Pastor Goforth

A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament – Chapter Eight – The Minor Prophets

May 27th, 2016

This is a New Study I developed at Faith Baptist Church on Wednesday night. I would love to hear from you.

Chapter Eight – The Minor Prophets

The Same, yesterday, today, and forever

That’s what Hebrews says about Jesus. As the writer of Hebrews wrote to the Jewish Community, dispersed, perhaps to Rome or to Alexandria, he wanted them to fully understand Jesus. And so, he used many “types” of Christ for them to see: God’s Word, Angels, The Sacrifices, The Law, The Prophets, The Promises, were all pointing us to Jesus. Jesus was in it all, he was the fulfillment of it all, and so he is greater than it all. So, as he closes his teaching he says in Hebrews 13:6 “so we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” And what is this confidence? V8 “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

Don’t believe those who try and paint a divergent picture of God, of Christ, in the Old Testament, New Testament, and Today. He is, he has been, will be the same. That is not to say that he does always for us what he has done for someone else, but his character does not change. His glory doesn’t change. So when we look at the Old Testament and find Jesus, then we have a better understanding of God in the Flesh, Immanuel, who we see in the Gospels. We then better understand the Christian Living enjoined in the writings of the Apostles. Through it all we can understand what he has said, how to apply the promises, carry out his commands, and live in expectation, Today.

So, one section still to walk through – The Minor Prophets, or the less recorded prophets. They are NOT minor. God’s word is never minor; it is always major. Some of the greatest prophesies are in these minor works. We only have time for a few, but let’s see.

Hosea

Oh what an amazing and wonderful thing it is when the Lord speaks. It is truly an amazing thing when he speaks to us, calls us by name. But as we have seen already that the Word of God given to his preacher is not always something pleasant. I had preachers counsel me, “don’t be a preacher, unless God will not let you do anything else.” Because when the word of God comes it is not all flowers and fluffy clouds. But I guess if God’s people were always following him, and in communion with him there wouldn’t be a reason for preachers.

And so God’s Word comes to Hosea …

In 1:2 – … the Lord said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.”

“I’m sorry Lord, what was that?”

Israel was always seen as the wife of God. So unfaithfulness to him and his commands was equal to adultery. The Church is the promised bride of Christ, being prepared for a beautiful wedding in Heaven.

So he obeys God, then Hosea and his wife Gomer have a son, and name him Jezreel = God sows, because God was about to do some plowing under in Israel. Then a daughter was born, Lo-Ruhamah = Not loved, because God’s love for Israel was not going to be shown. And then they had another son, Lo- Ammi = not my people for v8 you are not my people and I am not your God

Wow …see a pattern developing … where is the good news? V10 YET …

Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel

Where is Jesus? In this adulterous generation where do we find Jesus? He is the seeker of the Sinner to be his Bride. The same lover who seeks his beloved in the Song of Solomon. The same one who seeks the one who wants to be loved and loving, seeks the one who is rebellious. The same one also calls the fickle follower back to himself as Hosea would have to do when Gomer left him to return to her old ways. And so Romans 5:8 God demonstrated his love toward us in that WHILE we were STILL SINNERS Christ died for us

The beginning of this fulfillment came in the ministry of Christ and the provision of the Cross

1 Peter 2:10 (NIV84) Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

But as all his promises, it won’t only come true in theory, and in allegory, but in reality in the end times. Revelation 7:4-9; Galatians 4:27

3:1 Go show your love to your wife again though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods …

V2 so I bought her for 15 shekels of silver, and about a homer and a lethek of barley. This price btw … the silver with the barley equal 30 shekels of silver … which Exodus 21:32 says in the cost of a lost slave.

So too, while we had sold ourselves to slavery, Jesus bought us … he was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver but the price was DEATH … and he counted and paid it to the full

So, 14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! 2 Take words with you and return to him. Say to him: Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.””

Oh Listen, all we have to take with us to Christ are words … “Lord forgive … receive” with intent to worship him with our lives. Anything else we bring comes up short … but everything we need is in Christ

Joel

The Lord is prominent in … The Day of the Lord this is a concept that will be throughout the minor prophets.

2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming.

1:3 tell it to your children and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation

The Day of the Lord was the day Jesus was born and lived, died, and rose. It will be the day / season of judgment, and restoration. It will be eternity in his presence. And it was the day he became MY Savior, Lord, and Friend

Amos

Jesus is the Judge of Nations in Amos

1:2 The Lord roars from Zion, and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers

His judgment is always Just and he gives legal reasons for his indictments in chapter 1.

5:23-24 away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream

6:1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion

9:11 in that day I will restore David’s fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be …

Then in those days … prosperity will flow

Jonah

What a wonderful little story to be included in these prophets’ writing.

The word of the Lord came to Jonah … 2 go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me

It is a proclamation of Judgment. Not on God’s people but on a wicked people. Jonah didn’t want to go. There is no promise of anything gracious here, just a promise of judgment. On one hand Jonah would expect to be HAPPY to deliver a message like this to a place so wicked. Nineveh was as wicked as they came. This is a people that always tried to top God and bring him down. The city was founded by Nimrod. He was grandson of Noah’s son, Ham. Outside of scripture, sources and tradition say this is where Babel was built when the people began to move east … They were wicked, cruel. They would build with the skulls of their defeated and cover their walls in the skins of defeated foes. So perhaps Jonah was scared to go preach. But though understandable, that was NOT why Jonah didn’t want to go … We know more at the end of the story about the encounter with God. Although God never promised to relent if they repented … Jonah knew God … and when the people responded to the proclamation of judgment with repentance, sack cloth and ashes, fasting … 3:10 when God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

And Jonah got angry … and then we find out why he ran … what he had said to God in the first place …

4:2 O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? This is why I was quick to flee … I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity

Jonah knew the glory of God Exodus 34:6-7 … and he wasn’t afraid of Nineveh, he was afraid Nineveh might get SAVED! Greatest Revival in history … and he was mad about it.

What do we see of Jesus?

… that he is CONCERNED about the Lostness of the Worst Sinners.

… that if he can save Me, he can save anybody

… that if he can save anybody, he can save me

Was Jonah real? The Fish real? Jesus said “As Jonah was 3 days in the belly of the huge fish so the son of man will be 3 days in the earth” …. Jesus believed he was real, and Jesus was buried for 3 days … if 1 isn’t true, is the other?

Micah

He was a contemporary of Isaiah, beginning with Uzziah’s son Jotham through Ahaz and Hezekiah.

1:3 Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads the high places of the earth

“high places” refers to pagan worship sites.

Where do we see Jesus?

4:2 Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths. The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide …

Then it gives us a picture of the Millennium and Jesus ruling from Jerusalem

Swords into plowshares … spears into pruning hooks

4:5 all the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

Then we move into the passage that instructed the Magi …

4:8 As for you, O Watchtower of the flock … that is Migdal Eder – the watchtower between Bethlehem and Jerusalem where they watched the flocks destined to be sacrificial lambs. It was there where most likely the shepherds were that were called to Bethlehem that late winter, early spring night.

5:2 – But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler of Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times

Oh Jesus was born in Bethlehem but he didn’t start in Bethlehem … his origins are from of old … In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and was God. He was with God in the beginning

5:4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

Still we see his coming, and then still he is coming. He provided peace, and yet peace is still to come. Peace has come to our hearts and yet peace is still to come to our lives in a physical present way.

And finally in this book the most beautiful picture of Jesus

7:18-19 who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depts. of the sea. You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago

He is a promise keeper

Nahum

Remember that the glory of God is Gracious, Compassionate, slow to anger, forgiving the guilt of our sin … but he will not let the guilty go unpunished …

So Nineveh, forgiven under the preaching of Jonah because of the repentance of the people.

Now 100 years later they have returned to their old ways, they are not repentant, and God brings their destruction and disappearance forever from history.

The other side of his glory … God will never send anyone to judgment, but a Just God must do what justice demands …

Nahum 1:2–8 (NIV84) The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. ³ The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. ⁴ He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. ⁵ The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. ⁶ Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. ⁷ The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, ⁸ but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into darkness.

Habbakuk

Don’t ever think that God’s silence in trials means he doesn’t hear and won’t bring justice …

1:2 How long, O Lord must I call for help but you do not listen?

1:5 Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

What we see in Habbakuk is a God who hears and answers prayer

Zechariah

Well we won’t look at every book. But you may know I LOVE Zechariah. You can go online to our website and watch my 17 sermons from this book.

1:8 – A man riding a red horse! … standing among the myrtle trees … 10 the man standing among the myrtle explained … they report to the Angel of the Lord, who was standing among the myrtle … Lord Almighty how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem … the Lord spoke kind and comforting words … I am Jealous for Jerusalem … I will return to Jerusalem with mercy

God keeps his promise … 70 years has passed … God keeps his promise

He is a God who is jealous for his own, and for his glory

He does get angry in Justice

He will return with Mercy – Ezekiel 10:18-19; 11:22-23

I will Bring Prosperity and Blessing

Isaiah 40:1-11 – Comfort my people … speak tenderly … every valley shall be raised, every mountain and hill made low … he tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in the arms and carries them close to his heart …

A Picture of what Happens Spiritually when we Turn to God is in – 3:1-10 – I Believe it is a picture of the supernatural in our salvation and anytime we repent and turn to God.

V1 – satan standing at his right side to accuse him … Oh the devil doesn’t want you to repent even less than Jonah wanted Nineveh to hear the message of God. who do you think directed Jonah’s thoughts? Why do you think some of your biggest fusses happen in the car on the way to church? How many headaches, cares, concerns, come to a peak during or before service

1. satan will accuse you, before God, before men, before yourself

2. Christ comes to your defense

V2 the Lord said to satan, “the Lord rebuke you, satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”

Oh God is FOR you … you are never so far away as when you are turned from him, but you are never so close as when you turn your head, turn your heart, turn your steps back to him, he is right there … to snatch you from the fire …

Romans 8:33-34 – who will bring a charge against those whom God has chosen? Who is he that condemns? … Christ Jesus … died … raised … is also interceding for us

3. Christ Transforms Us

V3 Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes … 4 the angel said to those who were standing before him, “take off his filthy clothes”… see I have taken away your sin, and I put rich garments on you” … put a clean turban on his head (Crown)

M. Henry – now that he looks clean … let him look Great

Oh he doesn’t just take from us he replaces with so much greater … richer … eternal

4. He Commissions Us

If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here

Oh he saves us in the heavenlies to bring us to the heavenlies … Hallelujah

Oh I wish I could preach you the whole book, because I just love it … but one more

12:7 the Lord will save the dwellings of Judah first … 8 on that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the Lord … 9 on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem 10 And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11 … in the plain of Megiddo …

They will look on Him … given because God so Loved … he lived among us in perfection … called us to repentance … showed us God’s glory, gave a sacrifice …

And they will mourn …

Many mourned when he died … but until we mourn our sin … we don’t really understand his death. His death was more than a waste, it was a sacrifice for ME …

When we mourn our sin … and recognize his sacrifice … we are ready to receive … Grace and Supplication – God’s grace follows our repentance … Jonah knew it … it IS the Glory of God … slow to anger, gracious and compassionate, forgiving our sin …

John 6:37 whoever comes to me I will never drive away

From his wounds … God’s grace flows over us

Pierced, he presents himself for us …

Pierced he brings us in to God’s grace

Pierced he will remain … John 20:27 – see my hands … reach out your hand and put it in my side … stop doubting and believe

Oh we will have no problem recognizing Jesus in Heaven. The scars will still be there. And some day we will be in Heaven and Revelation 4 and 5 says God will be on the Throne arrayed in splendor. All of the church, the priesthood of God will be there. We will be dressed in white with crowns of gold on our heads. Flashes of lightning and peals of thunder will come from the throne and the Holy Spirit will be ablaze before God. There will be Heavenly Beings before the throne leading worship saying

“Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come”

And every time they say that, we, the church will fall down in worship and lay our crowns down saying,

“you are worthy … to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Then it says that God will have in his hand a scroll sealed up with seven seals. And a call will go out across the multitudes of people, angels, and creatures asking “who is worthy to break the seal and open the scroll or even look inside?” And no one in heaven or earth or under the earth will be worthy … Then one of those church folk, the 24 elders, maybe you, will say “do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has triumphed. He is Able to open the scroll …”

And Then we will see a LAMB, looking as if it had been slain standing in the center of the throne … and He will take the scroll from the right hand of God and as we look on Jesus, the one they pierced, Still bearing the scars of our sacrifice, we will sing a new song

You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals

Because you were slain

And with your blood you purchased men for God

From every tribe and language and people and nation …

And all of Heaven will Declare

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

And honor and glory and praise!

To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

Be praise and honor and glory and power

For ever and ever!

They will look on Him, The One Who Was Pierced …

Oh will YOU Look?

Pierced we see his love

Pierced we see the price has been paid

Pierced our sins are forgiven

Pierced we can be his children

Look and Believe

Look and Receive

Look and Live

And so … chapter 13 says on that day a fountain will be opened … Oh what a Glorious Day … Idols banished …

Oh see him in 13:7 strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered …

Oh what a glorious day …

14:8 on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem … 9 the Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name

V20 – Holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like sacred bowls in front of the altar …

Oh God … on the day of Christ … the every day is amazing … the common place is supernatural and the supernatural common place …

Because Jesus Is Lord

If you have read through the Great Testament to God’s promises called the Old Testament you understand that you can’t fully understand the Testament to the Fulfillment of the promises called the New Testament, if you haven’t found Jesus in the previous testament.

May the Lord bless us as we see him in the fullest way we can … through his complete revelation in his word. Old and New, exciting and mundane, Beginnings, Law, History, Poetry, and Prophesy … it is all by Jesus, it is all for Jesus, it is all to Jesus

Romans 11:33–36 (NIV84) Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ³⁴ “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” ³⁵ “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” ³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Oh Who … Who … who? It is Jesus … that’s who knows God, counsels with God, and reveals God … to him be glory forever and ever.
A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament

May 24th, 2016

This is Chapter Seven of a New Study I developed at Faith Baptist Church on Wednesday Nights. I’d love to hear what you think.

Session Seven: In the Major Prophets

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Well … through the beginnings, through the Law, through the History books, Through the Poetry and Wisdom … Jesus. Jesus has always been there. He is the Image of the invisible God. He is God with us, God to us, God for us.

So we turn to the Major Prophets. They are not major because they are better, but because they are bigger.

Isaiah, the son of Amoz wrote the book of Isaiah to Judah and Jerusalem, during the reign of the kings, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Those bookend of Kings would have both been heroes for Israel and for Isaiah.

His prophesy begins by saying “Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the Lord has spoken ‘I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows his master, the donkey his owners manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.’ Ah sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord: They have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.”

So … the people had been unfaithful … they had forsaken God … Jesus told the Pharisees once that they search the scripture thinking that by their knowledge they would have life, but they refuse to come to HIM … the One the scriptures testify about … to HAVE Life.

