Prophetic Pictures in the Word

MAKING PROGRESS AS WE READ THROUGH THE ONE YEAR BIBLE

Genesis 24:52-26:16; Matthew 8:18-34; Psalm 10:1-15; Proverbs 3:7-8

In the New Testament we learn that the Old Testament history not only supplies us with a record of what happened historically to the people of Israel, but that these incidents were written for us, for our examples and instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come (1 Cor 10:11).

“Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.” (Genesis 25:5)

We have already seen how Abraham is a picture of God the Father who provides His only Son as the perfect substitutionary sacrifice (Genesis 22) on the mountains of Moriah (Mt. Calvary, center stage, seen of God). In the very same geographical area hundreds of centuries later, God would provide Himself a sacrifice (the greater Isaac, Jesus Christ). In Genesis 24 we see that the Father (Abraham) sends his messenger (the Holy Spirit) to get a bride (the church) for His Son (Christ). Now in Genesis 25 we see other aspects of the gospel reflected in these expositional constants.

The Father gives all that He has to His Son (Genesis 25:5). This is the first mention of inheritance. We see how beautifully this is seen in the gospel. Jesus said, “All things that the Father has are Mine.” (John 16:15. “And all that is Christ’s is made known to us and available to us by the Holy Spirit (John 16:15).

In Christ we receive all that the Father has of an incorruptible inheritance (1 Peter 1:4). We are just moments away from receiving what is ours as spiritual billionaires with every spiritual blessing legally written over to us in Christ!

Another pattern emerges in the Book of Genesis- prophetic pictures of the first man and the second man; the flesh and the spirit. “The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that, the spiritual.” We have prophetic pictures of this truth not only in Adam, the first man, and Christ, the second man’. (1 Cor 15:47), but in Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, King Saul and King David, as well as others. God sets aside the first, that He might establish and bless the second.

These examples of the first and the second become a picture of the flesh (all that humankind is apart from Christ) and the Spirit. Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.” (John 3:6) “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing;”

Galatians 5:17 (NASB)
¹⁷ For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

WE HAVE A PICTURE OF THIS INWARD RIVALRY IN ISAAC’S SONS- ESAU and JACOB.

Genesis 25:22 (NASB)
²² But the children struggled together within her”

The twins within Rebekah’s womb, though twins, were rivals, whose descendants would be rivals.

Genesis 25:23 (NASB) ²³ The LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger."

First there is the prophecy of the older serving the younger. Later in the chapter the older (Esau) sells his birthright to the younger (Jacob). The immediate gratification of food for the belly meant more to him than what seemed to be less real and distant (his inheritance) (Gen 25:33-34). (Big mistake there!)

THE NEW TESTAMENT READING: Matthew 8:18-34

Here are some tests for our discipleship:

Will we follow Christ unconditionally? Even if it means abandoning the comforts we are accustomed to? (Matt 8:20). Do we profess to be followers of Christ and yet insist on following on our own terms and in our own time.

Jesus says, “Follow me now!”

A “would be” follower of Christ might say, “wait until the ball game is finished; wait until I finish doing what I want to do or what I think I need to do.” Is that trusting Jesus?

PSALMS- In reading today’s Psalms you hear the Psalmist venting. His heart cries may not be in line with those of the Lord but his heart cries are heard and welcomed by God. This should encourage us to express our frustrations and even our confusions to God! Then let Him sort you out!

PRAYER FOR THE WORLD- Today, as you read “Operation World” we conclude the overview of what God is doing throughout the world as a whole. This section concludes with 5 prayer requests on page 27. Tomorrow we will look specifically upon the continent of Africa.

Keep On Keeping On!

Dear New Life Family,

Well done! We are almost half-way through the Book of Genesis!

Perhaps you have been annoyed with the behavior of Noah, Lot, and Abraham as you have been reading through the One Year Bible. Their behavior at times is very disappointing. Noah gets drunk and behaves in an embarrassing manner. Abraham continues to tell half-truths about his wife Sarah. Lot settles in Sodom and there is little in the Old Testament account of his life that suggests that he had any prolonged walk with the Lord or witness with the community. Yet the New Testament calls him “righteous Lot” (2 Peter 2:7).

