Good morning.
We open us up in a word of prayer, and then we'll begin.
Our Father in Heaven, O Lord, as we read your word today,
Lord, give us eyes to see and ears to hear.
Incline our hearts to your testimonies.
Revive us again as we look to your word.
Open our eyes, open our minds to see wondrous things in your word, Lord.
For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Familiar words.
So Jesus taught us to pray.
And Jesus taught us to live by first seeking that kingdom before anything else.
Jesus told Herod, my kingdom is not of this world.
We know a lot about this kingdom.
The New Testament says a lot about this kingdom.
And God's kingdom isn't just one of the many themes running through the Bible.
Therefore, the kingdom lies just beneath the surface of almost every passage in every book in the Bible.
So as a church, right now, we're going through the book of Philippians.
And what does Paul tell the church at Philippi?
He says, you are a citizen of God's kingdom.
Your allegiance lies into God's kingdom, not Rome, to God's.
So the thread of the kingdom can be seen from Adam to Abraham.
From Abraham to Moses.
Moses to David through the Psalms.
To Isaiah.
To Nehemiah.
And eventually to Jesus, his church.
And eventually to the point where Christ reigns with his people forever and ever.
In the new heavens and the new earth.
That thread of the kingdom runs straight through from the narrative from Genesis to Revelation.
And as we said last week, it is both true that the Bible has one author and multiple authors at the same time.
Since there is only one author, the divine author,
the Bible has a single coherent plot line that is centered on Christ, as we discussed.
So a caveat, I don't mean to say the kingdom of God is the center of all biblical theology.
I only mean that the kingdom is going to be the means by which the story will advance from Genesis to Revelation.
And by the end of this series, my hope is, as we look at a lot of the themes in the Bible
and how they run through the thread, the narrative,
that you can drop into any point within the scriptures and know where you are in the storyline.
So that's my hope and my prayer.
So to understand the kingdom, before we get started,
and we talked about the systematic versus biblical theology last week,
to understand the kingdom, we have to understand the idea of a covenant.
The Bible uses the term covenant throughout the Bible.
What is a covenant?
So this class is called The Kingdom Through the Covenant.
And by the way, there's a great book about this, if you're interested in learning more,
by authors Stephen Wellam and Peter Gentry.
Their book is called The Kingdom Through the Covenant.
So it's a fantastic book.
So what is a covenant exactly, and how does it relate to the kingdom?
So today, we typically think of covenants as dry, legal relationships.
So if you have a mortgage, you may have covenanted with the bank to make those payments on time.
First of the month.
You've entered into a covenant.
But in the Bible, covenants are different.
They're different.
They are bonds of life and death out of love.
So the word lovenant would be a great word to describe this kind of relationship in the English language.
But alas, we're stuck with the word covenant.
So covenants are bonds of life and death.
And that's the idea of a covenant the Bible presents to us.
And when I say the theme of the kingdom of God,
what do I mean when I say kingdom of God?
So eight words to define the kingdom of God.
God's people and God's place under God's rule.
That's how Graham Goldworthy described the kingdom of God.
The kingdom is the place where God as king rules over his people.
And so by tracing, as Stephen, Wellam, and Gentry know,
the covenant is the entire backbone of the entire storyline of the scripture.
So it's important we get our arms around this idea of covenant and kingdom.
So in fact, many Christians across the centuries have made the idea of a covenant
the organizing principle by which the Bible is cemented together.
So we say the Bible has two testaments, right?
The Old Testament and the New Testament.
But that can easily be translated as the old covenant of God's kingdom
and the new covenant of God's kingdom.
And so by tracing that trajectory from its conception to its consummation
in the new heavens and new earth,
we'll begin to see how the Bible really is one grand story centered on Christ.
And so I hope this class helps us to read our Bibles better,
but also for us to reflect on the majesty and beauty of the biblical message.
So let's jump right in.
Turn to Genesis 1.1.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Verse 3,
And God said,
Let there be light.
And there was light.
Ten times in this opening chapter of Genesis 1,
we read,
And God said,
and it was so.
So we see God speaks as a king.
And his lordship is on full display.
The king and the author of creation
has authority over his creation.
And so while it is true that God alone is the ultimate king,
God portrays Adam,
the first person bearing his image,
as a king.
Look at verse 26.
This is the pattern of the kingdom of God.
Then God said,
Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness,
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the birds of the heavens,
and over the livestock,
and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
So God created man in his own image.
In the image of God,
he created him.
Male and female,
he created them.
So kingship to Adam
is at the heart of the commission
that God gives to Adam and Eve.
They are granted dominion
over animal life on the earth.
So the language of being given dominion
means God has appointed humans
as his vice regents.
Vice regents.
So just like the vice president
acts on behalf of the president,
Adam and Eve act as the vice regents
on behalf of the king in creation.
And in the creation mandate,
in verse 28,
Adam and Eve were to be fruitful
and multiply and fill the earth
and thus spread God's own dominion
outside the boundaries of the Garden of Eden
so that it reached the furthest points of creation.
God reigned over his creation
in and through the partnership
of Adam and Eve together.
So the kingdom of God
in the garden would spread.
And later in the Bible,
God even calls Adam a son.
So he's royalty.
Right?
Luke 3 tells us that.
And so,
think about the dignity
of all people created
in the image of God here.
The Imago Dei.
And this is scandalous, friends.
When Moses wrote this,
only Pharaoh would ever claim
to be made in the image of king.
Right?
So imagine how the Israelites
would have felt
after years of being slaves in Egypt
that they too were created
in the image of the creator God.
So friends,
Adam and Eve
had an exalted position in creation
as all human beings do.
Right?
And the Garden of Eden
where God places them
is significant.
The garden is portrayed
as a microcosm
of the blessing God intended
for the whole earth.
So Eden,
we can say,
is the center
for the world's blessing
reflected in the depiction
of four rivers
flowing from the garden
in chapters 2,
verses 10 to 14.
So in that blessing
would extend
the ends of the earth
as Adam and Eve
were fruitful
and multiplied
and populated the earth
with image bearers.
So the kingdom of God
would bring blessing.
So this is paradise.
This is God's kingdom.
And then disaster strikes.
Right?
In Genesis 3.
A disaster strikes.
Adam and Eve
reject God's rule
through that serpent's deception.
The first great conflict
in the story
emerges at this point.
Has the kingdom perished?
Sin jeopardized
God's divine plan
to bless the world,
but was it eradicated
by human rebellion?
So in the first few chapters,
we see that
although sin had entered
the world through Adam,
God's sovereign plan
was not abandoned.
So surprisingly,
I think the reader
would be surprised
at this point,
and very unexpectedly,
the plot thickens.
The plot thickens.
Genesis 3.15
is that first musical note
of God's redemptive intention
in this grand symphony
of the Bible.
Following the fall,
God says this,
I will put enmity
between you and the woman
and between your offspring
and her offspring.
