Two footnotes on Jesus' sinless life

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
John 4:34

A couple of blogs ago, I wrote about how important Jesus’ sinless life is in providing us the righteousness needed to enter Heaven. Let me offer two important theological footnotes.

First, the importance of Jesus supplying righteousness for His people. Sin is a spiritual debt that Jesus paid by dying for His people, but paying our sin debt is not enough to provide us with entrance into Heaven. HUH? Let me explain:

Say I have a million dollar debt, and have zero dollars with which to pay. Someone pays my debt, the debt is erased, but I am still flat broke. Because God commands us to “be holy as He is holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16), even if our sin debt is paid, we are still spiritually flat broke. Even if our sin debt is paid, since we have no righteousness, we still cannot enter Heaven (Hebrews 12:14).

In addition to dying for His people to clear our sin debt, by living a sinless life for His people He provides us with the reward of His righteousness, completing the transaction.

Second, and this is a little technical, but wonderful. Jesus is eternally and intrinsically holy and righteous because He is eternal God. That is not the righteousness He gives His people! The righteousness He gives His people is the reward for His righteous living as a man. By living sinlessly, Jesus earned the reward for righteousness. But He does not need that reward because He is already eternally righteous. Wait for it… Jesus lived sinlessly to earn the reward of righteousness to give it away to His people! That is worthy of meditating on and worshiping Jesus for!

By the way: I learned this studying systematic theology in seminary, but it became precious to me when John Bunyan explained it (better than I just did) in “The Pilgrims Progress.”

Jesus taught like no other

And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Matthew 7:28-29

Jesus taught.  He taught like no other.  He taught as one having authority. 

You think?  He IS God!  He taught about the kingdom of God.  He said the kingdom of God was “at hand.” 

He taught calling people to repent—meaning, turn from sin, to God.  He taught calling people to believe in Him to the degree that they would follow Him. 

Why did He teach? Because, as He Himself said in Luke 4:43, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."

He came to save His people from their sins. Ultimately that was accomplished by His death and resurrection. But the first phase of saving His people was preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15).

He taught the kingdom of God, which is synonymous with forgiveness and salvation.  Jesus taught using parables—stories that contained spiritual truth that His people (the ones He came to save) would understand—but that the rest would misunderstand entirely.

As He taught, He was kind, compassionate, and merciful to sinners.  Conversely, He was brutal on the religious crowd, who didn’t think they needed a Savior.  The sinners knew they were sinners.  The religious didn’t realize that they too were sinners.  The sinners had no hope, the religious hoped in themselves—in their religious rituals and good deeds.  Jesus called sinners to Himself. He called the religious people hypocrites and sons of snakes!

There has never been, nor will there ever be a teacher like Jesus!

Jesus' righteous life

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
John 4:34

 From the moment Jesus was born, He began living a life of absolute sinless perfection (1 Peter 2:22), always doing His Father’s will perfectly (John 6:38), always suffering as the servant sent to save (Isaiah 52:13–53:12).  Think about it:

He was born without dignity to an unwed mother.  In a stable.  Laid in a feed trough.  Attended by barnyard animals.  Visited first by shepherds (near the lowest in the socio-economic food chain). Visited by Gentiles from afar (while nearby His own people were disinterested).  The Roman ruler, Herod, wanted Him killed while He was still a baby.  His family fled to hide in Egypt to save His life.  He returned to Nazareth, a place so lowly that people commonly said, “Can any good thing come from Nazareth?” 

Then obscurity—obscurity for 30 years working as a tradesman in Joseph’s carpentry shop.  Every day of those thirty years, even in mundane obscurity, Jesus lived righteously.  To what end?  To earn God’s reward reserved for the righteous. No one else had ever earned it.  No one else ever will.  Why?  Because no one can. Why?  Because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  All but Jesus, that is.  He labored to earn the reward of righteousness—so He could give it to the people He came to save.

Then, at age 30, again, at just the right time, Jesus ventured out of the carpentry shop to begin a three-year public ministry unlike that of any other.  Many people who lived previously were types of Christ in small isolated ways—but none of them was truly like Him.  He only always did the Father’s will.  Perfectly.  In everything.  All the time.  Without complaining.  Why?  He was earning the reward of righteousness with which He would one day robe His Bride: the people He came to save.

It was time for the Deliverer

It was time for the Deliverer. Why was that the right time?  Because that is when God sent Him.  God’s timing is always right.  God only always does everything right and at exactly the right time.