So, when Isaiah was called by God, Uzziah was King. Uzziah was a king for 52 years. Mostly he was a good King. He was faithful to God. But one day he got out of order, tried to do the work of a priest. He was corrected but did it anyway. He went into the temple and tried to offer incense. Remember to obey is better than sacrifice. So he was struck with leprosy. Most commentators say that Isaiah was related as a nephew or cousin to Uzziah. He was the country’s hero, but he was a special hero to Isaiah. He died in the separation and shame and shame of leprosy. And in that year when he died, no longer having glory, no longer having rule, no longer having majesty, Isaiah saw The Lord

Isaiah 6:1-10

Who did Isaiah see? The Lord – Adonai – Remember we have said that 1 Timothy 6:16 says no one has or can see God. So who did he see?

John says about Isaiah, John 12:41 “… he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.”

Isaiah saw JESUS …

How did he See the Lord?

On a Throne …

Psalm 146:3–4 (NIV84) Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. ⁴ When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Psalm 146:10 (NIV84) The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord.

Uzziah no longer sat on a throne, he was already buried in the place where every King goes … the ground. But there was Jesus … ON the THRONE …

High and Lifted Up – this was not the essence of God – that is Father, but the dominion of God, his authority given to the son. John’s connection of Jesus to this vision is clearly the proclamation of his divinity, his eternity, and his superiority.

Train filled the temple – interestingly, Isaiah doesn’t have a description of Jesus’ appearance because this was a vision to show his Immensity, his Expanse, his Glory, which is beyond description. All he really saw was the hem of his garment … oh but the power of that hem. Do you remember the woman with the “issue of blood” in her stomach? She had sought doctors for years, she had spent all she had, but she saw Jesus was coming through town. She pushed her way through the crowd, and threw herself at his feet touching the HEM of his garment. She was like the Canaanite woman that asked Jesus for crumbs from the table. Isaiah saw Jesus, filling the universe and his robe hem came down and filled the temple. Similarly, there is a very mysterious encounter between Aaron and the Elders of Israel on Mt. Sinai. Before Moses received the law from God’s hand they had been consecrated and God gave them a little taste …

Exodus 24:9–10 (NIV84) Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up ¹⁰ and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself.

They “saw the God of Israel” … but the only thing they “saw” was the pavement under his feet. It was sapphire … clear as the sky … What was it fully? Don’t know but it sounds like God’s Glory was shining out everything else, and all then could see was what was under his feet. Oh it was beautiful … but it was all they could see …

What was Around Him?

PRAISE – Don’t get a small picture here. Everything about this vision is HUGE. So don’t just see two seraphs. It just says “… seraphs, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another …” If your mind is too focused you might only see a pair of angels. But I see innumerable pairs of angels calling to each other … surrounding our Jesus with Words of Praise … calling to one another … Oh I believe when we get to heaven we will be in awe and there will be a lot of this going on … “Do you see him, Do you see Him? He is amazing, he is wonderful, he is majestic, he is like no other, like no other, mighty, mighty, mighty, the whole earth is just FULL of his GLORY.”

And so these Angels cried …

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, the whole earth is full of his glory”

And the doorposts shook at their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke …

Smoke comes from the prayers of the Altar of Incense …

Smoke comes from the fires of the Altar of Sacrifice …

Jesus is the Answer to our prayers

Jesus is the Answer to our sin

He is the Deliverance we seek

He is the Forgiveness Provider for our Sin

Oh Holy, Holy, Holy, like no other, is our God. Who else so wronged by rejection, stubbornness, so just, so righteous, and so able to judge; would himself become our Way-maker? Who would himself become the vehicle for grace?

What did he do?

He saw himself as he was.

Oh when Peter realized it was Jesus he said “Lord I am sinful”. Another time he realized it was Jesus on the shore and he covered himself up. Why? Because Jesus in front of us shows us how we are. Just like Uzziah was leprous, when he thought he was an untouchable King, so Isaiah saw himself as he was … “WOE to ME!” – owy – woe, alas … oh he said “I am a dead man” … I am ruined (NIV) I am undone (KJV) I am lost (ESV) = damah = destroyed

Remember when Samson’s Father realized he had seen God and he said “we are going to die”?

I am a sinner not just in the general, universal situation, I am a sinner in a specific fashion. When we see God, see Jesus, there is no more pretending, beating around the bush, we come clean. “I am unclean … in my lips” … specifics don’t matter, but he knew and God knew.

Why did he know he was unclean? Because he saw the Lord of Hosts – Jehovah Tsaba – the Commander of the Hosts of Heaven … Oh that’s who Joshua saw overlooking Jericho

What did God do?

He did NOT leave him that way

“A seraph flew to me with a live coal … from the altar … touched my mouth … SEE … your guilt is taken away and you sin atoned for”

Oh hallelujah … God didn’t look the other way. He didn’t just clean him up but leave him with the guilt. He didn’t reform him, he pardoned him. But Pardon is not without a price. Your sin is atoned for – kaphar = purged, atoned for, annulled, blotted out, forgiven – those are the words used in the English by different translations to translate this beautiful action of God. Oh my sin is so great that one word cannot even describe all that God has done to take it away. I have been purged, removed of the root, I have been atoned for, paid in full, annulled and blotted out, like it was never there, that’s justification. I am forgiven, as he has borne the weight of my sin.

What God Said

Whom shall I send, who will go for US – who is the US? Father, Son, and Spirit. This is not simply the hosts of Heaven. Because the hosts of Heaven serve God, they are not part of God’s dominion. God always has a mission. He always has a plan. As he reconciles us to himself, he then gives us the ministry of reconciliation. You have been saved to tell, saved to share, saved to minister him to others. 1 Corinthians 1 says that we comfort others with the comfort we have received. 2 Corinthians 5 says we have that same ministry of reconciliation that came to us. You were always called to call. We will never fail to hear the voice of God to go, if we hear the voice of God to come.

How Isaiah Responded

HERE I AM – Literally BEHOLD or SEE ME … he was there with hand raised, voice lifted, “Lord pick me, pick me, I’ll go, send me!”

Have you seen him? Have you worshiped him? Have you been Cleansed? Have you gone for him? If answer to question #4 is NO … then you better go back to #1-3 because you missed something.

Prophesies in Isaiah

Isaiah 7:10 “Ask the Lord for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights”

Now this is God speaking to an ungodly king. And offering to him an opportunity to prove himself. Listen, when God says “Tell me what you want and I will do it” … you should take him up on the offer. It is rude not to, but more than that you miss a chance to see God’s Glory right in front of you. And Ahaz says I will not put the Lord to the test … that sounds spiritual, and that’s a scripture answer, but if God offers a test take it. But he didn’t want a test because he didn’t want to be accountable to the proof. If the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, we have to taste to have the proof. Once we taste then we have to be willing to consume it if it proves good. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. But we often say
“NO, I don’t want to taste, I don’t want to be accountable to the taste.”

7:14 – the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel

The Promised One, The Christ, had been promised since Genesis 3:15 … and Isaiah affirms that he WILL come … but just to make sure you understand and do not confuse him with any other … he will be born of a virgin. He will be born Supernaturally.

He will be called Immanuel – His name would not be Immanuel, but his call, his duty, his purpose will be to be God with Us …

Matthew 1:21–25 (NIV84) She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

But Israel was experiencing gloom and defeat because of people that followed the way of Ahaz … what was God’s word for them?

Isaiah 9:1-7

We like to go straight for verse 6 and then only at Christmas – FOR … to us

FOR … ki = because, as, surely, verily, indeed – For what?

Isaiah 9:1–7 (NIV84) Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan— ² The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. ³ You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. ⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. ⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. ⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

To Us … To those who will see him and know him … The Angel in Luke 2 said this was good news of great joy for ALL people

A child is born … he is LIKE us … a child, and born of us, in our condition

A son is given … a son has the authority of his Father, a son has the blessing of his Father, a son has the inheritance of his Father … and his Authority, Blessing, and Inheritance is GIVEN to us …

Government upon his shoulders – Oh rule is his because he is the only one good enough, mighty enough, loving enough, to bear the weight of rule.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor – Wonderful – pele’ = Oh do you remember that God told Samson’s parents that his name was too wonderful to say? That is this same word. Counselor – yoes – counselor, advisor … where are you looking for the plan? He has it

Mighty God – Gibbor – Manly, vigorous, hero, CHAMPION – Oh stick with a winner

Everlasting Father – Abi = chief, father, ancestor, progenitor – oh he is the beginner of all things … In the Beginning God … He started, the First, and he will finish, the Last …

Prince of Peace – shalom = peace, prosperity, success, welfare, state of health, friendliness, deliverance, salvation – Yes Please … I need it all, I need health, I need peace from my war with God, I need a friend of God, I need deliverance from this judgment of death … Save me Prince … Save me

Of the Increase … there will be no end … His Rule, His Peace is without end. Listen, God made us to live for eternity. Eternity is the destiny of ALL … the question is what address will we take up? If we let him rule us … he will rule us in peace and we will know that peace for eternity. If we choose to be at war with him, reject him, his government will still never end, but we will place ourselves outside the borders of Peace.

On the throne of David to establish and uphold it

Psalm 89:4 (NIV84) ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ” Selah

With Justice and Righteousness … again … there are two sides to his glory, compassion and judgment … which side we are on depends on our obedience to the call … Exodus 34:6-7

Oh but how can we pull this off? You don’t have to …

The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts will DO THIS …

Isaiah 11:1

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesus … Olive trees grow in a funny way. They go down into the ground and come up and come up and come up. So they have these funny looking trunks when they grow a long time. But also if you cut a tree down, if the roots still have nutrients, the shoot will go underground and come up another place, another time.

So … remember Rahab, she believed the word of God. She feared the Lord, she obeyed the instruction of God, and God saved her through a scarlet cord out of her window in Jericho. And she became part of God’s people. And she married Salmon and they had a son named Boaz. Boaz, took in another woman from outside Israel who was committed “your people my people, your God my God” … and They had a son, Obed. And he had a son Jesse, and he had a son David. David had a son Solomon, but Solomon’s son Rehoboam splintered the Kingdom. Eventually Judah lost their Rule over their own land, but God keeps his promise. It would seem that the tree of Jesse, was cut down … but God was still at work …

From his roots a Branch will bear fruit

What is the picture of Jesus? One indwelt by the Spirit of God … v2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him …

Here is a picture of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit really? Yes the Holy Spirit living in and dwelling, working, empowering Jesus

When Jesus was baptized, God gave a visual of it. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove and landed on him.

So, this is the Holy Spirit? Certainly

Revelation 1:4–5 (NIV84)

⁴ John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,

John sees this vision and writes to the 7 churches of Asia … and who is this Message from? God.

V4 God the Father – Him who is, and who was, and who is to come

V5 God the Son – from Jesus Christ … faithful witness, firstborn from the dead, ruler … who loves and has freed us from our sins by his blood

So … where’s the Holy Spirit

V4 God the Holy Spirit is – from the seven spirits before the throne

Revelation 4 … God the Father is seen on the Throne … God the Son will appear taking the scroll, a Lamb who was slain … but there also is the Holy Spirit

Revelation 4:5 (NIV84) From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.

So back to Isaiah 11:2

Isaiah 11:2 (NIV84) The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord—

Did you count them? The Spirit of …

1… of the Lord

2… wisdom

3… understanding

4… counsel

5… power

6… knowledge

7… fear

Jesus will delight in the fear of the Lord

John 17:4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do

V3 `He will not judge by what he sees … or decide by what he hears …

V4 but with righteousness he will judge

V5 righteousness his belt … faithfulness the sash … sounds sort of like the Armor of God we are to take up … Ephesians 6

V10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious

V12 he will raise a banner for this nations and gather exiles …

Isaiah 12:1–2 (NIV84)

¹ In that day you will say: “I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. ² Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”

Ok … we need to move on …

Isaiah 53 – Suffering Savior

Psalm 98:1 (NIV84) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Isaiah 59:16 (NIV84) He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.

Isaiah 63:5 (NIV84) I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me.

So this arm is seen not as a Mighty Arm, but as an outstretched arm on a cross

Isaiah 52:10 (NIV84) The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

Isaiah 52:13 begins the discourse

Isaiah 52:13–15 (NIV84) See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. ¹⁴ Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness— ¹⁵ so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.

Jesus was lifted up … it was appalling … after beating, spat upon, beard plucked, crown of thorns, blood stained face … grotesquely forced onto a cross … and like the blood of the sacrifice sprinkled on the altar and on the mercy seat … so he will sprinkle many nations … and kings will shut their mouths … Whether they close their mouths in disbelief or in repentance, there was nothing else to say.

Peter boldly proclaimed Christ at Pentecost and before the priests in Acts 2 and 4 … but they could not make any statement against the truth he proclaimed … that Jesus was this one …

Who has believed our message?

V2 a tender shoot … (Isaiah 11:1, 10)

V2 no beauty, majesty, to attract – Moses was described as “no ordinary child” – he must have been a beautiful baby to catch the heart of the Pharaoh’s daughter (Acts 7:20, Hebrews 11:23). David was a handsome young man, obviously a leader to come when he was anointed. 1 Samuel 16:12 … but Jesus was ordinary, nothing to attract us to him. We draw these beautiful pictures … but he was simply ordinary.

V3 he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering, like one from whom men hide their faces … What a powerful image of Jesus. I think we think Jesus had a great, easy, carefree life … even ministry, and then a rough final few months, a terrible last week, and then death, then resurrection. “Oh I could do that, we might dare to think.” NO … it was a life of misery with joys scattered within. But he was never focused on personal happiness but in the joy that is fulfilling the plan of God, joy that comes from setting captives free. So like a Hero, who lays down his life to set captives free and is bruised, bloodied, destroyed in his efforts, so Jesus was … the only beauty is the beauty of the task completed.

V4 Surely he took up our infirmities

The God who made everything with his word, the God who had all power, laid that down. Oh he may have walked on water, and healed sickness, but he lived in the confines of our fallen world in its fullness. He took it up … borne … nasa – to carry, to lift, to raise, to take away …

He carried our sorrows – Yet we just thought he was hated by God … “what bad luck this guy has, how misguided he is he must be sinful to be afflicted such by God …”

But he was Pierced for our transgressions

He was Crushed for our iniquities

The Punishment that brought US peace … was upon him …

Atonement … Break that word apart … we are separated from God by our sin …but the death of Christ in our place has brought … At ONE ment – between us and God. Jesus came because we were already condemned and enables us to be at one with God again.

We … like Sheep … have gone astray … like stupid, wandering, meandering sheep …

We have turned to our own way … And the wages of sin is death

V6 and the Lord has LAID on him the iniquity of us all. So what is our sickness?

Transgressions – the actions of the flesh

Iniquity – actions of the heart

And v5 by his wounds … we are healed … not of physical but of sin and iniquity.

This is NOT a verse to use talking about any physical healing … because it is Not the nature or purpose of the prophesy.

