"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference." - Reinhold Niebuhr
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28 (NIV)
Wednesday 27 April 2011
Monday 25 April 2011
Clothed with Christ
Yesterday's Easter Sunday message in church was based on Luke 15:19-24, the parable of the lost son.
On one level, the father's lavish grace towards his lost son is a picture of God's lavish grace towards His lost children (ie. us).
On another level, the older brother's anger at his father welcoming his younger brother home parallels the Pharisees' anger at Jesus 'welcom[ing] sinners and eat[ing] with them' (Luke 15:2, NIV).
On yet another level, the symbols used in the parable of the lost son allude to God's everlasting covenant (cf. Ezekiel 16). Notice how Ezekiel 16 ends:
"'So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD.'" - Ezekiel 16:62 (NIV)
1. The father's servants bring the best robe, a ring and sandals for his lost son (cf. Ezekiel 16:9-10).
"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate." - Luke 15:22-24 (NIV)
"'I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments.'" - Ezekiel 16:9-10 (NIV)
2. Abraham's servant gives Rebekah jewellery and clothing (cf. Ezekiel 16:11-14).
Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has directed."
When Abraham's servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewellery and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.
- Genesis 24:50-54 (NIV)
"'I adorned you with jewellery: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendour I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" - Ezekiel 16:11-14 (NIV)
3. Boaz covers Ruth with his garment (cf. Ezekiel 16:8).
When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."
"The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character."
- Ruth 3:7-11 (NIV)
"'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.'" - Ezekiel 16:8 (NIV)
Again, notice how Ezekiel 16 ends:
"'So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD.'" - Ezekiel 16:62 (NIV)
*****
On one level, Proverbs 31:10-31 refers to the wife of noble character.
On another level, Proverbs 31:10-31 refers to Ruth.
On yet another level, Proverbs 31:10-31 refers to the Church, the bride of Christ.
Do we bring Christ good, not harm, all the days of our lives? (v12)
Do we open our arms to the poor and extend our hands to the needy? (v20)
Do we speak with wisdom and instruct faithfully? (v26)
Do we watch over the affairs of our households and not eat the bread of idleness? (v27)
Above all, do we fear the LORD? (v30)
*****
4. The angel of the LORD - the LORD Himself - clothes Joshua with rich garments.
[In the Old Testament, "an" angel of the LORD refers to a messenger of the LORD, while "the" angel of the LORD refers to the LORD Himself (Jesus in His pre-incarnate form).]
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 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?"
Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes."
Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you."
- Zechariah 3:1-4 (NIV)
The angel of the LORD and the LORD are one and the same!
5. God clothes Adam and Eve with garments of skin.
"The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." - Genesis 3:21 (NIV)
6. God clothes us with garments of salvation.
"I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." - Isaiah 61:10 (NIV)
Sounds familiar. Where have we heard this - a bride adorning herself with her jewels - before?
7. God clothes us with robes washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes - who are they, and where did they come from?"
I answered, "Sir, you know."
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
- Revelation 7:13-14 (NIV)
New Creation, New Clothes
"For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." - 2 Corinthians 5:4 (NIV)
"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." - Revelation 21:2 (NIV)
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city." - Revelation 22:14 (NIV)
Links: Crucified with Christ (22 Apr 11), Raised with Christ (24 Apr 11)
On one level, the father's lavish grace towards his lost son is a picture of God's lavish grace towards His lost children (ie. us).
On another level, the older brother's anger at his father welcoming his younger brother home parallels the Pharisees' anger at Jesus 'welcom[ing] sinners and eat[ing] with them' (Luke 15:2, NIV).
On yet another level, the symbols used in the parable of the lost son allude to God's everlasting covenant (cf. Ezekiel 16). Notice how Ezekiel 16 ends:
"'So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD.'" - Ezekiel 16:62 (NIV)
1. The father's servants bring the best robe, a ring and sandals for his lost son (cf. Ezekiel 16:9-10).
"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate." - Luke 15:22-24 (NIV)
"'I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments.'" - Ezekiel 16:9-10 (NIV)
2. Abraham's servant gives Rebekah jewellery and clothing (cf. Ezekiel 16:11-14).
Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has directed."
When Abraham's servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewellery and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.
- Genesis 24:50-54 (NIV)
"'I adorned you with jewellery: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendour I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" - Ezekiel 16:11-14 (NIV)
3. Boaz covers Ruth with his garment (cf. Ezekiel 16:8).
When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."
