Matthew 7:
13 "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
Build Your House on the Rock 24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
The above passage is without a doubt one of the most abused and misrepresented in all of Scripture. So let us without further ado, look at this in a verse by verse manner.
Verses 13 and 14 speak of two gates. The gate that opens to destruction is wide and easy to enter, and many enter into destruction through it.
The gate that opens into Life is narrow and the way through is hard. In addition Jesus tells us that it is difficult to even find this gate. Only those who know the voice of the Shepherd, i.e. those who are already His, hear His voice and enter in. (no one seeks for God, Romans 3:10-18)
This leads us to the obvious conclusion that the first gate, which leads to destruction, is also extremely easy to find since many enter it. Those who do are not "God-seekers".
Jesus who is the Truth, and therefore telling the Truth, is the Gate, the Way and the Life.
John 10:7 and John 14:6
This is the foundation set for what He says next.
In verses 15-20, the Lord speaks of false prophets and the distinctions which make them false prophets:
They are "ravenous" wolves which come disguised as sheep.
Acts 20:
29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
They are ravenous as they desire to draw away the disciples after them.
They are the ones who do not enter by the gate. They do not know the voice of the Shepherd, and He does not know them. John 10:14
They "jump the fence" to steal away the flock. Some of these seem to be part of the flock, but in reality are not. They are wolves that have have already infiltrated the flock, and soon leave after creating havoc.
Their goal being to draw as many of the flock away unto themselves as possible.
1John 2:
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
It must be plain that they are not of us. Jesus said they will be recognized by their fruits. They will be recognized today, not at the end when the Lord returns. In fact He tells them in verse 23 "I never recognized you", which will occur upon His actual return.
Thus the real meaning of this statement in 1John 4:4;
"for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
is made clear.
This verse, when read in its' immediate context, is speaking of those, like us who have the Spirit of Christ and those who have gone into the world, who are of the spirit of anti-christ. They deny Jesus has come in the flesh. How? By constantly recreating Him into our image and likeness, the sin of the golden calf. The incarnation has been accomplished, we do not preach the re-incarnation, which is essentially being preached in the doctrines of open theism, among other false teachings.
As for their fruits, grapes are not gathered from a thorn bush, nor figs from thistles. What the Lord is saying literally is, they truly are thorn bushes and thistles. They do not produce grapes nor figs. All fruit bearing vegetation produces fruit fit for consumption, or fruit unfit for consumption. The unfit fruit can even be poisonous. Sometimes distinguishing between the good and the bad is extremely difficult.
Men have learned to recognize good fruit from the bad in the natural. So those that are truly His, will learn to recognize good from bad.
Hebrews 5:
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
The fruits of the false prophets, the wolves, the thorn bushes, are known by saints.
They are unhealthy, diseased trees. A diseased tree cannot bear good fruit and must be cut down and burned.
Matthew 3:
10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 15:
13 He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.
Both Jesus and John the Baptist were speaking to, and about, the pharisees. Contrary to popular teaching, the sin of the pharisees was not "legalism", (in fact the common accusation that is thrown out today toward anyone who adheres to sola scriptura, is that they are phariseees and therefore "legalistic"). The fact is the pharisees did not adhgere to what we call sola scriptura.
They denied Jesus was God come in the flesh. That is, they did not believe what the Word of God spoke. John 5:37-47
This is the common error of today's "church" They do not like the way God presents Himself in His Word, therefore they preach a different gospel, and a different Jesus, who is the Word in the flesh. So who are the actual pharisees today? Those who know neither the Scriptures nor the power of the Author.
Gal 1:
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--
7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
2Cor 11:
3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles.
The super apostles are the ravenous wolves and the producers of bad fruit. Who are the super apostles? Turn on christian TV or enter a christian bookstore. The gate is wide, readily found, and they are leading men through it.
Verses 21-23 present an astounding conclusion. Even though the fruit of bad tree is recognized by the saints, the bad trees do not realize that they are ...... "bad trees".
They will say to the Lord in that Day, didn't we prophesy, heal, teach, etc etc in your name?
Jesus will say, "I never knew you", i.e. I give you no public recognition.
Deception is an easy pathway indeed.
Matthew 24:
4 And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray.
5 For many will come in my (Jesus') name, saying, 'I (Jesus) am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.
Only those who do the Father's will will enter in. Since this is so, then only those who are truly in Christ, who is the narrow gate, and who does only the will of His Father, enter the Kingdom of heaven. The narrow way is the will of the Father. It is not easy to find, as it is only found through Christ. It must be revealed.
Luke 10:
21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
John 6:
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
45 It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me--
So the Lord sends them away and calls them workers of lawlessness or iniquity.
In the Greek the word is:
ἀνομία (anomia)
It means a transgression, a violation of the law, an illegality. We must remember that what Jesus is speaking in these last few words of his "sermon on the mount" tie in with what He spoke from the start of this discourse. Matthew 5-6-7
The purveyors of bad fruit are "lawbreakers"
Matthew 5:
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Licentiousness is not grace. Licentiousness is one of the bad fruit.
The conclusion of all that Jesus spoke is this;
All who hear His words and do them are building on solid rock, and their building will stand no matter what storms come.
Those who hear His words, and do not do them, are building on sand and their building
will suffer complete and utter destruction, i.e. "away from me, I never knew you". Those words are hanging over the wide gate.
Those who do the words of Jesus, do the will of the Father, and have entered in through the narrow gate.
Matthew 12:
50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
John 6:
38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
All who do the will of the Father prove that they and Jesus are born of the same father. They are family.
John 15:
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Proverbs 14:
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
We will al be known by our fruit.
Soli Deo Gloria
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Christ Crucified And The Serpent In The Wilderness
This is a combining of a previous post on this site, and some new thoughts which I believe fall right in line with the study in Hebrews 7-8-9 and 10.
John 3:
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
John 8:
23 He said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins."25 So they said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him."27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.28 So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him."30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 12:
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.34 So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"35 So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.
Numbers 21:
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food."6 Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.7 And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.8 And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Romans7: 9 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
Romans 6:
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2Kings 18:
1 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).5 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.6 For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses.
2Cor 5:
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Repentance: Looking Upon/To Him
Heb 12:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
There are several aspects to the death of Jesus that must be looked at:
He must be lifted up.
Jesus said this. John 12:33 says that He was indicating the manner of death that He would suffer, i.e. crucifixion.
Through this "lifting up" three things are accomplished:
HE will draw all people to himself.
This drawing is for the purpose of all men to see the crucified Messiah, and to accept or reject, both Him and His atoning work.
He came to His own, and by His own was not received.
The Jews to whom He was speaking to in John 8, would know that He is the one who came from the Father, and speaks the words of the Father. This also is done so that the house of Israel can accept or reject their Messiah.
However a remnant, (Romans 9-10-11) will come to belief.
Zechariah 12:
10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
Acts 2:
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
His being crucified is the exact same thing as Moses lifting up the bronze serpent.
This must be done so that that whoever believes in (looks upon) Him, be they Jew or gentile, will have eternal life. This third element re: the bronze serpent, is the element of salvation.
Looking Upon = Belief
Isaiah 45:
22 "Turn to (look unto) me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
It is amazing that in regards to the bronze serpent, the requirement to be saved from the deadly bite of the attacking serpents was to look upon the image of the serpent. In other words, they had to look at the image of the very thing that was killing them, in order to be saved.