Jesus was born of a virgin.  That is not just a nice aspect of the Christmas story.  It is a connection with what God told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they sinned. 

Genesis 3:14-15  So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.  15  And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

God promised that the Seed of the woman would come, and although the devil would bruise His heel, He would bruise the devil’s head.  Three items of note:

1. The Deliverer would be the Seed of the woman.  In God’s Word, the sin nature is passed down to all human beings through the father.  Romans 5:12 says that sin came to all by one man, Adam.  Sin was passed from father to child ever since.  But the Deliverer was to be the seed of the woman—having no human father, and thereby, having no innate sin nature.  It is essential that the Deliverer not be disqualified by sin.  If He had any sin of His own, when Jesus died, He could only die for His own sin.  To die for the sins of another—much less many others, the Deliverer had to be sinless.  He was born sinless and He lived sinless, and He died sinless.
   It is essential that the Deliverer be born of a woman and have no human father.  That is a physical impossibility.  Not for God.  And being unique in all of human history, it establishes Jesus as the Deliverer unlike any other person we might be tempted to look to.

2. The devil would bruise the Deliverer’s heel.  This indicates injury, but not destruction.  The devil bruised Jesus’ heel a number of times, ultimately on the cross, but Jesus overcame even death when He rose from the dead.

3. The Deliverer will bruise the devil’s head.  This indicates a mortal blow.  A fatal injury.  Defeat and ultimate destruction.  This is what Jesus the Deliverer did when He rose from the dead, defeating sin, death, Hell, and the devil, for those He came to save.  (In Romans 16:20 Paul speaks of Jesus “crushing the devil.”)

That Jesus was virgin-born is more than a nice part of the Christmas story, it uniquely qualifies Jesus to be the one and only Deliverer who would be bruised by the devil, but who would destroy the devil and His works.

The waiting ended

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law… Galatians 4:4

Last time we chronicled the waiting that was prolonged throughout the Old Testament.  God promised a Deliverer who would rescue His people from the fall—that is from sin, death, and Hell.  The OT reminds us that when God promises, He delivers, no matter how long it takes.

Picking up the narrative of the OT’s people of God waiting for God to fulfill His promise, we are reminded that God delivered the Jewish nation of Judah (south).  He brought them out of Persia (formerly Babylon) to Jerusalem in Judea in three waves. 

The first wave was led by Zerubbabel.  Was Zerubbabel the Deliverer?  No.   

The second was led by Ezra.  Was Ezra the deliverer?  No.

The third was led by Nehemiah.  Was Nehemiah the deliverer? No.

And the people waited.

The returning exiles waited as God sent them prophets. And then God stopped sending them prophets. And the people waited—in silence. For another 400 years…

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law Galatians 4:4

It was time for the Deliverer. Why was that the right time? Because that is when God sent Him. God’s timing is always right. God only always does everything right and at exactly the right time.

Waiting for God's promised Deliverer

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law… Galatians 4:4

God’s plan was established before time began—in eternity past, in the Covenant of Redemption established between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. RC Sproul explains the Covenant of Redemption:

The covenant of redemption is the agreement made between the members of the Trinity in order to bring us salvation. We find allusions to it in several biblical texts. Under this covenant, the Father plans redemption and sends the Son in order to save His people. The Son agrees to be sent and to do the work necessary to save the elect (John 10:17–18), and the Spirit agrees to apply the work of Christ to us by sealing us unto salvation (Eph. 1:13–14). (emphasis added) ~RC Sproul

How long ago was eternity past? It is impossible to imagine. The history of man is a history of waiting for the unfolding of God’s promises to be fulfilled in time and space. Though the wait seems painfully long at times, what God has promised, He will deliver in the fullness of His good timing.

God created the heavens and the earth—including man, in the image of God.  Then man sinned, rejecting God’s rule. Then God promised that the Seed of the woman would come and deliver fallen Adam and Eve.  Then Adam and Eve waited.

Maybe Eve thought Cain was the Deliverer. He was not. He was a murderer. And Eve waited.

Maybe Eve thought Seth—the son God gave after her son, Abel, who was murdered—was the Deliverer. He was not bad like Cain, but he was not the Deliverer. And Eve waited.

In Genesis 5, though the people reproduced generation after generation, death reigned as each generation passed.  And everyone waited.

Sin became so rampant that God decided to destroy all of mankind—except for Noah and his family. Maybe Noah was the Deliverer? God delivered Noah and his family, but Noah was not the Deliverer. More waiting.

Then God promised to make a great nation from Abraham—and Abraham waited. No children. And Abraham waited.