"The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character."
- Ruth 3:7-11 (NIV)
"'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.'" - Ezekiel 16:8 (NIV)
Again, notice how Ezekiel 16 ends:
"'So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD.'" - Ezekiel 16:62 (NIV)
*****
On one level, Proverbs 31:10-31 refers to the wife of noble character.
On another level, Proverbs 31:10-31 refers to Ruth.
On yet another level, Proverbs 31:10-31 refers to the Church, the bride of Christ.
Do we bring Christ good, not harm, all the days of our lives? (v12)
Do we open our arms to the poor and extend our hands to the needy? (v20)
Do we speak with wisdom and instruct faithfully? (v26)
Do we watch over the affairs of our households and not eat the bread of idleness? (v27)
Above all, do we fear the LORD? (v30)
*****
4. The angel of the LORD - the LORD Himself - clothes Joshua with rich garments.
[In the Old Testament, "an" angel of the LORD refers to a messenger of the LORD, while "the" angel of the LORD refers to the LORD Himself (Jesus in His pre-incarnate form).]
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 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?"
Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes."
Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you."
- Zechariah 3:1-4 (NIV)
The angel of the LORD and the LORD are one and the same!
5. God clothes Adam and Eve with garments of skin.
"The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." - Genesis 3:21 (NIV)
6. God clothes us with garments of salvation.
"I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." - Isaiah 61:10 (NIV)
Sounds familiar. Where have we heard this - a bride adorning herself with her jewels - before?
7. God clothes us with robes washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes - who are they, and where did they come from?"
I answered, "Sir, you know."
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
- Revelation 7:13-14 (NIV)
New Creation, New Clothes
"For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." - 2 Corinthians 5:4 (NIV)
"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." - Revelation 21:2 (NIV)
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city." - Revelation 22:14 (NIV)
Links: Crucified with Christ (22 Apr 11), Raised with Christ (24 Apr 11)
Sunday 24 April 2011
Raised with Christ
See what a morning, gloriously bright
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem
Folded the grave clothes, tomb filled with light
As the angels announce, "Christ is risen!"
See God's salvation plan
Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice
Fulfilled in Christ the Man
For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead
See Mary weeping, "Where is He laid?"
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name
It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again
The voice that spans the years
Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us
Will sound 'til He appears
For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead
One with the Father, Ancient of Days
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty
Honour and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with power and authority
And we are raised with Him
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered
And we shall reign with Him
For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead
And we are raised with Him
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered
And we shall reign with Him
For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." - Romans 6:1-4 (NIV)
And we are raised with Him
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered
And we shall reign with Him
For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead
Links: Crucified with Christ (22 Apr 11), Clothed with Christ (25 Apr 11)
Saturday 23 April 2011
Digging Deeper into Genesis 22 (and 24)
Genesis 22 is an interesting chapter in the Bible. God tests Abraham by instructing him to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering.
About a year ago, I wrote a philosophy essay for one of my undergraduate modules (Theological Ethics) on whether God could have commanded Abraham to kill his son. In short, to deny that God could have commanded Abraham to kill his son not only denies the historicity of Genesis 22 - it also denies the historicity of other passages of Scripture which refer to Genesis 22, such as Hebrews 11:17-19 and James 2:21-23. Besides, the revelation of Abraham's Dilemma is that the LORD will provide.
Having said that, upon further reflection there is even more to Genesis 22. The father-son relationship between Abraham and Isaac typologises that of God the Father and Jesus the Son. The mountain which Isaac is supposed to be sacrificed on (in the region of Moriah) and the wood for the burnt offering foreshadows the mountain (Golgotha) and the cross which Jesus is actually crucified on. Even the two servants which accompany Abraham and Isaac from Beersheba to Moriah may serve as a symbolic foil to the 'two other men, both criminals, [who] were also led out with [Jesus] to be executed' (Luke 23:32, NIV).
The Angel of the LORD
Things get really interesting as Abraham is about to sacrifice his son.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
- Genesis 22:9-12 (NIV)
At first glance, it appears that God sent an angel to stop Abraham from sacrificing his son. In fact, it was the angel of the LORD - the LORD Himself (Jesus in His pre-incarnate form) - who called out to Abraham!
*****
In the Old Testament, "an" angel of the LORD refers to a messenger of the LORD, while "the" angel of the LORD refers to the LORD Himself (Jesus in His pre-incarnate form).