We see a gospel pattern emerging here, that should encourage us. God works with sinners and provides a way for them to be declared righteous, not through their works of righteousness, but by faith in the only One who can justify the ungodly. The real hero of the story is the One whose presence is hidden behind the scenes. The real Hero is the One true God who calls us into a relationship with Himself and presents us with the challenge of obedience, which in their case proves to be a prefiguring of the plan of salvation. In our case it is the actual plan of salvation centered in Christ.

By the obedience of One (God, the Son) many will be made righteous (Romans 5:19). Abel believed God and the righteousness of the Son of God was credited to Him (see Hebrews 11:4). Noah believed God, entered into God’s provision (the ark) to be saved from His holy wrath and received the gift of righteousness, as an inheritance (Hebrews 11:7). An inheritance is a gift that is received through the provision of another. ”Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness”. (Galatians 3:6; Romans 4:3;)

For the purpose of understanding the Book of Genesis, G. Campbell Morgan divides it into three sections. The first section is titled, “Generation”. Here we see God as Creator and the King of Creation and mankind made in His image to have a relationship with Him. (Genesis 1-2). The second section Morgan titles, “Degeneration” (Genesis 3:1-6:7). It is the story of sin and its impact upon society. The third section is titled “Regeneration” and picks up the redemptive narration of God calling and saving individuals with a view to providing salvation to the nations (Gen. 6:8 through to the end of the book). “The principle subject is that of the life stories of individual and representative men, (particularly) Abraham, Isaac and Jacob . Throughout all these the supreme revelation is that of God seeking to restore men to obedience by restoring them to the main principle of human life, that of faith in Himself.”

Today’s readings in both the Old and New Testaments emphasize that to succeed in faith (trusting and obeying God) is to succeed in life. To fail in faith is to fail in life.

Today’s reading from Proverbs restates this theme:

“My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. “ (Proverbs 3:1-6)

In Genesis 24 we see the successful mission of finding a spouse for Isaac. Note the prophetic picture: The Father (Abraham) wants a bride for His Son (Isaac). He sends out a Messenger (who is not named and does not speak of Himself) who will communicate the good news in a far country, speak of the Son, invite the chosen one to be His bride and brings a downpayment of His wealth as a pledge of an inheritance. The messenger here is a wonderful type of the Holy Spirit whom the Father has sent to call us with the gospel to become part of His family through the gift of His Son. (See Ephesians 1:9-14)

Notice Isaac’s part in all this. He is not playing the dating game. He is trusting the plan of the Father and the work of the Messenger. He is meditating in the field with His affections set upon things above (Genesis 24:63). Remember the Proverb? Here it is again, in the New King James version: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The New Testament reading also provides pictures of people of faith, trust, and obedience:

• The leper (the only record we have of anyone responding to the Sermon on the Mount by specifically coming to Jesus) Matthew 8:2.

Notice how Jesus tells the leper not to tell anyone after He heals him. He also asks the healed leper to go to the priest, as required by the Old Testament law, to be declared ‘healed’ and restored to the Israelite community.

• The centurion’s servant.

Notice how the centurion is commended by Jesus as he explains the nature of faith- Recognizing and submitting to Divine Authority. (Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding).

• Jesus, as He heals Peter’s mother in law.

She is healed, not through any faith on her part, but on the basis of God’s sovereign mercy to show His faithfulness in Christ (Matthew 8:14). Jesus cares.

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Pray that the Lord will mobilize the church to complete the unfinished task of reaching the world with the gospel. Page 27 of the Book “Operation World” gives 5 specific prayer requests. Of the 16,350 people groups listed in the Joshua Project, 6,645 are counted in the Least Reached/Unreached category- 40.6% of all peoples. The total population of individuals from unreached peoples is 2.84 billion, or 41.1% of humanity.

Yours in the harvest,

Pastor David

Read the Word and Grow in a Healthy Fear of the Lord

May I continue to encourage you to read through the "One Year Bible" and pray through the book "Operation World" in 2011.

Today's readings:

Genesis 18:16-19:38; Matthew 6:25-7:14; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 2:6-15

What strikes me as we read today’s passages from the One Year Bible in both the Old and New Testaments is the need for a healthy fear of the Lord.