In light of this, how deep is the meaning of the Lord's words in the above referenced verses from John's gospel? Ch 8:28
The clincher is, that centuries later the bronze serpent was still in possession of the nation of Israel, and King Hezekiah had to destroy it along with the Asherah, the high places and pillars etc, as even the serpent's image had become an idol to which the people brought offerings.
What does this say about the Roman Catholic crucifix, and the daily ritual of "re-sacrificing" the Lord? I am using this as the most extreme example, but it is evident this idolatry goes on today through out the “visible church”, and in the first century church, as Paul spoke in reference to the issue.
2 Cor 5:16 tells us that we are not to regard ourselves , our brothers, and especially the Lord Himself, according to the flesh. The idolatry which was focused upon the bronze serpent, Nehushtan, is the practice of “regarding Christ according to the flesh”. His death is once for all time.
“It is accomplished”, were among His final words. We do not offer the Lord anew, as He is now resurrected, ascended, and seated in heavenly places. There will be more to say about the “regarding according to the flesh”.
Assurance And The Idolatry of Nehushtan
Heb 6:
4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
Heb 10:
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"
17 then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
The worship of the bronze serpent, is a denial of the finished, and atoning work of the Lord.
He is the crucified Christ to the unbelieving world.
To us who believe, He is Christ, King, High Priest, and Intercessor, and is seated at the Father’s right hand and is Head over His body, the church. Acts 2:36; Rev 19:16; Eph 1:16-23
He was dead and now He lives forever.
Heb 7:
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Paul gives us the revelation of the "mystery" of His death on the cross.The simple fact is that He died for all, so all have died in Him. (This does not say that all receive salvation)
This is also a literal statement.
All mankind has been injected with the venom. Only those who come to belief are healed from the effect of the bite.
We have seen that Paul in Romans 6, tells us that the wages of sin is death.
However, those who believe, i.e. have looked upon the Nehushtan/Christ-crucified, and have received eternal life. Now the life they live, they live unto God and not to themselves. They no longer have to “look upon” the crucified Christ.
Gal 2:
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2 Cor5:
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
So Hebrews 6: 4-6 and Hebrews 10: 10-18 are to be understood in this context;
A truly regenerate, i.e. born again saint, cannot lose his salvation. I do not “plead the blood”, if indeed, I am cleansed by the blood.
1John 1:
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1John 2:
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
The terms “pleading the blood”, and “covered by the blood” are not found in the scripture. We are cleansed by the blood. The issue is walking in the light, as the light is God.
1 John was written to expose the spirit of anti-christ,which denies God in Christ at the crucifixion. They effectively stripped His death of any of its’ power, as these anti-christ gnostics came up with bizarre stories that Jesus’ divinity left Him at the cross, Jesus did not have a literal body of flesh etc ,etc.
Virtually all the content of John’s letter is directed at proving those who are of Christ and those who are anti-christ, and how the differences between the two manifest in practice.
So when John writes of those who walk in the light versus those in darkness, he is not saying the children of the light might walk in darkness upon occasion. He is saying that those who walk in darkness cannot claim fellowship with God at all. They are liars and are anti-christ.
John 3:
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."
Those who do walk in the light, have fellowship with Him, and the blood of Christ has cleanses them from all sin. It is possible for those in the light to sin. However they are walking in the light of forgiveness.
All that needs be done, is for them to confess their sin. Only those who are born again will confess their sins. Only they walk in the light.
Walking in darkness is never something the believer does. Those who walk in darkness are unregenerate!
1John 2:
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
Confession is an act of obedience, and is the fruit of repentance. Repentance is a” looking unto” a “turning away” from the sin that so easily besets us, and looking upon the crucified Christ.
So for those who have already set their eyes upon Him, repentance is something that is lived out daily. When they do sin, confession is the acknowledgment that the atoning work of Christ has been viewed and received. Thus repentance is one of the works that are shown to be “carried out in God”.
Heb 12:
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
He endured, past tense.
So we look unto Jesus who is seated at God’s right hand.
I am not looking at the Nehushtan, and bringing my offerings to it.
I am looking at the exalted and enthroned high priest of God.
The entrance into the light is through the cross.
Once there, we do not go back to the “dark side” of Calvary.
This leads us back to Paul’s statement that we no longer regard Christ according to the flesh. John’s battle was against those who preached that Jesus did not come in the flesh. On the surface that would look as if Paul was teaching error. However. I believe that the previous scripture, and accompanying study, show us that Paul is speaking of flesh in terms of the body of sin that was put to death on the cross. Christ, the firstfruits from the dead, now lives in a glorified and incorruptible body, as all who believe will one day do. Regarding Christ according to the body of sin,i.e. flesh, is Nehushtan.
Adoring a crucifix, the Passion, even holiness teachings, ascetism, monasticism etc. are idolatry.
They make an idol out of that which saves; “they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”
Even the act of confession is a post - crucifixion work. I confess my sins as
I have already entered into His forgiveness.
The writer of Hebrews is telling us once you have seen and believed,
there is no going back. One cannot be restored again to repentance because
one has been restored once for all. The sacrifice has been given once for all.
The worship of Nehushtan is not allowed.
So they become like a field of weeds and thistles whose end is to be burned.
This is not the lake of fire, but it is a fiery judgment. The fire saves the field and
makes it useful for planting again.
They are those who are His branches, but have not been abiding.
Hebrews 6:8; John 15:6
As I had just stated, we cannot go back to the dark/Egyptian side of the cross.
Every attempt to do so by Israel ended up in death. Jeremiah 42:13-17
Heb 10:
14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Heb 12:
28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
29 for our God is a consuming fire.
The Working Of The Cure
Now the people of Israel admitted that they had sinned against the Lord, once they had been bitten and began to die. The fiery serpents were sent by God to afflict Israel, and their bite was fatal. These serpents represent sin and its’ due recompense, i.e. death.
Romans 7 shows that the issue is not just the forgiveness of sins, past, present, and future; it is the sin nature, sin itself which is the root. Therefore 2 Cor 5:21 gives us this most astounding revelation; God made the One who knew no sin, to be sin.
So we now look upon the image of the very thing that is killing us, and we are saved. Sin itself, and its death-hold over us, is vanquished, because of His dying, and our participation in that dying.
The crucified Jesus must be lifted up, in order that the elect may enter the reconciliation of Creator to creation.
All who were bitten in the wilderness should have died, but those who looked upon the serpent of bronze were those that were dead men, and yet they lived.
Just for a moment, let’s look at the serpent in the garden
Genesis 2: 7 tells us that God made man, Adam, from the dust of the ground.
The narrative continues with God creating all living creatures and Adam naming them. We then have the Lord putting Adam to sleep and removing one of his ribs, which was then formed into woman, Eve, Adam’s wife.
Genesis 3 begins with the serpent, whom God had created, and Adam had named, deceiving Eve through the injection of this toxic venom:
“has God indeed said?”
The outcome is a well known one. Adam also falls into the deception, and sin and death have now entered the world.
God’s judgment is swift. It is also a prophetic judgment.
Gen 3:
14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
15 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."
The serpent would eat dust all his days. Man was formed from dust, and did not become a living soul until God breathed into him.
The serpents in the wilderness were functioning under the curse and judgment decreed by God. Their goal is to eat dust, i.e. through their bite bring death.
All who looked upon the bronze serpent lived, though they were bitten. Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh so that when he was “lifted up”, that is, was crucified, He like the bronze serpent would be the physical embodiment of the very thing that is killing mankind. By coming in the likeness of sinful flesh, and going to the cross, He has put to death sin in the flesh, so that all who look upon Him are born again, through the receiving of God’s breath, eternal life. Jesus’ death was the “bruising of His heel”
His resurrection was the crushing of the serpent’s head.
