SERMON: JOEL 3:14-15 - HUMANITY'S WAR - THE TRUCULENCE OF JUDAH'S ENEMIES - PART 2

Sermon: Humanity's War - The Truculence Of Judah's Enemies - Part 2

Audio: SermonAudio

Video: SermonAudio

Text: Joel 3:14-15

Slides: PDF 

Series: Joel

BOOK SUMMARY: THE CHRIST KEY - CHAPTER 4: THE GENESIS OF REVELATION - OLD CREATION, NEW CREATION AND THE MESSIAH

It is a foundational error to believe that creation and redemption are two wholly different divine activities.  When the Lord redeems, He is engaged in gracious creation. Salvation is a creative action. By His Word, He brought the heavens and earth into existence. By the same Word, Jesus Christ, He brings into existence new life, new hope, a new nature for His fallen people in redemption (2 Corinthians 5:17).  The Messiah does not merely forgive or give us a ticket to heaven, but He effects a re-genesis of the world, including a re-genesis of us.  Metalepsis takes place in the New Testament. At the beginning of Matthew biblos geneseos means "the book of the genesis of". Mark begins with arche which means beginning.  At the end of Luke 3 and beginning of Luke 4 we read, "the son of Adam, the son of God. And Jesus..."  Chapter and verse divisions can sometimes obscure meaning and connection.  It literally reads, "of Adam of God Jesus." Luke connects the son of God, Jesus, to the son of God, Adam, in Genesis.  Genesis 1 is the first chapter in Christ's biography. Isaiah uses the language of creation to sing of the Messiah's kingdom. Ezekiel uses Garden of Eden imagery to depict the Lord's saving work. In Proverbs, Solomon will help us see that the very first words of Scripture are about Jesus.

THE WISDOM NAMED "BEGINNING"

The Hebrew word for wisdom is chokmah. Because it's grammatically feminine it is often described as a woman (Proverbs 1:20-21).  Regarding wisdom Proverbs 8:22 says that "The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old." Three things worth noting: (1). The word possessed (qanah) means "of God creating or originating his people". It carries the idea of "begot".  Wisdom was "brought forth" or "born" (Proverbs 8:24-25). (2). The word "at" is not in the original Hebrew. (3). The word "work" is commonly translated as "way." The verse thus reads: "The LORD begot me--the beginning of His way." Thus, "the beginning of His way" is another name for Wisdom. Proverbs 8:23 says that wisdom was before the beginning of the earth. Proverbs 8:30-31 show us that wisdom was rejoicing in the inhabited world and delighting in the children of man. In Genesis we see the Father's Son, Wisdom, saying "Let there be..." Jesus is creating and rejoicing over creation. Genesis 1 and Proverbs 8 are all about creation and both use the Hebrew word reshit to tell about the beginning of creation by the Word and Wisdom of God, Jesus Christ. John 1:1-3 makes this same connection. Jesus is the logos, the mind, the Wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24) by which all things were created. 

ISAIAH AND MOUNT EDEN

Isaiah leads us to Messiah by taking us back to Genesis 1-2 (See Isaiah 2:2-4). What does this passage have to do with creation? Isaiah makes reference to the mountain of the house of the Lord in regards to Judah and Jerusalem. All nations will flow to it to worship the Lord. This is pointing to final salvation and peace across the world. Ezekiel 28:13-14 speaks of a Eden in relation to the mountain of God. In the end times, the New Temple is on a high mountain (Ezekiel 40:2). There's an Eden-like river (Ezekiel 47:1-2) that won't stop growing and it flows from the throne in the New Temple. In Revelation John mentions a river patterned after Ezekiel's river (Revelation 22:1-2). John stands on a high mountain (Revelation 21:10) and sees the New Jerusalem.  What does this all mean? Eden was on a mountain and God's original plan was for the world to be Edenized. In Isaiah, Ezekiel and Revelation we see God's intent for creation. The world will be Edenized but it's called the New Jerusalem which contains a river of life that flows from the throne. Mount Eden is realized in the New Jerusalem. Final salvation brings to culmination what God intended in the Genesis creation. Earth will be God's eternal dwelling place with humanity. In a nutshell, salvation is re-creation. That's where Isaiah takes us.

GO AND TELL JOHN

When John the Presbyterian Baptist asks if Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus tell him to take note of how the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the dead are raised, the deaf hear and the poor have the good news preached to them (Matthew 11:2-6). The effects of the fall in Genesis are being undone by Jesus. In essence Jesus is telling John that salvation is re-creation. Jesus points John back to Isaiah 35 to show the salvific re-creative work of Messiah. Isaiah 34 teaches us about the world's de-genesis or de-creation under God's judgment.  Isaiah 35 teaches us about the world's re-creation in salvation. Bad news followed by good news.  Genesis 1:2 and Isaiah 34:11 use the same Hebrew words to speak of the world when it was without form and void. Jeremiah uses the same language in Jeremiah 4:22-23. God's judgment brings about destruction or de-creation, a removal of blessing. The authors of Scripture frequently describe the effects of human rebellion in creational terms. Sin affects the cosmos, not just humanity. That's why total salvation is cosmic, not just a saving of humanity (Isaiah 35:1-6).  In terms we'd understand, Death Valley becomes like Yellow-stone National Park. John the Baptist, in essence was told, "When you see the undoing of the physical impact of sin on the world and humanity, you'll know that the Savior is here." This is how we preach the gospel from the Old Testament. It takes time to grasp Scripture this way. Isaiah won't sound like Paul, but the message is the same: God has come to save us. Jesus didn't come to just save our souls. He also came to save our bodies and this cosmos. 

NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH

Although the new heavens and new earth and mentioned in 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1, they are first mentioned in Isaiah 65:17 and Isaiah 66:22. Isaiah is alluded to Genesis when God created the heavens and the earth. God's point is that the former things of the first creation will not be remembered. In other words, the New Heavens and New Earth will be far greater in comparison. Just like Genesis moves from broad creation (heaven/earth) to the narrow creation of Eden, so too, Isaiah moves from the broad creation of the New Heavens and New Earth to the narrow creation of the New Jerusalem. The Apostle John does the same thing in Revelation 21:1-2 when he declares a New Heaven and New Earth followed by a New Jerusalem. The newly created Jerusalem in Isaiah or the new Jerusalem in Revelation is the New Eden. Creation is restored. Death shall be no more (Isaiah 65:20, Revelation 21:4). The curse is reversed (Isaiah 65:23-25) except for the defeated serpent.

LIKE THE GARDEN OF THE LORD

Let's look at the connection between protology and eschatology--the study of the beginning and end-times.  In German: Endzeit gleicht Urzeit (end-time resembles beginning-time. In other words, Revelation looks a lot like Genesis. Isaiah 51:1-3 calls us to reflect back on the accounts of Adam/Eve and Abraham/Sarah. The land that God would give to Abraham's descendants would be a new Eden. Israel was going to build a new house for God in their special land just like God dwelt in special Garden in Eden.  The Garden of Eden was entered from the east side as one moved west, just like Abraham was from the east and traveled west to the land of Canaan.  In regard to child bearing, Abraham and Sarah were a rock and quarry--dry, barren, with no life, no capacity to have children. Yet God brought forth life when they were as good as dead. In regard to the land of Israel, God was going to take this barren wilderness and turn it into a land like Eden. Isaiah 51 is a resurrection promise. Paul takes the account of Abraham and Sarah and teaches us about the resurrection of Christ (Romans 4:13-25). Barren women having children in the OT are patterns that teach us of the resurrection of Christ; the Christ that raised Himself, will give eternal life to us. 

EZEKIEL AND THE NEW GARDEN OF EDEN

In Ezekiel 34 and John 10:1-6 we see evil shepherds who have inflicted harm on God's people, as well as a good shepherd who is to come. The good shepherd is God Himself and a shepherd whom God will set over His people. In Ezekiel the servant shepherd is David. David's been dead a while, but God is using a literal name to refer to a different literal person. Scripture sometimes does the same thing with the name Israel or even the term temple. God uses the language or thesaurus of the Old Testament to teach us of eternal things. The new creation, new Jerusalem is described in Edenic terms in Ezekiel. After explaining the new covenant, God explains that ultimate salvation will include grain that will be abundant and fruit trees shall increase and a land that is restored to an Edenic state (Ezekiel 36:35).  Remember, these are vision God gives to Ezekiel, like the vision God gave to John the Revelator. Real names and places are used to describe eternal realities that supersede present names, places and circumstances. Messiah's homecoming is a reversal of the Genesis curse and judgment where Adam and Eve were driven from the garden.  Jesus is the David of Ezekiel--our good shepherd who lays down His life to bodily and spiritually save us along with this cosmos.  

CREATION AND EXODUS

Ezekiel frames salvation in terms of re-creation. God as Savior acts as Creator. But Ezekiel also shows salvation as an exodus, or as a bringing of His people out of exile. In salvation God gathers His people from foreign lands and brings them to their own land (Ezekiel 36:24). In Psalm 136:1-9 there is a focus on God as Creator from Genesis 1. Then there's an abrupt shift to the saving and redeeming acts of God in Exodus 12.  The two are connected. For God to deliver Israel from the harsh conditions and idolatry of Egypt was to redeem them and take them to a land of blessing where they'd dwell with God. Psalm 136:23-26 shows us that God rescued Israel from their foes and gives food to all flesh. The Redeemer acts as Creator. Israel's exile into Egyptian slavery meant that they needed God's help and rescue. God acted as Rescuer and Creator. Their exodus from Egypt meant a new land for them. Jesus leads us in an exodus (departure) into a new creation (Luke 9:31). When Christ returns, the visions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and John will be seen with real eyes, not the eyes of faith. Salvation is much more grand that we have ever realized.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

1.  How are salvation and creation intertwined?

2.  How do the four gospels point back to Genesis 1?

3.  How are we to understand Jesus as the Wisdom of Proverbs and how does this relation to Genesis 1?

4.  Does the realization that Eden was on a mountain change our understanding of certain parts of Scripture?

5.  Why are the accounts of barren women having children to be looked at as types of the resurrection of Christ?

6.  What other things stood out to you in this chapter?

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