Solomon said it in the Book of Proverbs: ^“ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7; 3:14; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12-13).

We are to respect the Lord above all else. If you come across downed power lines you do not run up to them and play with them as if they were a ball of string or carry them like extension cords. Those electric lines are alive with life-threatening power. Those power lines that provided so much good to the neighborhood, serving all the homes with needed electricity to provide heat and utilities for our well-being, become life-threatening if they are encountered carelessly or treated casually.

The fear of the Lord is an attitude of reverence and awe that people show Him because of His authority and greatness. His power is to be respected. The person who fears the Lord will inquire to find out His mind, hear His Word and obey it.

When Lot told of what God was going to do to the city of Sodom, Lot’s son-in-laws ridiculed him. Perhaps Lot never shared his faith with them before this last crucial minute?

There is a danger in taking the Lord, and His Word, too lightly.

As we read today’s passages we realize the greatness of human sin and the legitimacy of God’s judgment upon it. But we see God’s mercy as He continually offers a way of escape to those who are rightly related to Him through faith.

The Sermon on the Mount ends with an invitation to escape destruction by heeding His Word and coming to Him on His terms and not our own. We cannot play games with God.

Matthew 7:13-15 (NASB)
¹³ "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

There are many helpful tools to encourage you as you read through the Bible. You can access the Scriptures on your cell phone, and you can even enjoy other people’s insights on blogs such as the http://www.oneyearbibleblog.com/

But the important thing is to read it. Read it, see Christ and worship. Read it, see God’s redemptive work in history and understand it. Read it for personal application and transformation. Read it, grow in a healthy fear of the Lord, and get wisdom! Believe God and enter into life in Jesus’ Name.

Pastor David

P.S. This weekend: Pray for the Unfinished Task - Religious Systems (p. 21-22 in “Operation World”)

READING THE WORD FOR APPLICATION

THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM

Although the focus of the Biblical narrative now is on Abraham and his sons, the Lord has the salvation of all people in view.

We see God doing a work in Abram so that he progressively begins to act in line with God’s purposes. He leaves father and mother and follows God to build a household of faith.

Acts 7:2-3 (NIV) "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. 'Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show you.

The Lord appears to Abram and promises to his descendants the land of Canaan. There he builds an altar and calls upon the Name of the Lord.

Abraham is an example of a man called to walk by faith. He is an example for all of us.

We read the Bible for application as well as for worship. So as we read, let’s look at the SPACE-PETS questions.

Is there any:

S-Sin to Confess

P-Promise to Claim

A-Attitude to Change

C- Command to Obey

E- Example to Follow

P- Prayer to Pray

E- Error to Avoid

T- Truth to Believe

S- Something to Thank God for

Abram’s trust in God is continually tested. So is ours. He compromises his obedience to Christ. And so do we. He does not leave his family as God told him to. He brings his father and nephew. Disobedience gets us into trouble. But “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) God is faithful to His covenant. That is the message of Abraham. God’s grace is available to those who trust Him. And by grace through faith, His purposes are advanced in us and through us .

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

In the life of a believer God will test our faith and reveal His faithfulness. Are we leaning on Him? Are we trusting His character, His promise, His power? Are we committing ourselves to Him for what He has committed Himself to be and do in us for others? Are we committed to His will?

Will we let the Lord choose where we are to dwell? (Gen 13:8-9) If so, we can say with the Psalmist:

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. (Psalm 16:6)

We read the Word to worship. In the story of Abraham we do see “the Lord of glory” (Acts 7:2) and prophetic pictures of His glorious gospel. After Abram rescues his nephew Lot, he is greeted by Melchizedek, the king of Salem (literally, ‘peace’) (Gen. 14:17-24). His name means “King of Righteousness”. The New Testament leaves us no doubt that Melchizedek is a type of the Messiah, the Anointed king, priest and prophet who would bring salvation to those who believe. (Hebrews 7) There is no record in the Bible of Melchizedek’s genealogy, his beginning of days or end of days. His priesthood is before the law and outside of the law. He is king of peace because He is king of righteousness. Peace can only exist on the terms of righteousness. We see this in the cross of Christ, the only place where righteousness can pardon sinners, the only place where righteousness and peace can kiss each other (Psalm 85:10) .