John 11:
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
We are no longer men of dust. The men of dust are food for the serpent. The men of dust are dead men. They have not been given the life-breath of God, which is His Holy Spirit.
1Cor 15:
47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
One more thought concerning this.
The venom was injected through Eve who was taken from Adam’s side. So the attack was directed at the very heart of the man.
In John’s account of the crucifixion, we have this incident:
John 19:
34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
35 He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth--that you also may believe.
What is usually the first thing that one does, when someone is snake-bit?
The affected area is lanced open, and the venom is withdrawn. The water and the blood are the cleansing evidence that the venom has been purged from the body.
This is why even in Moses’ day all who looked upon the bronze serpent lived. Christ is literally present through out all the scripture.
1John 5:
5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is he who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
7 For there are three that testify:
8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
All who believe have eternal life.
We are immune to the “venom of the lie”. Even though we are currently residing in bodies of dust, we will one day be given the body from heaven.
We are no longer prey for the serpent. We will not die, even if bitten.
Luke 10:
19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
How Then Do We Lift Jesus Up?
1Cor 2:
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
It is not by clever evangelistic methods, i.e. tricks or manipulation, or theologies. We simply preach Christ, and Him crucified.
1Cor 11:
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
It is not proclaimed in images, or ceremonies. Every time we meet and partake of the Lord's table we are proclaiming His death, until He returns. Not only are we proclaiming His death, we are proclaiming our participation in that death also. We are united with Him in His death, and resurrection. Romans 6:3-7
We are His literal Body.
The bread symbolizes our participation as members of His body, and the cup symbolizes our participation in the new/renewed covenant of His blood. The bread and wine do not become the literal body and blood, as we are the literal body which is sustained by the blood/covenant.I pray that the church would come to understand that the preaching of the "once for all" sacrifice of the crucified Messiah, through the partaking of the Lord's table, is the most powerful evangelistic message ever to be presented. It is the implicit revelation of Isaiah 53.Whenever we meet, we do this remembering Him, and the last sacrifice men would ever need re: atonement and eternal life. We celebrate and proclaim His death. We do not re-create it.
1Cor 10:
9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents
10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
Do not put Christ to the test by crucifying Him again and again and holding Him up to contempt.
Christ and His atoning death and resurrection are a once for all, and once for all time work. The idolatry of Nehushtan are the new teachings infiltrating the church, which question the sufficiency of Christ and His atoning work, the sovreignty of God and the authority of His Word.
These teachings are the venom of Nehushtan;
Has God indeed said?
Lord raise up Hezekiahs who will destroy all the idols of the land that are worshipped in your house.
Soli deo Gloria!
John 3:
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
John 8:
23 He said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins."25 So they said to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him."27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father.28 So Jesus said to them, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him."30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 12:
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.34 So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"35 So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.
Numbers 21:
4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way.5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food."6 Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.7 And the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.8 And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Romans7: 9 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
Romans 6:
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2Kings 18:
1 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).5 He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.6 For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses.
2Cor 5:
14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Repentance: Looking Upon/To Him
Heb 12:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
There are several aspects to the death of Jesus that must be looked at:
He must be lifted up.
Jesus said this. John 12:33 says that He was indicating the manner of death that He would suffer, i.e. crucifixion.
Through this "lifting up" three things are accomplished:
HE will draw all people to himself.
This drawing is for the purpose of all men to see the crucified Messiah, and to accept or reject, both Him and His atoning work.
He came to His own, and by His own was not received.
The Jews to whom He was speaking to in John 8, would know that He is the one who came from the Father, and speaks the words of the Father. This also is done so that the house of Israel can accept or reject their Messiah.
However a remnant, (Romans 9-10-11) will come to belief.
Zechariah 12:
10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
Acts 2:
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
His being crucified is the exact same thing as Moses lifting up the bronze serpent.
This must be done so that that whoever believes in (looks upon) Him, be they Jew or gentile, will have eternal life. This third element re: the bronze serpent, is the element of salvation.
Looking Upon = Belief
Isaiah 45:
22 "Turn to (look unto) me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
It is amazing that in regards to the bronze serpent, the requirement to be saved from the deadly bite of the attacking serpents was to look upon the image of the serpent. In other words, they had to look at the image of the very thing that was killing them, in order to be saved.
In light of this, how deep is the meaning of the Lord's words in the above referenced verses from John's gospel? Ch 8:28
The clincher is, that centuries later the bronze serpent was still in possession of the nation of Israel, and King Hezekiah had to destroy it along with the Asherah, the high places and pillars etc, as even the serpent's image had become an idol to which the people brought offerings.
What does this say about the Roman Catholic crucifix, and the daily ritual of "re-sacrificing" the Lord? I am using this as the most extreme example, but it is evident this idolatry goes on today through out the “visible church”, and in the first century church, as Paul spoke in reference to the issue.
2 Cor 5:16 tells us that we are not to regard ourselves , our brothers, and especially the Lord Himself, according to the flesh. The idolatry which was focused upon the bronze serpent, Nehushtan, is the practice of “regarding Christ according to the flesh”. His death is once for all time.
“It is accomplished”, were among His final words. We do not offer the Lord anew, as He is now resurrected, ascended, and seated in heavenly places. There will be more to say about the “regarding according to the flesh”.
Assurance And The Idolatry of Nehushtan
Heb 6:
4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
Heb 10:
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"
17 then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
The worship of the bronze serpent, is a denial of the finished, and atoning work of the Lord.
He is the crucified Christ to the unbelieving world.
To us who believe, He is Christ, King, High Priest, and Intercessor, and is seated at the Father’s right hand and is Head over His body, the church. Acts 2:36; Rev 19:16; Eph 1:16-23
He was dead and now He lives forever.
Heb 7:
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Paul gives us the revelation of the "mystery" of His death on the cross.The simple fact is that He died for all, so all have died in Him. (This does not say that all receive salvation)
This is also a literal statement.
All mankind has been injected with the venom. Only those who come to belief are healed from the effect of the bite.
We have seen that Paul in Romans 6, tells us that the wages of sin is death.
However, those who believe, i.e. have looked upon the Nehushtan/Christ-crucified, and have received eternal life. Now the life they live, they live unto God and not to themselves. They no longer have to “look upon” the crucified Christ.
Gal 2:
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2 Cor5:
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
So Hebrews 6: 4-6 and Hebrews 10: 10-18 are to be understood in this context;
A truly regenerate, i.e. born again saint, cannot lose his salvation. I do not “plead the blood”, if indeed, I am cleansed by the blood.
1John 1:
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1John 2:
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
The terms “pleading the blood”, and “covered by the blood” are not found in the scripture. We are cleansed by the blood. The issue is walking in the light, as the light is God.
1 John was written to expose the spirit of anti-christ,which denies God in Christ at the crucifixion. They effectively stripped His death of any of its’ power, as these anti-christ gnostics came up with bizarre stories that Jesus’ divinity left Him at the cross, Jesus did not have a literal body of flesh etc ,etc.
Virtually all the content of John’s letter is directed at proving those who are of Christ and those who are anti-christ, and how the differences between the two manifest in practice.
So when John writes of those who walk in the light versus those in darkness, he is not saying the children of the light might walk in darkness upon occasion. He is saying that those who walk in darkness cannot claim fellowship with God at all. They are liars and are anti-christ.
John 3:
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."
