BOOK SUMMARY: FROM EDEN TO THE NEW JERUSALEM - CHAPTER 2C: PAGES 42-60 - FROM THE SACRED GARDEN TO HOLY CITY: EXPERIENCING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

THE JERUSALEM TEMPLE

Soon after the Israelites enter the promised land, Shiloh, a district in the tribe of Ephraim, is chosen to be the central location for the tabernacle. Due to the wickedness of the Ephraimite and the priests, God leaves the tabernacle at Shiloh and allows the Ark of the Covenant to be captured. Since God’s presence was associated with the combination of the Ark inside the Tabernacle, it’s as if God allowed Himself to be captured and taken away from Israel (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 1 Samuel4:19-22, 1 Samuel 5:1-12).

Eventually, David is selected at King of Israel and His throne, along with the tabernacle and recaptured Ark (2 Samuel 6:15-17) are now located in Jerusalem. Instead of this moveable tent, David wants to build a house for God.  God says, “No! I will build a house for you.”  In other words, God would build a dynasty for David that would continue forever. This is the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7, Psalm 89:3-4). This, of course, is fulfilled in Jesus descending from David and being the eternal King of kings. A house for God (temple) would be built, but by David’s son, Solomon, since David was a man of war. After Solomon’s prayer of dedication, God comes and fills the Temple with His glory (1 Kings 8:10-11). The same thing happened in the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35). The tabernacle has now been superseded by the temple. Not coincidentally, the church, the Spiritual Temple, of the Lord was filled in the Day of Pentecost, superseding the earthly temple.  The point is that God had a dwelling place in the Garden, then in the tabernacle, then in the temple and now in the church.

For now, we are tracking the idea that God has taken up residence in Jerusalem, the city of David, in Zion. The magnificent furnishings and servants (priests) of the temple meet the “needs” of the resident and signify that a glorious Being dwells there. The nature of sacrifices in the temple allowed people to approach God just a little bit closer. Citizens could be cleansed and move into the courtyard. Priest could be cleaned and moved into the Holy Place. The High Priest could be cleansed and enter the Most Holy Place but only once a year. The reality is that pure holiness dwells at the center of Israelite life and only proper cleansing can bring them closer to God.

There was garden imagery inside the temple as were cherubim, giving us reminders of the Garden of Eden (1 Kings 6:23, 1 Kings 7:18). Even the Ark was covered with cherubim as they guarded God’s presence (1 Kings 8:6-7). But God’s dwelling place in Jerusalem, also called the City of God, was not the final product. It’s a miniature model of what God intends to do over all the earth. The ultimate blessing from God is His presence among us (Psalm 48). The entire city of Jerusalem is now the dwelling place of God as signified by all the gold brough in (2 Chronicles 1:15). Psalm 84 speaks of the blessing it is to dwell with God. SIDE NOTE: From this Psalm we sing at our church the song title, Better Is One Day.

Eventually, Israel’s sin leads to the northern 10 tribes being completely annihilated by the Assyrians and the southern 2 tribes being decimate and carried off into captivity by the Babylonians. At this point both Jerusalem and the Temple are destroyed and no one knows what happened to the Ark of the Covenant.  Ultimately, this shows that, like Adam removed from the garden, Israel was removed from the land of Canaan because Israel is not holy enough to live with God (Isaiah 1:4-15). Isaiah moves from the earthly Jerusalem to a New Jerusalem in which people from all nations dwell, a time where even they are priests and Levites (Isaiah 66:18-24). This is the end outcome that God is moving towards. Isaiah 2:2-5 speaks of Mt. Zion, Jerusalem, the city of God, being the highest mountain ever in the latter days (end times). This is not altitude but importance or significance. It’s so big that it’ll cover the earth (Daniel 2:35). The Lord desires to dwell globally in a temple-city. That ultimate temple-city is the church (Revelation 21). Israel and Jerusalem are not replaced, rather, they were a stopping point along the way from the garden to the New Creation. Read Isaiah 65:17-25. The old Jerusalem bears little resemblance to the New Jerusalem.

The prophet Ezekiel was supposed to be a priest but could not serve in the temple because it was destroyed along with Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 597 BC. He was only 25 but 5 years later God gives him a series of visions over a 20 year period.  Before all of this, Ezekiel is given a vision and it shows God on a throne-chariot. This signifies that God is still with Israel in some way even though God is about to punish them and God is about to depart the temple/sanctuary (Ezekiel 8:6, Ezekiel 9:4).  This is a somewhat modified departure because God is pictured as standing on a mountain near Jerusalem looking at it from afar (Ezekiel 11:23). Ezekiel 40-48 show us another vision with a focus on new temple. Remember, it’s a vision and vision are often non-literal (symbolic) ways of communicating literal truths, just like the book of Revelation.  Ezekiel sees a replacement temple and a replacement city with a river that continues to grow and grow. This Jerusalem gets a name change. It’ll now be called, “The Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35).

This vision would no doubt encourage the Israelites to rebuild a second temple after their 70 years in Babylonian captivity. A new physical foundation would have to be build and the wall around Jerusalem would be to be erected. But this vision to Ezekiel was not about that 2^nd temple. The 2^nd Temple era simply served as a reminder of what was still yet to come in the final phase of God’s ultimate plan. Jerusalem (Zion) and the temple were there to point us to the final outcome. Worthy of note is that God never said to have filled the 2^nd Temple like He did the tabernacle or the 1^st temple. The Ark was missing and still never has been recovered to this day. But He promises to fill this 2^nd temple with glory (Haggai 2:7-9). In fact, He promised Judah that He’d finally visit that 2^nd Temple in Malachi 3:1.  This was fulfilled when Jesus came and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The word dwelt in Greek means tabernacled. Jesus is the true Temple (John 2:19). He came to live with us in the flesh! And He Himself went into the 2^nd temple and did much teaching and even cleansed the temple from wicked practices. Indeed, God came and visited the temple and filled it with His own incarnate glory.