Melchizedek brings an offering to Abram of bread and wine, a memorial meal, and blessed Abram with a prophetic word about what God had done for him. (Gen 14:19-20)

Abram responds to this word by refusing the spoils of victory from the king of Sodom lest Sodom’s king say, “I have made Abram rich.” Abram’s boast would be in the Lord.

God rejects all of Abram’s plans to fulfill God’s will through his own doings. He rejects Abram’s suggestion that the promise of a son be fulfilled by means of adopting Eliezer (Gen 15:2) or later, the child of Hagar, Ishmael (Genesis 16:1-4). No, God does His work, His way. The promised seed would come by the Lord’s intervention. To assure Abram, the promise of God given through the spoken word is now sealed with a covenant (Gen.15:12) a legal contract to which the parties are committed or they forfeit their lives. To emphasize that this would be of God’s doing, and not Abram’s, God puts Abram into a deep sleep. The responsibility for the fulfillment would be God’s alone. What grace!

A NEW NAME

In Genesis 17, the Lord directly appears to Abram a second time (see Gen 12:7; 17:1). Abram is now 99 years old. He had born the reproach of believing God for a promise that had not yet been fulfilled. His name, “Abram” means “exalted father” or “father of the year”. A name like that begs the question, “Just how many children do you have?”, a question that must have been a painful embarrassment to the childless couple, Abram and Sarai.

But God graciously reminds Abram that He has not forgotten him and renews his promise to make him a father of a multitude of nations and an everlasting covenant in which the Lord would be the God of these nations! (17:4).

And God gives “Abram” a new name. The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the aspirate ‘Hey’, indicating that God would be breathing life into that which was dead. At their age, Abram and Sarai, were dead in their resources to fulfill God’s promise. But God brings resurrection life to the dead. So the fifth letter of both Abram and Sarai is replaced with the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet breathing life into the promise. How wonderful it is to have the promise of God revived in us!

The number 5 in Scripture stands for grace. So on the fifth encounter that God has with Abram, with the introduction of the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Abram, the exalted father, becomes, “father of many nations”, and “Sarai” (chieftain, ruler) becomes “Sarah” (princess).

In Genesis 18

We have Abram’s 6th encounter with the Lord. This is the third time the Scriptures specifically say, “The LORD appeared” (Gen 18:1). In the next sentence we read “And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby.” Again we see how the Lord made Himself known to man in the form of man. This is known as a Christophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of the second person of the Trinity, which we shall learn more about as we read through the Bible.

NEW TESTAMENT GLEANINGS

We are continuing to read the Sermon on the Mount. I find it interesting that the greatest sermon ever preached was not a simple one point sermon. Nor was it a three point sermon.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives a revelation of the righteousness that God requires, in heart attitude as well as outward behavior. This is the Christian life which we are purposed to live. As I have said many times, “the Christian life is not difficult, it is impossible. There is only one who ever has and whoever will live it, and that is Christ. And that is why we need to recognize Jesus as the Lord our righteousness. It is only when He, the Law-Giver, becomes the law-keeper in our hearts, that we will have peace and be able to live the Christian life.

What a blessing it is to have a revelation of right-living before God spelled out so perfectly in both the words and deeds of our Lord and Savior.

PSALM 7

The Apostle Paul speaks about exercising himself, or doing his best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men (Acts 24:16). Here is a good example of David doing the same.

Pray the psalms back to God and see if they ring true in your own heart. I like to pray them aloud putting the Lord in the second person, as the One whom I am addressing. Sometimes I change the personal singular pronoun from “I” to “we” especially when my wife and I are reading the psalms together. I find it is a helpful exercise to ignite my heart with the passion of the psalmist for meaningful intercession.

Read the Word and understand God's redemptive work in history

I was sick with the stomach flu yesterday, so I missed a day of reading the One-Year Bible. By God’s grace, I was able to catch up this morning. Here are some gleanings which I am posting on the Pastor’s Blog on the NewLife.org website. http://www.newlife.org/pastors-blog

Here are some notes to encourage you to read along with us.