Those who do walk in the light, have fellowship with Him, and the blood of Christ has cleanses them from all sin. It is possible for those in the light to sin. However they are walking in the light of forgiveness.
All that needs be done, is for them to confess their sin. Only those who are born again will confess their sins. Only they walk in the light.
Walking in darkness is never something the believer does. Those who walk in darkness are unregenerate!
1John 2:
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
Confession is an act of obedience, and is the fruit of repentance. Repentance is a” looking unto” a “turning away” from the sin that so easily besets us, and looking upon the crucified Christ.
So for those who have already set their eyes upon Him, repentance is something that is lived out daily. When they do sin, confession is the acknowledgment that the atoning work of Christ has been viewed and received. Thus repentance is one of the works that are shown to be “carried out in God”.
Heb 12:
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
He endured, past tense.
So we look unto Jesus who is seated at God’s right hand.
I am not looking at the Nehushtan, and bringing my offerings to it.
I am looking at the exalted and enthroned high priest of God.
The entrance into the light is through the cross.
Once there, we do not go back to the “dark side” of Calvary.
This leads us back to Paul’s statement that we no longer regard Christ according to the flesh. John’s battle was against those who preached that Jesus did not come in the flesh. On the surface that would look as if Paul was teaching error. However. I believe that the previous scripture, and accompanying study, show us that Paul is speaking of flesh in terms of the body of sin that was put to death on the cross. Christ, the firstfruits from the dead, now lives in a glorified and incorruptible body, as all who believe will one day do. Regarding Christ according to the body of sin,i.e. flesh, is Nehushtan.
Adoring a crucifix, the Passion, even holiness teachings, ascetism, monasticism etc. are idolatry.
They make an idol out of that which saves; “they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”
Even the act of confession is a post - crucifixion work. I confess my sins as
I have already entered into His forgiveness.
The writer of Hebrews is telling us once you have seen and believed,
there is no going back. One cannot be restored again to repentance because
one has been restored once for all. The sacrifice has been given once for all.
The worship of Nehushtan is not allowed.
So they become like a field of weeds and thistles whose end is to be burned.
This is not the lake of fire, but it is a fiery judgment. The fire saves the field and
makes it useful for planting again.
They are those who are His branches, but have not been abiding.
Hebrews 6:8; John 15:6
As I had just stated, we cannot go back to the dark/Egyptian side of the cross.
Every attempt to do so by Israel ended up in death. Jeremiah 42:13-17
Heb 10:
14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Heb 12:
28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
29 for our God is a consuming fire.
The Working Of The Cure
Now the people of Israel admitted that they had sinned against the Lord, once they had been bitten and began to die. The fiery serpents were sent by God to afflict Israel, and their bite was fatal. These serpents represent sin and its’ due recompense, i.e. death.
Romans 7 shows that the issue is not just the forgiveness of sins, past, present, and future; it is the sin nature, sin itself which is the root. Therefore 2 Cor 5:21 gives us this most astounding revelation; God made the One who knew no sin, to be sin.
So we now look upon the image of the very thing that is killing us, and we are saved. Sin itself, and its death-hold over us, is vanquished, because of His dying, and our participation in that dying.
The crucified Jesus must be lifted up, in order that the elect may enter the reconciliation of Creator to creation.
All who were bitten in the wilderness should have died, but those who looked upon the serpent of bronze were those that were dead men, and yet they lived.
Just for a moment, let’s look at the serpent in the garden
Genesis 2: 7 tells us that God made man, Adam, from the dust of the ground.
The narrative continues with God creating all living creatures and Adam naming them. We then have the Lord putting Adam to sleep and removing one of his ribs, which was then formed into woman, Eve, Adam’s wife.
Genesis 3 begins with the serpent, whom God had created, and Adam had named, deceiving Eve through the injection of this toxic venom:
“has God indeed said?”
The outcome is a well known one. Adam also falls into the deception, and sin and death have now entered the world.
God’s judgment is swift. It is also a prophetic judgment.
Gen 3:
14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
15 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."
The serpent would eat dust all his days. Man was formed from dust, and did not become a living soul until God breathed into him.
The serpents in the wilderness were functioning under the curse and judgment decreed by God. Their goal is to eat dust, i.e. through their bite bring death.
All who looked upon the bronze serpent lived, though they were bitten. Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh so that when he was “lifted up”, that is, was crucified, He like the bronze serpent would be the physical embodiment of the very thing that is killing mankind. By coming in the likeness of sinful flesh, and going to the cross, He has put to death sin in the flesh, so that all who look upon Him are born again, through the receiving of God’s breath, eternal life. Jesus’ death was the “bruising of His heel”
His resurrection was the crushing of the serpent’s head.
John 11:
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
We are no longer men of dust. The men of dust are food for the serpent. The men of dust are dead men. They have not been given the life-breath of God, which is His Holy Spirit.
1Cor 15:
47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
One more thought concerning this.
The venom was injected through Eve who was taken from Adam’s side. So the attack was directed at the very heart of the man.
In John’s account of the crucifixion, we have this incident:
John 19:
34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
35 He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth--that you also may believe.
What is usually the first thing that one does, when someone is snake-bit?
The affected area is lanced open, and the venom is withdrawn. The water and the blood are the cleansing evidence that the venom has been purged from the body.
This is why even in Moses’ day all who looked upon the bronze serpent lived. Christ is literally present through out all the scripture.
1John 5:
5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is he who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
7 For there are three that testify:
8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
All who believe have eternal life.
We are immune to the “venom of the lie”. Even though we are currently residing in bodies of dust, we will one day be given the body from heaven.
We are no longer prey for the serpent. We will not die, even if bitten.
Luke 10:
19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
How Then Do We Lift Jesus Up?
1Cor 2:
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
It is not by clever evangelistic methods, i.e. tricks or manipulation, or theologies. We simply preach Christ, and Him crucified.
1Cor 11:
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
It is not proclaimed in images, or ceremonies. Every time we meet and partake of the Lord's table we are proclaiming His death, until He returns. Not only are we proclaiming His death, we are proclaiming our participation in that death also. We are united with Him in His death, and resurrection. Romans 6:3-7
We are His literal Body.
The bread symbolizes our participation as members of His body, and the cup symbolizes our participation in the new/renewed covenant of His blood. The bread and wine do not become the literal body and blood, as we are the literal body which is sustained by the blood/covenant.I pray that the church would come to understand that the preaching of the "once for all" sacrifice of the crucified Messiah, through the partaking of the Lord's table, is the most powerful evangelistic message ever to be presented. It is the implicit revelation of Isaiah 53.Whenever we meet, we do this remembering Him, and the last sacrifice men would ever need re: atonement and eternal life. We celebrate and proclaim His death. We do not re-create it.
1Cor 10:
9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents
10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
Do not put Christ to the test by crucifying Him again and again and holding Him up to contempt.
Christ and His atoning death and resurrection are a once for all, and once for all time work. The idolatry of Nehushtan are the new teachings infiltrating the church, which question the sufficiency of Christ and His atoning work, the sovreignty of God and the authority of His Word.
These teachings are the venom of Nehushtan;
Has God indeed said?
Lord raise up Hezekiahs who will destroy all the idols of the land that are worshipped in your house.
Soli deo Gloria!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Great High Priest;The Covenant:The Fulfillment
Hebrews 8:
1Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain." 6But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
8For he finds fault with them when he says:"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.For they did not continue in my covenant,and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord:I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts,and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.11And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.12For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,and I will remember their sins no more."