He shall bruise your head
and you shall bruise his heel.
Sometimes called
the proto-evangelion.
Proto-first evangelion
is the gospel.
The first gospel promise
in the Bible.
God did not destroy them,
but he promised a savior.
Surprising.
So the author here
is foreshadowing a solution
to solve the problem
of sin.
To solve the problem
of this conflict
by providing a savior.
God is going to rebuild
his kingdom
that had been destroyed
by sin
through this offspring
promised to Adam and Eve.
God will do something
in the history of Israel
that has its genesis
in this promise
given in Eden.
So Adam's temptation
in the garden
should make us think
of temptation
in another garden.
Jesus in the garden
of Gethsemane.
Both Adam and Jesus
faced temptation,
but only one was faithful.
The original Adam
wilted under temptation
of eating the forbidden fruit.
But in another garden,
Jesus,
the last Adam,
overcame temptation.
Adam's choice
to sin
by rejecting God
had the potential
of bringing condemnation
and death
to everyone.
But in the garden
of Gethsemane,
Christ's decision
to die for sins
brought life.
Adam disobeyed
God's will
by eating of the tree,
whereas Jesus submitted
to the Father's will
by going to the cross
and being nailed
to a tree.
So in biblical theology,
as we discussed
last week,
this is known
as typology.
Typology.
Adam is the type.
Christ is the antitype,
the fulfillment.
So are we being clever
in making this comparison?
No, rather,
Paul makes his connection
for us
in Romans 5,
verse 14.
He uses the word type
to describe Adam
and the one
who is to come,
Christ.
So Paul is comparing
the two for us,
but he's also knowing
the differences
between Adam and Christ.
So in reading
the Bible canonically,
we can say the scene
in the garden
in Genesis
is anticipating Christ.
That's biblical theology.
According to Paul,
Christ is the second Adam.
So just a sidebar
conference here.
There's a question
that many have
about whether God
made a conditional
covenant with Adam.
was there a covenant
with Adam in the garden?
And I would say,
I think there's good reason
to believe
there is a covenant,
but people differ on this.
So the argument
for why there is a covenant
pretty much is,
look,
if it quacks like a duck
and it smells like a duck,
it looks like a duck,
well,
it's probably a duck then.
So people say
there's a covenant
with Adam
because there are
binding promises
between two parties.
God would establish
Adam and Eve
in the garden
if they obeyed the Lord.
But they would be cursed
if they transgressed
the command
to not eat
of the tree
of the life
of good and evil.
So there are covenant blessings
and covenant curses.
So the account
has all the elements
of a covenant
except officially
calling it one.
So one more reason
that people think
there's a covenant here
is the prophets
sometimes are called
the covenant prosecutors.
So like a prosecutor
in a courtroom,
the prophets lay out
a case of why
Israel has failed
to keep its commitments
in the covenant.
And Hosea does this
and compares Israel
to Adam
in transgressing
its covenant
to the Lord.
So however,
people find
the reason why people
don't think
there's a covenant here
is because nowhere
in Genesis
is the word covenant used.
And there's no covenant
ceremony
which is a weakness.
You'd expect to see
a covenant ceremony here.
But there's not.
So why does it even matter
why am I bringing this up?
Because,
and this is using
the tool of continuity,
it helps us to understand
our redemption.
Theologians will say
the covenant with Adam,
they will call it
the covenant of works,
puts Christ's active obedience
into perspective.
His active obedience.
So,
Paul makes clear
in Romans 5,
both Adam and Christ
stand in covenant relation
to humanity.
Right?
We are either in Adam
or in Christ.
And when Christ comes
as a second Adam,
Christ is keeping the covenant
that Adam failed to keep.
So in that respect,
Christ is the covenant keeper
for a new humanity.
And God means to always
relate to his people
through their obedience.
Right?
But we know even in paradise,
human beings in ourselves
are unable to maintain
that perfect obedience
that God requires.
Even in paradise,
we can't obey.
And God's good law
commands us,
but we're unable
to obey it ourselves.
So Christ did this perfectly
on our behalf.
He fulfilled the covenant
of works,
theologians will say.
However,
if you're a dispensationalist,
you see these in a different way.
So a dispensationalist
sees a lot of discontinuity
like we talked about last week.
And so biblical history
is thus divided
into dispensations.
And they would say
that in Adam,
it's a dispensation of,
usually it's called innocence.
And that was very short-lived
because Adam and Eve
failed pretty quickly.
So getting back
to the story in Genesis.
Adam and Eve fell.
And as the story unfolds,
unfolds,
the horrific consequences
of Adam and Eve's sin
become evident very quickly.
So Genesis 6, verse 5,
the Lord saw
that the wickedness of man
was great in the earth
and that every intention
of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually.
So by the time of Noah,
there were only eight righteous people
in the entire world.
Only eight.
So if you think about
living in today's day
and age is bad,
friends,
think about how bad
it got in Noah's day.
There were only eight people
in the entire world
that followed God.
There were more than
eight people in this room.
Praise the Lord.
And of course,
we have the Holy Spirit.
But God is not taken
by surprise,
friends,
by an entire culture
and even an entire world
that reject him.
So I'm thinking about
Noah's day.
It must have been hard.
I mean,
your only family
is the only people
that follow Christ
or follow God as king.
So in Noah's day,
the promise
of redemption
of the offspring
of the woman
was a distant memory.
Barely remembered.
A dream within a dream.
But God would not
wipe out everyone.
Why?
Because the promise
God made in Genesis 3.
Right?
Noah is in the line
of the promised offspring
of Eve.
The human race
would not again
be annihilated
until the plan
of redemption
through the offspring
of the woman
was fulfilled.
And God promises this
in the Noahic covenant
in Genesis 9, verse 8.
Then God said to Noah
and to his sons
with him,
I now establish
my covenant with you
and with all your
descendants after you.
I will establish
my covenant with you.
Never again
will all life
be destroyed
by the waters
of a flood.
Never again
will there be a flood
to destroy the earth.
I have set my rainbow
in the clouds
and it will be the sign
of the covenant
between me and the earth.
So covenants
always have a sign.
This one is the rainbow.
God's bow of war
set down.
So the Hebrew
root for rainbow
and bow as an archery
are the same word.
So when you see
the rainbow,
it's a reminder
that God
will withhold
his judgment.
So this covenant
is not directly tied up
to God's plan
of redemption
in Genesis 3.
However,
it did preserve
the created order
long enough
for that plan
of redemption
to come to pass.
It also shows,
I think,
God is committed
to his creation
and anticipating
the new heavens
and the new earth
where God will
eventually restore
his creation.
But even after
the flood,
the fundamental
problem with human
beings was not solved.
The Tower of Babel
illustrates that
the human heart
had not changed at all.
In Genesis 3-11,
it is like
William Golding's
Lord of the Flies.
Left to us,
human beings
would devolve
into savagery
and evil.