He was oppressed and afflicted

Yet he did not open his mouth

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter – And as sheep before the shearers is silent So he did not open his mouth

He was cut off from the land of the living …

For the transgression of my people he was stricken

He was assigned a grave with the wicked … with the rich …

And they buried him in Joseph’s Tomb … and New Tomb

YET … Oh I live the contractions of Scripture

But God … here … Yet …

It was the Lord’s will to crush him … to suffer … make his life a guilt offering …

V11 after the suffering of his soul … he will see the light of life and be satisfied

Oh on the cross the light at the end of the tunnel was LIFE Eternal for you and for me

He will justify many

He will bear their iniquities

V12 THEREFORE … I will give him a portion among the great … because he poured out his life unto death … for he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors …

Tonight we must stop there … Read the Rabbi’s Dilemma on Jews for Jesus website

http://jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/v02-n05/isaiah53

No time for Isaiah 37:36; 2 Kings 19:35 where The Angel of the Lord strikes their enemies from Assyria

Jeremiah 7:11; Matthew 21:13

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:8-12

Jeremiah 31:31–35 (NIV84) “The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. ³² It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. ³³ “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ³⁴ No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” ³⁵ This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord Almighty is his name:

Oh Daniel is also full of Jesus

From the 4^th man in the Fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo … one who Nebuchadnezzar said looks like the Son of God

Daniel 3:35 – a Rock that became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth … v45 a rock cut not by human hands … that will endure v44

Daniel 7:13; Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62

Daniel 7:9,13; Revelation 1:13-14 – thrones set in place and the Ancient of Days took his seat, clothed in White, hair like what wool, flaming fire, wheels ablaze – thousands upon thousands, ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him … books opened …

Daniel 9:26 accurately predicts when he will come and when he will be cut off

Daniel 12 – The Ancient of Days, is the Man Dressed in Linen, righteousness telling Daniel that the mystery yet unfolding is too wonderful for him to see.

Jesus is there open your eyes and see him come alive

One more chapter next week.
Wasted Thoughts

May 23rd, 2016

How many wasted minutes do we spend daily with our thoughts on “God Things”? By that I don’t mean wasted thinking godly things. I mean wasted time thinking about things in the dominion, concern, and control of God. How much time do we waste in worry over things we cannot control? If we wasted only 10 minutes a day, that would be 3,650 in a year. That’s 60 hours in a year which is 2.5 days a year wasted in worry from 10 minutes a day. But if you wasted 30 minutes on worry every day, that’s 7.5 days over the course of a year. If we stay with math and are honest, if you worry, you worry more than 10 minutes, more than 30. If you spent an hour consumed by worry, that’s 15 days of worry in a year. That is a full 3 work week vacation wasted on worry. That’s a vacation away from completing the tasks of God in your life.

Jesus says in Matthew 6 that we have a worry problem. The problem with worry is that we are serving two masters when we worry. He says we are trying to lay up treasure in places that are not safe. We are treasuring earthly things, things that will rust, or be destroyed, stolen, or otherwise consumed outside of our control. So, Jesus says, lay up treasure in Heaven.

So, in v24, Jesus says “no one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (NIV84)

“Therefore” v25 “Do not worry …”(NIV84) The KJV says “take no thought about your life” … “what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear … Is not your life more important than food … the body more important than clothes?”

Of course this is not saying “don’t think about food, just eat whatever.” Nor is it saying “don’t think about clothes, just wear whatever.” No, it is saying “don’t waste time in worry about these essentials.” The word is merimnao = be anxious, care for, be concerned about, meditate upon, ponder, to be burdened. It is the idea of wasted worry untrusting thoughts, misused moments.

Misused moments turn into squandered hours. Squandered hours turn into desecrated days. Is not your life more important than that? It comes down to what we know and believe about God.

Yesterday I was walking in nature and I saw a tiny bird clothed in the most beautiful red garment of feathers. I saw an eagle soaring majestically, powerful wings spread and covered in feathers around his strong frame. I saw a pheasant, oh how beautifully he was clothed. Beautiful rust colored garment with multiple hues covered his body. As he strutted in front of me he was showing off his clothes. his neck was covered in iridescent green. His long tail extending out and his head covered in a red hat. He wasn’t worried. I saw a snail, large, almost 2 inches tall, was his beautiful house he carried on his back, while he dined on a leaf in my path. None of those simple creatures went shopping, God clothed them and housed them.

v26 Look at the birds of the air … your Heavenly Father feeds them …

And then comes the worry eradication phrase …

“… are YOU not MORE VALUABLE than they?”

diaphero = more valuable, superior to … Oh listen, this world IS subject to death and decay, because of sin … but Jesus didn’t leave heaven and become a bird, or a dolphin, an ape, or a rock for that matter. No, he left heaven and became one of us so that he might redeem US into a relationship with him. Nature is blessed as a by-product of God’s love for US, redeeming US. We are so valuable to him. He sought us as a pearl of great price, a treasure buried in a field.

So, v28 says “why worry … look at the lilies of the field …” They don’t worry. But he says Pagans worry about these things … why? Pagans worry because they have dead gods. When we waste our thoughts on worry, it is as if we have a god that we know is our own creation. A god who really can’t do anything for us. But David says “lead me to the Rock that is higher than I”

v33 But Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven … and Righteousness … and leave God to worry for the rest of it.

because, v27 “who by worrying can add a single hour to life?” Well you can’t ADD days to your life by worry, but if you DON’T worry, then you are saving Days … so you CAN add to your life by TRUSTING God …

Reclaim your clock … Banish worry … and do something fun and eternal with the unwasted moments
Participants in the Divine Nature

May 17th, 2016

One of my favorite passages is 2 Peter 1:3-4. I say favorite. But it is more of a “love to hate” passage. I love it because it is good. I hate it because it removes excuses. It says we can be participants in the diving nature.

Parents are “participants in the divine” as God entrusts children to us, and in essence entrusts the future of the next generation in the hands of parents.

Pastors are “participants in the divine” as God has given them to the church according to Ephesians 4, until God’s people are fully fitted together to reflect the image of Christ.

Individual believers together “participate in the divine” as Christ is reconciling the world to God, and then he has given to us the ministry of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5. We are ambassadors for Christ.

The fact that God would entrust divine, eternal things in human vessels of clay, broken, breaking, imperfect, is a truly amazing thing.

But what is communicated in one of my favorite verses, 2 Peter 1:3-4 is more than these participations in the divine

2 Peter 1:3 Says “his divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness.”

Not SOME things, but EVERYthing. It is that simple greek word, pas = every, all, the whole, the universe, every kind, everything – we need.

So, we get up in the morning and we face a challenge and we say “Lord, I can’t …” and he says “no child, you can. I have given you everything you need for this life, and to walk with me in godliness.”

How?

1) v3 “Through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” – Oh this isn’t simple Biblical knowledge, seminary training, no. This is experiential. This is Salvation Knowledge, this is experiential knowledge because we know him as Savior. It is because one day, one night, one afternoon, he called you by name and you responded. It is because he foreknew you as his, and predestined you to be conformed to his image. Then he called you. And called, you heard, believed, and by faith entered his grace and are justified, being sanctified, and will be glorified. That is salvation knowledge. And that day, he gave you everything you need for life and godliness. It is in the person of the Holy Spirit, given to all believers that you have all you need. It is DIVINE power. Power divine that was exerted on the dead body of Christ to raised him from the dead. Ephesians 1:13-14 … when you heard, and believed, you were given the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing all that is to come

How do we participate?

2) v4 “through these (v3 glory and goodness) he has given us his very great and precious promises – Because of God’s reputation (glory) and his Majestic acts (goodness) he gave us his Word. Every day that we fail to treasure, consume, and live according to his Word, we are failing to take advantage of the opportunity and destiny to participate in the divine.

3) What is it to Participate? – 4 so that through them you may participate in the divine nature … does this mean I become divine? No … It says participate. God alone is divine theios, interestingly the word means sulfur, brimstone, divine things, divine. But we can participate koinonos – partner, share, accomplice, friend, companion of … participate with the all consuming divine, nature physis – nature, natural condition of God. because God’s spirit lives in me, because i surrender to him, because I treasure his word and consume it like water to a thirsty man, food to a hungry man, air to a drowning man. I am able to become a companions to things that are not natural to me a sinner, but are natural to God. I become one who has love, patience, compassion, empathy, a hatred for sin, and a lover of good, not because of me, because that is unnatural, but it IS natural for God and I can participate in the divine.

4) So That – God gave me his Spirit, gave me his word, to be a companion of His. To surrender to a new nature and escape … the corruption … There is my natural nature … I am corrupt. The word means decay, destruction, depravity. Romans 7:14 says what a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? v25 Thanks be to God – Through Jesus CHRIST OUR LORD. I cannot escape the corruption alone. But I can become a companion, a shareholder, an accomplice of God’s. The gift of Jesus in my salvation is the Holy Spirit in me, and Christ in me is the Hope of Glory’ the Hope of God’s reputation being lived out in my life and I look up and … I am going against my nature, and love; against my nature, and living holy; against my nature, and being compassionate, gracious, merciful, and patient. When I see those things manifest in my life, it is Christ in me. It is resurrection power at work bringing life to this dead body. He has then made that power available to all who believe, Ephesians 1:19, and 2:6 says he has raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in heavenly realms.

Hallelujah! We are companions of the divine!
For the Next Generation

May 14th, 2016
Men of Faith Prayer Breakfast

For the Next Generation

14 May, 2016

So, I do not take lightly the privilege you afford me to speak into your lives. I always desire to inspire and to challenge. I also like positive stories that get us in the heart, excite us to believe the possible.

But not every story is like that. We also are often guilty of stopping with the exciting, the positive … and not wrestling with reality when it isn’t pretty.

We as men, fathers have a unique God given responsibility to lead our families. While our families are made up of humans who have their own minds, wills, and emotions, we must still take responsibility for what we pass along.

So, I have had these thoughts running around in my head for about a week and I didn’t put pen to it until last night … maybe because I didn’t want to …

There are some great men in scripture … men like Joshua, Gideon, King Hezekiah.

You are going to have to do some extra reading, but let me hit the high points

Joshua

Judges 2:7–8 (NIV84)The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. ⁸ Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten.

Only two other people, David and Moses, were ever called “The Servant of the Lord”.

Hezekiah

2 Kings 18:1 (NIV84)In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

2 Kings 18:5 (NIV84)Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.

No one like him … before or after …

Gideon

You know Gideon’s story in Judges 6-8. He was used by God to defeat the Mideonites. There is even a funny along the way when some men in Succuth wouldn’t give Gideon’s 300 some bread when they were pursuing the leftovers from their enemies. So, Joshua promised to get them back for their ingratitude in 8:7 and then in 8:16 he does what I love, and perhaps you wonder where this phrase comes from … “He took the elders of the city and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them HE TAUGHT THE MEN OF SUCCUTH A LESSON … Oh yeah … he taught them a lesson …

Then they tried to make him King they said “rule over us, you and your sons”

Judges 8:23 (NIV84)But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.”

Good Answer …

These are amazing men … men of renown … men to emulate. They were generals and a king. They were leaders of men. They were victorious men. They were men who trusted and followed God

But do you know what else they had in Common?

They lost their sons …

They lost the next generation …

Judges 8:32–35 (NIV84)Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. ³³ No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and ³⁴ did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. ³⁵ They also failed to show kindness to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for them.

Judges 2:8–13 (NIV84)Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. ⁹ And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. ¹⁰ After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. ¹¹ Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. ¹² They forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the Lord to anger ¹³ because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

Hezekiah was sick and prayed for more time

2 Kings 20:6 (NIV84)I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’ ”

What did he do with the 15 years? Well he had a son … Manasseh

2 Kings 20:21–21:2 (NIV84) Hezekiah rested with his fathers. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king. ¹ Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. ² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

2 Kings 21:4–7 (NIV84)He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.” ⁵ In both courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶ He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger. ⁷ He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever.

2 Kings 21:9 (NIV84)But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

WOW … What Happened?

When God’s men lose their families …

Guys I’m advancing with fear and trembling here …

Perhaps some of you are struggling here …

Any of our families could turn away …

satan prowls like a roaring lion … the reality is we are just a generation away from losing all we have invested …

So what happened? Well some of it is obvious, some not …

So, let me make some positive statements that are the opposite of what seems to have happened here …
1. Love Your Wife / Their Mother
We get a little peek at Gideon’s problem …

We find in the story that Gideon had 70 son … for he had many wives … and he also had concubines. Gentlemen, God realized Adam needed a helpmate … and he made him ONE wife. The greatest thing you can give your children is to LOVE your wife. She is the your friend, your lover, not just the mother of your children. I never call lisa “Mom” cause she is not my mom, she is my WIFE. I always called her by her name or my nicknames for her to my boys not “Mom” because I wanted them to know she was somebody special to me. She is someone I love more than any earthly person and I will protect and love her. I stole something from Josh McDowell that I have said to my boys when i heard them talking ugly to their Mother, my precious baby. I said “Boys, you may talk to your mother that way but NO ONE talks to my WIFE that way. Are we clear?” They understood exactly what I meant. End of story, apologies followed quickly. Cause they knew that SHE came first. They knew also that they came second and my job came third.

Seek and LOVE your wife gentlemen.
1. Don’t Entertain Idols in your midst
All three of these men, were committed to this … The first thing Gideon did for God was destroy the foreign altar in their midst

Joshua made them promise not to chase after idols

But we have to be careful that we don’t allow idols in our midst of the not obvious kind

What do you worship?

What do you order your lives around?

What do you give your wealth?

What is the decision maker in your house?

Anything besides the Lord is an IDOL
1. Don’t Make An Idol Out of Your Past Glory
Gideon had done great things for the Lord. He had served as a Judge for them people

He rejected their offer to make him King …

But he took little trinkets … oh just some little gold from the camels necks, just the ear rings from the men’s ears, and he turned them into a remembrance of what God had done … just a remembrance … but they began to worship the remembrance instead of the maker of the memory … they worshiped the deliverance and not the deliverer

Celebrate God … not just that one great thing you participated in. God is bigger than that. If you celebrate that moment, it becomes about you … it becomes about the event … that’s an idol
1. Be Present
I don’t know what happened between Hezekiah and Manasseh … but I can guess … Oh he was older … we was busy, he was the King … someone will take care of Manasseh … Have the priests teach him, have his mother teach him to pray, I’ll take him to church, but others are going to have to invest in him.

Think about it Manasseh became the exact opposite of everything his Father stood for. Why? Resentment perhaps. Dad wasn’t there.

I know it is hard … but presence isn’t always about GPS Coordinates

Invest yourself in them whatever way possible

Let them see you fail as well as succeed.

Celebrate with them, Cry with them

Then they will do the same with you …
1. Set Your Hopes on the Eternal …
Don’t just focus on what affects YOU … Joshua said “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” But was he focused on the coming houses of his house?

Isaiah brought a message of coming Judgment on Israel by Babylon in Isaiah 39. And do you know what Hezekiah’s response was?

Isaiah 39:8 (NIV84)“The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”

Gentlemen let us not be satisfied with peace in our lifetime if we are selling out the future for our children.

Gideon was only worried about himself in the end

He started out tearing down an altar and ended with creating an object of worship leading the next generation away

You want an image of focused on future generations? When Joseph died he said “don’t bury me here, when God delivers you from this place, take my bones and bury them in the land of promise.” for 500 years they had to care for his bones. The next generation had to be told. These are Joseph’s bones. His dad was Jacob, his dad was Isaac, his dad was Abraham. God promised Abraham that though his people would leave the land of promise, they would return and God would give it to them. So for 500 years the story was told and when they buried Joshua, they buried Joseph in the Promised Land. That is an eye on the next generation.
1. Keep Proclaiming the Story.
There is a common denominator that the generations that followed … FORGOT what the Generation before had known …

Whose fault is it if they don’t know?

