to the next in the company. Jesus dipped the bread and gave to Judas, after which Satan entered into him. Then Jesus took control of the timetable and dispatched Judas to the Sadducean leaders. "What you do, do quickly." (John 13:27) Aware that He needed to be crucified at nine o’clock the following morning, the Messiah began the chain of events that would accomplish it. He needed to be executed at the time of the morning sacrifice and die at the time of the evening sacrifice.

At no time was the High Priest in control.

At no time were the Chief Priests in control.

At no time was the Sanhedrin in control.

At no time was Judas in control.

At no time was Pilate in control.

At no time was Satan in control.

At all times Messiah had control.

When Judas had gone Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him". (John 13:31)

After the meal they washed their hands once again, and the third cup of wine was mixed. Normally, the lamb was to be the last food tasted, but here the Messiah departed from tradition and took the unleavened bread once again. By His actions He indicated that there was to be no more eating of the Passover lamb. The Passover feast, instituted at the time of the exodus, was a feast ‘till He come’, that is, until Messiah the Prince came, who would "make an end of sins", and "make reconciliation for iniquity". (Dan. 9:24) The coming of Jesus the Messiah to die on Golgotha fulfilled the type.

Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread, and when He had given each of them a piece, He said, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (Luke 22:19) The unleavened bread had to fulfill three conditions. First and most obviously, it had to be unleavened. Biblically leaven represents error or heresy and sin. Jesus had warned His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians and Paul spoke of it in reference to sin (1 Cor. 5:6). Jesus used this bread to represent His body. In contrast to heresy, it was to represent the body of the One who said, "I am … truth". (John 14.6) Also it had to represent the absence of sin for Jesus was without sin, that is, "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners." (Heb 7:26) Therefore the bread that the Lord took to represent His sinless body needed to be unleavened.

The preparation of unleavened bread included rolling it with a roller and piercing it. These not only ensured that the bread was unleavened but also were indicators to those that handled it that it was truly unleavened. Rolling the bread with a roller left it with stripes, so the bread used to typify the Messiah’s body was striped. Truly appropriate! "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) The bread was not only striped but also pierced! "They pierced My hands and My feet". (Ps 22:16) "For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, … They shall look on him whom they pierced". (John 19:36,37; cf. Zech.12.10) .

Then He took the third cup of the Passover meal, the cup of blessing, a cup of mingled wine and water, and used it to represent the blood and water that came from His body at His execution. Blood and water were both used under the law as cleansing agents. Both were needed; for example, before a person, or a house could be declared clear of leprosy. The writer to the Hebrews makes mention that the first covenant was ratified with blood and water "For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water … and sprinkled both the book, and all the people." (Heb.9.19) The New Covenant was similarly ratified. John recorded the detail, "… one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water". (John 19:34)

But clearly, the main cleansing agent is blood, "for the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul," (Lev. 17:11) and "according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission". (Heb 9:22) The Messiah emphasized this. He said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you". (Luke 22:20)

The remembrance concluded with the fourth cup, the cup of praise, over which the remainder of the Hallel was sung. This is the ‘hymn’ they sang before they went out. (Matt.26.30; Mark 14.26) The Messiah, in respect of the day of the Passover, which was to be the day of His execution, sang: "I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints". (Psalm 116:14,15) "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" (Psalm 118:6) "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8) "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:22-24) "Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar." (Psalm 118:27) And the last words in the Passover chamber: "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." (Ps. 118:29)

When the Passover supper was ended, and the last psalm sung, and the last benediction said, the Messiah went out into the night, to the garden of Gethsemane, to prepare Himself for the trials of the night and the terror of the day.

"Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons."

(John 18:3) The complicity of the Chief Priests is evidenced in that Temple guards accompanied the Romans. Their need to eliminate Jesus of Nazareth required a cooperation with the Roman occupiers that would mean they would discard their own legal system and ride roughshod over the very code which they accused the Messiah of breaking. Nevertheless, from the time that Jesus dispatched Judas to the Chief Priests to the time He cried, "It is finished", Jesus had control of the timetable of events.

The Journey to Golgotha

They led Jesus, now carrying the execution stake, from the Antonia fortress, across the northern extensions on the Temple mount, to the closest exit gate, the Shushan Gate. To get to the Shushan Gate, which was located on the eastern wall, they had to pass through the Tadi (Lambs’) gate. The Tadi gate was the northern entrance gate into the Temple compound through which they brought every lamb destined for slaughter in the court of priests. Here is a fulfillment of Scripture, He was "led as a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53.7). Descending the steps, they exited through the Shushan gate, the exit gate off the Temple mount through which they led the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, and the red heifer when occasion demanded it.