So the only hope
at this point
for redemption
must come from
God himself.
God must carry out
a rescue plan.
Indeed,
God does this
by choosing
one man,
Abraham,
as the one
through whom
the promise
of Genesis 3-15
would become
a reality.
So the covenant
of Abraham
is fulfilling
the promise
of Genesis 3.
So in a sense,
Abraham would be
a new Adam.
And Abraham
would be a new Adam
and Canaan
would be a new Eden
where God would dwell
with his people
once again.
In Genesis 12,
God promised
Abraham three things
in the Abrahamic covenant.
Numerous offspring,
land,
and that he would be
the source of blessing
to all nations
through one
of his descendants.
So Abraham
is faltering
about God's promise
of an offspring
since he's in his 70s.
That's an old age
to have children.
And God showed him
the stars
and told him
his offspring
would be as numerous
as the stars.
And so God
kind of gives
Abraham
the Rafiki treatment.
Like,
hey,
Simba,
look at the stars here.
Like,
your offspring
was numerous
as the stars.
And as Romans 4 says,
it's in that moment
Abraham believed God
and God
would provide an heir
and it was accounted
to him
as righteousness.
So Genesis 15,
6,
a very famous verse.
And he believed
the Lord
and he counted it
to him
as righteousness.
So here,
Abraham is believing
a promise.
The Lord
counts him,
reckons him,
as a righteous man.
So righteousness
means walking
before God,
loving him,
and obeying him.
So a theological
word here is
this is an imputation
of righteousness
to Abraham.
This is an alien
righteousness
coming to Abraham.
To use a biblical
metaphor,
Isaiah will say
this is a white robe
that clothes us.
Abraham in himself
is not a righteous man.
So the very next chapter,
I think it's significant
in the narrative,
Abraham commits
a heinous sin
with Hagar.
So Abraham
is a polygamist.
And who's the only
other polygamist
to this point
in Genesis?
A man called Lamech.
It's not a good company
to be in.
You don't want to be
compared to Lamech.
But Abraham,
after he's accounted
as righteous,
he commits
a heinous sin.
So Moses here
is not whitewashing
the heroes
of the Jewish faith.
Faith was the key.
God accounted Abraham
as a righteous man.
It wasn't his ethnicity
or any kind of works
done by Abraham.
Abraham was justified
by faith.
That's what Paul tells us.
And the kingdom
that God is starting
through Abraham,
seed,
will be those
who are justified
by faith.
Right?
In Genesis 15,
there's this curious
ceremony that happens
that takes place
to seal this solemn covenant
between God and Abraham,
which highlights
the unconditional aspects
of this covenant
for us.
So covenants
in the ancient Near East
were sometimes ratified
through a ceremony
in which animals
were cut up
and the pieces
arranged on the ground.
And that's what's
happening in Genesis 15.
The two parties
would walk
between the pieces
stating that a similar fate
should befall them
if either party
broke the agreement.
They would be torn apart
like those animals
on the ground.
But something very interesting
happens in Genesis 15.
Something very unexpected
happens in the ceremony.
God puts Abraham
to sleep.
And it was only God
who walked
between the animal pieces
in the figures
of a smoking fire pot
and a flaming torch
in Abraham's place.
Very strange.
God is saying,
I will keep my end
of the deal.
And Abraham,
if you fail on your side,
God is saying,
I will take on myself
the curse
of breaking the covenant.
So God has sole responsibility
for keeping the covenant
by providing offspring.
It's unconditional.
I am going to do it.
And the sign of this covenant
was circumcision,
showing that God's people,
the Israelites,
had a special place
in God's redemptive plan.
However,
one question
that people typically have
about the Abrahamic covenant
is whether
this is a conditional
or unconditional covenant
and how do we think
about those aspects
in Genesis.
So,
I would say
the covenant with Abraham
has both conditional
and unconditional elements.
So we see in Genesis 17,
verse 1,
God commands Abraham
to walk before him
faithfully
and be blameless.
So in that sense,
it's conditional.
The people,
Abraham's descendants,
would not experience
the covenant blessings
of the Abrahamic covenant
if they are not faithful.
However,
so in this respect,
Abraham himself
was even called
to walk by faith
before God.
But in another sense,
though,
God is committing
to meet all the conditions
of the covenant.
So in that sense,
it is unconditional.
So it's both conditional
and unconditional.
Some people think
it's only unconditional.
Fine.
A lot of people believe that.
But I think there's both,
I think there's both elements here.
By the end of Genesis,
these promises to Abraham
of numerous offspring,
land,
or international blessing
have scarcely been advanced at all.
So by the end of Genesis,
Israel was not in Canaan,
but in Egypt.
And obviously,
the whole world
was not being renewed
through Abraham's family.
So clearly,
like Hebrews 11 says,
the patriarchs
lived by faith
that the Lord
would fulfill his promises
in the future.
So by the end of the book,
the entire family of Abraham
is limited to about 70 people.
So how does
the Abrahamic covenant
relate to the promise
that God made
to Adam and Eve?
the Abrahamic covenant
is fulfilling the promise
of offspring
in Genesis 3.15.
The promised offspring
of Eve
would come
through Abraham's line.
So the story is unfolding.
That promised Savior
will now be a descendant
of Abraham.
And as the Bible continues,
we see how committed
God is to keeping
those promises.
So the promise
of Abraham's family
was like the stars
of heaven
began to be fulfilled
in Exodus.
So we read in Exodus 1.7,
but the people of Israel
were fruitful
and increased greatly.
They multiplied
and grew exceedingly strong
so that the land
was filled with them.
But they were suffering
miserably under Egyptian rule
and cried out
for deliverance.
So would Pharaoh
ultimately frustrate
the Lord's plan?
Exodus 2.23-25
During those many days,
the king of Egypt died
and the people of Israel
groaned because of their slavery
and cried out for help.
Their cry for rescue
from slavery
came up to God
and God heard their groaning
and God remembered
his covenant with Abraham,
with Isaac,
with Jacob.
God saw the people of Israel
and God knew.
The Lord remembered
his covenant promise.
But what will God do?
God showed his unfailing love
for his people
in the Exodus
by rescuing them
from slavery.
So the entire book of Exodus
is building off
the book of Genesis.
The story is unfolding.
God brought them
through the Exodus
to the foot of Mount Sinai
and made another major covenant
with them there,
promising to take them
as his treasured possession
and dwell among them
as their God
if,
if they would obey him.
So this is called
the Mosaic Covenant.
This is the Mosaic Covenant.
Here's what Exodus 19
verses 5 and 6 say.
Now therefore,
if you will indeed obey my voice
and keep my covenant,
you shall be to me
a treasured possession
among all peoples
for all the earth is mine
and you shall be to me
a kingdom of priests
and a holy nation.
Israel would be
a kingdom of priests
who would mediate God's blessing
to the rest of the earth
just like Adam and Eve
were meant to in the garden.