13In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Psalm 40:
6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 7 Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
Luke 22:
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
In my last post, the relationship between Abram/Abraham, the Israel of God, the Covenant given to Abram/Abraham, and the high priest according to the order Melchizedek shows us that all who exist in Abraham, even prior to their own earthly existence as his descendants, submit to the better covenant and to the one who is both high priest and king and without beginning or end, which is Christ. This is so, as we were in the "loins" of Abraham when he both received the promise/covenant, and when he gave tithe to Melchizedek, and shared the bread and the cup with him. All that follows after that, be it the Law (the sinaic/mosaic covenant), or those who are Abraham's heirs, Israel (jew and gentile) now submit to the superior covenant and superior priesthood/kingship. Hebrews 8 begins with these established facts, that I have just reiterated.
1Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.
We have such a high priest. One who is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The one who is seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places (Eph 1:20). Therefore He ministers in the holy of holies, that is, in the heavenly places, the true tent erected by the Father in which the Son ministers.
Eph 2:
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
The ministry that takes place in this divine structure is one of salvation, which is redemption, and reconciliation.
He is the one who forever lives to make intercession for us, and thereby provides a complete salvation. Nothing else needs be done. The one who is saved through Him, is saved completely. There is no other sacrifice necessary nor can one be given. This is the superior covenant, and priesthood. There is nothing better. (Heb 7:25; Heb 10: 18)
Hebrews 8 goes on to describe the duties of the high priesthood;
3For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.
and then this:
4Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law.
Now while it must be noted that during the time that this book was written, there were still sacrifices being performed in the temple built by Herod, it can be said that even in the church today there are those "judaizers" who require adherence to a law, and certain sacrificial practices, things that Paul warned us of in his letters to the Galatians and Colossians, etc. So the conditions existing as described in verse 4 still exist in another manifestation.
The priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek, is a heavenly priesthood, (it can only exist in heaven). The high priest of the Melchizedek order can only dwell in the heavenlies. This priesthood, and priest cannot dwell where the Law and religion dwell.
5They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain."
We hear the words "type and shadow" used so much, that they have little or no meaning to us.
The Greek, hupodeigma, (translated as copy or type) has as its' root the combining of two words, which literally mean "a means of showing".
In other words, the old covenant, along with its' ceremonies and implements, are showing us the new and better way.
skia is the Greek word for shadow, Now what is a shadow but the evidence of the existence of that which is casting the shadow?
For example; if a person is standing between the sun or other source of light, and the wall of a building, a shadow is cast, which can be seen by anyone who looks at the wall. However if no one is standing between the light source and the wall, no shadow is cast.
So, if I were to walk up and look at the wall, and see a man's shadow, that would tell me that, in reality, someone is standing there. The shadow, and whatever or whomever is creating the shadow, are part of each other, they are both " the reality".
Both offer prove that the other exists.
Now the writer of Hebrews is obviously referring to the Law, the covenant given to Moses at Sinai. It points to Christ alone.
So now it is easy to see the error in the doctrine of transubstantiation in the roman church, and the false practice of offering a bloodless sacrifice on a regular basis.
Not to mention the fact that there those jews who are awaiting a rebuilding of the temple in which to re-establish the sacrificial system.
Christ has come, Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again!
The One whom the Law and the prophets pointed men toward has completely fulfilled the Word, work, and will of God.
John 19:
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Hebrews 10:
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
17 ....... "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
The sacrifice of the Law was given so that men would look forward to the better covenant and priesthood.
The rebuilding of the temple, and the re-establishment of the sacrifices, as well as the "bloodless sacrifice" of the mass, are worthless, as everything has been accomplished. There is nothing to point forward to except the return of the King! This should give us a greater sense of urgency to proclaim the message of the Kingdom.
Hebrews 8:
6But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
The new (second) covenant, i.e. the covenant of His blood is this, which the prophet Jeremiah foretold:
(Jeremiah 31:31-34)
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with 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 of the land of Egypt.For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, 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 laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more."
The new covenant promised to Abraham and to His seed, Christ, and therefore to all who are in Christ. Jeremiah speaks of both the house of Israel, and Judah. This is an important point. This is a united Israel;all 12 tribes, both jew and gentile, the remnant of the Goy.
The last verse of Hebrews 8 says it all.
13In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
In this post I was hoping to go into Hebrews 9 and 10 also, but it is easily seen that they deserve a more in depth study. There is simply too much profound truth to be found in these passages.
Sola scriptura
Soli Deo Gloria
1Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain." 6But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
8For he finds fault with them when he says:"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.For they did not continue in my covenant,and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord:I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts,and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.11And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.12For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,and I will remember their sins no more."
13In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Psalm 40:
6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 7 Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
Luke 22:
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
In my last post, the relationship between Abram/Abraham, the Israel of God, the Covenant given to Abram/Abraham, and the high priest according to the order Melchizedek shows us that all who exist in Abraham, even prior to their own earthly existence as his descendants, submit to the better covenant and to the one who is both high priest and king and without beginning or end, which is Christ. This is so, as we were in the "loins" of Abraham when he both received the promise/covenant, and when he gave tithe to Melchizedek, and shared the bread and the cup with him. All that follows after that, be it the Law (the sinaic/mosaic covenant), or those who are Abraham's heirs, Israel (jew and gentile) now submit to the superior covenant and superior priesthood/kingship. Hebrews 8 begins with these established facts, that I have just reiterated.
1Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man.
We have such a high priest. One who is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The one who is seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places (Eph 1:20). Therefore He ministers in the holy of holies, that is, in the heavenly places, the true tent erected by the Father in which the Son ministers.
Eph 2:
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
The ministry that takes place in this divine structure is one of salvation, which is redemption, and reconciliation.
He is the one who forever lives to make intercession for us, and thereby provides a complete salvation. Nothing else needs be done. The one who is saved through Him, is saved completely. There is no other sacrifice necessary nor can one be given. This is the superior covenant, and priesthood. There is nothing better. (Heb 7:25; Heb 10: 18)
Hebrews 8 goes on to describe the duties of the high priesthood;
3For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.
and then this:
4Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law.
Now while it must be noted that during the time that this book was written, there were still sacrifices being performed in the temple built by Herod, it can be said that even in the church today there are those "judaizers" who require adherence to a law, and certain sacrificial practices, things that Paul warned us of in his letters to the Galatians and Colossians, etc. So the conditions existing as described in verse 4 still exist in another manifestation.
The priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek, is a heavenly priesthood, (it can only exist in heaven). The high priest of the Melchizedek order can only dwell in the heavenlies. This priesthood, and priest cannot dwell where the Law and religion dwell.
5They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain."
We hear the words "type and shadow" used so much, that they have little or no meaning to us.
The Greek, hupodeigma, (translated as copy or type) has as its' root the combining of two words, which literally mean "a means of showing".
In other words, the old covenant, along with its' ceremonies and implements, are showing us the new and better way.
skia is the Greek word for shadow, Now what is a shadow but the evidence of the existence of that which is casting the shadow?
For example; if a person is standing between the sun or other source of light, and the wall of a building, a shadow is cast, which can be seen by anyone who looks at the wall. However if no one is standing between the light source and the wall, no shadow is cast.
So, if I were to walk up and look at the wall, and see a man's shadow, that would tell me that, in reality, someone is standing there. The shadow, and whatever or whomever is creating the shadow, are part of each other, they are both " the reality".
Both offer prove that the other exists.
Now the writer of Hebrews is obviously referring to the Law, the covenant given to Moses at Sinai. It points to Christ alone.