READING THE WORD TO UNDERSTAND GOD’S REDEMPTIVE WORK IN HISTORY

Approximately 75% of the Bible is narrative. From the account of the Fall of mankind in Genesis 3 we observe two concurrent themes unfolding in history:

1. There is the outworking of the principle of sin in the human race running in tandem with the development of human culture

2. There is the outworking of God’s redemptive purpose to restore mankind and bring him into a harmonious covenant relationship with Himself.

Notice the outworking of the principle of sin- Mankind breaks fellowship with God by disbelieving God and disobeying Him. No sooner than man sins, God demonstrates His grace by giving a Promise of a Savior (Genesis 3:15) and clothing for nakedness (Gen. 3:21); both prophetically picturing the saving work of Christ.

The consequence of man’s independence from God is seen in:

· Adam’s fear, expressed through hiding (Gen 3:10),

· Adam’s self-justification, expressed through accusing others (Gen. 3:12),

· Adam’s attempts at self-redemption, the sewing of fig leaves;

· Cain’s adopting of self-redemption, a religion of good works, a relating to God on one’s own terms and doing what is right in one’s own eyes.

· Cain’s jealousy, resulting in fratricide- Cain killing Abel (Gen.4:8).

· Cain’s wandering in perpetual dissatisfaction (4:12).

· We see the disobedience of Lamech in his bigamy and boasting (Gen 4:19). Lamech boasts of his lawless behavior. He is proud of his conquests and for murdering those who get in his way, the disproportionate vengeance upon those who hurt him (Gen 4:23).

The line of sinners descended from Cain is contrasted with another line of sinners that call upon the name of the Lord. In Genesis 4:25 Adam has another son, named ‘Seth’ which means ‘appointed’ referring to a “substitute”. Adam said, "God has granted me another child ‘in place of’ Abel”. Again there is the reminder of the promised substitute to come, Jesus, the Christ (Messiah) whose substitutionary living and dying would provide our reconciliation to God (2 Cor 5:19-20).

The line of Seth and the line of Cain are contrasted as the book of Genesis covers the 1500 year period up until the flood. Enoch, the seventh son of Adam through the line of Seth is contrasted with Lamech, the seventh son of Adam through the line of Cain. Enoch walked with God, pleased God (Hebrews 11:5), was used as a spokesman for the glory of God (Jude 1:14) and was taken by God (Gen 5:24,). In contrast, Lamech walked in arrogant independence from God, was defiant of His commands, was a spokesman for the glory of himself (Gen 4:23-24) rather than the glory of God and ultimately he proves that the devil is a liar and the word of God is true, by dying in his sins.

After the flood, Babel is the expression of a world order that operates in defiance of God, driven by the Satanic principle of sin- presumed human-self sufficiency, indifference towards God, rebellion against Him in arrogance and pride. What is represented at Babel, the mystery of lawlessness, continually surfaces throughout human history but is in the end destroyed, “never to be found again” (.Revelation 18:21.)

In Genesis 11, God confused human languages and schemes and scattered the human race that His redemptive plan might be realized. The Apostle Paul preaches about this in the New Testament:

Acts 17:26-27 (NIV)
²⁶ From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. ²⁷ God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

While the nations rage (Psalm 2:1) against the Lord and His Anointed One, God is preparing to restore the Divine order. He calls out Abram, the son of an idolater and from his descendants will come the promised seed of the Messiah. Through His seed would all the peoples of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:3).

Up until this point the Genesis story has been about the people of the earth. From here on in the focus will be on Abraham and his descendants, particularly, the people of Israel. Through this line God’s redemptive purpose is seen and fulfilled as God is faithful to His promise in the gift of the Messiah.

Noah- Encouragement to Rest in God's Provision of Grace

I wrote earlier this week to encourage you all to read the Bible for what is- the Word of God. Read the Bible “Christocentrically”. Read and worship Jesus, the Living Word.

As we progress through the One-Year-Bible we will learn more about reading the Bible as history and reading for application also.