In Exodus 3:2, the angel of the LORD appears to Moses in flames of fire from within a bush. 2 verses later, God calls to him from within the bush.
Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.
So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight - why the bush does not burn up."
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses said, "Here I am."
- Exodus 3:1-4 (NIV)
Again, in Judges 6:12 the angel of the LORD appears to Gideon. 2 verses later, the LORD turns to him and speaks.
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.
When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."
"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."
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?"
- Judges 6:11-14 (NIV)
*****
Back to Genesis 22.
"Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." - Genesis 22:12 (NIV)
Who could speak (and even swear!) on behalf of God but God Himself?
"The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." - Genesis 22:15-18 (NIV)
Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son because God would sacrifice His Son, once and for all. Indeed, the angel of the LORD - Jesus Himself would eventually be the (perfect) sacrifice!
"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." - John 3:16 (NIV)
"Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." - Hebrews 10:11-14 (NIV)
Isaac
Speaking of sitting down at the right hand of God (referring to Jesus' ascension to heaven 40 days after His resurrection), notice that there is no mention of Isaac after his "resurrection" in Genesis 22:12 until his "return" in Genesis 24:62.
"On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."" - Genesis 22:4-5 (NIV)
"Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba." - Genesis 22:19 (NIV)
"Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev." - Genesis 24:62 (NIV)
So Abraham comes down the mountain alone and returns to Beersheba with his servants, while Isaac (apparently) does not follow them but heads to Beer Lahai Roi. Again, there is no mention of Isaac until the time comes for him to meet his bride. Now this next bit simply blows my mind.
God's Love Story
[Isaac] went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?"
"He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
Then the servant told Isaac all he had done.
Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
- Genesis 24:63-67 (NIV)
1. Like Isaac, Jesus disappears after His resurrection and reappears to meet His bride (who is chosen by His Father).
"This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." - Acts 1:11 (NIV)
"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." - Ephesians 1:11 (NIV)
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NIV)
2. Like Isaac, Jesus unveils His bride.
"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (NIV)
3. Like Rebekah, the church is beautifully dressed for her husband.
Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has directed."
When Abraham's servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewellery and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.
- Genesis 24:50-54 (NIV)
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
"Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God."
- Revelation 19:6-9 (NIV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
- Revelation 21:1-4 (NIV)
Clothed with Immortality
"For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."" - 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 (NIV)
"For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." - 2 Corinthians 5:4-5 (NIV)
"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." - Revelation 22:17 (NIV)
About a year ago, I wrote a philosophy essay for one of my undergraduate modules (Theological Ethics) on whether God could have commanded Abraham to kill his son. In short, to deny that God could have commanded Abraham to kill his son not only denies the historicity of Genesis 22 - it also denies the historicity of other passages of Scripture which refer to Genesis 22, such as Hebrews 11:17-19 and James 2:21-23. Besides, the revelation of Abraham's Dilemma is that the LORD will provide.
Having said that, upon further reflection there is even more to Genesis 22. The father-son relationship between Abraham and Isaac typologises that of God the Father and Jesus the Son. The mountain which Isaac is supposed to be sacrificed on (in the region of Moriah) and the wood for the burnt offering foreshadows the mountain (Golgotha) and the cross which Jesus is actually crucified on. Even the two servants which accompany Abraham and Isaac from Beersheba to Moriah may serve as a symbolic foil to the 'two other men, both criminals, [who] were also led out with [Jesus] to be executed' (Luke 23:32, NIV).
The Angel of the LORD
Things get really interesting as Abraham is about to sacrifice his son.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
- Genesis 22:9-12 (NIV)
At first glance, it appears that God sent an angel to stop Abraham from sacrificing his son. In fact, it was the angel of the LORD - the LORD Himself (Jesus in His pre-incarnate form) - who called out to Abraham!
*****
In the Old Testament, "an" angel of the LORD refers to a messenger of the LORD, while "the" angel of the LORD refers to the LORD Himself (Jesus in His pre-incarnate form).
In Exodus 3:2, the angel of the LORD appears to Moses in flames of fire from within a bush. 2 verses later, God calls to him from within the bush.
Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.
So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight - why the bush does not burn up."
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses said, "Here I am."
- Exodus 3:1-4 (NIV)
Again, in Judges 6:12 the angel of the LORD appears to Gideon. 2 verses later, the LORD turns to him and speaks.
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.
When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."
"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."
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?"
- Judges 6:11-14 (NIV)
*****
Back to Genesis 22.
"Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." - Genesis 22:12 (NIV)
Who could speak (and even swear!) on behalf of God but God Himself?
"The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." - Genesis 22:15-18 (NIV)
Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son because God would sacrifice His Son, once and for all. Indeed, the angel of the LORD - Jesus Himself would eventually be the (perfect) sacrifice!
"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." - John 3:16 (NIV)
"Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." - Hebrews 10:11-14 (NIV)
Isaac
Speaking of sitting down at the right hand of God (referring to Jesus' ascension to heaven 40 days after His resurrection), notice that there is no mention of Isaac after his "resurrection" in Genesis 22:12 until his "return" in Genesis 24:62.
"On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."" - Genesis 22:4-5 (NIV)
"Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba." - Genesis 22:19 (NIV)
"Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev." - Genesis 24:62 (NIV)
So Abraham comes down the mountain alone and returns to Beersheba with his servants, while Isaac (apparently) does not follow them but heads to Beer Lahai Roi. Again, there is no mention of Isaac until the time comes for him to meet his bride. Now this next bit simply blows my mind.
God's Love Story
[Isaac] went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?"
"He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
Then the servant told Isaac all he had done.
Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
- Genesis 24:63-67 (NIV)
1. Like Isaac, Jesus disappears after His resurrection and reappears to meet His bride (who is chosen by His Father).
"This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." - Acts 1:11 (NIV)
"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." - Ephesians 1:11 (NIV)
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NIV)
2. Like Isaac, Jesus unveils His bride.
"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (NIV)
3. Like Rebekah, the church is beautifully dressed for her husband.
Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has directed."
When Abraham's servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewellery and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.
- Genesis 24:50-54 (NIV)
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
"Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God."
- Revelation 19:6-9 (NIV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
- Revelation 21:1-4 (NIV)
Clothed with Immortality
"For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."" - 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 (NIV)
"For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." - 2 Corinthians 5:4-5 (NIV)
"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." - Revelation 22:17 (NIV)
Friday 22 April 2011
Crucified with Christ
This morning's Good Friday message in church was based on various passages, one of which particularly struck me afresh:
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." - Galatians 3:13-14 (NIV)
Hung on a Tree
"If a man guilty of a capital offence is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance." - Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (NIV)
Jesus' death - and mode of death - was not an accident. Jesus died on a cross in order that He might become a curse for us while remaining innocent of any wrongdoing, thereby redeeming us from the curse of the law. In other words, Jesus' death on a cross was the means by which the wages of sin (ie. death) were externally imputed to Him in the form of a curse (ie. being hung on a tree), without Him being internally responsible for committing any sin (cf. Hebrews 4:15).
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." - Acts 2:22-23 (NIV)
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!" - Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
The Blessing Given to Abraham
Firstly, God gave Abraham the greatest blessing possible - Himself!
"After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."" - Genesis 15:1 (NIV)
The footnote to this verse indicates that 'I am your shield' could also be translated as 'I am sovereign'. So in Genesis 15:1, God reassures Abraham that He is sovereign and good.
Secondly, God promised to give Abraham a son through whom all nations would be blessed. This was fulfilled through Isaac and ultimately Jesus, the Son of Man 'who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations' (Ephesians 2:14-15, NIV).
"Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness." - Genesis 15:4-6 (NIV)
"Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." - Galatians 3:6-9 (NIV)
"The mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 3:6 (NIV)
Interestingly, the New Testament (aka the New Covenant) begins with 'a record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham' (Matthew 1:1, NIV).
"The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ." - Galatians 3:16 (NIV)
Degrees of Death
1. Abraham was as good as dead when God promised to give him a biological son.
"By faith Abraham, even though he was past age - and Sarah herself was barren - was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore." - Hebrews 11:11-12 (NIV)
2. Isaac was allegorically dead for 3 days as Abraham and Isaac set out from Beersheba to Moriah.
Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you..."
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
- Genesis 22:3-5, 9-12 (NIV)
3. Jesus was actually dead for 3 days before God raised Him from the dead.
"But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." - Acts 2:24 (NIV)
Abraham was reproductively dead, Isaac was figuratively dead and Jesus was physically dead. In all 3 cases, God gave them a new lease of life!
Application
It is natural for us to question the sovereignty and/or goodness of God, not least in the face of death (or the death of something that is dear to us).
Abraham questioned his Heavenly Father.
"But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."" - Genesis 15:2-3 (NIV)
Isaac (who foreshadows Jesus the Lamb of God) questioned his earthly father Abraham (who represents God the Father).