So now it is easy to see the error in the doctrine of transubstantiation in the roman church, and the false practice of offering a bloodless sacrifice on a regular basis.
Not to mention the fact that there those jews who are awaiting a rebuilding of the temple in which to re-establish the sacrificial system.
Christ has come, Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again!
The One whom the Law and the prophets pointed men toward has completely fulfilled the Word, work, and will of God.
John 19:
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Hebrews 10:
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
17 ....... "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
The sacrifice of the Law was given so that men would look forward to the better covenant and priesthood.
The rebuilding of the temple, and the re-establishment of the sacrifices, as well as the "bloodless sacrifice" of the mass, are worthless, as everything has been accomplished. There is nothing to point forward to except the return of the King! This should give us a greater sense of urgency to proclaim the message of the Kingdom.
Hebrews 8:
6But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
The new (second) covenant, i.e. the covenant of His blood is this, which the prophet Jeremiah foretold:
(Jeremiah 31:31-34)
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with 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 of the land of Egypt.For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, 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 laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,'for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more."
The new covenant promised to Abraham and to His seed, Christ, and therefore to all who are in Christ. Jeremiah speaks of both the house of Israel, and Judah. This is an important point. This is a united Israel;all 12 tribes, both jew and gentile, the remnant of the Goy.
The last verse of Hebrews 8 says it all.
13In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
In this post I was hoping to go into Hebrews 9 and 10 also, but it is easily seen that they deserve a more in depth study. There is simply too much profound truth to be found in these passages.
Sola scriptura
Soli Deo Gloria
Friday, June 12, 2009
Abraham, Israel, and The Goy Part 2: Melek-Tsedek The Great High Priest (Updated)
Hebrews 7:
1For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.
4See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!
11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well..........
22This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.............
25Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them..................
27He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
Genesis 14:
17After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;20and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!"
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Psalm 110:
4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind,"You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 5:6; 7:17 and 7:21)
In the first installment of this study, an often overlooked fact was brought out; Abraham was called a Hebrew ,i.e. "one from the other side, who has come from over there" etc. He was called a Hebrew before the sign of circumcision was commanded by God. (more on this in a bit)
We now go to one of the greatest books in Scripture, The Book of (to) the Hebrews.
The title, "Hebrews", would suggest that this book is not only addressing Moses and the Covenant at Sinai, which Jesus fulfilled through His death on the cross, as the Lamb of Passover; it is addressing the covenant given to Abram, without which we are in serious trouble, and is sealed by the resurrection and ascension of Christ.
In part one we looked at Genesis 12, which is the command and promised reward, given to Abram by God.
Genesis 12:
1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.
2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
The Lord reveals more of what this covenant contains in Genesis 13:14-18; 15:1-21 and in 17:1-27 (where his name was changed to Abraham and the covenant of faith was sealed through circumcision.)
Paul writes;
Romans 4:
9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?
We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.
10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,
12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
Paul can then correctly state;
Galatians 5:
1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Abraham was given the sign of circumcision as a testimony that he was called out of Babylon by the Lord, had heard the Word of God, believed it, and was now found to be righteous
through that faith. Circumcision came after his being declared righteous. In this Abraham became the Father of ALL the redeemed i.e. Israel, which is both jew and gentile.
Romans 1:
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."
Salvation has always been by grace through faith. Eph 2:8-10
It is vital to understand the emphasis Paul places on the fact that circumcision, the Law, came after Abraham was justified by faith, and indeed even before he was given his new name.
The reason being that another extraordinary event had taken place during the time after the original call and promise and the sealing of the covenant through circumcision;
Abraham had an encounter with Melchizedek, the King of Salem and high priest of God.
After having rescued his cousin Lot by defeating Chedorlaomer and his allies, who had taken Lot and his family captive, Abraham was met in the Valley of the Kings by the king of Sodom, and most importantly by Melchizedek. Melchizedek blessed Abram the victor, and blessed God who had given him the victory. What is generally overlooked is that Melchizedek brought out bread and wine to Abram, and after they had partaken in this, Abram gave a tithe to Melchizedek.
Another important fact given to us is, Melchizedek was king of Salem, later known as Jerusalem.
It is also revealed that Melchizedek was "priest of God most high", according to Genesis 14: 18. It is interesting to note that this information is presented in the context of Melchizedek bringing out the bread and wine, which suggests that the "title" and the act belong together.
While Genesis 14 provides scant knowledge concerning this High priestly King of Salem.
The rest of scripture has much to say.
In Psalm 110, which Jesus quotes re: the messiah being the son of David, this passage is written seemingly "out of the blue";
Psalm 110:4
The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."
While this reference to Melchizedek may seem out of place, as this Psalm is a prophecy of the Messiah to come, the book of Hebrews brings the revelation to completeness.
Hebrews 7:
1For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.4See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!
To review the vital facts concerning Melchizedek:
1. His name means king of righteousness
2. He is also king of Salem (Jerusalem) king of peace
3. He is a priest of God most high.
4. His genealogy is not revealed, i.e. neither father, mother, nor descendants.
5. In this he "appears" to have no beginning nor end.
6. In all of this he resembles the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is a priest forever.
7. He was superior to Abram in that he blessed Abram, and received tithes from Abram.
This indicates a position of superior authority.
Without the reference found in Psalm 110, this episode in Genesis 14 would have no consequence outside of its historical and narrative context.
Let's look at the passage.
The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind,
"You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."
This comes from God. He has sworn this.
Hebrews 6:
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,
Hebrews 7:
20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath,
21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever.'"
Therefore, this psalm which prophesies of the Messiah, also prophesies TO the Messiah.This promise is a sworn oath, of which no other oath is higher as there is no one higher than God; "a priest forever". This is an eternal promise, which means it has no beginning or end. This promise has always existed. There will be no changing of mind, on God's part, regarding this.
So we have Abram to whom another sworn promise/covenant was given, submitting to Melchizedek whose "order of priesthood" the eternal high priest/messiah comes from.
Abram, in being the Father of a great nation,and later Abraham, the father of many nations, carried in himself the seed of all his descendants. So they also were blessed by Melchizedek, and paid tithe to him, though they were not yet born.
Hebrews 7:
7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.
9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,
10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.
Not only does the priestly tribe of Levi submit to the superior authority of this priesthood, so do all the tribes, and so so all the nations.
We can say without qualm, that everything and everyone, from the point of Abram's meeting with the king of Salem on, are in submission to the one who is the priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. This would include the covenant given at Sinai. So the Law is inferior to the covenant given to Abram.
Hebrews 7:
11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?
Abram believed by faith, was accounted as righteous,tithed to, and receive blessing from Melchizedek all before he received the seal of circumcision.
Hebrews 7:22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
Because He is a priest forever, and because He is also King of both peace and righteousness:
"He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."
He has accomplished this through the better covenant of the better priesthood.
Hebrews 8:
6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.
Hebrews 9:
12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
The Israel of God, is both jew and gentile as both submit (in Abraham) to the same great high priest who saves through eternal intercession, and by His own shed blood, through a superior covenant.
In the next installment I would like to look at Hebrews 8 and 9 in greater depth.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Update: One more thought re: Abram and his meeting with Melchizedek. I believe that this meeting, especially with the priest introducing the bread and cup, lends a special clarity to Jesus' words in this exchange from John 8:
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad."
57 So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?"
58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
1For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.
4See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!
11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well..........
22This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.............
25Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them..................
27He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
Genesis 14:
17After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;20and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!"