God gave Isaac, who was not the Deliverer, and Jacob, who was not the Deliverer, and Joseph who was a type of the Deliverer, but Joseph was not the Deliverer either. Meanwhile, the people waited.

400 years passed. God’s people are in bondage in Egypt. “Where is the Deliverer?” And the people waited.

God raised up Moses. Moses was a type of the Deliverer, but he was not the Deliverer.  And the people waited.

Neither was Joshua.  And the people waited.

Neither were any of the judges. And the people waited.

The people were tired of waiting so they demanded a king just like the kings of the godless people around them. God gave them a king. Truly, Saul was not the Deliverer.  And the people waited.

David sure looked like the Deliverer. He was an arch-type of the Deliverer, but he was not the Deliverer.  Neither was David’s son, Solomon. And the people waited.

And as they waited, the nation of Israel was divided and fell down a rabbit hole into sin. God gave Israel (north) into the hands of their enemies, the Assyrians. Judah (south) likewise sinned and was given over to their godless enemies, the Babylonians. In captivity, the people waited.

The wait continues next time…

Jesus and Malachi

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Genesis 49:10

The last book of the OT is Malachi.  Malachi, like so many prophets, called God’s straying people back.  Even after the exile and the restoration, God’s people settled back into old habits.  Bad habits.  Very common habits.  What were these habits?

(1) They were given to religious formalism.  They were going through the motions, but without any real heart for God.  The people called on the name of the Lord, but they didn’t reverence the name of the Lord.  They gave the appearance of obeying God’s Law, but it was an external, no-heart obedience.  It was an obedience that constantly looked for loopholes.  Does that sound like any of us?  “How much can I get away with and still be saved?”

(2) They had a low view of marriage and divorce.  That is a serious error because from the beginning, marriage was intended by God to be a picture of the deep and heart-felt love relationship between Jesus and His people—(called His bride).  To treat marriage lightly, to divorce for no good reason other than the people were just tired of each other and couldn’t get along—portrays the love relationship between Christ and His bride in an altogether incorrect fashion.  Not to mention our culture’s current love affair with homosexuality, which completely distorts the picture—and marriage is never between two of the same sex in the Bible.

(3) The people became stingy in their giving.  God actually said they were “robbing Him” by not tithing.  God’s people are not to tithe because God needs our money.  Correctly understood, tithing is an act of worship—giving to God a small portion of the money He has graciously given us. It is an act of faith, trusting that He will provide for us as we worship Him with our money.

Dear people, it isn’t enough to give a “nod to God” while practicing heartless religion that doesn’t affect the rest of our lives—including such important issues as marriage and what we do with our money.  When God saves us, He saves us to be His—all His!

In addition, Malachi prophesied that a prophet like Elijah would precede the coming of the Deliverer, and that the Deliverer was coming.  And then there was silence—for 400 years!  We’ll see next time how God broke the silence…

From the time that the kingdom was divided until Jesus came was over 900 years. Many of those years were marked by evil, pain, and suffering.  How was that part of God’s plan to create a people to whom He could demonstrate His love?

How better for God to demonstrate His love than to love the most unlovely?

Jesus and Esther

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
John 5:39

Jesus can be found in every book in the OT.  He is more clearly seen in some books than in others.  Though I am not going to cover every book, I do want to draw our attention to two more.

The first is Esther.  Esther is the story of what God graciously did to preserve the exiles who did not return to Jerusalem in Judea with Ezra and Nehemiah.  That’s correct, some remained in Persia.

Persia? Yes, Persia.  Yes, Judah was conquered by the Babylonians, but 70 years later, Babylon was conquered by the Persians.  That means that the exile began in Babylon but ended up in Persia.

Why did any of the exiles remain in Persia when the Persians, who conquered Babylon, allowed the Jews to return to their homeland? 

First, let’s not forget that God’s early message to the exiles was essentially to settle in for the long haul: Build homes and have families.  After all, you are going to be in exile in Babylon for seventy years!’ So they did.  Persia was now home.

Second, let’s not forget that the exiles were there for seventy years.  That means many, if not most, of the people deported to Babylon had already died when the Persians allowed them to return to Judah.  For the vast majority of the exiles who were allowed to relocate to Judah, Babylon/Persia was the only home they ever knew.

Third, traveling to and rebuilding Jerusalem would be expensive, and arduous. Lest we forget, travel is a bit easier today than in 450 BC!

What has any of this to do with Esther and Jesus?