They would be the new Adams
in the land of Canaan.
God's new humanity.
In order to mediate
the blessing,
Israel must model
the kingdom of God
by living according
to the Mosaic Law.
Right?
So God gave Israel
a law code
summarized in the Ten Commandments.
And the Sabbath
was a covenant sign
that they were set apart
to bless the nations.
They were meant to be
a holy nation.
So would Israel
be a truly righteous
kingdom of priests
that blessed the world?
We'll find out.
So how does
the Mosaic Covenant
relate to
the Abrahamic Covenant?
The Mosaic Covenant
is implementing
the Abrahamic Covenant.
The story is unfolding.
The Abrahamic Covenant
fulfilled that promise
given to Adam and Eve
and now the Mosaic Covenant
is implementing it.
So God promised
a kingdom to Abraham
and now Israel
be that kingdom of priests
in the land of Canaan
mediating God's blessing
to the earth
like God had planned
for Adam and Eve
in the garden.
So the Mosaic Covenant
would be
the most conditional
of all the covenants
that we'll see
with extensive promises
of blessing
for obedience
and curses
for disobedience.
The worst being
ultimate exile
in the land.
So you should notice
there's a real tension
in the progression
of these biblical covenants.
There are unconditional
and unilateral promises
that God of grace
that God will do something
but there are real
two-sided conditions
that the people
must meet
in the Mosaic Covenant.
So there's a real tension
in the narrative
that's developing
at this point.
But the real drama
in Exodus
is how are these
sinful people
going to dwell
with the Holy God
who cannot tolerate sin?
And Exodus makes
that point.
Figuratively speaking
the Mosaic Covenant
was broken
before the ink
was even dry
in the covenant document.
The people violated
the covenant
by doing what?
Making and worshipping
a golden calf.
And Moses intercedes
for Israel
and they were forgiven
but the question's raised
how is Yahweh
going to dwell
with the stubborn people?
The people were
delivered from Egypt
but were they really changed
on the inside
spiritually?
By the end of Exodus
this is a lingering question
in the reader's mind.
And in Deuteronomy
and Joshua
there is an intimation
of what is to come.
A hint.
There's a hint
that the Mosaic Covenant
might actually be defective
because it did not change
the hearts of the people
in Israel.
I don't say that
God meant for it
to be defective
as we'll understand.
God meant for the Mosaic Covenant
to be defective.
So Deuteronomy
really is one long exposition
of the Mosaic Covenant
that Moses preaches
right before the people
enter into the Promised Land.
And Moses unpacks
what it means
for Israel
to be loyal
to its covenant God
in the Mosaic Covenant.
And the most famous verse
in Deuteronomy
is the Shema.
The Shema.
Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God,
the Lord is one.
You shall love
the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your might.
In these words
that I command you today
shall be on your heart.
Right?
Famous Shema.
Israel must keep
his law
and regulations
to be a kingdom
of priests
that God had intended
them to be.
God commanded them
to love him,
to fear him,
to treasure him,
to cling to him.
If they obey,
covenant blessings
will follow.
They will be established
in the land.
But if they turn away
from the Lord,
covenant curses
will descend upon them.
So, but interestingly,
right in the heart
of Deuteronomy,
the author is hinting
that the law
and the Mosaic Covenant
could not change
anyone's hearts.
So Moses declares
to the people,
but to this day,
the Lord has not
given you a heart
to understand
or eyes to see
or ears to hear.
And in Deuteronomy
chapter 30,
in order to keep
the covenant
God declared,
he,
must circumcise
the people's heart
so they will love him
with all their heart
and with all their soul
and live.
So the very thing
Moses tells the people
they needed to do
in the Shema,
he later tells them
they can't do
unless God gave them
new hearts to understand.
Isn't that interesting?
So in the middle
of the Mosaic Covenant,
Moses is prophesying
about a new covenant
that would need to come.
So you see,
the new covenant
would involve
a total change
of heart
for God's people.
God needed
to give them
new hearts
or what we would say
today,
conversion.
The people
need to be converted
by the Spirit.
I don't think
Moses fully understood
what he was saying here,
but the new covenant
doesn't really become
explicit until
Jeremiah's day.
But you can see
the progressive revelation
of the new covenant
that would establish
a truly righteous kingdom.
So you can see
it starts dimly
in the Mosaic Covenant,
but then the Bible
is going to become
much clearer
as the story goes along.
So in Joshua,
there's a major advance
in the storyline
because the second dimension
of the promise
to Abraham
is now fulfilled.
Israel now possesses
the land of Canaan.
But with the universal blessing
promised to Abraham,
Abraham become
a reality through them.
Toward the end
of the book of Joshua,
when renewing
the Mosaic Covenant,
Joshua echoes
Moses' words
and tells the people,
you are not able
to serve the Lord
and God's jealous wrath
will burn against you.
So the key theme
in Deuteronomy
and Joshua
is this.
It explains
that the law
gave Israel
a set of moral requirements
but not the power
to obey them.
So the law
gave Israel
a set of moral requirements
but not the power
to obey them.
So the Jews
weren't asking
whether Adam
had a belly button.
That really wasn't
on their minds.
The mystery
is how is Israel
going to be a blessing
to the whole earth,
the whole world,
if they don't have
the power
to obey the law
in their hearts?
How is God
going to build
a kingdom
that would bless
the whole world?
It's a mystery.
We don't know
at this point.
And as the story
unfolds,
the book of Judges
and Ruth
would form a bridge
to the next major
part of the Bible.
The book of Judges
dashes any hope,
any hope,
that a kingdom
of worldwide blessing
would come through Israel
anytime soon.
So God had told
the people in Deuteronomy,
you shall not do
according to all
that we are doing
here today,
everyone doing
whatever is right
in his own eyes.
A recurring verse
in Judges is,
every man did
that which was right
in his own eyes.
So the people
of Israel
are doing a downward
nosedive
as they break
the Mosaic Covenant
and how they're living.
And with these
gruesome episodes
of depravity,
instead of being
a blessing,
Israel seemed to be
cursed with the world.
So Israel needed
a new direction,
a new direction.
And a common refrain
in Judges is,
in those days,
there was no king
in Israel.
There was no king.
So according to Judges,
Israel needed
a righteous king
for Israel
to truly be
a righteous kingdom
in the world.
Right?
But Ruth,
the book of Ruth,
in contrast to Judges,
shows us the beauty
of living
under the Mosaic Covenant
and Yahweh's rule.
The beautiful
picture that we get
of life under
Yahweh's rule.
So Boaz,
right,
is that kinsman
redeemer.
Interestingly,
Boaz is from
Bethlehem in Judah.
And he was
that kinsman redeemer,
the relative
that can redeem
someone by
bearing the cost
himself.
Just like Yahweh
redeemed his people
from Egypt
in the Exodus,
the redeemer
images Yahweh
who helps
the helpless.