Judges 2:10 (NIV84) After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.

One of the great chapters in Scripture is Joshua 24.

Joshua assembled the people and they presented themselves before God

Somewhere along the way they stopped presenting themselves to the Lord …

Then Joshua told them everything God had done for them

God’s story is the greatest story ever told

When people hear God’s story, when our children hear what God has done for us …

They more often than not, will follow

He even told them what to do with the information

24:14 NOW fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness … throw away the gods for your forefathers … in Egypt

24:15 choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve … but as for me and my household we will serve the Lord …

They said far be it from us to forsake the Lord …

Somewhere Gideon had stopped giving God the credit and it became … Look what I did …

Hezekiah wasn’t passing it on to Manasseh …

Keep on telling the Story …

Passing It On

Gentlemen … the way to pass it on and the hope for the next generation is NOT a secret … and we don’t have to try and figure out HOW … God has told us … in one of the Oldest Commands and Parenting How To Advice ever given …

Deuteronomy 11:18–22 (NIV84)Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ¹⁹ Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ²⁰ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, ²¹ so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the Lord swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. ²² If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him—

>FIX – in your hearts and minds – it means to PUT it IN LAY it up like treasure … Commit to … in YOUR … It won’t be theirs until it is yours … Read it, Study It, Be Taught it, Receive It, Memorize it

>Tie them as Symbols … oh you don’t have to where a headband or wristband … but what is the symbol that defines you? God’s word and ways or someone elses?

>Teach them to your children

>Talk about them
- When you sit with them
- When you walk with them
- When you lie down with them
- When you get up with them
- Have real conversations … SIT, WALK, LIE, RISE … WITH THEM …
>Write them on the doorframes of your houses/gates … Is your house permeated with God’s presence

>So that … days may be many … this IS the Hope of the Next Generation

>IF YOU are CAREFUL to OBSERVE – DO … don’t just SAY …
- Love the Lord
- Walk his way
- Hold Fast – keep on doing it …
For the Next Generation
A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament – Chapter six – In the Poetry – Psalms

May 12th, 2016
This is Chapter Six of a New Study I developed for Faith Baptist Church on Wednesday Nights. I’d love to hear what you think.

So, I did an internet an internet search “Jesus Christ in the Psalms”. That took me to http://www.gotquestions.com and the list of 89 images of Christ in the Psalms OK are you ready?

Well we can’t do that in an hour or going to chapter but let’s hit some high points

In the 24th chapter of Luke Jesus appears to his disciples in his resurrection body. They were frightened and full of doubt v38 says why are you troubled and why do you have doubts rising in your mind? v39 says look at my hands and feet it is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.

Then he asked for took and ate fish with them to show that he was real. Then v44 everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms.

So in the Old Testament we get a picture of Christ but it never becomes real it’s just a spirit, ghost, a pneuma (breath). But we see the breath in the Old Testament and then we see the flesh and bone, the reality born, lived, died, rose again, and so now we are inhabited by the pneuma, God spirit.

In the psalms we see

1) Who he is

The book of Hebrews makes the connection between the Old Testament the law and the prophets and the psalms and Christ

Hebrews 1:5; Psalm 2:7;

Hebrews 1-8-9; Psalm 45:6-7

Hebrews 1:10-12; Psalm 102:25-27

Hebrews 1:13; Psalm 110:1

So God explains who is predicted and who fulfilled those predictions

Then we see

2) What He would Do

The Will of God – Psalm 40:7-8

Rule – Psalm 45:6-7; 110:1-2

Priest – Psalm 110:4

He would

3) Be Rejected

Psalm 118:22-23; 41:9;

John 13:18

What happened to David was a foreshadow of Christ

4) Suffering and Death

Psalm 22

5) Resurrection

Psalm 16:8-11; Acts 2:29-35 – Peter preached it

Paul understood it and applied David’s words about the Christ being fulfilled in Jesus – Acts 13:32-39

Adapted from

Jackson, Jason. “A Study of Messianic Psalms.” ChristianCourier.com. Access date: May 11, 2016. https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1198-study-of-messianic-psalms-a

Tim Keller interviewed by http://www.religionNews.com about his “christo-centric” views of scripture says “Jesus himself said numerous times that various psalms were referring to him … If he read the Psalms in a “Christological” way, then so do we.”

So David on the throne is a Type of Christ

The Antitype or Fulfillment then is Christ on the throne in Jerusalem on that of the universe.

Go to Psalm 2 – The Messiah as King

V1 Why do the nations rage/conspire?

Because IF Jesus is Lord, Messiah, King … then WE are responsible to HIM …

Psalm 2:1–3 (NIV84)Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? ² The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. ³ “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.”

Revelation 19:19–21 (NIV84)Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹ The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Revelation 20:7–10 (NIV84)When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. ⁹ They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰ And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Do you see it? The Nations Rage

Psalm 2:4–7 (NIV84)The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. ⁵ Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ⁶ “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” ⁷ I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.

Acts 13:33 (NIV84)he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “ ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’

V9 you will rule over them with an iron scepter … you will dash them to pieces like pottery

THEREFORE … V10 –

Be Wise; be Warned

Serve the Lord (YHWH) with Fear

Rejoice (giyl) = shout in exultation with trembling
- I think we need more expressiveness in worship,, but must also tremble that it ever is about anything BUT Jesus … the moment it becomes about ME or anything BUT Jesus … it ceases to be God honoring scriptural worship
Kiss the Son
- If you don’t honor the son, you are not pleasing the Father
Blessed (esher) = happy … Those who Refuge (chacah – khawsaw)

While God laughs at his enemies’ plans, yet he calls them to repentance beginning here in v10

Happiness is NOT in our plans, our desires, our control

Happiness is in RUNNING to Jesus. Why? Because John 3:18 is true, we ARE condemned already. We need to run for refuge

Proverbs 18:10 (NIV84)The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

A “City of Refuge” is a picture of Christ. There were 6 cities, 3 on each side of the Jordan. If you were guilty of accidental death, you could run flee to one of these cities for protection. You had to then stay there till the High Priest died or was no longer in office

Hebrews 6:18–19 (NIV84)God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,

Psalm 18:1–10 (NIV84)I love you, O Lord, my strength. ² The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ³ I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. ⁴ The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. ⁵ The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. ⁶ In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. ⁷ The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. ⁸ Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. ⁹ He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. ¹⁰ He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

Psalm 18:30–31 (NIV84)As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. ³¹ For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God?

Psalm 22 – The Cross

Written “to the tune of ‘the Doe of the Morning’” Ok … Ready … 1,2,3,4, … Anyone, Anyone? Don’t you know that tune? Me either. But Jesus would have known these songs … This is a song book

V1 My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Why … so far from saving me … from the words of my groaning?

Do you ever feel like God is too far to hear, too far to save, like you are all alone and forsaken?

But truly Jesus is full acquainted with our grief, a man of sorrows … Isaiah 53:3

There on the cross, the disciples ran away. The crowds who cheered him on Sunday, shouted “crucify him” on Friday. He hangs between heaven and earth and at noon, darkness fell – an eclipse – As moon blocks the sun, so it seems the death of the son blocks the very glory of God … and as he becomes sin for us (2 Cor 5:21) the Father can no longer bear to look at the sin he became and the sorrow he bore. Then Christ, after feeling the separation for three hours cries “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani

V2 You do not answer

Oh certainly prayers were being offered for Jesus, but there was no affirmative answer. Oh aren’t you glad that God doesn’t always answer our prayers with what is easy or expedient, so that his plans and purposes may be fulfilled.

Have you every prayed this way? It’s OK … Jesus did too

M.Henry suggests that Christ may have quoted the entire Psalm either here or in the garden or both.

Hebrews 5:7 (NIV84)During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

This wasn’t Jesus’ only cry to God … his 33 years were years of anguish, tears, and longing.

Psalm 22:3–5 (NIV84)Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. ⁴ In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. ⁵ They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

Confess your reason to trust even as trust seems impossible and deliverance elusive

V6 but I am a Worm … Ignored, trampled on, detested

V7 all who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

V8 he trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him

Matthew 27:39 (NIV84)Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads

Matthew 27:43 (NIV84)He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

vv9-10 – but I have always followed you … so I won’t stop now

v11 – do not be far from me … for trouble is near … there is none to help

none = ayin = non-existence – help is nonexistent

vv12-13 – Bulls are ready to gore me; lions have their mouths open

v14 – I am poured out like water – how does water go out? Fast or slow?

This is my blood which is poured out for you

My bones are out of joint

My heart has turned to wax … melted away

As the body gives way … the will, the spirit, follows

V15 – my strength is as dry as a pottery lid

My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth

John 19:28 (NIV84)Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

Oh wow the picture of a crucifixion is so vivid.

V16 dogs … evil doers encircle me … they have pierced my hands and feet

The word “pierced” is to be punctured as by the teeth of a lion

Luke 23:33 (NIV84)When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.

John 19:37 (NIV84)and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

(Zech 12:10) – (John 20:25)

V17 I can count all my bones – they stare and gloat

The effects of 39 lashes, ripping away his flesh, then his arms stretched until his shoulders are out of socket and the weight of gravity pulling him down, pushing up to breathe, then down again, taking its toll on the crucified one.

V18 they divide my garments and for my clothing cast lots

John 19:23–24 (NIV84)When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. ²⁴ “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, “They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” So this is what the soldiers did.

(Matt. 27:35; Mk 15:24)

V19 But YOU O Lord … do not be far off

My help – eyaluwth = my strength

Come quickly

V20 – Deliver (draw out) my soul from the sword (judgment)

V21 – Save me

V22 – I will tell of your name to my brothers

Wait, what? … Death making him crazy? No … because this most terrible of agonies is the hand of a gracious, merciful God. This tragedy has a triumph. There is a story to tell … that

John 3:16 (NIV84)“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

This is Love … not that we loved God but that God

1 John 4:10 (NIV84)This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

… I will praise you

V23 You who fear … praise him …

V24 he has not despised … the afflicted … he has NOT hidden his face … he has listened (heard) the cries

This IS the answer to the prayers … and he CARES

V25 my vows will I perform

Jesus came FOR this and he finishes what he starts

V26 the afflicted shall eat and be satisfied

John 6 he tells us we must eat his flesh and drink his blood

Jesus told his disciples this is my body which is broken for you, eat it all

v11 Those who seek him shall praise the Lord … May your hearts live forever …

It often seems so strange that we celebrate so great a tragedy, so great a loss … but in it we are forgive and restored

V27 all the ends of the earth … all the families of the nations … YES … even you, even me

V28 kingship belongs to the Lord

V29 bow all who go down to the dust … are you a dying one? Bow down

V30 it shall be told of the Lord to coming generations

V31 proclaim his righteousness, to a people yet unborn that he has done it

Oh yes … still telling, still calling

And then on the cross Jesus said “father into your hands I commend my spirit …

Why with such confidence does he lay down his life?

Psalm 49:15 (NIV84)But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself. Selah

John 10:18 (NIV84)No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Psalm 16 – The Resurrection Promise

V1 – keep me safe … in you I take refuge

He told the thief “today you will be with me in Paradise”

That was confidence both for himself AND for the Thief who placed his faith in him.

V5 Lord you assigned me my portion and my cup

What we have, good and bad, is in God’s hands and he gives it to us … Lord fill me up because you are GOOD always

Psalm 16:9–10 (NIV84)Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, ¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

Peter preached his passage at Pentecost:

Acts 2:29–35 (NIV84)“Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. ³⁰ But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. ³¹ Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. ³² God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. ³³ Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand ³⁵ until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’

David could prophesy this hope of the future because he understood that ONE was coming who would conquer death and the grave

David’s body IS in the grave, long since gone to dust … I have seen where they say his bones are … But he knows they will not stay there … because the Christ would have victory

1 Peter 1:11 (NIV84)trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

David sings “my body will rest secure” and so it does. His spirit delights in God’s presence and I’m sure he has written some amazing songs in this last few thousand years while his body rests. Oh can you imagine the songs that David, Martin Luther, John and Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, Fanny Crosby, Rich Mullins, George Beverly Shea have written since they went to glory? Oh I wonder how many songs Andrae Crouch has written since passing in January, while the body rests. But David writes this with confidence in the firstfruits, The Christ.

V10 because you will not abandon me to the grave

– azab = leave behind, let go, abandon

To Sheol = wasteland, underworld

Or let your Holy One see decay / corruption

V11 you make known the path of life

Oh death isn’t the doorway to annihilation or nothingness

No, death is the path to LIFE for the believer …

V11 in your presence is fullness of joy

Oh listen, I don’t care what the door looks like.

Whether I die in my sleep an old man, am attacked by a cancer, killed by a terrorist’s blast or blade, or translated at the last trumpet, there is JOY on the other side of the door in his presence …

Fullness – soba’= fullness, abundance

Pleasures forever …

He is the firstfruit of our resurrection to come …

On Sunday before Passover, they would have selected the Passover Lamb. That’s the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem. At 3:00pm on Friday, they would have blown the horn and killed the Lamb … while Jesus said “It is Finished”. But do you know that on the Sunday after Passover, the Sunday Jesus Rose from the Grave, the Priests would have been at the Temple that morning waving the Firstfruits of the spring harvest before the Lord in the Temple? Remember the veil was torn on Friday? I have this image of them standing in the Temple with the veil stitched together that God had torn top to bottom. While they waved the firstfruits, Jesus rose from the grave AS the firstfruit of the Resurrection.

Because he lives, I can face tomorrow

Because he lives, All fear is gone

Because I know who holds the future

And life is worth the living, just Because he lives

Oh I wish I had time to take you through Psalm 23 as the One who says in John 10, I am the Good Shepherd” “No one can take them from his hand”. He gives me confidence that

I shall not be in want, I will lie in green pastures, drink from quiet waters as he restores my soul. And as he guides me in righteousness, even in the darkest valleys the good shepherd leads, evil doesn’t scare me. I look at the tablelands he has lovingly prepared. Oh that’s where he is right now, preparing a place for ME. And so no matter where he leads, goodness and love will follow me … Oh it might not always seem like they are in front of me but they follow me. And I will dwell in his house FOREVER … Pleasures forever

Oh I must stop … no time to see the Lover of our Soul pursuing us in the Song of Solomon but he is there … go read it … look for him. You will see the friends, the beloved (bride) and the Lover (the Groom)

You can see the picture of the Groom,

Song of Solomon 2:3 – He is like an apple tree among the trees of the forest … Can you see it … Pine Tree, Pine Tree, Pine Tree, Pine Tree …What is the fruit of the pine tree? Are you hungry? But wait … APPLE TREE … Oh yes, I will be filled … that is the Groom …

Song of Solomon 2:16 – He is mine and I am his

Look at how much he loves us … He is the Lover, We are the Beloved …

He loves you … Oh he loves you

We will stop there … Next week … The Major Prophets, particularly Isaiah …

——–

For further reading

Psalm 34:7 – The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him

Psalm 27:8

Psalm 118:22-23, 26

Psalm 69:9

Psalm 89:4
A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament – Chapter Five – In the History Books – The Kings – Ruth – part 3

May 12th, 2016

This is New Study I developed here at Faith Baptist Church on Wednesday Nights. I’d love to hear what you think.