A sinister plot was hatched by an evil man named Haman to destroy all the Jews in the Persian Empire (which included those living in Judea, since it was part of Persia). Since the Deliverer was coming from the Jews—the Judeans in particular—Satan would have loved to destroy all of them. God thwarted Haman’s plan through a beautiful Jewish girl named Esther. The plan worked. God used Esther to save the Jews, through whom Jesus, the Deliverer, would one day come.

Some more lessons from the southern kingdom of Judah (3)

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Genesis 49:10

Like the prophets in Israel (north) the prophets in Judah (south) spoke of repentance, judgment, and the promised Deliverer. The prophets in Judah spoke even more about the Deliverer than the prophets to Israel in the north.  This is likely because the Deliverer was to come from Judah.

ISAIAH is filled with prophecies of Jesus. Isaiah 53 tells of the sacrificial death of the Messiah for His people like no other OT passage.

But alas, after 345 years (136 years longer than Israel lasted), Judah finally sank into idolatry and sin to the extent that God pulled the plug on them as well.  In 586 BC, the Babylonians conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem, and Solomon’s magnificent temple.  The Babylonians also carried many of the Judeans into captivity in Babylon.  They left only the poorest and least likely to rebel in Judah.

Because God had promised that the Deliverer would come from Judah, and David in particular, God preserved Judah even while in captivity in Babylon. This is in stark contrast with the fact that Israel (north) was never reconstituted as a nation after their fall to the Assyrians.  Again, the reason? The promised Deliverer was to come from Judah/David, not from any of the northern tribes in Israel.

God sent the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel to the Judeans in captivity in Babylon to remind them of the Lord and that He would restore them to their land.  But at the risk of being redundant, God did not restore only Judah because they were any more deserving of such grace than Israel.  They were restored because of God’s promises regarding the Deliverer who was to come from Judah. That Deliverer is none other than Jesus.

Then after 70 years (through the prophet Jeremiah, God had promised that the exile would only be 70 years long before God would bring them back), God miraculously brought them back.

The returning exiles came back under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. God sent additional prophets: Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi to the returning exiles to encourage them as they resettled and rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple.  The stage was being set for the Messiah to appear, though it would be yet 400 years in the future.

More lessons from the southern kingdom of Judah (2)

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Genesis 49:10

The Messiah/Deliverer—Jesus—was to come from David’s family in Judah.  Since the Bible is the story of the Jesus the Deliverer, our attention regarding the nation of Israel needs to be primarily on Judah (in the south).

Remember: The united kingdom of Israel (under Saul, David, and Solomon) ended in 931 BC when the kingdom split in two.  Israel (in the north) was ruled by 19 kings over a period of 210 years. The kings of Israel were all bad. Their greatest evil was spiritual—idolatry.

Meanwhile, Judah—the tribe from which the Deliverer, Jesus, was promised to come—was not without their problems. Judah was ruled by 20 different kings—all descendants of David—over a period of 345 years.  Judah had both good and bad kings—nearly twice as many bad as good, but the good ruled for longer periods. Why? God blessed the godly kings.

Of the good kings in Judah, three stand out:

Jehoshaphat was the 4th of 20 kings in Judah. He was good, but not always wise. He made political and military alliances with evil King Ahab of Israel. Learn from 1 Corinthians 15:33 (CEV) “Don’t fool yourselves. Bad friends will destroy you.”

Hezekiah was the 13th of 20 kings in Judah. He was good, but his son was Manasseh. Remember: Manasseh, though he later repented, was the most ungodly of all the kings of Judah. Learn: No matter how godly a parent is (Hezekiah), there are no guarantees that one’s children will be saved. Let us therefore pray, pray, pray for our children and grandchildren!

Josiah was the 16th of 20 kings of Judah. He was good (God used him while still a teenager to lead a great revival in Judah). But he was unwisely ambitious. He got involved in a war that wasn’t his business, and was killed in battle at only 39 years of age. Learn: Zeal without wisdom can spell disaster.

Just as God sent prophets to the northern nation of Israel to call them to repentance, God sent prophets to Judah to call them to repentance when they were in sin. God sent more prophets to Judah than to Israel: Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Habakkuk. Nahum (to Babylon) and Obadiah (to Edom). Like the prophets in Israel, the prophets in Judah spoke of repentance, judgment, and the promised Deliverer. The prophets in Judah spoke even more about the Deliverer (than did those in Israel) because the Deliverer was to come from Judah.