Because of the scourging, Jesus was in a very weak condition, and collapsed under the burden of His cross. The Romans conscripted Simon, a Jew from Africa, to carry it. Simon had come up to Jerusalem for the Passover. That morning, Simon had joined the crowds that had come to the Temple to observe the sacrifice of the nation’s Passover lamb. He would indeed observe the sacrifice of a lamb at the time of the morning sacrifice, but not from the court of Israel in the Temple, but on Golgotha.

Professional mourners followed the procession that left the Temple Mount. These were provided when a Jew was to be executed, especially at the hands of Gentiles. It is at this point that Jesus lamented again over Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders and people had declared, "His blood be on us and on our children." (Matt. 27:25) So Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children." (Luke 23:28)

From the Shushan Gate the large company of people involved in the condemnation of the Messiah, were led by the Roman execution squad across the Kidron valley to the Mount of Olives opposite.

The Romans needed to select a site to suit their purposes. Since it was an official Roman execution, the site had to fulfill two major conditions. The first, it would have to be a public place, where the execution would be an example to everyone that passed by, that demonstrated that revolt against Rome was dealt with severely. Secondly, it would need to be at or near the site where the crime had been committed. The Romans picked an area near to the busy crossroads where a week before, the alleged crime of insurrection was committed, that is, where Jesus had ridden to Jerusalem as King of the Jews. It would be here that He would be crucified along with two rebels, the second fulfillment of the Scripture, "He was numbered with the transgressors" (Mark 15.28) The gospel writers identified the site as an ancient religious site called ‘place of a skull’, (Matt.27.33; Mark 15.22; John 19.17) that is Golgotha or Calvary. This site was to become known for something unique and amazing for while the God of Israel is omnipresent and, as the Psalmist declared, there is no escaping Him, this spot was to gain added notoriety in that it was to be the one place on the face of the earth where the presence of God was to be withdrawn!

It was just before nine o’clock in the morning when they arrived at Golgotha. The rejected Messiah was divested of His clothes. These were taken as perquisites by the soldiers. The soldiers had no reason to show mercy or compassion, so there was no tenderness in the execution of their duty, and nothing to cover the shame of the Messiah. Once they had constructed the cross, they laid it on the ground and placed Him on it. Jesus was nailed to the crossbeam and pillar. To blunt the pain of crucifixion they offered Jesus wine mingled with myrrh, but He refused it, in order that He might be in full control of His faculties. At the time when Jesus was nailed to the cross by the Roman soldiers He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (The first of seven sentences from the cross). We know this prayer was for the Roman soldiers because the text continues, ‘And they divided His garments and cast lots’. (Luke 23:34) The average Jewish male had five pieces of clothing:

the upper garment, the under garment, the head covering, a pair of shoes or sandals, and lastly an outer coat.

If, as there usually were, four soldiers in the crucifixion party, they would each have one of the articles of clothing and the outer coat was divided between them. But because of the quality of the robe that Jesus wore they cast lots for it, and did not divide it, thus fulfilling the prophecy. "They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots." (Ps.22:18)

It was at the time of the morning sacrifice (9 a.m.) that Jesus was crucified. "Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him." (Mark 15:25) At the same moment as the Passover lamb for the nation was being sacrificed in the Temple, the Lamb for the world was sacrificed on Calvary.

As required by Roman law, the charge against the felon was pinned to the crucifixion stake. The notice above the head of the Messiah read, "JESUS OF NAZARETH, KING OF THE JEWS". It was written in:

1. Latin, the official language of Rome,

2. Greek, the language of the Gentiles

3. Hebrew, the language of the ruling Jews.

It was written like a title, rather than an accusation, and the Jewish leaders objected, but Pilate remained adamant – "what I have written, I have written". (John 19.22)

Jesus on the Cross

Before the journey to Calvary Jesus had already suffered :

1. A betrayal by His own disciple.

2. The agonies of Gethsemane.

3. The desertion by His disciples.

4. The hypocritical trials before Annas, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin.

5. The mockeries that took place through the night.

6. The denial by His most prominent disciple.

7. The trials before Pilate and Herod.

8. The unjust Roman scourging.

9. The condemnation and execution order brought about because of the evil pressure of His accusers.

10. A mob crying out for His crucifixion.

 11. The exhausting journey to Calvary.

Then there was the experience of the first three hours at the place called Golgotha

12. The nailing of the hands and feet.
13. The dislocation of His bones when the cross was uplifted.
14. The shame of hanging naked before a hostile world.
15. The derision and gloating of His enemies as He hung there.
16. The pain of it all.