Since Jesus is the true temple, when we are united with Him by faith in Him, we become part of the temple of His body. And the Holy Spirit comes to LIVE in us. We’ll dive into this living/spiritual temple next time.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1.  Share what stood out to you.

2.  What do you make of God’s allowing the Ark of the Covenant to repeatedly captured? What does it signify?

3.  If you had to summarize the theme of God dwelling among us using Biblical language how would you do that? Starting from Genesis and ending in Revelation.

4.  What’s the significance of fruit and cherubim imagery in the temple? What about the lighting, smells and presence of food? What is the significance of all the ornate decorations of gold, silver, onyx and purple?

5.  What does God teach us when we see Israel being removed from their land and Jerusalem and the Temple destroyed?

6.  Based on our understanding of Jerusalem being called Mt. Zion, what should we expect God’s kingdom to be like in light of Daniel 2 and Isaiah 2:2-5)

7.  How are visions meant to be understood?

8.  Why is the name change of Jerusalem important in the last verse of Ezekiel?

9.  What must we seen continual progressions in the meta-story of God dwelling with us and Israel in various stagesd?

10.  What are you most encouraged about as we continue to study Biblical Theology and this particular theme? 

SERMON: JOEL 3:9-13 - HUMANITY'S WAR - THE TRUCULENCE OF JUDAH'S ENEMIES - PART 1

 

Sermon: Humanity's War - The Truculence Of Judah's Enemies - Part 1

Audio: SermonAudio

Video: SermonAudio

Text: Joel 3:9-13

Slides: 

Series: Joel

BOOK SUMMARY: THE CHRIST KEY - CHAPTER 3 - PENCIL SKETCHES: HOW OLD TESTAMENT INDIVIDUALS OUTLINED THE MESSIAH’S COLORFUL LIFE

Much of biblical interpretation is also people interpretation. When we do this, we are doing analogical thinking. That is to say, we are comparing A to B or comparing one person to another. People may act in typical ways in which we can discern predictable patterns. From the word typical we get the idea of types or kinds of people. In this way, many people were types of Christ. They acted in ways that were typical for our Savior. They pointed to predictable ways in which the Messiah would act. Scripture does in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15 by comparing Adam to Jesus. Hebrews does this to show that Jesus is greater than the prophets, greater than the angels, greater than Moses and greater than the High Priest. Jesus did this when He compared Himself with Jonah. Here we find another key to understanding how the Old Testament was about Christ.

A BRIEF PITSTOP: BODIES, BIBLES AND TETELESTAI
(1). BODIES – We are part of a larger body of people. We are corporate; in Adam all die, in Christ all will be made alive. We are not as individualized as we think. Israel was well aware of their corporate identity. Our deep unity is not simply superficial.  (2). BIBLES – There were millions of Israelites in the times of Scripture. God chose to give us biographies of certain individuals and to show visible patterns in their lives to point us to Christ. As we study Scripture we begin to see links between people but then we begin to see similarities and differences. (3). TETELESTAI – Jesus cried, “It is finished,” while on the cross. In Christ, all thing have been brought to their end goal. Those compared to Jesus have their telos in Christ. Their biographies lead us to Christ and find their end in Christ. The intimately connected lives of OT believers, whose bios have been inscripturated and filled with foreshadowing hints, are designed so as to lead us to the divinely planned telos of the Messiah.

THE DEEDS OF THE FATHERS
The patriarchs are paradigms in that they establish patterns repeated by their descendants. We see a repeated pattern of barren women who eventually have children and the younger son is favored over the older. Do we see connections in the account of barren Elizabeth/John the Baptist or even the virgin birth of Christ? Do we see God’s electing grace in these accounts?  We also see several exiles and returns in Abraham, Jacob, Naomi and Israel.  Does this enrich our understanding of the prodigal son parable? Does this help us to understanding salvation as exile from God’s presence in the Garden of Eden and a return to God’s presence in the New Creation?  These accounts point to Christ in what we call typology, figural interpretation or foreshadowing. This is not a new way to read the Bible. It’s present in the Torah.

ADAM AND THE ARK MAN
All eyes were once on Adam as the head of humanity but now they are on Noah. A reboot of creation was need; a new Genesis. Noah’s dad hope his son might be the one to rescue humanity from the curse ground and hard labor they endured as a result of Adam’s failure (Genesis 3:17, 5:29). We see Lamech using typology by using words clearly taken from Genesis. He thought Noah was going to be a new and better Adam.  With Noah, creation was rewound. The waters covered the face of the earth in both accounts. The ark floats above the waters as the Spirit did in Genesis. Creation is waiting once again for the waters and land to be separated and for the earth to be full of vegetation, animal life and humanity. A purged and clean creation await God’s purpose of creating a place where He’d dwell with humanity. God blesses Noah like He did Adam. God issues the same command: be fruitful and multiply. A pattern is clearly being presented to us. The days of Noah are a time of renewal. Later, the prophet Isaiah would describe a time of joy after the suffering Servant (Christ) accomplished His work. Isaiah compares these times of joy to the days of Noah when God promises never to judge the world by flood again. Again, we see Noah and his days as a type of Christ and His days (Isaiah 54:7-10).  Noah and the flood are a paradigm for the work of the Suffering Servant. Typology and patterns are not new. They are inherent in Scripture. Reading Christ as the substance of the OT is the right way to read Scripture. Even Jesus compared His coming again to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39). Peter does the same (2 Peter 3:5-7).