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
- Genesis 22:6-7 (NIV)
The apostle Paul pleaded - not once, not twice, but three times - for 'a thorn in [his] flesh, a messenger of Satan' (2 Corinthians 12:7, NIV) to be taken away from him.
Even Jesus in His humanity 'fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will"' (Matthew 26:39, NIV). As He hung on the cross, 'Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" - which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"' (Matthew 27:46, NIV).
But having questioned, Abraham, Isaac, Paul and Jesus trusted and obeyed.
Abraham
"Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness." - Genesis 15:4-6 (NIV)
Later on in Genesis 22, Abraham followed without questioning when God instructed him to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering.
"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." - Hebrews 11:17-19 (NIV)
Isaac
On Isaac's part, he too followed without questioning any further after his father answered him.
"Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together." - Genesis 22:8 (NIV)
Paul
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
Jesus
"He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."" - Matthew 26:42 (NIV)
"Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last." - Luke 23:46 (NIV)
How about us? Will we take up our crosses daily, crucify our earthly passions and desires, and submit our lives to the Giver of life?
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." - Galatians 5:24 (NIV)
"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." - Galatians 6:14 (NIV)
We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes
You're the Giver of life
We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes
You're the Giver of life
You alone can rescue
You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us
Led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise
*****
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" - Luke 9:23-25 (NIV)
Links: Raised with Christ (24 Apr 11), Clothed with Christ (25 Apr 11)
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." - Galatians 3:13-14 (NIV)
Hung on a Tree
"If a man guilty of a capital offence is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance." - Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (NIV)
Jesus' death - and mode of death - was not an accident. Jesus died on a cross in order that He might become a curse for us while remaining innocent of any wrongdoing, thereby redeeming us from the curse of the law. In other words, Jesus' death on a cross was the means by which the wages of sin (ie. death) were externally imputed to Him in the form of a curse (ie. being hung on a tree), without Him being internally responsible for committing any sin (cf. Hebrews 4:15).
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." - Acts 2:22-23 (NIV)
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!" - Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
The Blessing Given to Abraham
Firstly, God gave Abraham the greatest blessing possible - Himself!
"After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."" - Genesis 15:1 (NIV)
The footnote to this verse indicates that 'I am your shield' could also be translated as 'I am sovereign'. So in Genesis 15:1, God reassures Abraham that He is sovereign and good.
Secondly, God promised to give Abraham a son through whom all nations would be blessed. This was fulfilled through Isaac and ultimately Jesus, the Son of Man 'who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations' (Ephesians 2:14-15, NIV).
"Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness." - Genesis 15:4-6 (NIV)
"Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." - Galatians 3:6-9 (NIV)
"The mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 3:6 (NIV)
Interestingly, the New Testament (aka the New Covenant) begins with 'a record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham' (Matthew 1:1, NIV).
"The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ." - Galatians 3:16 (NIV)
Degrees of Death
1. Abraham was as good as dead when God promised to give him a biological son.
"By faith Abraham, even though he was past age - and Sarah herself was barren - was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore." - Hebrews 11:11-12 (NIV)
2. Isaac was allegorically dead for 3 days as Abraham and Isaac set out from Beersheba to Moriah.
Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you..."
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
- Genesis 22:3-5, 9-12 (NIV)
3. Jesus was actually dead for 3 days before God raised Him from the dead.
"But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." - Acts 2:24 (NIV)
Abraham was reproductively dead, Isaac was figuratively dead and Jesus was physically dead. In all 3 cases, God gave them a new lease of life!
Application
It is natural for us to question the sovereignty and/or goodness of God, not least in the face of death (or the death of something that is dear to us).
Abraham questioned his Heavenly Father.
"But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."" - Genesis 15:2-3 (NIV)
Isaac (who foreshadows Jesus the Lamb of God) questioned his earthly father Abraham (who represents God the Father).
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"
- Genesis 22:6-7 (NIV)
The apostle Paul pleaded - not once, not twice, but three times - for 'a thorn in [his] flesh, a messenger of Satan' (2 Corinthians 12:7, NIV) to be taken away from him.
Even Jesus in His humanity 'fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will"' (Matthew 26:39, NIV). As He hung on the cross, 'Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" - which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"' (Matthew 27:46, NIV).
But having questioned, Abraham, Isaac, Paul and Jesus trusted and obeyed.