 

But worse was yet to come

for at twelve midday a darkness fell that lasted for three hours. "Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened". (Luke 23:44,45) How is it possible, since the Messiah is associated with light and not darkness?

He had said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12; cf. 9.5) His coming was the coming of light; "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." (Matt. 4:16) Moreover, one night, under the eastern sky, the Mount of Transfiguration had been alight with the Shekinah glory when Jesus met with Moses and Elijah. So why a darkness when Jesus, the Light of the World, was fully obeying His Father’s will? He Himself provides the answer, for at three in the afternoon, at the time of the afternoon sacrifice Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt.27.46, Mark 15.34)

So who can tell what agony the Messiah suffered during the period when the sun veiled its face. For three hours He drank from the cup of the wrath of God and experienced the darkness of hell.

        Death and the curse were in that cup,

O Christ, ‘twas full for Thee!

But Thou has drained the last dark drop,

‘Tis empty now for me.

But why was He forsaken of God? He had said, "I am the light of the world", but the light was put out. He had said, "I am the truth", but truth is on the scaffold. He had said, "I am the life", but He died (and not just physically but also spiritually). He had said, "I am the way" (to God), but the way is marked ‘no entry’. The door is closed, barred and triple bolted, and there is none to hear. What was going on? Well, He had also said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." (John 10:11) That’s what’s going on!

He was under the judgment of God, suffering in three hours an intensity of punishment that none but the perfect Son of God could have borne. Isaiah said, "… the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief" (Isaiah 53.10) He presented Himself as a sin offering, in the perfect will of God. "If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand". (Isaiah 53:10) He fulfilled His own promise to give His life a ransom for many. He was made sin on our behalf. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him". (2 Cor. 5:21) He was made a curse for us. "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"). (Gal. 3:13) YHWH laid on Him, "the iniquity of us all". (Isaiah 53:6)

The darkness was evidence that fellowship between the Father and the Son had been broken. Here, on the gibbet, Jesus addressed His Father as "My God". The gospels record the many instances when He referred to God as His Father, especially using "My Father" when the occasion suited – but now He called Him "My God". His relationship with God had really changed! The Son had been forsaken of the Father. He was ‘God-forsaken’ in its truest sense.

But here is mystery beyond all mystery. When at the end of the three hours He uttered His cry, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani’, the quote from Psalm 22 – "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Ps 22:1) God, the Father returned Jesus to the light and to spiritual fellowship.

The seventh and final sentence from the cross was, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." (Luke 23:46) Here He addressed God as Father – because His filial relationship had been restored.  At that very moment, the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom. This veil was made of strong materials and was four inches thick. The tear was sixty feet long and took place exactly at the moment of the death of the Messiah. The torn curtain signified that access into the presence of God would now be available through the man of Golgotha. "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh." (Heb 10:19,20)

No more veil! God bids me enter
By the new and living way –
Not in trembling hope I venture,
Boldly I His call obey:
There, with Him, my God I meet,
God upon the mercy seat.

The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)

The Abrahamic Covenant

 The Abrahamic Covenant was an agreement between the Lord and Abraham, which would have substantial implications for all of humankind. The first expression of the agreement is given early in the T’nach, although at that stage it was not called a covenant and Abraham’s name was Abram. The arrangement is best described as a promise, although a promise of God, dictated in such clear terms carries all the guarantees of a covenant. “Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” (Gen. 12:1-3)

 The first and most striking feature of this promise is the use of the word ‘bless’. “I will bless you” and “I will bless those who bless you”. Here is promised the blessing of the Lord that “makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it”. (Prov. 10:22) Not only was blessing promised to Abram, and to those who showed favor to him, but Abram himself was to be a blessing. And not only was the blessing to be of the highest quality, that is, the blessing of the Lord, but it was to be of the widest application, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed”.

 The second feature was the assurance that Abram would father a large posterity. “I will make you a great nation”. Abram was to have children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, and so on.