MELCHIZEDEK: PRIEST AND KING IN SALEM
Melchizedek pre-dates the Israelite priesthood. He is a historical figure: a Canaanite priest of God Most High and king of Salem. Abraham gave him a tithe of his spoils after Melchizedek blessed him after Abraham defeated Chedorlaomer. Psalm 110 is about the Messiah but also mentions Melchizedek. In Matthew 22:41-45, Jesus quotes Psalm 110 to show that Messiah was more than just David’s son. Messiah was Divine. Messiah was supreme over the Aaronic Priesthood since Messiah was after a pre-Israel order of priests. In Psalm 110 Messiah is victorious. In Genesis 14, Abraham is victorious. In Psalm 110, Messiah is a priest. In Genesis 14, Melchizedek is the priest. In one fell swoop, David uses the types of Abraham and Melchizedek and shows that both these men are patterns that point us to Christ. The author of Hebrews (7:1-28) wants us to see how Melchizedek resembles the Lord. Melchizedek is greater than the Levitical priesthood. Jesus is after the order of Melchizedek and is thus greater than the Levitical priesthood. Christ is a priest forever unlike the Levite priests who all died and were buried.

GIDEON AND THE DAY OF MIDIAN
Moses is the central human figure of the OT and is paradigmatic/typological of our Messiah. Moses was a prophet, leader over the house of Israel and deliverer in Israel’s history. Other prophets and leaders are painted in Moses-like colors. Gideon was also a mini-Moses, pointing back to Moses and forward to Jesus Christ. Both Gideon and Moses were subjugated by the Midianites and Amalekites.  Exodus 10:12 shows God’s judgment of locusts on Egypt. Judges 6:5 shows us that God judged Israel with “locusts” (invading armies). The word “devoured” also appears in Exodus 8:24 and Judges 6:4). The Messenger of Yahweh appears to both men (Exodus 3:2, Judges 6:12). Both have personal inadequacies making them feel unfit for God’s calling (Exodus 3:11, Judges 6:15). Both receive the same reply from God (Exodus 3:12, Judges 6:16). It’s not enough to randomly form types and patterns. There must be legitimate connections. The clues just mentioned show us linguistic and historical patterns and connections. They continue on…both Moses and Gideon tear down idols (Exodus 32:20, Judges 6:25-27). Both men lead Israel into seemingly unwinnable battles that the Lord won on their behalf. God used Moses to free Israel from Egypt just as God used Gideon to free Israel from her oppressors. Gideon is a neo-Moses pointing back to Moses but pointing forward to Jesus who will lead His own people in a freeing exodus in what looks like a losing battle that ends in victory. Isaiah used typology when he said that the work of Messiah would be like that of Gideon in the days of the Midianites (Isaiah 9:4).

THE MESSIAH NAMED DAVID
Messiah-centered biblical interpretation did not originate in the NT. Lamech did it. David did it. Isaiah did it. The NT authors simply continued doing proper interpretation of Scripture, showing how certain individuals were pictures or figures of Christ in particular ways. David was another figure of the OT that people knew would foreshadow Messiah. David, too, was born in Bethlehem, Judah. David was a King and Jesus descended from David. David’s victories and sufferings recorded in Psalms are used to describe Christ’s ultimate victories and sufferings. David wanted to build God a house, but God would build David a house in Christ’s dynasty (2 Samuel 7:11-16).  David’s son would be more than Solomon for David’s son would be David’s Lord. David stands as the penultimate link between the first promise of a saving child and the coming incarnation of Christ. The coming of Christ has narrowed down from Eve (humanity), to Abraham (patriarch), to Judah (tribe), to David (family). See Luke 1:32. David, like Messiah would shepherd (Micah 5:4). As David slew Goliath (whose armor is described as scales in Hebrew), so Jesus slew Satan, the serpent in Genesis and Revelation.  How much of David’s life foreshadowed Messiah? Saul’s persecution of David? David going up the Mt. of Olives? In Psalms the lives of David and Jesus overlap.  On the night Jesus was betrayed He quoted Psalm 41 to refer to prophecy fulfilled concerning Himself when it was originally written about a betrayal against David. When Jesus quotes Psalms He is calling us to see David’s life and how it pointed to Himself in analogous ways. This means we should read 2 Samuel in tandem with the gospels. Also, in 1 Samuel 21:10-15 we read of David acting crazy in order to save his life. David then wrote Psalm 34 in response to God saving his life from afflictions. Later the apostle John wrote that Scripture was fulfilled when none of Jesus’ bones were broken (Exodus 12:46 & Psalm 34:20). Jesus, the Passover Lamb, had no bones broken and had sufferings like David. This is a case of double metalepsis. David’s deliverance was a foreshadowing of Christ’s resurrection. Do we read also Psalms in light of their historical context to get a glimpse of what Messiah would come to do?

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
(1). Do you pay attention to how the Psalms are used in the NT?  How can Psalms be used in our corporate and daily worship? How can Psalms be used in our evangelism? How can Psalms be used for encouragement?
(2). What other figures in the OT do you think pre-figure our Messiah?
(3). Are your eyes opening further to just how amazing God is in revealing His Son to us in all Scripture?
(4). Is your heart filled with gratitude that God would reveal Christ to us?
(5). Do you see just how supernatural the Bible is?
(6). Do you see just how short many sermons and Bible studies fall short in preaching the full meaning of the Old Testament?

BOOK SUMMARY: THE CHRIST KEY - CHAPTER 2 - CHRISTOPHANIES: WALKING BACKWARDS TO BETHLEHEM

QEDEM

The Hebrew word for east, also means in front.  To orient yourself is to face frontward or eastward. Qedem also means past or olden days. The past is not behind us but in front of us. In Hebrew thinking, we look into the known past as we walk backward into the unknown future.  We see what has been, to know what will be.  As we walk backward, looking at Eden, we shouldn’t be surprised when we get to the manger of Christ. The incarnation was in view the whole time.  