So … 1 Kings 19 … Elijah

We find an interesting encounter with a man in the depths of depression … but how did he get there

In 17:1 Elijah prophesied to the King of Israel, Ahab. This is the northern Kingdom which NEVER worshiped God after splitting from Judah. He prophesied

1 Kings 17:1 (NIV84) Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

Why? 16:29 Ahab became King and

1 Kings 16:30 (NIV84)Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him.

He considered the evil of kings before him as trivial and “married Jezebel”.. Her name means “unchaste, without obligation, unmarried”. Make what you will of that but most say this was not a marriage covenant with God, but a joining of two evil hearts and lives. It was not a true marriage before God.

Ahab erected altars to Baal and Asherah v33 then says

1 Kings 16:33 (NIV84) Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.

He rebuilt Jericho …

Joshua 6:26 (NIV84)At that time Joshua pronounced this solemn oath: “Cursed before the Lord is the man who undertakes to rebuild this city, Jericho: “At the cost of his firstborn son will he lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest will he set up its gates.”

And so he lost his firstborn while laying the foundation and his youngest when he finished. But he didn’t care and pushed on all the way through building his idol to himself. He continued IN GOD’S FACE.

So … God took away the Rain and the Dew

But what does the prophet do now?

1 Kings 17:2–6 (NIV84)Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ³ “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. ⁴ You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.” ⁵ So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. ⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

God will care for his own. He is provision in the dry times … the brook in the wilderness.

But then the brook dried up. So God’s Word came vv8-9 – “Go At Once to Zarephath”

“Would you bring me a little water” … he says to a widow … “and some bread”

V 12 “I don’t have any bread … only a handful of flour and a little oil … a few sticks … make a meal … we will eat and die”

Have you ever made a list for God? flour, oil, sticks, cook … die …

V13 he says “don’t be afraid … do as I have said … but make me a small cake 1^st … then something for you and your son”

OH REALLY … Wait there is more

V14 for this is what the Lord says “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land”

V15 so there was food each day for Elijah, the woman, and her family

V17 her son died … REALLY … But Elijah prayed and he was restored .

Reminds me of the passage we will preach on Sunday John 11 … “Lord if you had been here … Lazarus wouldn’t be dead” But Jesus said “I am the Resurrection and the Life”

So … then … still NO RAIN …

So then in Chapter 18 one of the greatest encounters in History. A place I still want to see in Israel. Elijah challenges 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah to a God Contest.

They fail …

Elijah Prays in v36 after building an altar and dousing it in Water …

1 Kings 18:36–37 (NIV84)At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. ³⁷ Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

1 Kings 18:38–39 (NIV84)Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. ³⁹ When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

It hasn’t rained in three years but in v41 Elijah says to Ahab … you better run because there is the sound of heavy rain

So he goes back on top of Carmel … bows down, head between knees … He tells his servant to look toward the sea and look for rain … Nothing … just blue water and blue skies

6 times … nothing … but the 7^th time … a cloud the size of a man’s hand rising …

Hitch up your chariots before the rain stops you

V45 black clouds, wind rose, a heavy rain came and Ahab rode for Jezreel …

V46 the power of the Lord came upon Elijah … and he ran 25 miles, a marathon and beat Ahab to Jezreel.

Wow God is Great … God is Amazing … I can do ANYTHING with Him … RIGHT …

But wait

The greatest lows come often after our greatest highs. Previously he ran in victory … now he’s going to run for his life. Jezebel threatens his life and 19:3 – Elijah was Afraid …

I know after I preach I am completely drained so I can’t imagine Elijah now. He has had this encounter with the prophets of Baal and prayed for rain, and run a marathon … he is Spent …

But in FEAR he runs 150 miles to drop off his servant and then traveled another day to Beer-Sheba where he is IN the DESERT and he finds a Juniper Shrub a Broom Tree and it is a SINGLE tree … And he Prayed … Ok … Finally … The Last time he prayed God sent the first Rain in 3 years, just before that he called down Fire from heaven …

This TIME … he prayed that he might DIE. Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t always answer our prayers? I have had enough Lord … take my life” then he lay down and fell asleep

Well I guess so …

Behold an angel touched him … Behold or All at once … The word hinneh can mean “look, lo, or certainly”. This being in no uncertain terms a TOUCH nagá = to touch violently, to strike” He smacked weary Elijah and says “arise and eat” and there was Hot Bread and a Jar of Water.

And he slept some more

V7 The Angel of the Lord came back. “get up and eat for the journey is too much for you”

Who baked that bread for Elijah? The same one who said “I am the bread of life, he who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” And So … there beside him fresh baked bread and fresh water … not a glass but a JAR …

Aren’t you glad our Lord is a God of all comfort?

Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest

Like the breakfast in John 21. Like the fish he commanded into the empty nets of the fishermen. Like the cakes at the widow’s house and the ravens at the brook …

He is a God of all comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3 (NIV84)Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

You just THINK you have had a time … the Journey has just begun …40 days he traveled on to Mt Horeb / Sinai. Wouldn’t you like to know about those 40 days and nights? But some things are just between man and God.

And the Word of the Lord came to him

What are you doing here?

Where? In a Cave on Mt Sinai.

Hmmm could it be that it is the same cave where Moses stood and God covered him with his hand before revealing his Glory? Hmmm

Here? Physically

Here? Emotionally

Here? Spiritually

How did he get here?

V10 I have been zealous for the Lord … I am the Only One … they want to kill me

V11 Go out and stand … for the Lord is about to pass by

Then there was a powerful wind … Tornado

Not the Lord

Then there was an earthquake …

Not the Lord

Then came a Fire

Not the Lord

But those are the ways that God has manifested himself before … but not this time. He keeps looking for God … We need to keep looking for GOD … not just the THINGS we think he has done … Look for the Lord

So I picture him in and out of the cave 3 times looking for God … now v12 Came a Gentle Whisper”

V13 when he heard it” – Wait … I know that voice … have you ever forgotten what someone sounds like … but as soon as you hear the voice you know it? And so Elijah knew it … and he covered his face with his cloak … went out and stood at the mouth of the cave …

NOW Jesus is REALLY going to speak to me … Here is the Word of the Lord … Ready?

What are you doing here?

I have been zealous for the Lord …”

Can I tell you why Elijah is HERE? He has been zealous for the Lord but he wasn’t sure if God was zealous for him. So he RAN

I am the only one left … they are trying to kill me …

Wait, haven’t we already had his conversation? You ever had God speak and you didn’t respond and you are looking for the dramatic, but when you finally hear him, it is the same message?

Why did you run? Why are you scared? Why aren’t you 300 miles away from here serving me?

I am zealous for the Lord …

Great … Glad for that

Go back the way you came … to Damascus and anoint a King in Aram … to Israel and anoint a King … to Elisha and anoint your successor

Oh and Elijah is Not the Only One … these men are going to be used by God. Ahab’s servant, Obadiah has been devout to the Lord his whole life 18:10 and he had 100 other prophets hidden away. God says here that he has 7000 who have not bowed to Baal.

So maybe some were in hiding, but they had stayed true in their hearts. Don’t judge someone else’s faithfulness by the measure of your call.

Elijah didn’t have to spend 6 weeks and 300 miles … When Jezebel threatened … he could have asked “God, what are we going to do?” And God’s answer would have been the same and his provision the same …

Oh and by the way … Elijah never got an answer to the struggle, nor a magic pill to deal with his depression, simply a word from God to go and do …

The Story of Ruth … A Type of Christ …

Ruth was from a pagan people, Moab, but she had met and married the son of Naomi and Elimelech while they lived in Moab after leaving Bethlehem because of famine. The sons died, the father died leaving three widows. After the famine ended, Naomi decided to return home. Ruth decided to return with her. No husbands, no servants, not much to live on … But Ruth made a great confession of Faith

Ruth 1:16 (NIV84)But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

Everyone was excited to see Naomi back after many years … but she says “don’t call me ‘Naomi’ (pleasant) call me ‘Mara’ (bitter) … For the Almighty has dealt very bitter with me … I left full but came back empty”

Oh listen, it is understandable to feel that way, but you don’t know what God is doing …

So … here is the TYPE of Christ

Naomi had a relative, a man of standing (NIV) a worthy man (ESV)

So, Ruth went to glean … pick up the leftovers behind the harvesters

V3 “… As it Turned Out” Oh the Blessed Coincidences of God. How many God moves in your life and “it just so happens”. And so “accidentally” she ends up in the field of Boaz.

And v4 “Just Then” “accidentally” “fortunately”, Boaz shows up RIGHT THEN … Oh a Blessed Coincidence …

Whose woman is that? Translation – “wow she is cute, who is she married to?”

Let her work … Tells her to stay with his servant girls and drink from his water supply

V10

Ruth 2:10 (NIV84)At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

Oh the beauty when a “foreigner” realizes that God has taken notice. He says that he has heard how she committed to Naomi and to Israel

Ruth 2:12 (NIV84)May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

Oh Yeah … Boaz is TOAST

V14 at dinner time he invites her to eat with him and told his workers to purposely leave behind more grain for her.

Naomi then gets the story and she knows that this is promising … it is a beautiful story … The Pleasant aroma is rising and the Bitter taste is fading … Mara is whithering and Naomi is flowering again.

Ruth 2:20 (NIV84)“The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers.”

He isn’t just a distant relative. He can do something for us … he has no one … “fortunately” … Oh do we know his Mother / Father?

Salmon and Rahab … Oh can God tell a story? Who might be soft toward an outsider? Perhaps the son of a pagan woman who placed her faith in the word of God and a Scarlet Cord in the Window …

So … on the Threshing Floor … again … Naomi tells her how to make her submission and availability known toward him. So at the right time, she laid at his feet in the night. When he woke and saw her, he asked

3:9 Who are you? – Ruth – Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsmen redeemer

V11 – do not be afraid … I will do for you all you ask …

Then he goes in public, not trying to negotiate in the dark. He goes to the only one with rights and negotiates his release of rights. The man removes his shoe … a sign that he gave up his right to tread on the land and Boaz would keep it as proof of the transaction

A Kinsmen-Redeemer – A Type of Christ …

They would be a blood relative, They could protect the weak of the family. But specifically, they could marry a relative’s wife to keep offspring in the family. They could buy back one sold into slavery. They could buy back land and keep it in the family

So Jesus came to this earth, he became one of us, flesh and blood. He became subject to our infirmities. We were sentenced to death, subject to the slavery of sin, this land subject to decay, without a husband

He didn’t try to do something secretly but he went to the public square and was committed to the full transaction, death. Then outside the gate, he died, our Redeeming Kinsman. He came to Redeem us from slavery to Sin. He came to Redeem a bride for himself, the people of his church. He came to redeem this earth which has been subject to decay and is groaning, Romans 8, for redemption.

So, he purchases slaves, redeemed at the cross freed upon our request

Lord spread your wings over me

And we become his redeemed bride

And he also will redeem his land and restore it in the Millennium and restore then a New Heaven and New Earth in Eternity

And the Women said to Naomi in Ruth 4:14

Ruth 4:14 (NIV84)The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!

Why? Because He … Jesus … is our Mediator …

Job 9:33–35 (NIV84)If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, ³⁴ someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. ³⁵ Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

IF ONLY

IF ONLY

If ONLY there were a Mediator … a Kinsman Redeemer …

Isaiah 47:4 (NIV84)Our Redeemer—the Lord Almighty is his name— is the Holy One of Israel.

Jeremiah 50:34 (NIV84)Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

Lamentations 3:58 (NIV84)O Lord, you took up my case; you redeemed my life.

1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV84)For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

What did Job Learn?

Job 19:25 (NIV84)I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

Job 33:28 (NIV84)He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.’

Keith Green used to sing

There is a redeemer, Jesus, God’s own Son
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One
Jesus my redeemer name above all names
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah oh, for sinners slain

Thank You oh my Father for giving us Your Son
And leaving Your Spirit ’til the work on Earth is done

When I stand in glory I will see His face
And there I’ll serve my King forever in that holy place

Thank You oh my Father for giving us Your Son
And leaving Your Spirit ’til the work on Earth is done

There is a redeemer, Jesus, God’s own Son
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One

Thank You oh my Father for giving us Your Son
And leaving Your spirit ’til the work on Earth is done
And leaving Your spirit ’til the work on Earth is done
A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament – Chapter Four – In the History Books – Judges to the Kings – part 2

April 28th, 2016
This is a New Study I developed at Faith Baptist Church on Wednesday Nights. I’d love to hear what you think.

A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament

Session Four: In the History Books

Judges, The Kings

So we talked about Joshua, Rahab, and the Commander of the Army of God.

Then we talked about Gideon and God’s patience with him as he was trying to place his faith but struggling with confidence.

in the Judges period

Chapter 13 introduces us to Samson. A man named Manoah, from Dan, was husband to a woman without children.

13:3 The Angel of the Lord appeared to her and said ‘you are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son … see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink that you do not eat anything unclean … you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

V6 a man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome (yare’ inspiring fear)

And she tells him everything he said …

I LOVE this … then Manoah prayed

Lord I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy

V9 the angel of God came again to the woman … but her husband … was not with her

She ran and got her husband …

They asked God in v12 how to order their son’s life.

V13 the Angel of the Lord confirmed what he had told the woman. A Nazirite

V15 stay and eat with us …

V16 I will not eat any of your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to The Lord

(did not realize it was the Angel of the Lord)

V17 What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?

V18 why do you ask my name … it is WONDERFUL – piliy/paliy = secret, wonderful – Oh my goodness … it is the same word as to us a child is born a son is given and his name shall be called WONDERFUL Counselor, Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6)

Matthew Henry says Angels often gave their names in scripture like Michael, Gabriel, but this Angel has a name “too Wonderful” … it was a SECRET … that would be Revealed in Jesus Christ

And The Lord did an Amazing thing – Yahweh Yehovah … did an amazing thing

Samson was to be a man with singular devotion to the Lord, and to God’s strength, so no wine, no vanity, no rich foods … his strength his focus was to be on God …

V20 and the Angel of the Lord went UP in the flame … and they fell on their faces on the ground …

They knew that he was the Angel of the Lord

What do we do with the Revelation of Jesus? In John 9 what did the Blind man do, proscyneo, fall on our faces and worship him, listen to his voice, be convinced of his direction, and follow …

God doesn’t reveal himself to kill us, as Manoah thought, but to include us in his plan.

Samson was born and grew and the Lord blessed … And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him …

Samson was called and empowered by God. it was affirmed by Jesus and he was empowered by the Holy Spirit. Over and Over it says “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him …”

Of course, Samson is most famous for being strong and for having long hair that was cut by Delilah. After Delilah cut his hair, we know that he lost his strength. But his strength was not in his hair. His strength was in the Spirit of the Lord; and the Spirit of the Lord was with him in his obedience to the commands of God.

He was commanded before birth, to never cut his hair, never eat anything unclean, never take fermented drink. And one of the saddest verses in scripture is Judges 16:20 … He awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the Lord had left him.”