More on the prophecies about Jesus next time…

Lessons from the southern kingdom of Judah (1)

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Genesis 49:10

And as already mentioned, since Israel (in the north) did not repent and return to the Lord, God finally pulled the plug on them in 722 BC. After giving them 210 years to repent, God finally turned Israel over to their enemies—the Assyrians.  (This is a common way that God judges nations. If our nation does not repent, it is likely to happen to us as well.) The nation of Israel never existed as a nation again.

The Assyrians took most of the people from Israel and resettled them in other lands. At the same time, they brought other people groups they conquered from elsewhere and resettled them in Israel. The result was a group of people who were a racial mixture of Jewish and Gentile—but more importantly they were a spiritual mixture of Jewish and pagan.  That hybrid people were known as the Samaritans. They were hated by the people of Judah in the south—all the way until Jesus’ day.

Meanwhile, Judah (in the south)—the tribe from which the Deliverer, Jesus, was promised to come—was not without their problems.  Judah was ruled by 20 different kings—all descendants of David—over a period of 345 years.  Judah had one more king than in Israel, but over a longer period of time: 345 years instead of only 210 years.  Thus the kings of Judah actually lasted longer on average.  

As a nation, Judah lasted 136 years longer than Israel.  Judah had both good and bad kings—nearly twice as many bad as good, but the good ruled for longer periods. Why? God blessed them. Of Judah’s bad kings, two stand out:

REHOBOAM (son, and successor of Solomon) split the kingdom due to his foolishness.

MANASSEH was arguably worse, even than Israel’s King Ahab! He led Judah into sins worse than the pagans who occupied the land before Joshua led the Israelites to conquer the land 549 years earlier.  Manasseh was so evil that God allowed him to be conquered and carried off by his enemies, where he—thanks to the grace of God—repented. His repentance was as good as his sins were bad, so God miraculously restored him to his throne in Judah. There, Manasseh tried to lead the nation in repentance as well. But sadly, the nation (including Manasseh’s son, Amon) would not repent.  

Manasseh’s story is a classic example of two truths: (1) God can, and sometimes does, save the very worst sinners.  (2) Even when we are saved, there are often irreversible consequences for our former sins. Do not take this lightly, thinking one can repent and get serious about the Lord later. Besides the fact that the longer one refuses to repent, the less likely one is to ever repent.  Besides that, one may commit sins now that will have life-long consequences—even though God may forgive.

Of the good kings in Judah, three stand out:  Next time…

Jesus and OT prophets

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  
Matthew 16:13-14

As mentioned last time, God faithfully sent prophets to Israel (northern kingdom).

There were two kinds of Old Testament prophets: writing and speaking. The writing prophets’ prophecies are included in the OT. The writing prophets from Israel were Amos, Hosea, and Jonah. Although Jonah was from Israel in the north, he actually prophesied to the pagan nation of Nineveh—which became Assyria, which eventually overthrew Israel.

The writing prophets had a three-pronged agenda: (1) Call the people to repentance. (2) Warn the people of God’s judgment. (3) Predict the coming of the promised Messiah.  The promise of the Messiah was a greatly needed encouragement to the faithful few in Israel.

There were several speaking prophets, but two of the most prominent were Elijah and Elisha.

Elijah was a type of Christ. When Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” they replied, “Some say [You are] Elijah.”  Elijah was a rugged prophet in the wilderness—clad in a garment of hair, with a leather belt around his waist—who wasn’t afraid to pronounce God’s judgment on erring King Ahab (the worst of the bad kings in Israel).

Elisha was also a type of Christ.  Elisha was Elijah’s student and successor. Like Jesus, Elisha performed many miracles (twice as many as his predecessor, Elijah).  Like Jesus, Elisha performed many miracles of healing and mercy. As Jesus multiplied the loaves and the fishes, Elisha multiplied flour and oil. Elisha raised a dead child to life and restored him to his mother; Jesus raised at least three dead people and restored them to their families.

As we read the OT, let us ask God for eyes to see Christ. We will see prefigures, or types of Christ in the prophets, particularly in Elijah and Elisha

Lessons from the northern kingdom of Israel

Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 1 Corinthians 10:6

And now for a little political history: The United Kingdom of Israel (under Saul, David, and Solomon) ended in 931 BC when the kingdom split into the two separate kingdoms of Israel (in the north) and Judah (in the south).

Israel (in the north) was ruled by 19 kings over a period of 210 years. (We’ll discuss Judah in a future post.) The kings of Israel were all bad. Their greatest evil was spiritual idolatry. In addition, whenever they were in trouble, they looked to the pagan nations around them for help, instead of crying out to God.  No big surprise, they no longer worshiped God. The two worst were Jeroboam and Ahab.