 

PAINTING AND REPAINTING THE IMAGE

The Bible is a product of the dual authorship of God and man. There were many human authors but only one Spirit inspiring the whole of Scripture. As we look at each book in its own historical, cultural and linguistic context, we must not ignore the larger context of the entirety of Scripture. In Genesis 1:26-27 we see God making mankind in His image. To the Corinthian church, Paul writes that Christ is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). In Colossians1:15-17 he says the same thing and adds that Christ, the image of God, holds all things together and that all things were created through Him and for Him.  Do we ever stop to wonder, “What is the connection between Christ, the image of God¸ and humanity that was created in the image of God. God desires us to know Him so He creates us after His image. Because of our sin, the Father, looking to His image, the Son, repaints us in Christ’s image, that we might reflect Him and know Him once more. God’s creation of us is a revelation of Him because we display some of His glory. Another way to look at this is that the creation of humanity is a prophecy of the incarnation. As we walk backward to Bethlehem we see that the past is pointing to the future.

 

A BRIEF RANT CONCERNING TRANSLATION

Torah’s basic meaning is instruction, teaching, direction or law. But the Torah is not just law. It is full of promise, lovingkindness and hope. Don’t oversimply the word Torah or you’ll miss much.

The Hebrew word malak means messenger. SIDE NOTE: It’s the same word used for the prophet Malachi. In an interesting part of this minor prophet, Malachi speaks of a malak (John the Baptist) who will prepare the way for the malak of the Lord (Jesus).

In the OT there is a very special malak of Yahweh. He shares the Father’s name, glory and power. Sometimes our Bibles render malak as angel. This is where we are introduced to the Angel of the Lord. This can hinder us from seeing the messenger of the Lord for who He really is. Like Torah, don’t assume that all mentions of angel are references to angels. Some are references to a Divine Being—the Malak of Yahweh. 

 

THE LORD’S MESSENGER

This messenger bridges the gap between heaven and earth. He speaks for God but also as God. He is distinguished from Yahweh but is also called Yahweh. We see this in the burning bush account in Exodus 3:1-6. See Isaiah’s encounter with Him in His temple (See Isaiah 6:1-13, John 12:41). To Jeremiah he was the Word of Yahweh (Jeremiah 1:4-10). To Ezekiel He was the glory of God in human form (See Ezekiel 1:1-28, Revelation 4:3). All these revelations teach us about Christ.

The Hebrew word for appear is a form of the verb ra’ah which means to see.  When the Malak of Yahweh appears, we might say it another way: The Messenger of Yahweh became seen. In the burning bush account, the Messenger of Yahweh is Yahweh. Moses was afraid to look at God; the Messenger of Yahweh was speaking to Him from the burning bush.

In Exodus 23:20-24 we see that God’s name is in His Messenger. In this passage the messenger is sent. The malak is shalach. He is an ambassador for the Lord and speaks with Yahweh’s full authority.  He will guard Israel like a warrior, oppose their enemies, lead them to the holy land, and demand their full obedience to His voice. His voice is divine speech. So when Yahweh says that His name is in the Malak, He means that “Who I am is in him. To see him is to see Me. To hear him is to hear Me. Yahweh is in him. He is Yahweh to you.” 

Hagar met the Messenger of the Lord (Genesis16:7-14). Hagar calls him El Roi which means a God of seeing. 

Samson’s mother met the Messenger of the Lord (Judges 13). She calls him the man of God. His appearance was so humanlike that she invited him to stay for dinner. Later he ascends in the flames of the altar on which she offered a sacrifice to God. She and her husband fall to the ground and exclaim that they had seen God.

Abraham calls God the malak who redeemed him from all evil. The messenger is just another name for God.

 

DRESS REHEARSALS OF THE WORD WHO BECAME FLESH

In Scripture we read of accounts where the Son of God came down from heaven and introduced himself as the word of the Lord. The noun davar/dabar is Hebrew for word. Usually it refers to written or spoken word. It also can mean a thing or matter. Sometimes it means both of these things at the same time. In Genesis 15 we see the Davar of the Lord for the first time. The Davar-Word is showing himself as Davar-Matter. The audible word is now tangible. Initially Abraham’s encounter is with the audible word but in vs 54 we see that, He, the Davar of the Lord, is escorting Abram outside. The Davar is visible. The Davar is identified as Yahweh (vs 7).

In 1 Samuel 3 we see the Davar of the Lord was rare in those days. Verse 7 says that the Word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to Samuel. Next we see that the Lord came and physically stood before Samuel calling out to him. In 3:21 we see that the Lord appeared again to Samuel. We read that the Lord revealed himself by appearing to Samuel as the Word/Davar of the Lord. The Word is the Divine revelation of Yahweh. Putting it all together see that the Davar of the Lord is the Lord who is God presenting Himself in physical form in this account. In the NT we read that the Word was God and was with God and that the Word took on flesh. David Murray has said that, “Christ enjoyed trying on the clothes of His incarnation.” The word is the person of God’s Son.