But praise the Lord he doesn’t leave us as we are, if our heart is toward him.

So even then in his captivity, bound in bronze shackles, his eyes gouged out, there is a beautiful simple verse, 16:22 but the hair on his had began to grow again after it had been shaved. The moment the hair started to grow he had a chance to obey God by not cutting it.

Oh we may go into the far country of rebellion, but we can come to ourselves in the pig pen. We can return. It wasn’t the hair that strengthened him, but it was obedience to the commands of God.

And so Samson prayed v28 O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes

What is RIGHT about his prayer?

It is focused on God. “Sovereign Lord” – God is on the throne and in charge, including of my life … God I know you are the boss not me.

“Remember Me” – Lord turn your face toward me. Lord don’t forget me in my justified judgment.

“Please” – there is no demand, but a petition, a request to a ruling God, if it please him. “Strengthen me” – my strength is in you not in me, not in my hair, not in my muscles, my strength is in you

Psalm 84:5 (NIV84)

⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

So, the Final Judge then was Samuel. His mother Hannah was barren and married to Elkanah, who was married to two women but deeply loved Hannah. Hannah prayed to the Lord for a son and promised to give him to the Lord if the Lord would give to her. God answered her prayer and gave her a son. She weaned him and brought him to the priest Eli and left him there. She looked after him, probably visited him often, but gave him to the Lord. In response, the Lord gave her 3 more sons and 3 more daughters.

So 1 Samuel 3 … v1 says in those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions

Why? Because the people, the priests, were not obeying God so God wasn’t speaking to them.

The Lamp of God had not yet gone out – like Eli’s eyes were growing dim, so the ability to see God was growing dim … but that was about to change

Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle “where the ark was” … Like Joshua who stayed in the Tent of Meeting while he was servant to Moses, so Samuel stayed close to the Lord. Whether this means he was in the Holy of Holies or just in the Tabernacle which was where God’s Ark was … most likely the latter. He was close to the Lord

Then the Lord Called Samuel – no one comes to God unless God calls him. Yes I believe we have the ability to hear God and respond to him, but it is HIS Gracious choice to call us into relationship with him and to reveal his work as he invites us to join him.

He ran to Eli – thinking it was Eli who called “Here I am; you called me” v5 – “I did not call … lie down”

V6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel” – Oh don’t forget he knows your name. Remember when God spoke to Hagar she was shocked that God knew her … “He knows my name, he knows my ev’ry thought …” and he went to Eli again, “Here I am …” “I did not call you”

V7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord: the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him”

V8 the Lord called a third time … “Here I am; you called me” THEN Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.”

How do we respond to the voice of God? v9 “if he calls you, say, ‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening’”

V10 … The Lord came and stood there, calling “Samuel, Samuel” – The Lord doesn’t call to us from an unreachable place. Yes the Father lives in unapproachable light, but Jesus is God WITH US and he can be experienced by us. His kindness doesn’t CALL us to Repentance, Romans 2:4 says it LEADS us to Repentance … The Lord is a Shepherd, not an owner … he is there … and so he CAME and STOOD – yatsab = to present oneself – Calling – qara’= to shout, to call, to name, appoint, summon, proclaim, announce

Unique thing here that doesn’t always happen is that Samuel’s call to KNOW God came WITH his Call to Ministry … and it is NOT a Good word that God gives the Boy … how old, not sure but young, he slept on the floor, he served in little outfits made by his mother.

V11 – Behold – See – Samuel had never seen, understood the Lord … but that was about to change … The word of the Lord is often like this … it is like the word in Revelation that is sweet to the mouth but sour to the stomach. It is a wonderful thing to hear the Lord’s word, but proclaiming it, receiving it, can be so hard. This judgment against Eli is spelled out in chapter two by an unnamed prophet.

V15 says that this guilt cannot be atoned for … I do not think that this means that an individual cannot be saved after sin. I believe it means that some actions could cause us to lose a place or a blessing. Just like the generation of Israel that came out of Egypt lost out on the Promised Land, it didn’t mean that they LOST God … he stayed with them, even in the wandering, wilderness, judgment, but they lost the promised earthly gift.

Then Eli calls v16 and asked v17 what God said … hearing the word of the Lord is easier than delivering it … take my word for it.

But Samuel told him and v18 “he is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes”

V19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground

Isaiah 55:11 (NIV84)

¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

V20 Israel recognized that Samuel as a prophet of the Lord … and v21 he revealed himself to Samuel through his word

Samuel led the people through God’s word as the last Judge.

But the people wanted a King.

We often would rather be led by people than led by God. We can fight against people, but don’t want to fight with God.

We can complain to people, but not to God … people are easier rather than strive against God and his word.

Saul was the man chosen then by God. He was good, handsome, humble, but he took his eyes off God. Just as Israel was and did.

Saul, against the Amalakites looked at the treasures and he wanted them. He wanted to show himself strong. God wanted quiet obedience and to destroy those things, but Saul wanted a lavish elaborate display … even calling it worship … but God said To Obey is Better than Sacrifice. You can’t disobey and call it worship.

So David was anointed to be King.

David, as much as any in Scripture, is a type of Christ … Just in the Story of Goliath we see it.
1. He fought a battle with Goliath on Behalf of the whole Nation (1 Sam 17)
– Jesus fought our battle with Sin (Rom 5:19)
1. He was Israel’s Representative (1 Sam 17)
– Jesus is ours (Rom 5:18-19)
1. Sent By His Father (1 Sam 17)
– So Christ (1 Jn 4:14)
1. Rejected by his Brothers (1 Sam 17)
– So was Christ (John 7:5)
1. His Victory was Israel’s Victory (1 Sam 17)
– Christ’s Victory is Our Victory (Rom 5:19)
1. David Then was in Exile before he became King (1 Sam 22:1-2)
– Christ has ascended to the Father but will Reign in person after the Tribulation (Col 2:15; Rev 11:15)
1. Gathered the Troubled (distress, discontented, indebted, disoriented) (1 Sam 22:1-2)
– Jesus says come to me all who are weary and heavy laden – they were harassed and helpless (Mt 11:28 – Mt 9:36)
1. He Rewarded those who worked in building his Kingdom (1 Chron 11&12)
– There will be crowns for us at the Marriage of the Lamb (Rev 22:12)

Oh Our enemy is Too Big for us to fight alone

He is Loud and Powerful

He has Large forces behind him … Goliath even had four brothers at home (2 Sam 21:16-22; 1 Chronicles 20:5-8)

Comes a Simple Shepherd to Defeat Him

With a Small Stone he defeats him and cuts off his head … Jesus will crush the head of the serpent …

So, a great man, a King Forever … promised seed will come through him.

But I want us to see The Angel of the Lord in a terrible episode in his life.

2 Samuel 23 talks about David’s Mighty Men, his Thirty Special Fighting Men.

But in 2 Samuel 24 David orders a census of his Army. It results in the judgment of God. What’s the big deal? Is this a sin? Obviously it is a sin … let’s read it

2 Samuel 24:1-4

1 Chronicles 21

So … why was this a big deal? Matthew Henry lists many possible reasons
- He didn’t count those under 20 (1 Chr 27:23-24 so it wasn’t legal)
- He did not require them to pay the temple tax Exo 30:12 as a ransom for their souls
- Or perhaps he DID but kept the money for himself instead of giving to God
- God had not ordered it
- This was counting God’s people who were to be innumerable
- But the WORST was Pride
He was not numbering his sheep so he could care for them. He was numbering them to brag about what he had. God used satan to cause David to do this, which says that the issue in his heart was already there.

The glory of Israel was not in her numbers, not even recounting how they had been blessed, but their glory was in the Lord Alone

So, David sought to offend God by drawing attention to their number. We don’t have to prove the blessing of God, but LIVE IN it.

Joab even purposely left out Benjamin and Levi because it was offensive to him.

V7 this was evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel

M.Henry “If God’s dearest children do amiss, they must expect to smart for it.”

– David was a man after God’s own heart, so it is not that he didn’t sin, but his heart was soft and he responded to correction

V8 David said to God “I have sinned greatly … done a foolish thing”

God then proclaims 3 options for discipline
- 3 years of famine
- 3 months swept away by the sword of enemies
- 3 days of the Sword of the Lord – a plaque – the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel
Decide …

What do you think? What would be The Results of Each?

Discuss

V13 – I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord. For his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men

We are safer in the hands of an angry God than ungodly men

V14 – The Lord sent a plaque – 70,000 died

Angel sent to destroy Jerusalem

V15 The Lord was grieved … Don’t ever think for a minute that God delights in Judgment or discipline. No! He Delights in Showing Mercy and Compassion

Micah 7:18–19 (NIV84)

¹⁸ Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. ¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

And God says Enough! Withdraw your hand

The Angel of the Lord was standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite

Oh my, the Sword of God drawn by Jesus … If he is WITH you it is a beautiful thing … if he is against you, what a dreadful thing it is.

Remember Joshua asked Jesus, while overlooking Jericho, when he saw this man with sword drawn “are you for us or against us” and the reply “neither … I am Commander of the Army of God”

Remember Abraham Lincoln said he wasn’t near as concerned whether God was with them but whether they were with God.

Revelation 19:11–21 (NIV84)

¹¹ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords. ¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, ¹⁸ so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.” ¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹ The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

How dreadful for those on Earth, but how glorious for those of us riding with him. His robe dipped in blood will have washed our sins away, but his robe will be dipped in the blood of those who stood against him.

Then David, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.

Repentance and sorrow is where healing begins.

V17 “was it not I … I am the one who sinned … they are but sheep … let your hand fall on me, but not remain on your people”

David understood that he deserved it, but also that he could TRUST GOD

Job said “even if he slay me, yet will I trust him” (Job 13:15)

V18 The Angel of the Lord said “go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah

This is on Mt Moriah … what happened there? Abraham tied down Isaac, offering him to God. There a Ram was in the thicket and there the blood of the substituting ram was received in place of Isaac.

So here,

V20 Araunah and his 4 sons saw The Angel of the Lord and HID

V22 Let me have your site, threshing floor, to build an altar … sell it to me for full price

Remember God appeared to Gideon on the threshing floor too. What is it about the Threshing Floor? The Threshing floor was a place of “winnowing”, the place where true and false are separated, where fruitful and fruitless are separated, so it is where we meet God and Truth reveals itself.

V23 – Take it Lord King …” Think he was scared?

God’s glory on display, sword drawn … “O King, if you can make it stop … do it … I will give you the oxen, wood, wheat … make it stop.”

But David replies … NO

V24 – “No … full price … I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that which costs me nothing”

V25 – Built an altar, sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Oh Listen our sin has to be addressed but so does our fellowship with God which is broken. And then he CALLED on the Lord. And the Lord answered him with Fire from Heaven on the altar.

V27 – The Angel put his sword back into its sheath

Then David makes a decision …

22:1 – The house of the Lord God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel

So, Abraham’s altar, David’s altar, and then the Altar of Solomon’s Temple were on this place. Perhaps too this was the same place on which Christ was crucified, as the Temple of Solomon was torn down and then a temple was built later on a different site. But it was the same mountain range

And so Christ, because God’s Sword was against us, did not come to Condemn us (John 3:17) but to save us because (Jn3:18) we were condemned already. So, Jesus emptied himself of glory, like the King took off his Regal Robes, and took up the nature of a servant as David donned Sackcloth.

Though he had not sinned … He who knew no sin (2 Cor 5:21) became sin for us. So like David, he said “Let your hand fall on me” and like Paul told Philemon “If Onesimus owes you anything, charge it to me.” So Christ took up our iniquities, that God’s wrath might not remain on us.

And so on that hill, they didn’t know it, but at the sight of Abraham’s Altar, and David’s Altar and the Altar of Solomon’s temple, they erected an altar where Jesus would not offer anything that cost him nothing. And God did not offer something that cost him nothing, but he gave his one and only son, Jesus, that whoever believes in him will have everlasting life. Jesus was beaten, bruised, stripped bare, nailed to a cross and raised up. And again the blood flowed on Mt Moriah and where the blood flows, forgiveness flows. And again God was pleased for a propitiation, an atoning sacrifice to be offered. Then the Lord Jesus said “It is Finished”, it is “enough” and God put away his wrath and he answered with an earthquake and the veil was torn and the separation between God and man was removed, so that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Oh the blood of Jesus

Oh the blood of Jesus

Oh the blood of Jesus

It washes white as snow
A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament – Chapter Three – In the History – Judges to the Kings – part one

April 28th, 2016
This is Chapter three of a New Study I developed at Faith Baptist Church on Wednesday Nights. I’d love to hear what you think.

A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament

Session Three: In The History Books part two

Joshua, Judges, The Kings

So, this is not and could not be exhaustive, but let’s see a few instances and make broad strokes to see Christ in the Old Testament

What is a Theophany? A Manifestation of God that can be experienced by the humans senses

What is a Christophany? A Theophany that is personified in the 2^nd Person of the Trinity. Scripture seems to say, though that ALL Theophanies are Christophanies as Jesus is the revelation of God. And scripture says that no man HAS or CAN ever see God … So ..

What is a Type of Christ in the Old Testament? A method of biblical interpretation where an element found in the Old Testament prefigures or displays Christ in character, action, pointing to his coming, character, and completion of the picture shown. They can be Historical, Legal, or Prophetic.

So we dealt with the Law last time

But in the Exodus … I see a type in The Red Sea

The Red Sea – was opened and man crossed. Both God’s People and those pursuing

But God’s people crossed on dry ground and were saved

Those pursuing, were swallowed up and died

The ground was dry for God’s people but the depths said to bog down the wheels of the Pharaoh’s army.

So too Jesus

1 Corinthians 1:23–25 (NIV84)

²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

Matthew 21:44 (NIV84)

⁴⁴ He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

So they were Led by Christ, The Angel of the Lord who inhabited the pillar of cloud and the pillar of Fire … they were led even when they wandered in the wilderness because they were unwilling to believe …

So … a new generation rises, all over the age of 20 besides Caleb and Joshua die off, and they are ready to enter The Promised Land.

They send out Spies to see Jericho, the first city they have been told to take.

The spies meet a woman of questionable occupation a woman named Rahab. I would venture that she would have known most everyone. And she would have been a woman of discretion. She also is said to have had her house IN the Wall, so it was easy to get in and out.

Whenever God brings someone into your realm of influence, you can be sure that he has been working already.

Notice her knowledge and faith Joshua 2:9 “I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og … 11 when we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below

Did she already have faith? Yes … She just didn’t know what to do and was waiting to be shown.

V12 … swear to me … that you will show kindness to my family … give me a sure sign …

So what was the sign?

Joshua 2:17–21 (NIV84)

¹⁷ The men said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us ¹⁸ unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. ¹⁹ If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. ²⁰ But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” ²¹ “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

So … they left … we will come back to her in just a minute …

So Chapter 3 they get ready to go across the Jordan into The Promised Land

V5 consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you

V8 Tell the priests … ‘when you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

V13 as soon as the priests … set foot in the Jordan, it’s waters … will be cut off and stand up

V15 Jordan was at flood stage … could have been a mile across …

… Yet as soon the priests … reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing, it piled up in a heap

So … it is with our faith … Faith in action is the key. I may KNOW that he says he will forgive … I may know that he says he will save … but it is not until I STEP IN … confess him as Lord, believe in my heart and THEN … the flow of God’s wrath is stacked up …

They stacked up 12 stones in the middle where they crossed to remember what God had done.