Jeroboam I (who ruled for 22 years) was the king who led the revolt and split the United Kingdom of Israel in two, taking 10 of the 12 tribes to form Israel in the north (leaving 2 tribes in the south to form the nation of Judah). Jeroboam was concerned that since the place of worship—the temple— was in the south in Judah, his people would want to go there to worship. He was fearful that he would not be able to control the people if he could not control their religion. (Does that sound like a misunderstanding of true worship?)  Jeroboam established a whole new religion for his nation. Of course, it was a false religion since there is only one true religion.  Jeroboam’s sin was so great that throughout the 209 year history of Israel, the Bible repeatedly refers to “the sins of Jeroboam.”

Ahab was the 7th king of Israel. He was arguably the most wicked of all. He married a pagan woman named Jezebel. Together they openly defied God and His prophets. And together they led the nation in worshiping Baal (yet a different false religion from the one Jeroboam established 55 years earlier). The worship of Baal included human sacrifices—of one’s own children, no less! Ahab and Jezebel both died in disgrace.

In addition to these two “over the top” evil kings, there were 17 others monarchs over the 210 years of Israel’s existence who were not much better. The evil kings in Israel (north) are a graphic picture of what happens to a people who reject God. LET AMERICA BEWARE!

Though the nation of Israel rejected God (vacillating between the false religions of Jeroboam and the worship of Baal), He faithfully sent prophets to Israel warning them of impending judgment, calling them to repentance, and prophesying about the coming Deliverer.  Praise God, there are many faithful pulpits across America that are doing the same—may Christ’s Church wake up, listen, and abandon our worldliness!

Two important prophets in Israel (north) were Elijah and Elisha—both of whom were types of Christ.  More on these two prophets next time.

Jesus and the Temple

Now it came to pass, when David was dwelling in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under tent curtains."
1 Chronicles 17:1-15

David wanted to build a house for God—a temple.  At first, the prophet, Nathan, encouraged David to do so (v.2).  But that night God spoke to Nathan telling him to inform David that he must not build the temple (v.3-ff). Instead of David building a house for God, God promised to build a house for David (v.10-15).

Additionally, God foretold of a temple that would be built by David’s “seed” who would build the temple (v.11).  This prophecy had two fulfillments.

First, David’s son, Solomon, did in fact build a spectacular, physical temple in Jerusalem.  However, other prophecies about this Son of David, His kingdom, and the temple He would build were not fulfilled by Solomon.  For example, Solomon’s kingdom was not, as prophesied, eternal (v.14).

Nathan’s prophecy about David’s Son, were fulfilled many years later by David’s greater Son, Jesus.

Jesus was a Son of David (Matthew 1:1-16). Jesus was indeed a king (John 18:36-37).  Jesus promised that He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18), which is the ultimate temple of the Lord (Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Peter 2:4-5).

The promises of the OT are all ultimately fulfilled in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:16).

Jesus and the tribe/nation of Judah

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8

Why is there evil, pain, and suffering in the world?

It has always been God’s big plan to create a people to whom He could demonstrate how great His love is. How better to demonstrate love than to love the most unlovely?  That is why God ordained sin—so He could love sinners.

(Though God ordains sin for the accomplishment of His purposes, He is neither the author of sin, nor is He responsible for sin.  Sin is simply what happens when human beings refuse to worship and obey God perfectly.)

One of the aspects of God’s plan to demonstrate His unparalleled love by loving sinners is to gather all the people He forgives into His kingdom.

The kingdom of Israel is a foreshadow of the kingdom of God. Israel grew from a man to a family, to a big family, to a nation, and then a kingdom, led by kings Saul, David, and Solomon.  Right after Solomon, things went downhill—fast.

Solomon’s son, Rehoboam was the next king of Israel. However, because he was exceedingly foolish, and because he was heavy-handed with the people, under his unwise leadership, the united kingdom of Israel split in two:

• 10 of 12 tribes in the north—were called Israel (also called Samaria or Ephraim).

• 2 of 12 tribes in the south—were called Judah (after the kingly tribe of Judah.) Rehoboam ruled over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the south.

What has this to do with Jesus? Clear back in Genesis 49, God promised Jacob that the Messiah/Deliverer (Jesus) would come from the kingly tribe of Judah. Later, God promised David and Solomon (from the kingly tribe of Judah) that the Messiah would come from David’s line. The Messiah/Deliverer—Jesus—was to come from David’s family in Judah. Since the Bible is the story of the Jesus the Deliverer, our attention needs to be primarily on Judah in the south.