And Boaz
redeeming Ruth
pictures what
God would do
for Israel
in the future.
In the fullness
of God's plan,
Boaz foreshadows
the work
of the greater
redeemer,
Jesus,
who came to
the spiritually
destitute,
those enslaved
in sin
and in helpless
estate,
and he bore
the cost himself.
And just like
Ruth,
a Gentile
was brought
into the fold
of God's people
by the redeemer,
that future
descendant of
Ruth,
the son of David,
would one day
bring many more
Ruths and many
more Gentiles
into the fold
of God's people.
So if someone
invited you to
listen to a story,
sit down,
let me tell you
a story about
a redeemer
who performed
great acts
of mercy
before entering
into a covenant
with a bribe
from the nations.
That story
could be about
Boaz,
or it could be
about Jesus.
That's typology.
So it's a shadow
in reality.
God is giving us
preparatory shadows
for the real
saving events
that will come
along.
along the way.
And the book
of Ruth
closes with
a genealogy.
The last word
in the book
of Ruth
is the name
David.
So the book
culminates with
the man who
served as
Israel's king,
David.
And the need
for a king
is immediately
fulfilled in
the reign of
David.
The need
for a king
that judges
says in order
for Israel
to be a
righteous nation.
And David
comes.
And of course,
Boaz and Ruth
are not only
ancestors of David,
but also of Jesus.
So this far
in the story,
we know the promise
of victory over the serpent
and his offspring
will come through a child
of Abraham.
But in 1 and 2 Samuel,
the author gives us
a new feature
about this much
anticipated promised
offspring.
But the divine author
has been giving us
hints along the way.
Yeah.
Here we go.
So remember that
false prophet character
Balaam,
who hated Israel
in the wilderness
back in the book
of Numbers?
Balaam is looking
to get rich quick.
All right.
In Numbers 24,
God just takes over
and starts speaking
through Balaam.
Listen to what Balaam
prophesied back
in the wilderness.
I see him,
but not now.
I behold him,
but not near.
A star shall come
out of Jacob
and a scepter
shall rise
out of Israel
and it shall crush
the forehead of Moab
and break down
all the sons of Sheph.
Crush the forehead
of Moab?
Does that sound familiar?
It echoes those words
that God made
to Adam and Eve,
doesn't it?
Back in Genesis 3.
The offspring
would crush
the serpent's head.
So the story's unfolding.
The promise
to Abraham
and to Adam and Eve
will be fulfilled
through a king.
Right?
So that's progressive
revelation.
And God makes
a covenant
with this king,
with David,
in 2 Samuel 7.
Think about how
the covenant
with David
might relate
to the promise
that God made
with Abraham
and Adam and Eve.
So 2 Samuel 7,
verse 11 to 16.
This is called
the Davidic covenant.
The Davidic covenant.
The Lord declared
to David
that the Lord himself
will establish
a house for you.
When your days
are over
and you rest
with your ancestors,
I will raise up
your offspring
to succeed you.
Your own flesh
and blood
and I will establish
his kingdom.
He is the one
who will build
a house for my name
and I will establish
the throne
of his kingdom forever.
I will be his father
and he will be my son.
When he does wrong,
I will punish him
with a rod wielded
by men,
with floggings
inflicted by human hands.
But my love
will never be taken
away from him
as I took it away
from Saul,
whom I removed
from before you.
Your house
and your kingdom
will endure forever.
Before me,
your throne
will be established
forever.
So there's an
unconditional aspect
to this covenant.
God will never,
ever,
ever revoke
his love
for David's house.
However,
there is a conditional
aspect to it as well.
The king
could not presume
upon God's grace.
The Lord would discipline
David's line
for his transgressions.
So how do these
two things relate?
How is the Davidic covenant
related to the previous covenant?
The Davidic covenant
is an exposition
of the previous covenants.
The promised offspring
in Genesis 3
was fulfilled
with Abraham.
Moses implemented
that promise
and now
we see
that
offspring
will be a king
from the house
of David.
The promised offspring
will be a king
that establishes
a truly just
and righteous kingdom.
So as you read
this narrative
of 1 and 2 Samuel,
you see that David
was a good king,
of course.
He was a good king.
But Israel needed
a better king.
David obeyed Yahweh
and trusted in the Lord
rather than taking
revenge against Saul
but he sinned
extravagantly
by committing adultery
with Bathsheba
and then turning around
and murdering
her husband, Uriah.
So a better king
was needed
for the promise
that Israel
would be a universal blessing.
So here are
David's last words.
I don't know
if you can read that.
His last words
in 2 Samuel.
David draws attention
to this ideal king.
The spirit of the Lord
spoke through me.
His word was on my tongue.
The God of Israel spoke.
The rock of Israel
said to me,
when one,
that is the king,
rules over people
in righteousness,
when he rules
in the fear of God,
he is like the light
of the morning
at sunrise
on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness
after rain
that brings grass
from the earth.
So God is speaking
to David clearly
in verse 2.
And this king
is radically God-centered.
He rules
in the fear of God
and dispenses
justice in the land.
Israel needed
a king
who dawns
like the light
of the sun
and blessed the people
through gentle rains.
That king
would bless
the whole world.
And Israel needed
a better king
than David.
So who would be
that promised king?
Like the classic story
in King Arthur
where the people
waited for that
promised king
who would come
and pull out
the sword of Excalibur
out of the stone.
The Bible asks
the question,
who is that king
that's going to come?
Who will be
the promised king?
It's a mystery.
And the Jews
talked about this.
The Psalms
are full of promises
of that promised
Davidic king
when he would
one day come
and exercise
his rule.
And the future
Davidic king
came to be known
as the Messiah
or the Christ.
Who will be
the Messiah?
So just like
we ask ourselves
when will Christ
return?
When will be
that promised day
when we will
be with him
forever?
The Jews
ask themselves
when will
this Messiah
arrive?
When will
that righteous
king come
and make Israel
a truly righteous
kingdom
that will bless
the world?
Will Solomon
be that king
who ruled
into the fear
of God
bringing blessing
to the nations?
For a brief time
it almost seemed
like yeah
he's the guy.
It almost seemed
like the promises
were right around
the corner
in Solomon's reign.
Solomon's kingdom
blessed the surrounding
nations.
But sadly
Solomon turned
away from God.
And Solomon
wasn't that king
the people needed
for Israel
to truly be a
blessing to the world.
And things
rapidly deteriorate
from here on
with the kings.
Will Solomon's son
Rehoboam
be the promised
Christ
to the king
to bless the world?
No.
He sinned greatly
by setting up
false gods
at the altars.
What about
the next king
Abijah?
Was he the Christ?
No.
His son Asaph?
No.
So for centuries
the kings
were wicked
in Israel.
And the cancer
of sin
residing in Israel
was spreading
rapidly
with no godly
king in sight.