 The third feature was that Abram’s election, coupled with personal, national and international blessing, was in the gift of God, and that the Lord personally committed Himself to keep His promise. “I will make you a great nation”; “I will bless you and make your name great”; “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

 The different elements of the promise are, in large part, a reversal of the judgment on Adam. There it was exile, here it is a fellowship (Abraham will be called the friend of God) – there it was pain in childbirth, here it is the joy of children in abundance. In the expansion of the promise into a covenant agreement there will be added a homeland which adds a further contrast because Adam was put out of the most fruitful garden on the planet into a world with uncooperative soil, while Abraham’s posterity will live in a land flowing with milk and honey. Like Adam, who had only one command to obey, this promise of great blessing had only one condition, a requirement that Abram leave Ur of the Chaldees, the city “consecrated to the worship of Sin, the Babylonian moon-god”. It appears there could be no blessing while Abram remained in Babylonia, the territory that consistently rebelled against the living God.

 So Abram had met with God, heard His voice, and been assured of His care. What an encounter! What promises! Stephen, referring to this event said, “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran”. (Acts 7:2) 

 The Genesis account puts it slightly differently. “The word of the Lord came to Abram” (Gen. 15:1) and “Behold, the word of the Lord came to him” (Gen.15:4) This is the first mention of the “word of the Lord” in the Bible. Stephen identified the “word of the Lord” as “the God of Glory”. Here, surely, is an indication that it was the pre-incarnate Christ, the Word who was in the beginning with God, and who is God, that made the covenant with Abram. Jesus, the incarnate glory of God was first the pre-incarnate God of Glory.

Abram did, in fact, leave his home, and followed the guidance of the Lord, albeit, with some delay as he cared for his father. They tarried in Haran, a city also dedicated to the worship of the moon-god, Sin. The fulfillment of the promises of the Lord would have to wait until His chosen vessel had fully departed from the contaminated atmosphere of idolatry.   But even when Abram and his household had reached the promised land, Abram’s personal commitment yet had some way to run. The severance from his family was still incomplete because his nephew Lot accompanied him.  While Lot remained, Abram encountered difficulties. Canaan did not yield its produce to him – it was hit by famine, and he took a detour down into Egypt. If Babylon, represents the world against God, Egypt certainly represents the world without God. Alas, Egypt contaminated both Abram and Lot. Lot enjoyed his stay in Egypt, and even after he had left, the land that was watered by the Nile influenced him. When he was required to separate from Abram, He saw an area that reminded him of Egypt. There was a well-watered plain, and cities nearby. With the memory of Egypt fresh in his mind, he chose to pitch his tent towards Sodom. It did not take long for him to relinquish the life of a nomad and become a city dweller – in Sodom, of all places! He not only became a city dweller but an elder of Sodom, sitting in an official capacity at its gate. Abram, in the meanwhile, continued to look for a “city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God”. (Heb.11.10)

 It was not until Lot had gone did God fully confirm the detail of His undertaking. “And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: ‘Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are— northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.’” (Gen. 13:14-17)  This new word from the Lord, not only re-established the promise of a nation coming from his loins, but also added detail that had not been expressed previously, that is, the land to which he was guided would be given to his descendents, the nation that he would father. It was only after Abram had removed from the influence of both Babylon, and Egypt, and had finally separated from his family, did God repeat the divine promise.

The Scriptural assessment of his obedience is summed up in the catalogue of heroes, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going”. (Heb. 11:8) This verse identifies the element that is at the heart of a covenant relationship with the Lord and an essential ingredient in any obedience offered – faith.  “By faith Abraham obeyed”.

More Next Time

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The Messiah and the Covenants of Israel (Continued)

An Outline of History

Changes initiated by the Immutable

 The brackets for the history of humanity on this present earth are the two creations. The record of the first, documented by Moses the historian, is stated simply, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”. (Gen. 1:1) It is here that human history began. God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Gen. 1:26) The Bible also indicates there will be another creation. Peter wrote, “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Pet. 3:13). In vision, John saw it. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away”. (Rev. 21:1) Human history on this planet, as we currently know it, will be between the two creations, although eternal life means it will continue forever, albeit under different conditions.

 But there are two more major punctuation points needed.  One relating to the past and one in connection with the future.  The incarnation provided a punctuation mark in past history, an event when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. (John 1:14)  

 

 

At the first creation, man was made in God’s image (that was at the first punctuation mark), so that at the incarnation God could be made in man’s image (that is at the second punctuation mark).

 

 

  However, the incarnate God, the Messiah, Jesus Christ will visit earth again. The message from on high is, “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) He will return to intervene in the affairs of men. First to gather and evacuate from the earth those ‘in Christ’ (both dead and alive); and then shortly after, to rescue the Hebrew nation from annihilation.  For those who will be taken to be ‘with Christ’, they will be remade in the image of Christ, which means they will be remade in the image of God.