Abraham
"Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness." - Genesis 15:4-6 (NIV)
Later on in Genesis 22, Abraham followed without questioning when God instructed him to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering.
"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." - Hebrews 11:17-19 (NIV)
Isaac
On Isaac's part, he too followed without questioning any further after his father answered him.
"Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together." - Genesis 22:8 (NIV)
Paul
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
Jesus
"He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."" - Matthew 26:42 (NIV)
"Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last." - Luke 23:46 (NIV)
How about us? Will we take up our crosses daily, crucify our earthly passions and desires, and submit our lives to the Giver of life?
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." - Galatians 5:24 (NIV)
"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." - Galatians 6:14 (NIV)
We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes
You're the Giver of life
We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes
You're the Giver of life
You alone can rescue
You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us
Led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise
*****
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" - Luke 9:23-25 (NIV)
Links: Raised with Christ (24 Apr 11), Clothed with Christ (25 Apr 11)
Sunday 17 April 2011
By Faith
"If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." - John 7:17 (NIV)
God promises to lead and guide us, but we must trust and obey Him (having been enabled by Him to do so). We must first resolve to do His will before He will reveal His will to us.
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.
- Psalm 37:3-7a (NIV)
"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." - Hebrews 11:17-19 (NIV)
By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation's grand design
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness
Who walk by faith and not by sight
God does not need to prove His faithfulness to anyone, yet He chooses to - for His glory and our good.
"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." - Hebrews 11:39-40 (NIV)
The question is not whether God will prove His faithfulness in our lives. Rather, the question is whether we will allow God to prove His faithfulness in our lives.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
God promises to lead and guide us, but we must trust and obey Him (having been enabled by Him to do so). We must first resolve to do His will before He will reveal His will to us.
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.
- Psalm 37:3-7a (NIV)
"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." - Hebrews 11:17-19 (NIV)
By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation's grand design
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness
Who walk by faith and not by sight
God does not need to prove His faithfulness to anyone, yet He chooses to - for His glory and our good.
"These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." - Hebrews 11:39-40 (NIV)
The question is not whether God will prove His faithfulness in our lives. Rather, the question is whether we will allow God to prove His faithfulness in our lives.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Saturday 16 April 2011
Don't Waste Your Life
For me [John Piper] as a boy, one of the most gripping illustrations my fiery father used was the story of a man converted in old age. The church had prayed for this man for decades. He was hard and resistant. But this time, for some reason, he showed up when my father was preaching.
At the end of the service, during a hymn, to everyone's amazement he came and took my father's hand. They sat down together on the front pew of the church as the people were dismissed. God opened his heart to the Gospel of Christ, and he was saved from his sins and given eternal life.
But that did not stop him from sobbing and saying, as the tears ran down his wrinkled face - and what an impact it made on me to hear my father say this through his own tears - "I've wasted it! I've wasted it!"
This was the story that gripped me more than all the stories of young people who died in car wrecks before they were converted - the story of an old man weeping that he had wasted his life.
In those early years God awakened in me a fear and a passion not to waste my life. The thought of coming to my old age and saying through tears, "I've wasted it! I've wasted it!" was a fearful and horrible thought to me.
Only One Life
Another riveting force in my young life - small at first, but oh so powerful over time - was a plaque that hung in our kitchen over the sink. We moved into that house when I was six. So I suppose I looked at the words on that plaque almost every day for twelve years, till I went away to college at age eighteen.
It was a simple piece of glass painted black on the back with a grey link chain snug around it for a border and for hanging. On the front, in old English script, painted in white, were the words:
Only one life,
'Twill soon be past;
Only what's done
for Christ will last.
To the left, beside these words, was a painted green hill with two trees and a brown path that disappeared over the hill. How many times, as a little boy, and then as a teenager with pimples and longings and anxieties, I looked at that brown path (my life) and wondered what would be over that hill.
The message was clear. You get one pass at life. That's all. Only one. And the lasting measure of that life is Jesus Christ.
I am fifty-seven as I write, and that very plaque hangs today on the wall by our front door. I see it every time I leave home.
What would it mean to waste my life? That was a burning question. Or, more positively, what would it mean to live well - not to waste life, but to...? How to finish that sentence was the question. I was not even sure how to put the question into words, let alone what the answer might be.
What was the opposite of not wasting my life? "To be successful in a career"? Or "to be maximally happy"? Or "to accomplish something great?" Or "to find the deepest meaning and significance"? Or "to help as many people as possible"? Or "to serve Christ to the full"? Or "to glorify God in all I do"? Or was there a point, a purpose, a focus, an essence to life that would fulfill every one of those dreams?