So
by the time
you get to
the book of
by the time
you get
to the book
of Isaiah
the people
were experiencing
the covenant
curses
right back
in Deuteronomy
if you
disobey
the Mosaic
covenant
you'll be
cursed
and now
they're experiencing
the covenant
curses.
Widespread
famine.
The king
had split
into two kingdoms
Israel
and Judah.
The northern
kingdom
Israel
experienced
this devastating
storm
of God's
judgment.
The judgment
described
is Yahweh's
strange work
in Isaiah 28
for he longed
to save his
people
but he judges
them as well
if they turn
away from his
goodness.
And Yahweh
in Isaiah 6
is the thrice
holy one
right?
Holy
holy
he cannot
tolerate sin
and Israel
had made a mess
of things
and it almost
seems as if
the promise
of triumph
over the serpent
had been
withdrawn.
Just like
Adam was
exiled from
the garden
these nations
were exiled
from the
promised land
of Canaan.
The people
were like
Gomer
back in
Hosea.
Aren't we
the same?
The Lord
is a faithful
husband
but Gomer
keeps going
back into
the brothel
and God
says my
people are
like that.
I'm the
faithful husband
and my
people keep
going back
into idolatry.
But God
remember
God had
taken sole
responsibility
to fulfill
the promise.
what is
God going
to do
at this
point?
What can
he do?
The people
are wicked.
They're not
a blessing.
They're
cursed.
But in a
pivotal moment
in Isaiah
God repeats
the Davidic
covenant.
The promise
had not been
revoked.
God is going
to do
something in
the future.
come everyone
who thirsts
come to
the waters
and he
who has
no money
come
buy
and eat
and I
will make
with you
an everlasting
covenant
my steadfast
sure love
for David.
Right?
Jesus says
if anyone
is thirsty
let him
come to
me and
drink.
Promise
kept.
Right?
So
the
Davidic
covenant
had not
been revoked.
God is
still going
to do
something
to establish
a truly
righteous
kingdom
in the
world.
In Isaiah
one of the
most famous
prophecies
of a
Davidic
king
is found
in
Isaiah
9
that we
read
during
Christmas.
A new
prophecy
of this
future
Davidic
king
is given.
Isaiah
explains
that a
son is
coming.
A child
is on the
horizon
who will
sit on
David's
throne.
This
child
will reign
as the
governor
and rule
over the
land
forever.
Peace,
righteousness,
and justice
will never
cease upon
his coming.
This
king is
remarkable
for he
is the
wonderful
counselor,
mighty
God,
everlasting
father,
prince of
peace.
So these
descriptions
explode.
They explode
the expectation
of this
coming king
who would
bring the
kingdom of
God.
He is
much more
than just
a mere
descendant
of David.
He is
that.
But clearly
Isaiah's
promise of
a king
who is
a mighty
God,
everlasting
father,
was not
fulfilled in
his day.
In chapter
11,
Isaiah
elaborates on
this king.
He is
the shoot
from the
stump of
Jesse,
and a
branch from
his roots,
which is a
description that
anticipates the
suffering servant
described in
Isaiah 53.
So he is
equipped with
the spirit to
rule over
Israel,
and he
surpasses all
previous kings.
And this
salvation reaches
to the ends
of the earth.
The promise
of worldwide
blessing made
to Abraham
will become a
reality because
he will bring
salvation even
to the Gentiles
in Isaiah 11.
And in that
day,
Isaiah says,
your eyes will
behold the king
and his beauty.
So God is
going to redeem
Israel, not only
physically, but
spiritually too.
And so God was
determined to offer
a new covenant
which would relate
to his people
in which he
would relate
to his people.
In this covenant
would establish
a truly just
and righteous
kingdom, not
like the covenant
made at Mount
Sinai.
And the famous
verse in
Jeremiah 31
says this.
This is the
covenant I will
make, says God.
And notice the
terms of this
covenant.
Jeremiah 31.
Behold, the
days are coming,
declares the
Lord, when I
will make a
new covenant
with the house
of Israel and
the house of
Judah, not like
the covenant
that I made
with their
fathers on the
day when I
took them by
the hand to
bring them out
the land of
Egypt.
My covenant
that they broke
though I was
their husband,
declares the
Lord.
For this is the
covenant that I
will make with
the house of
Israel after
those days,
declares the
Lord.
I will put my
law within
them and I
will write it
on their
hearts and I
will be their
God and they
shall be my
people and no
longer shall
each one teach
his neighbor and
each his brother
saying, know the
Lord, for they
shall all know me
from the least of
them to the
greatest, declares
the Lord, for I
will forgive their
iniquity and I
will remember
their sin no
more.
So when this new
David arrives,
Israel will be
forgiven its sin
and given new
hearts to obey
the Lord.
The law will be
written on their
hearts as Jeremiah
says and they'll
be given new
hearts as God
had promised back
in Deuteronomy
with Moses.
Yahweh will show
compassion and
mercy on his
people once again.
So the Old
Testament history
concludes and
Ezra and
Nehemiah
with Israel
returning from
exile.
But the return
from exile did
not bring expected
blessing.
A new David
ruling over
Israel did not
appear.
So the Old
Testament concludes
on a note of
expectation.
The great promises
for Israel and
the world were
not realized.
And then
it's with all
this background
that an obscure
person from
Bethlehem named
Jesus shows up
preaching about
the kingdom of
God.
So if you turn
to Matthew 1.
1.
Basically this
genealogy about
Jesus screams
out to us that
God who made
that promise in
Genesis 3 is now
fulfilling that
promise.
In the very two
first words of the
first book of the
New Testament,
Matthew grabs the
very language of
the opening chapters
of Genesis.
The words
genealogy can be
replaced with the
book of Genesis,
of Jesus Christ.
God's name is
the firstborn of
a new creation.
And who is he
saying Jesus is at
this point?
He's a new Adam.
According to
Matthew, he's not
only a new Adam,
he's the son of
David.
Who else?
He's the promised
seed of Abraham.
And God is keeping
his promise to
Abraham of providing
an offspring through
him that would
bless the entire
world.
So the gospel of
Matthew opens up
saying the king of
kings is on the
scene.
The king has
finally returned,
but no one
recognizes him.
The magi come to
worship him, but the
other kings like
Herod are even
troubled.
They're even
threatened by this
competitor to his
rule.
And there's no
pomp or fanfare
when this king
arrives.
You know, the
king comes riding
into Jerusalem on
a donkey.
The crowds yell
out, Hosanna!
Hosanna!
The son of
David!
The king is
finally here!
He's arrived!
He's returned!
But do the people
enthrone this
king?
No.
They don't
enthrone the
king.
Instead, the
king is
crucified.
The king is
crucified by his
people.
There's a sign on
this cross that
read, Hail the
king of the
Jews!
The king wears a
purple robe.
Instead of a
crown of gold, a
crown of thorns
is twisted onto
his head.