In today’s New Testament reading Jesus announces in His Sermon on the Mount that He came to fulfill both the Law (the Torah) and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17-18). He also tells us in these verses that the Law itself was a prophecy to be accomplished and that it would be accomplished in Himself. Jesus was born under the Law to fulfill the law by His righteous living and His substitutionary dying (Galatians 4:4). He redeems those under the law, those who have been sentenced to death by it, through His death as our substitute on the cross.

Later, on the Mount of Transfiguration we see Jesus discussing the Christo-centric revelation of the Law and the Prophets with Moses and Elijah. The Gospel of Luke tells us that they were discussing the way of escape, the departure, the death (in the original Greek text, the “exodus) that He would accomplish in Jerusalem (Luke 19:31). Jesus provides a way for us to escape God’s wrath when He was crucified, buried and raised from the dead in Jerusalem (see Luke 9:31).

In today’s Old Testament reading we continue to read the account of Noah. The ark of Noah is another picture of “the departure”, the exodus, the execution of the plan of salvation that Jesus would accomplish in Jerusalem.

“And the Lord remembered Noah” (Genesis 8:1)

How reassuring this is! What is the grace of God all about? It is the revelation of God doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. It is God being mindful of us. He knows our frame, our capacities and limitations. He remembers we are but dust. (Psalm 103:14) God gave us the capacity to fix things, but one thing we cannot fix is the problem of the human heart. The problem of our hearts. So God gives us what we do not deserve or cannot attain for ourselves. He gives us the revelation of His Word and the capacity to believe Him. We have the capacity to solve problems and fix things. But the problem of the human heart is beyond our ability to fix (Jer. 17:9; 13:23). What is the source of the fights and quarrels in human history? (James 4:1) Jesus said, “For out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” (Matthew 15:19; Genesis 6:5)

From God’s point of view it is not just a new heart that we need. A human heart transplant will not bring the cure. We need a new kind of heart; a loving, law-abiding heart. A heart that is right with God. And this is what the gospel of God’s grace promises us as an inheritance:

“ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

It is the promise of the Spirit that will be given to a new creation, a new man in Christ.

Noah’s name means ‘rest’. Although his life was quite active fulfilling his obedience to God (building an ark and preaching the Word) ultimately he would have to rest in the authority of God’s Word pertaining to the impending judgment against sin and His plan of salvation to escape that judgment. Like Noah, we need a vessel apart from ourselves to save ourselves. We must trust God’s revelation and be obedient to it. There was no rudder or mast to the ark. It was not for Noah to steer or accelerate this ship. He would have to ‘rest’ in God’s provision. As the waters of judgment came down upon the old creation he would have to trust that God would bring him into the new creation.

We also learn about covenant in this section. A covenant is the defining of a relationship. Promises and expectations are spelled out. In the covenant that God makes with Noah, God spells out His promises to Noah and his descendants (that’s us, by the way). God makes promises that He pledges to keep forever. God signaled that the rainbow would be a sign of that covenant. God says that He will remember the covenant when He sees it. When we see it, we remember that God remembers. We remember His grace. The Lord remembered Noah, so He will remember us. We can rest in His Word. We can trust in His plan of salvation and respond with the obedience of faith to enter into it (Genesis 6:18; 7:1; Hebrews 11:6-7).

Psalm 5:11 “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever”

January 3, 2011

Dear New Life Family,

I am writing to encourage each one of you to join us on a journey through the “One Year Bible” in 2011.

As we read through the Bible together in 2011, let us read to worship!

Worship Christ as Creator, the Image of God, the perfect Adam, the God-man, the Bridegroom, the Promised Seed of the Woman, the Promised Redeemer, the Lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the World, the Greater Abel, the Greater Ark of Noah, the Blessed Man, the Anointed Son, our Shield, Glory, Lifter of our Heads and Salvation! And that is in just the first three readings of the One Year Bible!

We would do well to remember what Jesus said to the Bible interpreters of His day: "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering." (Luke 11:52) What had the lawyers done to deserve such a reprimand from Jesus? They had taken away “the key to knowledge” which is the revelation of Himself as God’s Promise, the Messiah.