Jesus and the Law

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Matthew 5:17

The Law is all about Christ.

First, the Law was so holy that the people were not even to get too near Mount Sinai when the Law was being delivered to Moses by God. Jesus is holy as God is holy, but He came near to us!

The bulk of God’s law is about worship. The first four of Ten Commandments are about worship. The largest portion of the rest of the Law is about: (1) The tabernacle (the place of worship), (2) the priests (those who lead in worship), and (3) the sacrifices (the way in which they were to worship).

Every detail of the tabernacle is a picture of Christ.

The first thing one sees upon entering the temple courtyard is the altar for sacrifices, reminding us of our sin and the need for a sacrifice. Next, a large wash basin in which those who come to God must be ceremonially cleansed, reminding us of baptism. Then into the Holy Place where there was a table of showbread, reminding us that Jesus is the Bread of life (John 6:35). Also in the Holy Place was the golden lampstand, reminding us that Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12). Lastly in the Holy Place, the altar of incense, reminding us that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25).

A veil separated even the priests from the Holy of Holies. The veil was a reminder that sinners cannot draw too near to the Presence of God. When Jesus died, the veil in the temple was miraculously torn from top to bottom as a sign from God that once our sins are forgiven, the separation is removed (Matthew 27:51). Hebrews 10:20 says the veil that was torn was a symbol of Christ’s body being torn for our forgiveness.

In the Holy of Holies was a box called the Ark of the Covenant. The details of the Ark point to Christ: It was common wood overlaid with gold—a symbol of His humanity (wood) and His deity (gold) becoming one Person. Inside the box (Hebrews 9:4) were the Ten commandments, Aaron’s rod that budded, and a jar of manna. These three things symbolized man’s rejection of God—the Ten commandments: man’s rejection of God’s law; Aaron’s rod that budded: man’s rejection of God’s leadership; A jar of manna: man’s rejection of God’s gracious provision.

There was a solid gold lid on the box with two angels who stood guard to keep sinful man from the holiness of God (Genesis 3:24). Their wings stretched over as if to cover God’s eyes from seeing man’s sin—but it doesn’t work. But the solid gold lid that covers the box and the contents of the box is a picture of Christ who covers our sins so that God does not see them—perfect forgiveness.

Jesus did not do away with the Law. Rather, He fulfilled it. How did Jesus fulfill the Law? He kept it for His people who have failed to keep it. The reward of righteousness that He earned by perfect obedience is credited to the spiritual accounts of those who are “in Christ.”

Jesus received all the wrath of God that His people deserve for having violated God’s holy Law. The wrath of God was infinitely greater than the wrath of Roman crucifixion.

Jesus received the penalty for breaking the Law (even though He never broke it), thus taking the punishment His people deserve—so that when we (who are in Christ) stand before God, we will not be judged because Christ was already judged in our place.

Jesus and the Passover

“We are were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”
1 Peter 1:19

Jesus is pictured with crystal clarity in the Passover (Exodus 12).

God’s judgment on Egypt was set. God planned to kill the firstborn of every family (a picture of all in every family). God promised to spare those who, in faith, sacrificed an innocent lamb, and who put its blood on the doorposts and lintels of their houses. When God went throughout the land taking the lives of the firstborn, the Lord “passed over” the homes marked by the blood (Exodus 12:23).

Can you see that this is a picture of Christ Jesus, the ultimate, innocent Lamb of God who shed His blood on the cross? All who, in faith, are under the blood of Jesus will be “passed over” in the last Judgment. How is that possible? Jesus shed His innocent blood: (1) to pay the penalty for our sins; and (2) to purchase our release from bondage to sin.

We receive that incredible blessing by trusting in Christ by “getting under His blood.” (1 Peter 1:19)

In the same way the Jews did nothing to deliver themselves, and contributed nothing to what God did for them, we do nothing to save ourselves, and contribute nothing to what God in Christ has done for us.

As the Jews were to escape from Egypt, fleeing to the Promised Land, though we live in this world, we flee the world by refusing to be worldly. And just as the Jews were to celebrate the Passover to remember God’s gracious deliverance from Egypt, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper to remember God’s gracious deliverance from sin, death, and Hell.