And when the
thief on the
cross looked at
this crucifixion,
king, he said,
Jesus, remember
me when you
come into your
kingdom.
Somehow, this
thief thought Jesus
was presently ruling
over a kingdom
while he was being
crucified.
At the cross, the
kingdom had come.
God's will had been
done on earth as it
is in heaven.
The kingdom of God
comes in power, but
the power of this
kingdom is through
Christ being
crucified.
And Jesus rises
from the dead and
ascends to his
throne.
We have to admit,
this is a strange
and unexpected
kingdom.
We weren't
expecting this.
The readers of the
Bible, this is a
plot twist.
And so how does a
cross relate to the
kingdom of God?
Well, through the
cross, Christ
inaugurated a new
covenant to bring
about a truly just
and righteous
kingdom.
turn to 1 Corinthians
11.
We say this when we
celebrate the Lord's
Supper.
For I received from
the Lord what I also
passed to you.
The Lord Jesus, on
the night he was
betrayed, took bread.
When he had given
thanks, he broke it
and said, this is my
body, which is for
you.
Do this in remembrance
of me.
In the same way, after
supper, he took the
cup, saying, this
cup is the new
covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as
you drink it, in
remembrance of me.
For as often as you
eat this bread and
drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord's
death until he comes.
So, through Jesus'
death at the cross
and resurrection,
Jesus inaugurated the
new covenant.
That truly just and
righteous kingdom is
here, that Jeremiah
prophesied about.
And the people of the
new covenant are to
be the people of his
kingdom, who
especially represent
God.
The new covenant is
bound up with the
kingdom of God.
The universal blessing,
blessing for all
nations, is the
people's, come to
pass in Jesus and
through his church.
So, in the old
covenant, God's people
consisted almost
exclusively of Israel.
But the fullness of
God's promise to
Abraham has now become
a reality.
Every tribe, tongue,
people, and nation are
now blessed in Christ as
they trust in him for
eternal life.
So, now in the New
Testament, no one, no
one, not even the
disciples, ever expected
the kingdom to come in
two stages.
Two stages.
Jesus is the king who
came to establish God's
kingdom through the new
covenant.
But the kingdom is not
consummated.
It's not consummated.
So, we live in the
already-but-not-yet
period.
Jesus is the righteous
king who presently is
ruling wisely.
And God's special
kingdom will endure until
it conquers and fills the
world.
And that's the final
destination of biblical
prophecy, when Jesus
returns in glory.
And God's special reign
will encompass every
kingdom on earth.
So, as Richard Sibbes
once said, faith makes
us kings, because
thereby we marry the
king of heaven.
So, just like Adam, now
because we're married to
Christ, we are kings
because he is the king
of heaven, and we are
in Christ.
Revelation 22, we see
the kingdom is perfected.
It's perfected.
The conquering king is on
his throne.
Revelation 22, verse 3
says, no longer will there
be anything accursed, but
the throne of God,
and of the Lamb will be
in it, and his servants
will worship him.
Amen.
So we sing, come thou
long expected Jesus in
Christmas, to rightly
recognize that Jesus is
the long-awaited king.
But this hymn is a
window into the
storyline about God's
kingdom.
The Old Testament saints
long to see the coming
of the Messiah, but they
didn't know the Messiah
was Jesus.
And Jesus is our only
hope for salvation, born
a child and yet a king.
So the promised king is
that all the scriptures
point to, and we are
waiting for Jesus to
return once again.
So here's the lyrics.
I'd love to sing it together
if we can.
I'll start.
Come thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free.
From our fears and sins release us.
Let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth, thou art.
Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
born thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a king, born to reign in us forever.
Now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit, rule in all our hearts alone.
By thine own, raise us to thy glorious throne.
By thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.
Amen.
Let me close this in a word of prayer.
Amen.
I'm happy to have questions.
Father in heaven, oh Lord, we thank you that Jesus came, born a child yet a king.
The king that was Israel's hope.
And we thank you that we know this king because of your spirit who has regenerated our hearts to love the king more than sin.
And I pray that you would help us to set our eyes on this king today.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
So I have this slide here.
It's more for, it's more, this is going back to our talk last week about allegory versus typology.
And I came across this and I'm like, oh, this is interesting.
Is that allegory or is that typology?
And if so, is it good allegory or is it bad allegory?
But we had other questions, happy to answer them, but this was our, we were talking a lot about allegory and typology last week.
Any questions?
No questions.
Allegory or typology?
Oh, Tom.
I have a question.
So I was fascinated by you were drawing similarities between various thoughts, especially the new covenant of Jesus,
the covenant or whatever you want to call it, the promise that God made when they fell,
that there would be a promise to see who would crush the serpent's head, that his heel would be bruised.
But I never realized, I guess, potential connection is what I want to ask you about,
between the Abrahamic covenant and that God made that involved, you know, the killing of animals and that God became.
Between them and that, I was wondering if you could talk about that a little more.
I missed a little bit what you were saying, but it seems like potentially a dramatic kind of further elaboration of God's future suffering.
Yeah.
No, I think it does foreshadow Christ's taking a curse at Calvary, especially when, Abraham, if you fail on your side,
I'm going to take the curse on myself, God says.
That's an interesting question because I think here's what people have said,
that the conditionality of the Abrahamic covenant may have been, like, republished in the Mosaic covenant.
In that sense, we can understand that Christ has taken the covenant curses at the cross at Calvary,
DeNorma 27, 28, so there is question about whether, though, that conditionality is being republished.
Because I don't think, otherwise, I don't think that when we talk about covenant curses,
I think we're, people are referring to the Mosaic covenant at Mount Sinai.
I haven't heard people talk about the Abrahamic curses that have happened.
But I think there is a continuity there.
There's a string that, there's a single flow of thought that is definitely foreshadowed in the cross,
in that ceremony, especially in Genesis 15.
Yeah, it's also interesting that, it's so, it needs to be on this idea that these covenants were about,
we have to do, do, do, and work, work, work, to earn our righteousness,
and then all of a sudden, the new covenant comes along, and it's like, oh, it's all changed now.
But it's beautiful to see that that really, I mean, that wasn't the case,
that these covenants had these illusions or predictions or images of God from family.
When you point out the Mosaic covenant, I never realized that Moses is saying,
you've got to do all this, and you've got to be served, and then again, he's like, yeah, God's going to have to talk.
It's just, it's beautiful, it's encouraging, it's inspiring to see that.
Thank you, Sharon.
Yeah, thank you, Billy, I appreciate that.
It is wonderful to see that God is, it is really one story centered on Christ.
And that's really biblical theology.
It's tracing that promise that God made to Adam and Eve
that goes through each covenant and finds its climax in Christ.
And that was the goal of trying to walk through all these chapters together.
It was really, that was a lot.
We walked through a lot.
So you mentioned the Noahic, not the covenant,
not quite being a continuation of the covenant with Adam.