- John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life
I can't pinpoint exactly when I became a Christian, but I was baptised on 16 Apr 06 (Easter Sunday). So today is the 5th anniversary of my baptism.
Looking back, I don't know what I was doing for the first 20 years of my life. I'm just glad that it wasn't worse.
"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."" - James 4:13-15 (NIV)
At the end of the service, during a hymn, to everyone's amazement he came and took my father's hand. They sat down together on the front pew of the church as the people were dismissed. God opened his heart to the Gospel of Christ, and he was saved from his sins and given eternal life.
But that did not stop him from sobbing and saying, as the tears ran down his wrinkled face - and what an impact it made on me to hear my father say this through his own tears - "I've wasted it! I've wasted it!"
This was the story that gripped me more than all the stories of young people who died in car wrecks before they were converted - the story of an old man weeping that he had wasted his life.
In those early years God awakened in me a fear and a passion not to waste my life. The thought of coming to my old age and saying through tears, "I've wasted it! I've wasted it!" was a fearful and horrible thought to me.
Only One Life
Another riveting force in my young life - small at first, but oh so powerful over time - was a plaque that hung in our kitchen over the sink. We moved into that house when I was six. So I suppose I looked at the words on that plaque almost every day for twelve years, till I went away to college at age eighteen.
It was a simple piece of glass painted black on the back with a grey link chain snug around it for a border and for hanging. On the front, in old English script, painted in white, were the words:
Only one life,
'Twill soon be past;
Only what's done
for Christ will last.
To the left, beside these words, was a painted green hill with two trees and a brown path that disappeared over the hill. How many times, as a little boy, and then as a teenager with pimples and longings and anxieties, I looked at that brown path (my life) and wondered what would be over that hill.
The message was clear. You get one pass at life. That's all. Only one. And the lasting measure of that life is Jesus Christ.
I am fifty-seven as I write, and that very plaque hangs today on the wall by our front door. I see it every time I leave home.
What would it mean to waste my life? That was a burning question. Or, more positively, what would it mean to live well - not to waste life, but to...? How to finish that sentence was the question. I was not even sure how to put the question into words, let alone what the answer might be.
What was the opposite of not wasting my life? "To be successful in a career"? Or "to be maximally happy"? Or "to accomplish something great?" Or "to find the deepest meaning and significance"? Or "to help as many people as possible"? Or "to serve Christ to the full"? Or "to glorify God in all I do"? Or was there a point, a purpose, a focus, an essence to life that would fulfill every one of those dreams?
- John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life
I can't pinpoint exactly when I became a Christian, but I was baptised on 16 Apr 06 (Easter Sunday). So today is the 5th anniversary of my baptism.
Looking back, I don't know what I was doing for the first 20 years of my life. I'm just glad that it wasn't worse.
"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."" - James 4:13-15 (NIV)
Sunday 10 April 2011
Think about such things
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." - Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Tuesday 5 April 2011
Soul Matters
Long before Plato ever said anything about the human soul, the Old Testament writers presented a consistent biblical anthropology. Augustine was biased toward platonic philosophy, even going so far as to claim that Plato brought him to God. But there is no reason for us today to be biased toward Plato's (or anyone else's) philosophy. We should first seek to understand what God Himself has revealed about humanity before inquiring of any human speculation.
The Hebrew word Moses used that our English Bibles sometimes translate soul is nephesh, a word that suggests something that breathes. In fact, the Ugaritic and Akadian cognates also mean "throat". Moses' use was consistent with an understanding that a soul is a living, breathing being.
Consistent with this understanding, Moses had no problem using the term nephesh to refer to animals. In the creation account, Moses records "And God said, 'Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.'" The ESV uses the phrase "living creatures" to translate the Hebrew nephesh chayah (souls of life). It is obvious from the context that Moses refers to fish and sea mammals, and birds, not people. This first use of nephesh highlights a contrast with Plato's teaching that only human beings have souls...
When Moses recorded God's covenant with Noah after the flood, he included the provision which allows for eating animals. The covenant stipulated that "you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." The word the ESV translates as life is the same term, nephesh. He probably meant that the blood of the animal is essential to its life - that is - if you take away its blood it will stop breathing. The rule forbade eating an animal while it was still alive - while it still had its soul. The account continues to use the term nephesh in reference to animals.