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Psalm 110:
4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind,"You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 5:6; 7:17 and 7:21)
In the first installment of this study, an often overlooked fact was brought out; Abraham was called a Hebrew ,i.e. "one from the other side, who has come from over there" etc. He was called a Hebrew before the sign of circumcision was commanded by God. (more on this in a bit)
We now go to one of the greatest books in Scripture, The Book of (to) the Hebrews.
The title, "Hebrews", would suggest that this book is not only addressing Moses and the Covenant at Sinai, which Jesus fulfilled through His death on the cross, as the Lamb of Passover; it is addressing the covenant given to Abram, without which we are in serious trouble, and is sealed by the resurrection and ascension of Christ.
In part one we looked at Genesis 12, which is the command and promised reward, given to Abram by God.
Genesis 12:
1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.
2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
The Lord reveals more of what this covenant contains in Genesis 13:14-18; 15:1-21 and in 17:1-27 (where his name was changed to Abraham and the covenant of faith was sealed through circumcision.)
Paul writes;
Romans 4:
9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?
We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.
10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,
12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
Paul can then correctly state;
Galatians 5:
1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.
4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Abraham was given the sign of circumcision as a testimony that he was called out of Babylon by the Lord, had heard the Word of God, believed it, and was now found to be righteous
through that faith. Circumcision came after his being declared righteous. In this Abraham became the Father of ALL the redeemed i.e. Israel, which is both jew and gentile.
Romans 1:
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."
Salvation has always been by grace through faith. Eph 2:8-10
It is vital to understand the emphasis Paul places on the fact that circumcision, the Law, came after Abraham was justified by faith, and indeed even before he was given his new name.
The reason being that another extraordinary event had taken place during the time after the original call and promise and the sealing of the covenant through circumcision;
Abraham had an encounter with Melchizedek, the King of Salem and high priest of God.
After having rescued his cousin Lot by defeating Chedorlaomer and his allies, who had taken Lot and his family captive, Abraham was met in the Valley of the Kings by the king of Sodom, and most importantly by Melchizedek. Melchizedek blessed Abram the victor, and blessed God who had given him the victory. What is generally overlooked is that Melchizedek brought out bread and wine to Abram, and after they had partaken in this, Abram gave a tithe to Melchizedek.
Another important fact given to us is, Melchizedek was king of Salem, later known as Jerusalem.
It is also revealed that Melchizedek was "priest of God most high", according to Genesis 14: 18. It is interesting to note that this information is presented in the context of Melchizedek bringing out the bread and wine, which suggests that the "title" and the act belong together.
While Genesis 14 provides scant knowledge concerning this High priestly King of Salem.
The rest of scripture has much to say.
In Psalm 110, which Jesus quotes re: the messiah being the son of David, this passage is written seemingly "out of the blue";
Psalm 110:4
The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."
While this reference to Melchizedek may seem out of place, as this Psalm is a prophecy of the Messiah to come, the book of Hebrews brings the revelation to completeness.
Hebrews 7:
1For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.4See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!
To review the vital facts concerning Melchizedek:
1. His name means king of righteousness
2. He is also king of Salem (Jerusalem) king of peace
3. He is a priest of God most high.
4. His genealogy is not revealed, i.e. neither father, mother, nor descendants.
5. In this he "appears" to have no beginning nor end.
6. In all of this he resembles the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is a priest forever.
7. He was superior to Abram in that he blessed Abram, and received tithes from Abram.
This indicates a position of superior authority.
Without the reference found in Psalm 110, this episode in Genesis 14 would have no consequence outside of its historical and narrative context.
Let's look at the passage.
The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind,
"You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."
This comes from God. He has sworn this.
Hebrews 6:
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,
Hebrews 7:
20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath,
21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever.'"
Therefore, this psalm which prophesies of the Messiah, also prophesies TO the Messiah.This promise is a sworn oath, of which no other oath is higher as there is no one higher than God; "a priest forever". This is an eternal promise, which means it has no beginning or end. This promise has always existed. There will be no changing of mind, on God's part, regarding this.
So we have Abram to whom another sworn promise/covenant was given, submitting to Melchizedek whose "order of priesthood" the eternal high priest/messiah comes from.
Abram, in being the Father of a great nation,and later Abraham, the father of many nations, carried in himself the seed of all his descendants. So they also were blessed by Melchizedek, and paid tithe to him, though they were not yet born.
Hebrews 7:
7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.
9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham,
10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.
Not only does the priestly tribe of Levi submit to the superior authority of this priesthood, so do all the tribes, and so so all the nations.
We can say without qualm, that everything and everyone, from the point of Abram's meeting with the king of Salem on, are in submission to the one who is the priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. This would include the covenant given at Sinai. So the Law is inferior to the covenant given to Abram.
Hebrews 7:
11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?
Abram believed by faith, was accounted as righteous,tithed to, and receive blessing from Melchizedek all before he received the seal of circumcision.
Hebrews 7:22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
Because He is a priest forever, and because He is also King of both peace and righteousness:
"He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."
He has accomplished this through the better covenant of the better priesthood.
Hebrews 8:
6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.
Hebrews 9:
12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
The Israel of God, is both jew and gentile as both submit (in Abraham) to the same great high priest who saves through eternal intercession, and by His own shed blood, through a superior covenant.
In the next installment I would like to look at Hebrews 8 and 9 in greater depth.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Update: One more thought re: Abram and his meeting with Melchizedek. I believe that this meeting, especially with the priest introducing the bread and cup, lends a special clarity to Jesus' words in this exchange from John 8:
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad."
57 So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?"
58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Abraham, Israel, and the Goy:What's In A Name? Part 1
Genesis 11:
1Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." 5And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech." 8So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
12When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. 13And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
14When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. 15And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
16When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. 17And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters.
18When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. 19And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.
20When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. 21And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
22When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. 23And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters.
24When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. 25And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters.
26When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.
Genesis 12:
1Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
This entire section scripture contains some of the most important revelation given to us, and certainly these words are foundational in terms of understanding the unfolding of God's plan of restoration and salvation.
Genesis 12:1-3 has been used by many in reference to "eretz (the land of) Israel" of today. I disagree with that interpretation, and over the course of the next several posts I would like to go through the scriptures concerning jews, gentiles and the Israel of God.
It is very curious that Genesis 11 which begins with the story of the rebellion at Babel (Babylon) and the beginnings of the nations and cultures of the earth, and ends with Abraham and family being called out of Ur (Babylon) would have the lineage of Noah's son Shem placed right in the middle of it all.
As always the Lord has a reason for this. First we have this statement made by the men of Babel:
4Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth."
These men knew that if they succeeded in building this city and tower, they could stand in defiance of God, having made a name for themselves. They also understood that they would not be dispersed, since a dispersion would no longer serve a useful purpose, i.e. from the Lord's point of view,the damage would have been done. God brings a speedy end to their ambitions and disperses them throughout the earth, having first confused their common language, by turning their one tongue into many.
Immediately after this narrative, we have the recitation of Shem and his descendants, leading all the way to Terah and his three sons, one of which is Abram/Abraham.
Now I believe that the Lord has other things to show us other than the fact that Abraham being in the lineage of Shem puts him in the lineage of Jesus.
The word used as name in verse 4 which the men of Babel use as in "let us make a name...., is the word "Shem" which also happens to be the name of Noah's son.
שׁם
shêm
an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character: -
This is also the word the Lord uses as He speaks to Abram/Abraham in Genesis 12:2
"And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing."