Adam, I kind of wanted to push back on that.
Yeah.
Because you see in, I think it's Peter,
comparing using the flood as a shadow of baptism.
Yeah.
So it seems like it's almost kind of being pulled back in.
Hmm.
Then.
Yeah, no, thank you for, feel free to push back anybody.
I'm happy, but I think it's a good point.
I think that's well taken because I think the way covenant is reestablishing
sort of the covenant that God made with Adam,
but a little different because he, and, because, and Noah,
you're recognizing the fall at that point.
And he's like, you know, you're going to experience pain and death,
but he is commissioning them similar, Noah,
similar to how he did with Adam.
And there's a similar sort of foreshadowing of God's
unconditional nature kind of underlying all of these covenants.
I think it's interesting to look through these and realize, like,
God sticks out and open the garden before they do anything,
and he promises to see before they've really done anything
that you can tell as a repentance.
And in each of these covenants, God's going,
let's say, okay, we'll see how this goes.
And there's this.
Yeah, there's that unconditional aspect.
It's kind of like sitting just underneath all the conditions.
And God says, I'm promising to do this if you do that.
But I really want to do this, so we're going to make sure you do that.
Yeah, yeah.
Amen.
It is called the great riddle of the Old Testament
of how is God going to fulfill the promise to Abraham,
but also there is two sided conditions in the Mosaic covenant.
If you obey me, then I will do this.
But God says, look, I'm going to do this.
You're going to be a righteous kingdom, and it's going to bless the whole world.
So there is tension in the narrative, and I think God is like,
that's probably a storyline tool to point us to the cross and the new covenants,
because God in Christ is keeping all the covenant conditions for his people on their behalf.
And he's also fulfilling the covenant that God made with Abraham to bless the world through Christ.
So we find, that's why Paul thinks in Christ,
because like we're in, even Paul will say, Christ is the new Israel.
Like, so all that Israel was meant to be, Christ is.
And we find ourselves in Christ.
So it's fascinating.
You see, there are these divergent parallel plot lines that just find their climax in Christ.
One of the interesting things with theologians,
tracing any one of these things and then trying to elaborate,
what does the gospel look like by focusing on this thing?
So what is the gospel in terms of covenant?
What is the gospel in terms of sacrifice, priesthood, light?
Yeah.
Retelling.
It's the same gospel, but it gives us different endpoints of the other.
So are you saying through it all that man has no responsibility?
I don't think that at all.
What is the tension you're talking about?
The tension of how God is going to relate to his people.
So in Genesis 12, we see God is making an unconditional promise to Abraham.
I'm going to do something for you.
And I'm going to establish a righteous kingdom through your line, Abraham.
And that ceremony is saying, God's saying, look, I'm going to take the curse on myself
if you fail on your side, Abraham.
So in that sense, God's going to do it no matter what.
Another sense, though, the Mosaic covenant is a conditional covenant between God and his people,
where he's like, if you don't keep the terms of this covenant, you're exiled.
You're gone.
And so I think that's a tension between the terms of both those covenants.
I think man is responsible and Christ is, and God will do his redemption, redemptive plan,
without any help from anybody.
He's going to do it himself.
Those two covenants paired together kind of set up the riddle that's solved in the spirit's empowerment of us.
Yeah.
Right.
Now, you know, the covenants that, you know, have changed from generation to generation.
Do you feel that these covenants are made to make it easier for us to reach heaven,
or is it to encompass more people to reach heaven, or do you think this is each?
It seems like it's easier to get to heaven.
Yeah, I think the covenant there, each covenant is just saying how God is going to relate to his people.
I think Abraham, the account of Abraham is important in Genesis 12,
because it says Abraham was justified by faith.
And Paul in Romans 4 says, now we are justified by faith.
I think God has always related to his people the same way, and that's by faith.
That hasn't changed.
But I will say, now that we have the spirit, we have a fuller understanding,
a fuller revelation of God's plan through the church.
So, in some ways, it's easier just because it's clearer.
Like, we have God's plan, now it's laid out for us.
But he always means to relate by faith for his people.
I think that, I agree with that, and I think that's a good point of the progressive revelation,
is that I think that when Adam used in the week, chose to depart from God's covenant,
I know there's some debate whether that's the covenant,
but, I mean, there's sort of an agreement that God is holy,
and that he is glorious,
and that to depart from that, to desire to be like God apart from his plan and wisdom,
that so profoundly broke the world,
and just all of creation thrown into futility,
that I think that for humans it was almost necessary to have progressive revelation,
because we're just now so thick-headed.
You know, it took a little bit at a time,
God revealing his nature,
while at the same time,
Paul talks about his divine forbearance,
you know,
God's glory and his nature was transgressed so profoundly,
that he should have had nothing to do with this,
but he was very gracious,
and he revealed more and more of his nature to us,
I think, as a mercy,
instead of either doing away with us all at once,
or requiring everything of us all at once,
I think he was very gracious to work slowly with a family of people,
that would then be encompassable,
so I think progressive revelation is a good answer for why God chose to work with a small group of people slowly,
because we just need time to get to it.
That's so true.
He's teaching his people what it's going to mean for them when Jesus eventually comes.
And he's setting up the categories for understanding the gospel.
Yeah.
Amen.
That's such a good thought, brother.
Thank you.
So, by the end,
the Bible really is about Christ,
and I think the apostles share that conviction,
so I think if you just walk through each text,
you kind of see,
yeah, this is actually heading in that direction.
The offspring will come through David,
and David's looking forward to the Messiah.
The Messiah eventually comes and establishes a new covenant,
a truly just and righteous kingdom that Genesis 3 had always,
that's what it was going toward.
So, the structure of the New Testament is pointed to the cross.
I think if you do faithful exposition,
you'll see that.
It's not,
I don't think we're imposing anything on the text that's not there itself.
All right.
Well, thank you all.
Thank you all.
Appreciate it.
Thank you.
Yeah, I know.
I know.
It was the light being broken.
Light being broken was one thing.
I was like, wow.
God was like, yeah.
I was like, yeah.
That's Sam?
Sam Alvarez.
God was not presuming Newman's understanding of physics.
Yeah, yeah.
He inspired that.
But you're not wrong about why you're, yeah.
That's one of those.
You're not getting any false doctrine out of it.
Yeah, yeah.
Like, if I heard that.
Don't preach that as an exegesis text.
I know.
If I heard that, I wouldn't be like, he's pushing people to Christ.
I'm like, hey.
Right.
Praise God.
If we just take our bow and just send our prayers.
Yeah, that one was a little bit like, oh.
I don't know if I like that analogy.
I feel like it makes it sound a little bit too worksy.
But I'd have to see the rest of the time.
Because there's one of those.
Not knowing Spurgeon, I would have real issues with that.
But knowing Spurgeon, I suspect there's better theology going on in the background there.
So, yeah.
Yeah.
It was good.
Thanks.
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