 

THE SON AS WISDOM PERSONIFIED

The Hebrew word for wisdom is chokmah. It’s more than the application of right knowledge. It involves a mind in tune with God’s Word where by we act and speak and have a heart that leans on God’s guidance. Chokmah is God’s gift to us whereby we image the wise Creator in thought, will, action and word.  The wisdom of Yahweh is a person. It’s another name for God’s Son (See Proverbs 8). In 8:4-21 we see wisdom praising the acquisition of knowledge and prudence. Wisdom is far more valuable than earthly treasure. But in vs 22-24 we see a shift from the acquiring of wisdom to the notion that wisdom was present at creation; that wisdom was beside God as a master workman; that God delighted in wisdom, that wisdom rejoices before the Lord and delights in humanity (vs 30-31). There’s this interaction between God and Wisdom personified. Before creation there was God and His Wisdom. God possessed or begot Wisdom. Proverbs 3:19 says that the Lord founded the earth by wisdom. Reading the NT we see that it’s the son that created all things and for whom all things were made (1 Corinthians 8:6, John 1:1-3, Hebrews 1:2-3, Colossians 1:16-17). Not surprisingly, Jesus is called the wisdom of God (See 1 Corinthians 1:30). When most Christians read Proverbs, the book of wisdom, they are not expecting to encourage the Wisdom of God, Jesus Christ, himself. The Wisdom of Proverbs is the same Word, Messenger and Glory of God we’ve been seeing throughout the OT.

 

THE CENTRAL EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE EARTH

The Son of God visited earth many times before His full incarnation. He was sent by Yahweh, spoke for Yahweh and was called Yahweh. As we look to the manger scene, we finally see the Image, Messenger, Word and Wisdom of God who is forever one of us.  We have gained infinitely more in Christ that we ever had or lost in Adam.

 

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

(1).  How does looking to the past while walking backward towards the future help us to understand Scripture?

(2).  What are some important truths to consider when thinking about God creating us in His image and Jesus being the Image of God?

(3).  What truths have you gleaned from a better understanding of the Messenger of the Lord?  What does it mean that God’s name was in him? What stands out to you in Samson’s mother’s encounter with the Messenger of the Lord?

(4).  How do we know that the Word/Davar of the Lord that came to Abram was more than a spoken word?

(5).  What take-aways do you have from Samuels encounter with the Word of the Lord? How does knowing that the Lord came and stood before Samuel shape your understanding of Scripture? What does it mean that the Lord revealed himself by the word of the Lord?

(6).  What was wisdom doing at creation? How does John 1:1-3 inform our understanding of God’s wisdom?

SERMON: JOEL 3:4-8 - HUMANITY'S DEMISE - THE TUMBLING OF JUDAH'S ENEMIES - PART 2

Sermon: Humanity's Demise - The Tumbling Of Judah's Enemies - Part 2

Audio: SermonAudio

Video: SermonAudio

Text: Joel 3:4-8

Slides: 

Series: Joel

SERMON: JOEL 3:1-3 - HUMANITY'S DEMISE - THE TUMBLING OF JUDAH'S ENEMIES - PART 1

 

Sermon: Humanity's Demise - The Tumbling Of Judah's Enemies - Part 1

Audio: SermonAudio

Video: SermonAudio

Text: Joel 3:1-3

Slides: 

Series: Joel

BOOK SUMMARY: FROM EDEN TO THE NEW JERUSALEM - CHAPTER 2B: PAGES 20-42 - FROM THE SACRED GARDEN TO HOLY CITY: EXPERIENCING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

THE TEMPLE-GARDEN OF EDEN

The Garden of Eden is portrayed in the opening chapters of Genesis as a divine sanctuary. It is the place where God dwells and man worships Him. Features in the garden are also found later in the tabernacle and temple but the garden is an archetype or the perfect situation which is later replicated but not fully realized due to sin. It might even be better said that the Eden is the temple and the garden is attached to Eden. Notice the similarities between the Garden of Eden and later sanctuaries.

• Eden and sanctuaries were guarded and entered from the east (Genesis 3:24; Numbers 3:38).
• The tree of life was in the garden and the menorah was in the sanctuaries (Genesis 2:9; Exodus 25:31-40).
• Adam was to work the garden and keep it. The same Hebrew words are only found together in reference to priests and their duties in the sanctuary (See Genesis 2:15; Numbers 3:7-8).
• Gold and onyx are mentioned in the garden and used to decorate the sanctuaries (Genesis 2:11-12; Exodus 25:7,11).
• The Lord walks in the garden and the sanctuary (Genesis 3:8; Leviticus 26:11-12). 
• A river flows from Eden and the future Jerusalem temple (Genesis 2:10; Ezekiel 47:1-12).
• The Garden of Eden and temple are described as being on mountains (Ezekiel 28:13-14; Isaiah 2:3).

Since Adam and Eve met with God face-to-face, it can be said that they had a priestly status in the garden which was a prototype for later dwelling places for God. Eden is the starting place for God's long-term plan. The fact that God called mankind to fill the earth with image bearers and that He rested after this on the seventh day shows us that God intended the entire earth to be a temple where humanity dwelled with Him. The Garden of Eden was meant to expand and cover the earth. The New Jerusalem in Revelation is the culmination of God's plan. 

Adam listened to the serpent, sinned and lost His priestly role. Through hardship Adam could only work the ground at this point. The cherub took over Adam's job of guarding the temple-garden as a holy place. Adam was kicked out of the garden and excluded from God's holy presence. This idea is carried over into priestly work where priests guard the tabernacle and temple on the east side to prevent anyone from entering the Most Holy Place. 

Mankind's ongoing sin perpetuates our problem. A hope is held out that one is coming who'd relieve humanity from their hard labor (Genesis 5:29).  As the evil of mankind grows, God destroys the world with a flood. Verbal links from Genesis 1 and Genesis 7-9 indicate that we are seeing a recreation of earth with Noah as a new Adam or head of humanity. In Genesis 1 and Noah's account we see waters covering the entire earth. We then see waters and being separated so that vegetation can grow and animal life can be supported. We see the same command to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth was given in the garden and in Genesis 9.  Adam and Noah had dominion over the animals.   As Adam sinned in the garden, Noah sinned in his vineyard. 