So we have men desiring to create a "shem", a distinctive name for themselves, but the Lord had already prepared the way through the descendants of Shem, in order that the honor of the "great name" would be given to Abraham, father of many nations. Only God can originate and bestow this great name. Man will never be allowed to make this name for himself.
As awesome as this is. it gets even better.
He will make a great nation of Abraham, also. Here is one of the most under-discussed facts found in scripture. The same word used as nation here, in relation to Abraham, is the word;
גּוי
gôy
a foreign nation; hence a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts: - Gentile, heathen, nation, people.
This "great nation" which is proclaimed by evangelicals today as the nation of Israel, is referred to here with the word which is commonly used for the gentiles, that is, non-jews.
The truth of the matter is that the word goy used some 550 times in the scriptures is applied as much to the nation state of Israel, as it is to the gentiles.
For example in Exodus 19:
"and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."
compare this to:
1Peter 2:
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Peter is speaking to the church,which is both jew and gentile.
When God established His covenant with Abram, there was nothing known as Israel, and no people called jews, in existence. Abram was called a Hebrew (Genesis 14) but neither he, nor his descendants, called themselves by that name, which makes the letter to the "Hebrews" all the more compelling. (The word Hebrew roughly translated as "one from the other side, or from over there")
This parallels the fact that those in the early church did not refer to themselves as "christians", but were given that name by non-believers
Looking at the scriptures as a whole, and a not a book of "proof texts", the conclusion is that the Lord intended that Israel to be comprised all of those who come out of Babel/Babylon. like their father Abraham, be they jew or gentile. The Mosaic covenant was given to a people at Sinai, who were called to be a kingdom of priests, and failed in that the very day they received the Law.
Exodus 32
They failed as priests, and in keeping the Law.
The need for Christ was foreknown before time began; He being both the great high priest and the ultimate and final sacrifice. He also kept the law perfectly. His death and resurrection fulfill the covenant of Sinai.
The Law was given so that sin might be known.
Romans 5:
13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.
Romans 7:
7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."
8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.
Hebrews 2:
16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.
17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Rom 9:
7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named."
8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Matthew 5:
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Acts 15: 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,
9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
Act 15:11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."
The people known as jews were called to a specific purpose.
Romans 3:
1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged."
5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world?
7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
8 And why not do evil that good may come?--as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
10 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;
However the original plan of God was to have a great nation created from every tribe tongue and nation. This is the promise given to Abraham. The promise that He would bless all who bless and curse all who dishonor was spoken directly to and specifically for Abraham. It applies to all who are his descendants.
We are the children of Abraham.
Eph 2:
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands--
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Galatians 5:
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The wall of hostility is the Law!! The dwelling place of God, His living temple, is us, His body,His priests.
1Peter 2:
5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Israel, both jew and gentile is the children of Abraham, the called-out remnant of the goy.
Galatians 3:
21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.
22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.
24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
Glory to God!
1Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." 5And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech." 8So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
12When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. 13And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
14When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. 15And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
16When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. 17And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters.
18When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. 19And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.
20When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. 21And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
22When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. 23And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters.
24When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. 25And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters.
26When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.
Genesis 12:
1Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
This entire section scripture contains some of the most important revelation given to us, and certainly these words are foundational in terms of understanding the unfolding of God's plan of restoration and salvation.
Genesis 12:1-3 has been used by many in reference to "eretz (the land of) Israel" of today. I disagree with that interpretation, and over the course of the next several posts I would like to go through the scriptures concerning jews, gentiles and the Israel of God.
It is very curious that Genesis 11 which begins with the story of the rebellion at Babel (Babylon) and the beginnings of the nations and cultures of the earth, and ends with Abraham and family being called out of Ur (Babylon) would have the lineage of Noah's son Shem placed right in the middle of it all.
As always the Lord has a reason for this. First we have this statement made by the men of Babel:
4Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth."
These men knew that if they succeeded in building this city and tower, they could stand in defiance of God, having made a name for themselves. They also understood that they would not be dispersed, since a dispersion would no longer serve a useful purpose, i.e. from the Lord's point of view,the damage would have been done. God brings a speedy end to their ambitions and disperses them throughout the earth, having first confused their common language, by turning their one tongue into many.
Immediately after this narrative, we have the recitation of Shem and his descendants, leading all the way to Terah and his three sons, one of which is Abram/Abraham.
Now I believe that the Lord has other things to show us other than the fact that Abraham being in the lineage of Shem puts him in the lineage of Jesus.
The word used as name in verse 4 which the men of Babel use as in "let us make a name...., is the word "Shem" which also happens to be the name of Noah's son.
שׁם
shêm
an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character: -
This is also the word the Lord uses as He speaks to Abram/Abraham in Genesis 12:2
"And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing."
So we have men desiring to create a "shem", a distinctive name for themselves, but the Lord had already prepared the way through the descendants of Shem, in order that the honor of the "great name" would be given to Abraham, father of many nations. Only God can originate and bestow this great name. Man will never be allowed to make this name for himself.
As awesome as this is. it gets even better.
He will make a great nation of Abraham, also. Here is one of the most under-discussed facts found in scripture. The same word used as nation here, in relation to Abraham, is the word;
גּוי
gôy
a foreign nation; hence a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts: - Gentile, heathen, nation, people.
This "great nation" which is proclaimed by evangelicals today as the nation of Israel, is referred to here with the word which is commonly used for the gentiles, that is, non-jews.
The truth of the matter is that the word goy used some 550 times in the scriptures is applied as much to the nation state of Israel, as it is to the gentiles.
For example in Exodus 19:
"and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."
compare this to:
1Peter 2:
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Peter is speaking to the church,which is both jew and gentile.
When God established His covenant with Abram, there was nothing known as Israel, and no people called jews, in existence. Abram was called a Hebrew (Genesis 14) but neither he, nor his descendants, called themselves by that name, which makes the letter to the "Hebrews" all the more compelling. (The word Hebrew roughly translated as "one from the other side, or from over there")
This parallels the fact that those in the early church did not refer to themselves as "christians", but were given that name by non-believers
Looking at the scriptures as a whole, and a not a book of "proof texts", the conclusion is that the Lord intended that Israel to be comprised all of those who come out of Babel/Babylon. like their father Abraham, be they jew or gentile. The Mosaic covenant was given to a people at Sinai, who were called to be a kingdom of priests, and failed in that the very day they received the Law.
Exodus 32
They failed as priests, and in keeping the Law.
The need for Christ was foreknown before time began; He being both the great high priest and the ultimate and final sacrifice. He also kept the law perfectly. His death and resurrection fulfill the covenant of Sinai.
The Law was given so that sin might be known.
Romans 5:
13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.
Romans 7:
7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."
8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.
Hebrews 2:
16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.
17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Rom 9:
7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named."
8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Matthew 5:
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Acts 15: 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,
9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
Act 15:11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."
The people known as jews were called to a specific purpose.
Romans 3:
1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged."
5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world?
7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
8 And why not do evil that good may come?--as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
10 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;
However the original plan of God was to have a great nation created from every tribe tongue and nation. This is the promise given to Abraham. The promise that He would bless all who bless and curse all who dishonor was spoken directly to and specifically for Abraham. It applies to all who are his descendants.
We are the children of Abraham.
Eph 2:
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands--
12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Galatians 5:
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
The wall of hostility is the Law!! The dwelling place of God, His living temple, is us, His body,His priests.
1Peter 2:
5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Israel, both jew and gentile is the children of Abraham, the called-out remnant of the goy.
Galatians 3:
21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.
22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.
24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
Glory to God!
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