As you read through there notice how many times it says “The Lord said to Joshua” “The Lord Said” … etc

So … We are Looking for Christ in the Old Testament … and we see him …

Read with me …

Joshua 5:13–15 (NIV84)

¹³ Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” ¹⁴ “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” ¹⁵ The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Joshua saw a MAN standing in Front of him … Drawn Sword …

“Are you for us or against us?”

Answer: None of the Above … What was Joshua doing? Was he Marching with his people when this manifestation took place or was he alone? I have always just pictured him with his people. But perhaps more likely is that He had gone to scout out, to look over the city. And while he was looking this way, then he looks that way and now there is a man there who wasn’t there before.

“Are you For us?”

Wrong Question. Abraham Lincoln was asked if God was for the Union or for The Confederacy. Lincoln is reported as saying “I’m not near as concerned whether or not God is with us as whether we are WITH GOD.”

Joshua fell face down to the ground and worshiped him … what message does my Lord have?

Remember that a simple angel/messenger wouldn’t receive worship. This Angel received Worship because this is God … this is The Angel of the Lord … the 2^nd person of the Trinity

The Commander of the Lord’s army replied ‘take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy.’

The Word Holy means “apartness, set apart for a sacred purpose” … God says “I’m about to do something altogether set apart … you have never seen this before” That’s what Joshua told the people the Lord will do amazing things

What else transpired we don’t know, don’t need to know … God revealed that HE was in charge, that HE was the commander … that he was leading if Joshua would follow, he had everything he needed …

So with God’s instructions they go to Jericho and march in silence around the city one time each day for six days. On the seventh day they march around seven times with the priests blowing their horns. On the seventh time they blow a long blast, and all the people SHOUT, and the wall of the city will collapse.

6:20 So on the seventh day on the seventh time … the people shouted a war cry and the wall collapsed and they took the city.

Can you see with your mind the demolition? Like a building coming down from an implosion. Dust is everywhere … but as the dust clears … There stands ONE SECTION of the Wall. That one piece of wall stood pointing to Rahab’s hope, Israel’s hope, GOD ALONE … The Word of God

She didn’t have much too stand on, she didn’t have a Bible, a Manger, a Cross. But she had the story of the crossing of the Red Sea and the defeat of the Amalakites. She had the word of God’s spies and it was enough. She obeyed their word. She hung a SCARLET CORD … Oh aren’t you glad it wasn’t just any color cord. It was a scarlet cord. Since Genesis 3 it is the Scarlet Cord. It is pointing us to the Blood of Jesus.

Oh some of us need to take the message of the Scarlet Cord into some dark houses … Oh don’t you know … Joshua had told them that Rahab was going to be the only one saved.

Not only that but her whole family … but Only those who were IN THE HOUSE. It isn’t enough to HEAR ABOUT the Scarlet Cord, we have to believe IN the Cord and come into the house.

And so Rahab came out with God’s people and numbered herself among God’s people.

And Matthew 1:5-6 tells us that she married Salmon, a Jew, and they had a son named Boaz, who married Ruth, a Moabite converted to Judaism, and their son was Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse, and Jesse had a son named … DAVID who became KING …

Oh the power of the Scarlet Cord. Oh the Power of Faith in Action

Faith in a Scarlet Cord

The Angel of the Lord at Bokim

Judges 2:1–3 (NIV84)

¹ The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, ² and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? ³ Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.”

Notice the instruction not to intermarry, not to make treaties was about THIS LAND at THIS TIME … and it was about creating partnerships with people who didn’t worship God. That was point. God wanted in Israel, a unique people protected from false gods.

Judges 2:4–5 (NIV84)

⁴ When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, ⁵ and they called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

The problem here and going forward is that they failed to follow God’s word completely. And so v7 says they served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders

But then v10 says

Judges 2:10 (NIV84)

¹⁰ After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.

We must pass along to the next generation The Reality, Presence, Word, of the Lord if we want them to follow it.

The Angel of the Lord to Gideon

Before God showed up in Power for Deliverance, there had to be a Preacher to proclaim their sin and call to repentance.
These words are the same as to Joshua in Chapter 2.

A prophet, who, we don’t know.

Judges 6:8–10 (NIV84)

⁸ he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ⁹ I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them from before you and gave you their land. ¹⁰ I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

So … then The Angel of the Lord appears again …

Gideon is threshing Wheat in a winepress. Why in a winepress? For fear … Marauders were coming in and stealing/ruining their crops every time they harvested. They were killing their livestock. It was like they were stripped by Locusts …

So v7 the Israelites cried to the Lord for help

And God, Jesus, came and sat down beside Gideon who was just trying to beat out some wheat for his family

Judges 6:11–14 (NIV84)

¹¹ The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. ¹² When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” ¹³ “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” ¹⁴ The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

His message
- The Lord is With You – You are Not alone
- Mighty Warrior – You are more than you think you are
V13 but sir – IF … then why has this all happened? Where are all his wonders … the Lord has abandoned us …

He calls him SIR … so he didn’t realize yet this was The LORD … so he calls him adoni, sir …Go … in the strength you have … and save … I am sending you

If I am saying that you can … then you can …

V15 But Lord … how can I save Israel? … my clan is the weakest … I am the least in my family

Sound familiar? God doesn’t often call the confident and the composed, the powerful and poised … I can just see him looking around in the winepress and saying “do you see what I’m doing”?

Answer … v16 – I will be with you … and you will strike down …

V17 IF now I have found favor … give me a sign … don’t go away until I come back

The Lord said “I will wait …”

Oh the wonderful patience of the Lord with our unbelief … Difference is He knew just like with Moses … he WANTED to believe … Rahab WANTED to believe … God will give a sign to the one who wants to believe …

He placed an offering before the Lord … notice he brought bread WITHOUT Yeast … Yeast in offerings would have been considered sin … so he came prepared to faithfully worship … he brought unleavened bread.

V21 – interesting that the Lord had a staff? The Lord is my Shepherd

He touched the offering with his staff and fire came from the rock and consumed the meat and bread. And then he disappeared …

And THEN He realized who this was …

V22 then Gideon realized that it was the Angel of the Lord and exclaimed … now remember earlier he had called him Adoni (Lord) but it was in a casual sense. Now he says “Ah Sovereign Lord” which is Adoni Yahovih (yeh-ho-vee) This was a variation on Yehovah … that they would say so as not to take the actual pronunciation in vain.

This is GOD … I have seen him FACE TO FACE

But God came back …

V23 the Lord Said to him, ‘peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.’

Doesn’t that sound just like Jesus “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Do you hear the voice of Jesus every time The Angel of the Lord Speaks?

V24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord is Peace.’’

Oh but Gideon had a family worship problem … His father had an altar to Baal and an Asherah pole

We can’t build an altar to God on the old altars we have had to Idols …

TEAR IT DOWN … CUT DOWN the Pole …

Build a PROPER Altar on top of it …

Matthew Henry suggests that he probably had to put an inscription on this one so everyone would know who this altar was for and there would be no mistake.

When you tear down the old objects of worship in your life, make sure that the new one to God is clear to all clear to you as well.

This word for proper or “in due order” – ma’arakah = battleline, army, fight – Oh we wrestle not against flesh and blood but rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms … so put on the full armor of God … so that you may be able to stand your ground

V27 Gideon obeyed him … he did it at night rather than in the daytime

Ok so he’s not there yet … better obedience I guess at night than no obedience at all … So practice it at night if you aren’t ready but do it …

Men in town want to kill him and I love his father, Joash, his response

V31 If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.

Tells me perhaps he wasn’t really sold on being a worshiper of Baal but he did what everyone did.

So then Gideon was given the nickname of “Baal-fighter” “Jerub-Baal”

V34 we are introduced to the 3^rd Person of the Trinity … Then The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet,

Notice, the Holy Spirit was GIVEN for instances of work, for empowerment, but wasn’t Forever in the lives of God’s people before Pentecost. David is the only one who it says “the spirit of the Lord never left him.”

Notice also that I don’t think Gideon made a willful decision to sound the Alarm, but God’s Spirit did it through him. I think he blew it and went … wait what? What did I do.

But the men went out to meet him

And well … Gideon is ever in need of encouragement

V36 if you will save Israel by MY hand, as you have promised …

V37 – place a wool fleece … dew only on the fleece … ground is dry, then I will know you will save Israel by my hand, as you said

He keeps saying he knows God said it … but he needs to be sure

So it HAPPENED … a bowlful of dew

V39 – do not be angry with me … just one more … fleece dry and the ground covered with dew. 40 That night God did so …

Then we get the whole whittling down of numbers so that God can be glorified from 32,000 to 10,000 to 300

V7 The Lord said to Gideon ‘with the three hundred men … I will save you … who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others

I never noticed that before … they were left with 9700 or was it 32,000 left over trumpets, swords, food.

Finally God knows Gideon’s heart and he gives him one more encouragement and lets him in on a conversation …

Judges 7:13–15 (NIV84)

¹³ Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.” ¹⁴ His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.” ¹⁵ When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”

Now we are READY …

They shined the Light, Blew Trumpets, Shouted … and the army woke up and killed each other …

The end of the story is actually sad They tried to make him King in v23

He said no … but asked for a donation from the spoils, earrings, and garments and he created an Ephod … a Sacred Garment, meant as a memorial but eventually it became and object of worship.

He didn’t train up the next generation and as soon as he died … they worshipped the false gods again, 40 years later.

We will wrap up there tonight and pick up next week …
A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament – Chapter Two – In the Law

April 28th, 2016

This is Chapter two of a New Study I developed at Faith Baptist Church on Wednesday Nights. I’d love to hear what you think.

A Picture of Christ In the Old Testament
Session Two: In the Law

Defining a Couple Terms

Last week in my excitement for our new study, I sort of jumped right into our looking for Christ in the Old Testament, and while we referred to a couple of things, we didn’t really define them.

There are three words that we need to define. All Three are Jesus Revealed in the Old Testament. The words are Theophany, Christophany, and Christ Type or Typology http://www.gotquestions.com says: “A theophany is a manifestation of God in the Bible that is tangible to the human senses. In its most restrictive sense, it is a visible appearance of God in the Old Testament period, often, but not always, in human form.”

So, if a Theophany is a manifestation of God in the Bible either actual physical or perceived physical, is unclear and actually unimportant. What IS important is that a Theophany is something that CAN be perceived with the Human Senses, not just a dream, a vision, or our inner self or spirit.
It is God manifesting himself in a way that people could receive with their senses.
Genesis 2:15-16 – “took man … put him in the garden … commanded him”
Genesis 3:8 – “heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden …”
The Lord made garments. The Lord spoke to Noah. The Lord Appeared to Abram in Genesis 12:7, to Isaac in Genesis 26, to Jacob in Genesis 35 …
And on and on …

So what is a Christophany? Then this more specifically is an appearance of the 2nd Person of the Trinity to man in a sensory perceptible fashion, before his Incarnation at Bethlehem.

So, that begs the question is a Theophany different from a Christophany or is it possible that these are different? Are some of the Theophanies, Christ-centric, and others Father-centric?

Notice this distinction made about the Father and Son by Paul to Timothy
1 Timothy 6:12–16 (NIV84)
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
What does it say about the Father … He lives in unapproachable light, who no one HAS seen or CAN see … “lives” = dwells or builds his tent in “a” = without “psoseimi” = to approach … together “aprositos” – God sets his tent up in an unapproachable zip code … and NO ONE HAS seen him and no one CAN see him.
When did Paul write this? In the middle of the 1st Century … no one HAD seen him or CAN see him YET … in History … Including the Old Testament …
John said the same thing in the last decade of the 1st Century when he wrote his Gospel
John 1:18 (NIV84)
18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

The Only one who has seen God is the one at his right hand and that is Jesus and Jesus reveals God to us … He did in the his Incarnation … but he has ALWAYS been the Revelation of God, the Word of God … the Articulation of God …
So,
http://www.gotquestions.com says
“While there are no indisputable Christophanies in the Old Testament, every theophany wherein God takes on human form foreshadows the incarnation, where God took the form of a man to live among us as Emmanuel, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23)

So, I believe EVERY Theophany in the Old Testament is a Christophany … it is JESUS … so let your heart run, and dance, and be encouraged by these pictures of Christ active in Creation for ALL of Creation.

What then is a TYPE of Christ? A theophany is Christ actually interacting with man in a perceptible fashion. A TYPE according to http://www.Theopedia.com:
“Typology is a method of biblical interpretation whereby an element found in the Old Testament is seen to prefigure one found in the New Testament. The initial one is called the type and the fulfillment is designated the antitype. Either type or antitype may be a person, thing, or event, but often the type is messianic and frequently related to the idea of salvation.”
“Typological interpretation is specifically the interpretation of the Old Testament based on the fundamental theological unity of the two Testaments whereby something in the Old shadows, prefigures, adumbrates something in the New. Hence, what is interpreted in the Old is not foreign or peculiar or hidden, but arises naturally out of the text due to the relationship of the two Testaments. ^ [1]^”
Then there are really three kinds of types: Historical, Legal, and Prophetic types
Historical
Adam – by one man sin and death came to the world; Jesus by One man Life Came
Moses – Led God’s people from Slavery in Promise – as would the Messiah
Noah – provided a way in the ark, to all who enter in
Abraham – Father of blessed People
Isaac – Substitutionary Sacrifice
Joseph – from hated to heralded, from prison, to the palace, surrendered to evil men to savior of all men.
David – was God’s anointed for a time before he was truly seen as King
Esther – saved her people though God didn’t appear to be there — isn’t even mentioned in the book about her
Elisha – raised the dead and fed hungry

Legal Types
Sacrifices
Offerings
Rituals
Pointed to the Cross
Prophetic
The Seed of the Woman – Genesis 3:15
Prophesies of the Prophets like Isaiah’s Suffering Servant
Zechariah’s Visions

Now … we COULD say that all of these similarities are incidental, analogical, interesting but not intentional. Or, we could believe that God always was telling a story. HIS Story is always being told in History, and so he shaped History to tell HIS Story. If so, then we can conclude that God intentionally told his story through types, even when we did not understand them while they were happening.

