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Wednesday, December 23, 2020

The Wonderful Plan of God: Part 2

Thank you for reading my blog!

The Holy Bible is an amazingly unified text that encompasses the whole plan of God to bring salvation to man through Jesus Christ and complete all of history in our Savior (Ephesians 1:10). Knowing the plan of God helps us realize the meticulous detail by which He brought us eternal life through His wisdom, knowledge and love, for his good pleasure and praise (Ephesians 1:4-8).

Key to this plan is:

· The structural elements to bring salvation.

· The teaching elements to allow us to recognize the Savior.

In my last blog we covered the planof God from creation up to the end of the time of Abraham, roughly up to Genesis 23.Today we discuss the time of Israel opens to the time of the prophets.

Israel – This chosen people was God’s fourth gracious attempt to provide a way for people of the world to seek and obey Him (please see the last blog for the first three). Israel’s history can be conveniently divided between several time periods.

Theocracy – God desired to lead Israel as a theocracy, through his representative Moses, then Joshua, into the promised land which would be their rest, a place of peace symbolizing their final holy Kingdom under Messiah.

Through the theocracy, God’s intention for Israel was they become a royal priesthood, a holy nation and His unique people (Exodus 19:5-6). Further, in redeeming them He promised them a rest, safety and a land (Deuteronomy 12:9-12).

Unfortunately, following their redemption through the Red Sea, Israel immediately sinned and tempted God at Massa (Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95:7-11), and they fell into judgement. In addition, Israel failed to take the land, however, as God directed. For this reason, and continued unfaithfulness, they suffered resulting attacks from heathen countries in and around the promised land (described in the book of Judges).

Ultimately, Israel then longed for a king like other nations so they could attain a superficial stability instead of faithfully seeking God and the greater benefits of being His people (1 Samuel 8).

The kings – God graciously allowed a king, as the Israelites requested, through the leadership of Samuel. This change ended the theocracy. However, Israel chose Saul, the wrong King, and God ultimately provided His choice, David (1 Samuel 16), who initiated the line of Messiah (2 Samuel 7:12-16).

God confirmed David as His choice by Davidic Covenant promising him an eternal throne, house and kingdom (2 Samuel 7:12-16); God later upheld again these promises (Psalm 89:20 through 132:8; Rom 11:25-31). Israel under David, and under his son, Solomon, reached its height of powersymbolized the glory power, wisdom and riches of the Messianic kingdom (Matthew 12:42).

Key Messianic prophecies – David was known as a person after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22; 1 Sam 13:14). Accordingly, God used David to bring forth numerous Messianic prophecies often reflecting Christ’s own affliction. Below are several of the important Davidic prophecies:

§ Psalm 2:7-8 – This passage predicts the resurrection of Messiah (Acts 13:33).

§ Psalm 16: 8-10 – Speaks to the resurrection of Messiah.

§ Psalm 22 – Describes Messiah’s death on the cross.

§ Psalm 45: 6-7 – Messiah is God, righteous and eternal.

§ Psalm 68:18 – Ascension of Christ.

§ Psalm 69,109 – Messiah will be betrayed.

§ Psalm 110:1,4 – Messiah will have all enemies under his feet and is from the order of Melchizedek, Messiah is God (see also Genesis 14; Hebrews 7

The prophets – After Solomon, Israel continued in sin and Israel was split into separate northern and southern kingdoms. God graciously helped Israel by revealing His will through the prophets. The age of the prophets started with Elijah and was initiated by miracles. Ultimately, important new revelation, given through the ensuing major and minor prophets (e.g., Isaiah and Hosea), warned Israel of coming judgment and urged repentance but also gave further details of the coming glorious Messianic kingdom.

Nonetheless, Israel continued in sin and God carried away the especially sinful northern kingdom and its 10 tribes to Assyria 722 BC, and ultimately the southern Kingdom at the beginning of the 6th century BC to Babylon for a 70-year exile. Following the exile, many Israelites in Babylon returned to the southern kingdom to Judah where they rebuilt the temple within the walls of Jerusalem. However, after Malichi, God left them in a time of prophetic silence until the coming of the Messiah 400 years later (inter-testament period). Major Messianic prophesies are given in both the major and minor prophetic books. Below are several important examples:

§ Isaiah 7:14 – Messiah would be born from a virgin.

§ Isaiah 9:1-6 – Messiah is God and will have a just government.

§ Isaiah 53 – Messiah will die for our sins.

§ Isaiah 59:20-21 – Messiah will bring salvation and the Holy Spirit.

§ Jeremiah 31:31-34 – The New Covenant which includes the kingdom promise and Holy Spirit.

§ Zechariah 12:10 – Messiah will be pierced.

§ Zechariah 13:7 – Messiah will be struck and Israel scattered.

§ Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:5; Isaiah 40:3 – God will send a forerunner, as Elijah, to urge Israel to repent. This was John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11-15).

Thank you for joining me. God indeed has a great plan for the ages to sum all things up in Christ. join me again next two time on this fascinating journey as we discussed the gospels and afterwards the church age and return the return of our blessed Savior.