Jesus and Moses (5)

And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."
Exodus 33:18-23

Moses was “In Christ” as pictured in Exodus 33:18-23. Moses wanted to see God’s glory. But neither Moses (nor anyone else) can see God and live (v.20). So God set Moses up to see as much of God and His glory as he could safely bear. Moses was directed to wedge himself into a crevasse in a rocky cliff. God promised to pass by, covering Moses’ face. And then when God had passed by, He removed His hand and allowed Moses to see the backside of His glory as God went away from Moses.

Is God stingy about allowing us to see Him and His glory? No, He loves us too much to allow us to experience His glory—that would kill us. That’s right, God is so holy that to look on Him, or even on His unveiled glory, would kill us. Imagine something so beautiful that to see it would mean death! That is resoundingly true of God!

That Moses was “in a rock” for protection is a picture of believers being “in Christ.” The good news is that while Moses could not see too much, we who are “in Christ” will see God’s face in Heaven!

Jesus and Moses (4)

“Yet now, if You will forgive their sin--but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”
Exodus 32:32

God was supremely displeased with Israel. He had delivered them from slavery in Egypt—with many signs and wonders. God manifested His presence n a special manner as He gave them the Ten Commandments (that included a prohibition against idolatry). While Moses was up on the mountain receiving the rest of God’s law, the people grew impatient, requesting that Aaron make for them a golden calf (Exodus 32:1), which Aaron did (v.2-4).

To say God was displeased is a gross understatement. In (v.10) God spoke of His intention to destroy Israel and to make a new nation from Moses. In (v.11-13) Moses interceded for his people, appealing to God’s grace for the sake of His name.

In (v.30) Moses told the people he would continue to intercede for them, which he did in (v.31-32). Note that Moses was willing to be condemned by God if He would not otherwise forgive the people’s sin (v.32).

In this, Moses was a type of Christ, being willing to be cursed to save his people. Moses, however, could not be cursed for His people as Jesus was to save His people (Galatians 3:13). Why? Because unlike Jesus, Moses was also a sinner. He therefore needed a Savior just as much as Israel (or anyone else) does.

Moses was a deliverer—a great deliverer. But Moses was not The Great Deliverer. Only Jesus could be that because being God and Man, Jesus is sinless!

Thank the Lord not only for being willing to be cursed for those He came to save, but for actually doing so, and then rising from the dead to be our living Savior who continues to intercede for His people.

Jesus and Moses (3)

I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.”
Deuteronomy 18:18-19

Considering the parallels between Moses and Jesus, here are the second fifteen of thirty for your meditation. The point? Jesus is everywhere in the Old Testament. There are too many to be dismissed as mere coincidence

16. Moses told the people about the need for a Passover lamb.
Jesus became the Passover Lamb.

17. Moses controlled the waters of the Red Sea.
Jesus controlled the Sea of Galilee.

18. Moses appointed 70 rulers over Israel.
Jesus appointed 70 disciples to preach the gospel.

19. Moses fed thousands supernaturally with bread.
Jesus fed thousands supernaturally with bread.

20. Moses fasted 40 days on a mountain while receiving the Law.
Jesus fasted 40 days on a mountain before beginning His ministry.

21. The face of Moses shown with glory on Mount Sinai.
Jesus shown with glory on the Mount of Transfiguration.

22. Moses gave the the Ten Commandments.
Jesus gave the Great Commandment.

23. Moses gave God’s Law on Mount Sinai.
Jesus interpreted God’s Law on the Mount of the Beatitudes. (Sermon on the Mount.)

24. Moses offered his life for the salvation of his people after the sin of the golden calf. (Moses was unable.)
Jesus offered His life for the salvation of the world. (Jesus accomplished the task.)

25. Moses was misunderstood by his brothers and sisters.
Jesus was misunderstood by His brothers and sisters.

26. Moses brought water out of the rock.
Jesus is that Rock (1 Cor. 10)

27. Moses lifted the bronze serpent up in the wilderness to heal people.
Jesus was lifted up on the cross to heal us from our sins. (John 3)

28. Moses sent 12 spies to Canaan so he could bring people to the Promised Land.
Jesus sent 12 disciples to the world so He could bring people to Heaven.

29. The people picked up stones to stone Moses but they did not succeed. (Num. 14:10)
The people picked up stones to stone Jesus, but they did not succeed.

30. Moses is arguably the lead figure of the Old Testament.
Jesus is the lead figure of the New Testament & the whole Bible.

When God said He would give the people another Prophet like Moses, but greater, He was speaking about Christ.  Jesus is the promised Prophet.

Note: There are many such parallel lists comparing Moses and Jesus.