So … the picture of Christ in the Law is Exhaustive … and I will tell you up front that we aren’t going to cover it all … but let’s see a few of them and see Jesus with us … God with us …

Exodus 3
Now Moses had been protected in a little ark crafted by his mother when the Pharaoh was killing every little boy in Egypt. Hmm I seem to remember someone being protected when the King was trying to kill every little boy. But anyway, he was taken into and grew up in Pharaoh’s house. But while his people were slaves, he was a prince. He knew who he was and one day he killed an Egyptian who was beating a slave. That act of Righteous indignation put in him danger of being killed so in Exodus 2:15, Moses fled to live in Midian … south of Canaan, the region of Sinai, East of Egypt. North of the Red Sea. He met and married Zipporah and became a shepherd with his Father in law, Jethro.
READ Exodus 3:1-9

The Angel of the Lord – That is JESUS … appeared In the flames of fire within the bush. Though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. Please note this … God did not NEED the Wood of the Bush as FUEL … He was his OWN Fuel. He USED the Bush as a Vehicle to Display his Fire … but he did not NEED the Bush FOR Fire … God uses us but he does not NEED us. If we will not be used, he can use someone else or he can use an inanimate object if necessary.
God Called from within the Bush … This “angel” wasn’t a simple Messenger, this was GOD in the person of the 2nd person of the Trinity
The Place where you are standing is Holy Ground
Take off your sandals – this “Angel” received worship … Angels do not receive Worship if they are but messengers. But this Messenger was GOD himself. Read Isaiah 48:12-18 — The Lord is both mentioned as being The Lord and being Sent BY the Lord both Saving and being Sent to Save … that is Jesus … Sent and yet God … Saving and Savior
I Am the God of Abraham … Isaac … Jacob … i.e. I know you, I know your family, I am the one who has made promises and will keep promises
I have seen the misery of my people … I have heard them crying
I am concerned about their suffering
So I have come down to rescue them …

That is what happened when Jesus came. It may have seemed like God was not aware. It may have seemed like God was silent. It had been 400 years since God has spoken to them in both cases …

When Zechariah was informed of the birth of John the Baptist he prophesied
Luke 1:68–72 (NIV84)
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— 72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,

V9 The cry has reached me … I have seen … So now, go, I am sending you

Moses struggled with confidence … Who am I. He asked v13 Suppose they ask me who you are … what shall I tell them … tell them I AM WHO I AM (will be what I will be) you say I AM has sent me …

Jesus said “hayah asher hayah” I AM WHO I AM
Say this … “I Am has sent me to you” – Hayah
Say this to the people I AM has sent me – yhwh (Yahweh or Yehovah) This will be my name forever
The Angel of the Lord took ownership of this name …
So, how radical it was when Jesus said … John 8:58 “before Abraham was, I Am”

And then continuing in Chapter 4 of Exodus God gives Moses signs to give to the people and he turns his staff into a snake and he turns his hand to leprosy, diseased flesh, and returns it … and he gives further instructions and Moses questions his own ability to speak and begs God to send someone else. So God tells him that his brother Aaron, who IS a great speaker, is already on the way. When God calls he has already made provision for your weakness … trust him …

If you read further in the chapter you see “The Lord” speaking multiple times, just realize that this is Jesus … and they came to the people of Israel in Egypt and 4:31 says
Exodus 4:31 (NIV84)
31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
Oh there is a sermon there …
1) When they Heard (Proclamation)
2) They Believed and Bowed (faith and repentance)
3) They Worshipped (Commitment and Consecration)
That’s a free outline for you preachers …

We couldn’t begin to cover all the times God Speaks … it is 301x in the NIV alone … more than 60x in Exodus alone …

Oh there are plenty of types of Christ …
The Priests were a type of Christ … mediator and Intercessor between God and Man
The Altar – the Vehicle by which sin is atoned
The Sacrifice – Holy, Pure, Innocent, Completely given to God and laid on the mercy seat
The Law itself – showed our inadequacy but provided a way for us to be in relationship with God
The Passover Lamb itself a Type… what a beautiful picture
– The Passover Lamb was a “male without defect” … so was Christ … like us in every way yet without sin …
… In addition, when the lamb was roasted and eaten, none of its bones were to be broken. This fact was also prophesized for the Messiah, whose bones were not to be broken. It was customary during crucifixion to break the leg bones of the person after a few hours in order to hasten their death. But Jesus’ legs were not broken.

We often miss the symbolism of Christ’s sacrifice simply because we don’t know the details of the Passover.
The Lamb
Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem five days before the lamb was killed in the temple as the Passover sacrifice for the sins of the people of Israel.
Five days before the lamb was to be sacrificed, it was chosen. Therefore, Jesus entered Jerusalem on lamb selection day, as the lamb of God. It was called the “Triumphal Entry” but really it was the entry of the lamb of sacrifice.
ON the Passover day, the priest would blow the shophar (ram’s horn) at 3:00 p.m. – the moment the lamb was sacrificed, and all the people would pause to contemplate the sacrifice for sins on behalf of the people of Israel.
On Good Friday at 3:00, when Jesus was being crucified, He said, “It is finished”
– at the moment that, the Passover lamb was sacrificed, and the shophar was blown from the Temple. The sacrifice of the lamb of God was fulfilled at the hour that the symbolic animal sacrifice usually took place.
Jews would bring a grain sacrifice of first fruits at sunset on Friday, and at that time, Jesus was being buried or planted and his resurrection would be the first fruits of all who would follow him and also receive resurrection from the dead

In the Passover, there were Four Cups that were drank as each cup was filled four times during the meal
The CUPS
The 1st Cup was the Cup of Sanctification at the beginning of the meal – they prayed and blessed what was to come and set themselves apart
The 2nd Cup
the cup was filled again and they would dip their finger in it 10 times and drop a drop on the plate to symbolize the 10 plaques in Egypt before their Exodus
The 3rd Cup was the Cup of Redemption and Blessing Anticipating the coming of God’s forgiveness and blessing through the Passover Lamb
Finally 4th there was the Cup of Praise – During this time they read from The Psalms … particularly the Hallal Psalms … that is the Great Psalms of Praise
It was tradition to read from Psalms 113-116

The Bread was without yeast … i.e without sin … Spring Cleaning comes from the cleaning of the house before the Passover and getting rid of every bit of yeast in the house
The bread for the Passover was 3 Pieces of matzah unified as the Bread of Affliction. The middle piece, the Afikomen … was taken out and broken in half, wrapped in a cloth, hidden away. During the meal the children would search and bring it back and it would be given to all to eat.
And so Christ, the center of the triune God, Singular, yet three, was broken, wrapped in a cloth, hidden away, brought back and received by all who would eat.
Can’t you see Jesus carrying out the Passover meal … and when he picks up the “Afikomen” the bread of affliction that is broken, buried, and brought back to be shared by all … he says “This is my Body which is Broken for You” …

And then at the conclusion of the meal when it is time for the 3rd Cup, the Cup of Redemption, he says “This is my blood which is a covenant with you” … do this in remembrance of me
Because it says when we do … you proclaim the Lord till he comes
We remember him to proclaim him

Let’s look at two more pictures of Christ in the Law … just two … one is a Christophany the other a Type
The Pillar of Fire and the Pillar of Cloud
So … after all the plaques after the Passover … the Egyptians “freed” them and they left for the Land of Promise
But v17 of Chapter 13 in Exodus says
Exodus 13:17–18 (NIV84)
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.
And here is The Lord again …

Exodus 13:21–22 (NIV84)

21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Day or Night, you can follow the Lord because HE is our Light

Then chapter 14 says that the LORD directed them into a tight spot … between Migdol and the Sea … They were almost to Mt Horeb (Sinai) the place that God said they were going to worship him … but God took them on a detour … Ever known God to take you on a detour? Has God ever put you in dire straits, in harms way? In this case God doesn’t even hide what he is doing to Moses … he tells him what he is about to do to Pharaoh … This was about Judgment on wicked Pharaoh and about showing God’s people just what he could do …
4:9-10 what Happened? They pursued Israel, caught them … and the Israelites were terrified and cried out … “what have you done to us?”
What Did Moses say?
Exodus 14:13–14 (NIV84)
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
And The Lord said “why are you crying … MOVE ONE … Raise your staff … divide the water … I will gain glory”
V19 Then the Angel of God … withdrew and went behind them … between the armies … throughout the night … darkness to one side, and light to the other … all night east wind blew and the waters divided … why all night? I don’t know but doesn’t God know how to tell a story, doesn’t he know how to build a scene?

Now I had a professor in College that told us that the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire weren’t really God. He said it was a Basin of Coals carried by the People and it was a symbol of God’s presence … Now when he said that in my Old Testament Survey … Before I could get my little indignant, young preacher hand in the air … he then read from v24 … “The Lord Looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving”

And I asked the professor, “the Lord looked down from the symbol of his presence?” I think I just got a look …
It was no SYMBOL … it was JESUS …
Jesus Before them …
Jesus Behind them …
Jesus With them … and
Jesus FOR them …

The Pillar of Fire and Pillar of Cloud … Like the Bush … Were God Himself in the Person of Christ, revealing himself to them … Remember no one can see The Father … no One has seen the Father
Numbers 14:14 says – they have already heard that you, O Lord, are with these people and that you, O Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night

This pillar had been the visible presentation of God with them. It came over the Tent of Meeting when Moses would go in and speak with God (2nd Person of Trinity) face to face
It was evidence of God’s compassion that caused him to give them his presence with them …
Nehemiah 9:19 (NIV84)
19 “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.
They were alone, without knowledge, guidance, or protection, and God provided all by his presence with them …
Psalm 99:7 says it was the vehicle by which God spoke to them giving them the Law

The Cloud would come over the Tent of Meeting and God would speak to Moses
Exodus 33:7–11 (NIV84)
7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. 11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
From the Cloud he summoned Miriam and Aaron to speak to them … it says the cloud stood at the entrance and he summoned them …
The Cloud enveloped Mt Sinai in Exodus 24:15-18 … God’s glory settled there for 6 days … and it looked like a Consuming Fire … Deuteronomy 4:24 says that the Lord is an All Consuming Fire …
Hebrews 12:28–29 (NIV84)
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
And So the Cloud was on Sinai and Moses said in 33:18 “Now show me your glory” …
Oh be careful what you ask … Moses had seen him “face to face” but obviously God wasn’t really showing him all … and Moses knew it and he wanted more. I hear people say “I want MORE of God” … More is a dreadful thing be careful …
Exodus 33:19–23 (NIV84)
19 And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
I can’t imagine what it is Like when the LORD says his own name … what that majesty is like … how the ground will shake … the earth tremble …

Exodus 34:4–8 (NIV84)
4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” 8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.
… Well I’m sure he did … Moses bowed down to the ground at ONCE and WORSHIPED …

You know … we have the ISAIAH 53 picture of Christ as the Suffering Servant … because that’s what he was on this earth … Perhaps we have a hard time imagining the Revelation 19 Jesus who is riding a white horse with a sword coming from his mouth … you want to see that picture in the Old Testament?
Exodus 19:16–20 (NIV84)
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, 19 and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. 20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up

Well … I need to finish … but let me give you one other TYPE of Christ … that is a picture of Christ …

John 1:14 says about Jesus … The Word became Flesh and made his dwelling among us …
Literally it means the Word “tabernacled” among us. What was John talking about? The people knew what the Tabernacle was.
Exodus 26 gave the instructions for building it. It was to be exactly by the pattern that God had. God doesn’t need a designer to tell him how to do it … he had a pattern.
It was the Dwelling Place of God among the People …
– 10 Linen curtains over a frame 45x15x15 feet … It was called The Tabernacle
– 11 Goat Hair Curtains covered that and were called The Tent … the Extra Curtain covered the opening in front and back to ensure that it wasn’t open and visible to those outside
– Over that with a covering of Ram Skins dyed Red
– Over that a covering of sea cow (dugong – like a manatee)
It was placed not outside the people, but they would camp AROUND it … it was in the center of the people.

This was God’s Stamp of Approval … these are MY People, uniquely related to me
This showed God’s Choice … they were his because he chose them. Jesus told his disciples you didn’t choose me but I have chosen you. Repeatedly in the Old Testament God says “I have chosen you”

If this is a TYPE … a PICTURE of Christ … What is the Picture?
The Tabernacle was a Picture of God’s Provision for relationship with and forgiveness for his people.
Did you see it in the Covering?
Four Coverings … Linen, Goat’s Hair, Ram’s Skin Dyed Red, and Sea Cow …
– Linen – made from flaxseed it was a symbol of purity and righteousness. In this instruction it was woven with thread dyed Blue, Purple, and Scarlet. Blue was a color worn by Priests. Purple was worn by Kings, and Scarlet was worn by the wealthy and the warrior.
Jesus Christ came and Tabernacled Among us as our High Priest, our King, our Wealthy Warrior, and our Righteousness.
– Goat’s Hair … Black Goat’s Hair would have been what they used … Leviticus 16 gives instruction for the “scapegoat” … You know what that is right, the innocent guy who gets stuck with the consequences for someone else’s actions … After the High Priest had offered the sacrifice for the sins, he selected a live goat and takes it by the head and sprinkles blood from the sacrifice on the head of the goat. He confesses the sins of his people over the goat and sends the goat out into the wilderness carrying the sins of the people on his innocent head away from the people.
Jesus tabernacle among us to be our scapegoat and carry away the effect of our sin

– Ram’s skin dyed Red … do I really need to explain this one? Abraham had been told to sacrifice his son, Isaac. He was told to take him to the top of the mountain and put him to the knife. He made the altar, he laid his son down, raised his knife and the Lord stopped his hand and there in the thicket, the thorn bush, was a RAM, caught in its branches. And the ram then became the sacrifice. The Ram’s blood was shed in place of Isaac.
Jesus our Righteous Linen, our Scapegoat, our Substitutionary Sacrifice … and

– A Smooth Sea Animal for the Outer Covering … pretty strange huh? Where did they come up with THAT? They are in the middle of the desert and they’ve got to come up this SMOOTH material made from a sea animal’s skin. I think of an Old Man named Nicodemus and Jesus said “you must be born again” … you must be NEW, you must be transformed into a soft smooth new born creation. HOW? How do we come up with a sea cow? How can we be a new creation, fresh smooth, clean, Holy …

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Left Heaven and came to earth and Tabernacled among us, so that, in the middle of the desert we can be made new. Anyone that is in Christ is a New Creation, yes in the middle of the desert, in Christ we are born again, we are smooth as a newborn baby, forgiven because of the Sacrifice of our Ram, Christ Jesus, our sins taken away from us by our scapegoat and now we stand in the Righteousness of Christ because of Royal, Priestly, Warrior Jesus Christ who tabernacled among us.
A picture … yes a picture of Christ making us a fresh, new, clean creation. He came from some place else, Heaven, to us in the wilderness, to make us new.

Oh Doesn’t God know how to tell HIS Story?

Oh there is so much more of Christ our Lord in the Law and the period of law giving … even a funny story in Numbers 22 about a funny little prophet from a pagan country named Balaam who tried to deceive God’s people … Oh there is nothing like when people who don’t know God try to mess with God … ask Sceva’s seven sons who messed with a demon and found themselves beaten, stripped and bloody in the book of Acts … so imagine coming against God’s People. If you come against God’s people you have to face God FIRST …
So Balaam … said he’d get an answer from God and he sure did … And Jesus, the Angel of the Lord stood in his way … Balaam didn’t even see him … but his donkey saw him and the donkey wouldn’t move. Poor girl, Balaam beat her, probably with a switch, but Jesus had a drawn sword and she didn’t move. She finally just laid down. And Numbers 22:28 says the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said … ‘what have I done to you to make you beat me these three times’ … Balaam said you have made a fool of me if I had a sword I would kill you … to which she replied “am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden … Have I been in the habit of doing this to you” Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the Angel of the Lord … Sword drawn and he bowed down … and then God told him what he was doing …

Well I guess if God can speak through a donkey maybe you have seen something tonight through this preacher …

Let’s pray …