Join us again next time and share this important blog with your friends and family!

William C. Stewart, MD

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Wednesday, December 16, 2020

The Wonderful Plan of God: Part 1

The Holy Bible is an amazingly unified text that encompasses the whole plan of God to bring salvation to man
through Jesus Christ and complete all of history in our Savior (Ephesians 1:10). Knowing the plan of God helps us realize the meticulous detail by which He brought us eternal life through His wisdom, knowledge and love, for his good pleasure and praise (Ephesians 1:4-8).

Key to this plan is:

The structural elements to bring salvation.
The teaching elements to allow us to recognize the Savior.

Both are detailed below in order of the scriptures. The following is an overview and not an exhaustive study.

Progression of the plan of God

Adam and Eve (Genesis 2-3) – The sin in the Garden of Eden completely corrupted the mind and physical being of man and separated him from God (Romans 5:12-14). God punished Adam and Eve for their disobedience (Genesis 3:16-19).

· Adam is a type of Christ in that, as one man, brought death and disobedience into the world while through one man, Jesus Christ brought grace and salvation to the world (Rom. 5:15-21)

· Key Messianic prophecy (Genesis 3:15) – God first promised a solution to the sin problem created by Adam’s fall by indicating that Eve’s seed would defeat the serpent (Satan) who caused the transgression in the garden.

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4) – Eve hoped the birth of her son, Cain (Genesis 4:1) would provide the holy man God promised in Genesis 3:15. Cain, unfortunately, proved to be a man of sin, andkilled his brother Abel because he offered a more acceptable sacrifice. Therefore, God banished Cain. From this time onwards begin the threads of two separate societies, one from Cain that hates God and embraces sin versus the people of God’s choosing who love and obey Him. Over time, the sons of God were overtaken by wicked men and the world was filled with sin (Genesis 6:1-6).

Noah (Genesis 6-9) – Because of so much sin in the world, God sent His wrath to destroyed mankind in the great flood, except for righteous Noah and his immediate family whom he graciously saved in the ark. Noah typed (foreshadowed) Christ in that:

· He was chosen by God.

· He built the ark out of obedience in faith.

· The end (the beginning of the flood) came suddenly at an unknown time.

· The chosen were saved from God’s wrath.

After Noah God gave man a third opportunity to be obedient to God.

· Key Messianic prophecy (Genesis 9:25-27) – This verse states that the Messiah would come from the line of Shem, indicating the land of Palestine.

· Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) – After Noah, over time people divided into 70 countries. However, in the land of Babylon the Tower of Babel was created to replace and resist God. Babylon came to represent in scripture a system of government that is anti-God and will ultimately be destroyed in the tribulation (Revelation 17 - 18). God punished man for his sin by confusing the languages to inhibit their ability to work together to resist Him.

Abraham (Genesis 11:30 through Genesis 25:11), a new plan by means of Israel – Abraham is a central figure in scripture. God chose Abraham to leave Ur of the Chaldees, which he did by faith, coming to Palestine at God’s direction. Abraham received the first major covenant from God (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-5).

The Abrahamic Covenant consists of three promises which are:

· Isaac, Abraham’s son – He was significant because Abraham and his wife Sarah were too old to bear children and so believing God’s promise of a son was a test of faith which Abraham passed (Genesis 15:1-6). The provision of a son was a sign to Abraham of God’s faithfulness to complete the remaining two promises which would not be fulfilled in his lifetime.

· A blessing to all nations – This is a promise of Messiah coming from Abraham’s seed (Galatians 3:16) through Isaac (Genesis 21:12; Romans 9:7; Galatians 4:28: Hebrews 11:18). Isaac was a type of Christ whom God ordered Abraham to sacrifice as his only begotten son. God saved Isaac from sacrifice by providing a ram in his place (Genesis 22:1-18). It is through Isaac that the spiritual blessings of Messiah come (Genesis 21:12; Romans 9:7; Hebrews 11:18).

· A founder of a great nation – This is Israel, and the promise comes through Abraham’s grandson Jacob to the ‘seed after you’ (generations following Jacob). It was confirmed by the sign of circumcision in (Genesis 17:7-14; Psalm 105:6).

· Key Messianic prophecy (Genesis 49:10) – When Jacob gave blessings to his sons he further identified the coming Messiah as a king from Judah.

The Abrahamic covenant represents in essence the cornerstone of scripture which lays out the purpose of the Bible to the Book of Revelation consisting of:

· The plan of God to salvation through Jesus Christ and to conclude the history of the whole world in Him at His second coming.

· The provision of Israel to provide Messiah and the fulfillment of God's promises to them at Christ’s return and the establishment of His kingdom.

We have a great God who has given us a wonderful plan for salvation and to sum up all things on the earth and in heaven for eternity in Christ (Ephesians 1:10)!

Thank you for reading my blog. Join the next time as we continue this journey on the plan of God and events following Abraham.