 

 

In the period between the first creation and the first coming of Christ, the Lord was mainly occupied in educating humankind in the new house rules, which had been changed because of Adam’s disobedience.  It is the time that is described in the Bible as the period when God spoke. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets”. (Heb. 1:1) It was a time dominated by prophetic ministry, whether it was a Moses or a Samuel or an Isaiah.  It was the period in which the T’nach was written; a period that came to a glorious consummation when the Word became flesh and dwelt on earth. The implication is that the T’nach, in a sense, was autobiographical because the pre-incarnate Christ spoke through the prophets, and the incarnate Christ stated that they spoke of Himself. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews, who has much to say on the subject, couples the two punctuation points together, that is, the creation and the first coming of Christ; declaring that God “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds”. (Heb. 1:2)

 

 

 The period between the first coming of Christ and His second coming has a different emphasis. It is His present ministry, and it is not so much related to the prophet but to the priest.  It is the priestly ministry of intercession. “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us”; (Rom. 8:34) and “He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them”. (Heb. 7:25) He is currently engaged in fulfilling His ministry as a High Priest of the order of Melchizedek.

 

 

 But when He returns to deal with the crisis affecting the Jewish nation, it will be as King/Messiah. He will deal with the emergency and then judge the nations from His throne. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory”. (Matt. 25:31) He will usher in the millennial kingdom, while retaining absolute power. “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David”. (Luke 1:32) In that millennial kingdom, the apostles will join with Him in reigning over Israel, while the Church will join Him in reigning over the Gentile nations.

 

 

It is clear that the rules that govern the household of God must of necessity change, when the ministry of the Son of God changes.  Things cannot be the same after the death of Christ, as they were before His decease.  Things cannot be the same after He has returned as King/Messiah, as they were before that great event.

 

 

And there are other changes introduced by the Omniscient. We have already noted that Adam’s disobedience brought about a change. His existence suffered the greatest change. God had said, “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) He ate the fruit and paid the penalty, an outcome that had consequences for all his posterity, “In Adam all die”. (1 Cor. 15:22) In the wake of Adam’s transgression, God introduced new ‘house rules’. He could only be approached if the new regimen was recognized, that is, that the wages of sin is death and life is in the grace and gift of God. The death of an animal as a substitute was sufficient to demonstrate acknowledgement of individual failure, remorse for the sinful condition of the penitent, and acceptance of the new regimen. Abel recognized this and brought an acceptable sacrifice. “Abel … brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering”. (Gen. 4:4) The writer of the Hebrew letter identified an essential requirement in the new arrangement – faith. “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts.” (Heb. 11:4)

 

 

 The temptation that was involved in the fall of Adam included the statement from the father of lies, “You will not surely die”. (Gen. 3:4) But die they did! Genesis chapter five has the refrain for eight of the nine generations listed there, “and he died”. (Gen. 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31) And increased wickedness in the world brought about a reinforcement of the principle, “the wages of sin is death”. The deluge catastrophically cut short all life upon earth, apart from one family, a family identified as knowing and observing God’s ‘house rules’. The head of the family was Noah, described as “a preacher of righteousness”, in contrast to his contemporaries who are described as “ungodly”.  (2 Pet. 2:5) His experience included the special ingredient “faith”. “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” (Heb. 11:7)

 

 

 Regrettably, humanity, infected as it was by the virus of Adam’s sin, continued to revolt against the sovereign Lord and united in rebellion against Him. They built a tower for protection from any judgment that could be formed against them. The narrative of the tower of Babel, signifying the rebellion of humankind, is included to identify, among other reasons, how Babylon got its name. It is perhaps, the foundation of the idea that Babylon, in Scripture, always represents the world against God. The unity of these rebellious people was disturbed by the removal of their common language. It is at this point in history that the Lord chose a man to build up an individual relationship, to enter into an arrangement with him, with the promise of large blessings in return for personal commitment. It is here that God’s ‘house rules’ were slightly modified. They were still based on the principle that the wages of sin is death and life is in the grace and gift of God, but here we have an initiative of God that was designed to lead to a solution to the problem of sin. With His eye on a sacrifice that would not simply cover sin but rather cleanse it; He entered into a covenant relationship with Abram, a man He extracted from Babylonia.

Next Time - The Abrahamic Covenant

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