The story of humanity is repeating itself. Humanity pulls together and refuses to obey God's command to fill the earth. This is seen in the Tower of Babel account (Genesis 11). God confuses their language to cause people to disperse and fill the earth. In spite of all this, God is still on a lengthy pace to bring His plan to pass--to dwell with perfect image bearers on earth. 

THE TABERNACLE 

The construction of the tabernacle is the next step in God's plan to dwell with humanity on earth. But it begins with one nation.

Prior to the moveable tent (tabernacle) there were miniature forms of sanctuaries called altars. Sacrifices of worship were offered to God on these altars that are often connected with some sort of physical manifestation of God known as a theophany (Genesis 12:7-8; Genesis 35:1).  

As the process of God dwelling with humanity continues, He commission a special tent to be made for Him.  Features in the tabernacle are later repeated in the temple. A rectangular curtain barrier or "wall" was placed around the tabernacle. The exterior curtain could be entered from the east as one would enter the courtyard of the tabernacle.  Inside this exterior wall curtain was the tabernacle which was a large tent divided into two parts; the holy place and the most holy place. The first room of the tent was the Holy Place and was also entered from the east). Inside the Holy Place was the menorah, table of showbread and incense altar. These items for lighting, smell and food lead us to believe that someone lives here. The lavish decorations of gold and purple lead us to believe that it's someone of most importance.  The next and final room was the Most Holy Place. Inside the Most Holy Place was the Ark of the Covenant.  Inside the Ark was the Ten Commandments, some manna and Aaron's staff that budded.  In the ancient world, a chest was used as a footstool to the king's throne. Inside the footstool were treaties or covenants that the king made with other nations. Understood as a footstool, the Ark was the place were God set His feet as His throne from heaven touched earth. The tabernacles shows us God's continued plan to dwell with humanity on earth. Resemblances between the Garden of Eden and the tabernacle must be noted. The tabernacle is now associated with God's dwelling place on earth. It is frequently called His dwelling place (Exodus 25:8). Once the tabernacle was fully assembled, God's glory filled His dwelling place (Exodus 40:34-35).  His presence was then manifested by a cloud by day and fire by night as Israel journeyed to their promised land--their Eden-like land (Joel 2:3).   

That the Ark of the Covenant was God's footstool helps us to see that God was not confined to the tabernacle alone. The verbal cues in Proverbs 3:19-20 and Genesis 2:2-3 give us reason to believe that the tabernacle was a model of the cosmos.  As God used wisdom, understanding and knowledge to create all His works, so too, God gifted Bezalel with wisdom, understanding and knowledge to build the tabernacle and complete all the works associated with it. The tabernacle and temple are meant to remind humanity of God's original intent in creating earth and us. 

God stretched out the heavens like a tent (Psalm 104:2). Earth is described like a building with foundations and pillars (Psalm 75:3). As God's plan moves forward, we see a land of promise with Edenic fruitfulness.  But we see that Israel repeatedly fails to want to live with God as they choose to worship false gods instead. We are left wanting something more to come.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

1.  What new insights did you gain from this portion of the chapter?

2.  What seems to be the biggest hinderance in God's plan?

3.  How is your view of God altered knowing that He continues to move forward with His plan to dwell with humanity?

4.  As Adam and the priests were to keep God's dwelling place pure, does it help you to see your obligation to protect God's temple (the church) and to keep it pure? See 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 6:18-20).

5.  What are we to do in light of the fact that we now live with God and that, as priests, we can approach Him? See Hebrews 10:19-25

6.  How does this unifying theme help you to better understand other parts of Scripture and what is happening in the life of Israel in the Old Testament?

7.  Does this demystify some of the details surrounding the Ark or the Temple?

8.  Knowing what you know so far, why would basins for cleansing and sacrifices be needed in the temple work that priests were to do?

BOOK SUMMARY: FROM EDEN TO THE NEW JERUSALEM - CHAPTER 2A: PAGES 13-20 - FROM THE SACRED GARDEN TO HOLY CITY: EXPERIENCING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Read Revelation 21:1-3.  Scripture ends with God dwelling with humanity in a new creation. The Scripture starts this way as well, but sin ruins this communion. All of Scripture between these passage shows how God restores fellowship with humanity so that we may once again dwell with God on earth.  Whereas Genesis presents earth as a building site, Revelation describes it as a finished city where God wells with people from every nation.

OVERVIEW
After Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden, God’s presence is associated with heaven while He occasionally descends to meet with selected individuals. When He reveals Himself it is always for a particular purpose. To Abraham God revealed a promise of land, seed and blessing.

In Exodus we see the Divine rescue of the enslaved Israelites from Egypt. This results in the construction of a lavishly decorated tent that becomes God’s dwelling place in the midst of Israel. The meta-story is moving forward with God dwelling permanently within one nation.  Soon Israel occupies the land of promise (Canaan) and the tabernacle (tent) remains in Shiloh for some time. It is eventually replaced when a temple is built in Jerusalem during the reign of Solomon (959 BC). Because the temple was in Jerusalem the entire walled city is viewed as God’s dwelling place on earth. This continued for nearly 400 years as God coexists in a unique way with the citizens of Jerusalem.

In 586 BC the Babylonians destroy the temple and walls of Jerusalem. The Jews were carried off into captivity for 70 years. Eventually the Persians come into power and under the rule of King Cyrus permission is given to the remnant of Israel to return to Judah to rebuild the temple. This second temple was completed in 516 BC. The wall was still in ruins and God used the governor of Judah, Nehemiah, to see this project to completion.  The prophet Malachi ends with God telling Judah that He will personally come to visit the temple. God refers to Himself as the Messenger of the Covenant.