It is poor theology to simply suggest that the same term means living being when referring to animals, but implies an immortal being when referring to people. It does not do justice to the fact that the term is used of both animals and people, nor to the fact that their meaning is consistent as long as the interpreter is not already biased with a presupposition that humans were created immortal.
What we learn from Moses is that humans were created - like the animals - as living, breathing beings, and that when they lose their breath, they die, and return to the dust from which they came. Without the promise of resurrection, that would be the end of human existence.
Greek philosophy came along and subverted that simple theology by taking God and the resurrection out of the picture. Instead Plato and others exalted the nature of humanity. That magnified anthropology bolstered the concept of the dignity of man, at the expense of Moses' teaching on human dependence upon God.
The gospel message does not require that humans be deified. It tells us that believers have the hope of eternal life - not because we were born different from the animals - but because Jesus has made a way for us to be resurrected to immortality. It is the cross of Jesus Christ - not our created human nature - that gives us hope of life beyond the grave. It is the second coming of Jesus Christ - not our own death - that is the biblical blessed hope.
- Jefferson Vann, Moses on the Souls of Animals
The Hebrew word Moses used that our English Bibles sometimes translate soul is nephesh, a word that suggests something that breathes. In fact, the Ugaritic and Akadian cognates also mean "throat". Moses' use was consistent with an understanding that a soul is a living, breathing being.
Consistent with this understanding, Moses had no problem using the term nephesh to refer to animals. In the creation account, Moses records "And God said, 'Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.'" The ESV uses the phrase "living creatures" to translate the Hebrew nephesh chayah (souls of life). It is obvious from the context that Moses refers to fish and sea mammals, and birds, not people. This first use of nephesh highlights a contrast with Plato's teaching that only human beings have souls...
When Moses recorded God's covenant with Noah after the flood, he included the provision which allows for eating animals. The covenant stipulated that "you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." The word the ESV translates as life is the same term, nephesh. He probably meant that the blood of the animal is essential to its life - that is - if you take away its blood it will stop breathing. The rule forbade eating an animal while it was still alive - while it still had its soul. The account continues to use the term nephesh in reference to animals.
It is poor theology to simply suggest that the same term means living being when referring to animals, but implies an immortal being when referring to people. It does not do justice to the fact that the term is used of both animals and people, nor to the fact that their meaning is consistent as long as the interpreter is not already biased with a presupposition that humans were created immortal.
What we learn from Moses is that humans were created - like the animals - as living, breathing beings, and that when they lose their breath, they die, and return to the dust from which they came. Without the promise of resurrection, that would be the end of human existence.
Greek philosophy came along and subverted that simple theology by taking God and the resurrection out of the picture. Instead Plato and others exalted the nature of humanity. That magnified anthropology bolstered the concept of the dignity of man, at the expense of Moses' teaching on human dependence upon God.
The gospel message does not require that humans be deified. It tells us that believers have the hope of eternal life - not because we were born different from the animals - but because Jesus has made a way for us to be resurrected to immortality. It is the cross of Jesus Christ - not our created human nature - that gives us hope of life beyond the grave. It is the second coming of Jesus Christ - not our own death - that is the biblical blessed hope.
- Jefferson Vann, Moses on the Souls of Animals
Monday 4 April 2011
I will wait... for You
From Caleb's blog... heh
Of the many soundbites in the video, the one which stands out for me is this one:
He couldn't even pray when I needed him to
Asking him to fast would be absurd
So forget about being cleansed and washed with water through the Word
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." - Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)
I read somewhere - and agree - that a husband should be a provider, protector, prophet and priest to his wife. The first two are pretty clear. As a prophet, a husband should equip himself to "prophesy" (which simply means "bring forth the Word") to his wife. And as a priest, a husband should perform the priestly function of standing before God and interceding for his wife.
Just as 'Christ Jesus [our Great High Priest], who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us' (Romans 8:34, NIV)!
Of the many soundbites in the video, the one which stands out for me is this one:
He couldn't even pray when I needed him to
Asking him to fast would be absurd
So forget about being cleansed and washed with water through the Word
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." - Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)
I read somewhere - and agree - that a husband should be a provider, protector, prophet and priest to his wife. The first two are pretty clear. As a prophet, a husband should equip himself to "prophesy" (which simply means "bring forth the Word") to his wife. And as a priest, a husband should perform the priestly function of standing before God and interceding for his wife.
Just as 'Christ Jesus [our Great High Priest], who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us' (Romans 8:34, NIV)!
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