The next major development in the meta-story is the coming of Jesus to earth.  Jesus comes to tabernacle among human beings (Read John 1:14). This is the next stage in God dwelling with humanity. On several occasions we see Jesus entering the temple. In a remarkable statement, He refers to His body as the temple. He claimed that He would raise it up in three days after it was destroyed (John 2:19).  Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension to heaven make it possible for the next phase of God’s place to take place.

God’s presence on earth with humanity has gradually progressed from garden to tabernacle to temple to Jesus and now to the church.   With Jesus ascension to heaven the promise of the coming Holy Spirit takes place on the Day of Pentecost. God’s presence associated with the temple is now associated to the newly created church. The church quickly grows and is comprised of Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles. Together they are the new temple in which God resides. As the church expands throughout the earth, God’s dwelling place is expanded. And as Jesus predicted, the Jerusalem temple is destroyed as an act of judgement against unbelieving and covenant breaking Israel. This happened in 70 AD when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. The ever-expanding church has replaced the Jerusalem temple.

The Biblical meta-story records one final phase in the process of God dwelling with humanity over the whole earth. In this stage all things are made new and His glory will fill a rejuvenated earth.  In the new creation God will dwell with His redeemed people. The theme or motif of God’s presence on earth alongside humanity is an important part of the Biblical meta-story.

THE MOTIF OF TEMPLE
Read Revelation 21:15-18.  It’s not a coincidence that Revelation uses Jerusalem and temple language. It’s meant to help us make connections between Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem and what God is ultimately doing. This final Jerusalem is extraordinary in that its proportions are that of a perfect cube like the Holy of holies (see 1 King 6:20). While the Holy of holies was overlaid with gold, the New Jerusalem is pure gold leading us to conclude that the New Jerusalem is an expanded Holy of holies. The Holy of holies is now a massive “city”.  Revelation 21:22 says that there is no temple in the city because the Lord is its temple. It’s worth noting that Revelation describes the New Jerusalem as the bride of Christ which has the glory of God. With Christ as the true temple and cornerstone, and by virtue of our connection to Him as living stones, we are both connected to God and indwelt by God (in union with God). Revelation is communicating, not so much that the church is a spiritual building or city, or that God is a physical temple, but that we are in union with God, living together.  Remember, this is apocalyptic language. It’s meant to reveal and uncover truth through the use of vivid imagery. It has a literal meaning but uses a vision to communicate that truth. When you place these passages back into the meta-story they begin to make more sense.

QUESTIONS
1.  Did you ever stop to consider how the opening of Genesis has a lot in common with the end of Revelation?  Why do you think that is?

2.  How does Adam and Eve’s relationship with God start out? What happens to Adam and Eve’s relationship with God after sin?  How is this contrasted with the end of Revelation?

3.  When you consider the tabernacle in the wilderness, what comes to mind? Nothing? Confusion? Mystery? Irrelevance? Intricate rules and ceremonies? Something else?

4.  How does your understanding of the tabernacle change knowing that it’s about God reestablishing His dwelling place among humanity of earth as He starts with one nation?

5.  Have you ever considered the significance of Jerusalem being called the City of God (See Psalms 46:4, 48:4)?

6.  In both the tabernacle and the first temple, God’s presence filled His dwelling place. In what ways was this fulfilled in the 2^nd Temple era?

7.  What and where is the temple now? How has this expanded God’s plan to dwell on earth with humanity?

8.  What is the final phase of God’s plan to dwell with humanity on earth?

9.  How does these meta-story and theme about God dwelling with humanity change your understanding or the way you look at Scripture?

10.  Revelation can be confusing at times. It’s not supposed to be. How does understanding the end scene of Revelation help you understand how the meta-story is developing?  Does understanding temple imagery help make sense of some of the mystery?

BOOK SUMMARY: FROM EDEN TO THE NEW JERUSALEM - CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION

Scripture presents a meta-story that claims to communicate absolute truth that cannot be discovered any other way.  The story doesn't claim to present all truth, only particular truth to particular questions that lie outside the realm of scientific investigation. This meta-story is an anthology of literature linked by common themes, centered on a unique deity. It explains (1). Why was the earth created? (2). What is the reason for human existence?

This anthology abounds in intertexual references and provides us, in itself, the literary context in which its contents may be understood.  In other words, Scripture explains and interprets Scripture. Each book contributes something special to the meta-story and the meta-story provides a framework which aides in interpreting each book. 

Revelation anticipates the creation of a new earth and new heaven. This brings to fulfillment a process that started with this present creation as detailed in Genesis. The strong links between Genesis 1-3 and Revelation 20-22 suggest that these passages frame the entire biblical meta-story.

Not everything in Revelation can be taken literally. But it does not logically follow that everything in this vision must be viewed as merely symbolic. The new earth and new heavens are very likely to have much in common wit this present cosmos. 

The scholarly tendency to atomize biblical texts is often detrimental to understanding the big picture of Scripture. Stripping passages out of the context of the larger meta-story leads to imposed meanings that were never intended by the authors of Scripture.  There are major themes that run through Scripture and part of the thought world of the biblical authors. Knowing and appreciating these themes may significantly alter our reading of individual books. 

Good theology always has pastoral implication. Right teaching and right practice go hand in hand. Truth revealed shapes the lifestyle choices we make.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.  What do you understand Scriptures primary message to be? What are other ways in which people view the overall the Bible?

2.  Why did God create earth? Why did He create humanity?

3.  What common themes do you find running through Scripture from Genesis to Revelation?

4.  Why do you need to understand intertextuality means and why it is important to interpreting Scripture?

5.  What is the relevance in understanding the beginning of creation along with the end of creation?

6.  What continuity exists between Christ’s pre-resurrection body and post-resurrection body? Is it likely that the new creation has some commonality with the present cosmos?

7.  Why must all smaller portions of Scripture be placed within the meta-story of Scripture?  Does our church’s preaching focus on the text only or the text in conjunction with the meta-story?

BOOK SUMMARY: THE CHRIST KEY - CHAPTER 1 - THE LAYERED BIBLE

INTRODUCTION

Hermeneutics - the science and art of interpreting the Bible

There are different hermeneutics that leave you with different conclusions and applications. Here are a few:

1.    Literal interpretation - plain meaning, historical-grammatical approach

2.    Allegorical interpretation - tangible things represent intangible ideas

3.    Moral interpretation - be like the good guys, not the bad guys

4.    Christological interpretation - all of Scripture is interpreted in light of the full revelation of Christ

5.    Redemptive-historical interpretation - all of Scripture bears witness to the redemption Christ brings us

A moralizing, imitative approach to the stories of Israel is a recipe for interpretive disaster.

Intertexuality - the layering of the Scriptures. Every new layer of Scripture interacts with and interprets former layers. This means the texts interprets texts.  Scripture is a multilayered web of interconnections that gradually constructs the Big Story of Scripture.

Everything from Genesis to Malachi, in one way or another, is about Jesus the Messiah (See Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39, 46-47; John 1:45; Acts 3:18; Acts 3:24; Acts 10:43; 2 Corinthians 1:20).

THE TANAK: EXACTLY HOW LONG IS THE BIBLE?  

For the earliest followers of Christ, their Bible was only the Old Testament. When those first Christians discussed Christ, the discussed Him from the Old Testament. It would be roughly fifteen years after Jesus' ascension before the first New Testament book was written. The first Christians read from the TANAK or TANAKH.

T = Torah; the Pentateuch, the first five books of the OT -  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

N = Nevi'im; the prophets - Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, 12 minor prophets

K = Ketuvim; the Writing - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles

To talk about Jesus in the early years of Christianity meant you used the Bible that Jesus used. You would have used the Tanak. In the New Testament, when Scripture is mentioned, it's almost always speaking of the Old Testament (with the exception of verses like 2 Peter 3:16).  The Tanak contains the contents of the Christian faith. The NT does not contain any new doctrines that were not founded in the OT.

TO THE TORAH!

The NT explains and interprets the OT for us. But even Joshua through Malachi help us to understand Genesis through Deuteronomy. The Torah is almost like a mini-Bible. Every author of the Tanak sat at the feet of Rabbi Moses. 

Martin Luther - "Moses is the source from which the holy prophets and also the apostles, inspired by the Holy Spirit, extracted divine wisdom."  "Show us one word in all the books outside of Moses that is not already found in the books of Moses."

The history of Israel, from Joshua to Kings, can only be rightly understood in light of Deuteronomy. The Psalms praise God for creation and recount the Exodus. The wisdom literature expands the divine wisdom of the laws of the Torah. 

We must ask, "Why does Moses get quoted more in the NT than Jesus?" Because Jesus affirmed that all things had been written about Him in Moses and the prophets.

The Torah gives Christological language to us so that we may know Jesus as the Commander of the Army of the Lord (Joshua 5:14), the promised seed of David (2 Samuel 7:11-16), the Lord's begotten Son and King (Psalm 2:7), the Wisdom alongside God at creation (Proverbs 8:22-31) and the leader of our exodus (Isaiah 11:16). 

The Apostle John starts of his book with "In the beginning..." as if to say, "To understand Jesus, I need to quote Genesis 1:1."  Matthew narrates Jesus' life by using the pattern found in Moses' life (hostile leader trying to kill baby boys, coming out of Egypt, going into the wilderness, assembling of twelve, dispensing of the law on a mountain).

MONTY PYTHON AND METALEPSIS

There is a profound difference between knowing the meaning of a word and knowing what that word means when it is drawn from a movie, spoken in a specific scene and by a certain character.  The weight of those words can only be realized when one understands their origin, setting, context and connotation.

If Joshua quotes Deuteronomy, or if David alludes to Exodus or if Ezekiel echoes a phrase from Genesis, you won't understand the full meaning of what the author is communicating unless you know they are doing this. At best, we will sub-interpret the text or misinterpret it all together. 

Metalepsis - the borrowing of other biblical material by quoting, echoing, or alluding to it. 

Joshua 5:15 doesn't just quote Exodus 3:5 but is telling us more. The Commander of the Army of the Lord is not some angelic or super-human being. HE is God leading Israel to her land of rest. The NT shows us Christ leading us to our Sabbath Rest in the New Creation. 

Matthew 10:34-39 alludes to Micah 7:6 but we are not told this. You just have to know the "movie quote."  You have to understand Micah before you can understand Matthew. Micah is saying that a person's own enemies are those in his household. In the larger context Micah is also lamenting that there are no righteous people around him. Micah could only follow and trust God. Now when you listen to Jesus'' words in Matthew 10:34-39 you can see that Jesus is telling us that we should only put our faith in Him. This is metalepsis. 

If we try to read the NT apart from the OT we will not get the right understanding of the NT. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.    Why is a moralistic approach to interpreting the Scripture so popular?  Why is it also so dangerous?

2.    What do Jesus and His disciples say about the OT and the centrality of Christ? 

3.    What is the Tanak? Why is it important to understand that the first Christians only had the OT as their Bible? Does this change your view of the OT?

4.    How should the church's preaching, teaching and worship reflect this understanding of the OT?

5.    Why is it important to understand the concept of intertexuality? 

6.    Read Luke 9:28-36.  In what ways is this passage connected to the OT?  What "movie quotes" do you hear?