The key to knowledge is the revelation of the Christ. To give people the law without the One who was promised to fulfill the law is a crime. To interpret the Old Testament without the Promise of the Messiah at the core is a false interpretation. Jesus is the key to the Scriptures. Jesus said “they testify of me” (John 5:39). “Moses wrote about me” (John 5:46); “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (Luke 24:44)

The Bible is the written Word of God and Jesus is the Living Word of God. In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)

So we read the Scriptures to see Christ and know His gospel.

Here are some pictures of Christ in the first few readings in the One Year Bible. I pray that it will encourage you to read and worship!

GENESIS 1

In Genesis 1:1 Jesus Christ is Creator (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Psalm 33:6).

Jesus is the Light of the World (John 9:5); He is the Great Separator of things of earth and heaven (John 3:19-21)

God, the Son, operates in one resolve with the Father and the Spirit (Genesis 1:26)

Adam was the first man, the prototype man, all that Jesus as God designed man to be, as the express image of God. (Jesus is the perfect image of God- Hebrews 1:3)

GENESIS 2

In Genesis 2 we see the first man, Adam, in the state of untried innocence; not yet in perfect obedience. He is a picture of all that Jesus would be as man, except that Jesus is the perfect man in the state of perfect obedience.

In the New Testament we learn that Jesus is referred to as “the second man” (1 Cor. 15:47) and “the last Adam” (1 Cor 15:45)

A bride was taken from Adam’s side to be His co-regent, one appointed to reign together with him in oneness. (Gen 2:21-22)

Adam, the first bridegroom was put into a deep sleep. (The word’ sleep’ is used in the New Testament for a believer’s death; death, no longer as “the wages of sin” (Romans 6:23), but transition to new state).

The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." ²⁴ For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. (Gen 2:23-24)

A bride was taken from Adam’s side to be a partner he could perfectly correspond with. She would complement him and be his co-regent.

Jesus fulfills this prophetic picture as the second man, the heavenly bridegroom. He was put into the deep sleep, His death on the cross. His shed blood and sacrificial death not only provided atonement for our sin but made possible the formation (the Hebrew word is ‘building’) of a bride, the church as His eternal companion.

Paul writes of this mystery in the Book of Ephesians.

³⁰ For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ³¹ "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." ³² This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:30-32, NKJ)

Jesus left His Father’s house to gain a bride at the price of His own life. In this prophetic picture, Jesus, like the first man, Adam, must be put into a deep sleep, a picture of His death.

We can see how the wounded side of the first man points to the wounded side of the second man:

³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (John 19:34)

We can also see here in His wounded side a portrait of our purchase as the bride, the church, the Eternal Companion of the Lord, destined to reign with Him in wedded oneness in the ages to come. From His side redemption flows. The church is purchased with His own blood. (Acts 20:28)

GENESIS 3

Of course in Genesis 3 we have the account of the fall of humanity. But we also have the first mention of the gospel and a prophetic picture of it.

The first mention of the Coming Redeemer is found in Genesis 3:15. Theologians call this the “protevangelium”, the first mention of the gospel.

Genesis 3:14-15 (NIV)
¹⁴ So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. ¹⁵ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

The Promised Redeemer would be “the seed of a woman”. The expression, “to crush the head” is an oriental expression meaning to “depose the governmental rule”. This is the prophetic picture of the Messiah who would not be the Son of fallen man, but the Son of God, born of a virgin. He would come to save us from our sins and destroy the works of the devil, deposing his rule.

In Genesis 3:21 we have a picture of the failure of human attempts to cover sin (Operation Fig Leaf!) and God’s provision through the sacrifice of an innocent animal on behalf of the guilty sinners, a picture of the sacrificial Lamb of God.

Genesis 3:21 (NIV)
²¹ The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

This is the gospel of God. The good news of the Messiah and the provision of the atoning sacrifice.

GENESIS 4

The gospel presented in Genesis 3:14-15 and 3:21 was to be passed on to Adam’s children.

Prior to the fall, the man and the woman lived as a one flesh unit. They shared the same name. After the fall, with sin, came dissolution of oneness. The woman was named Eve. Whereas Adam was created in God’s image, Adam’s children were born in the image of fallen man (Genesis 5:3). Therefore although Adam was the first man, his son, Cain, was not qualified to be called the second man. Cain was no longer, man, as God created man to be. Instead of being filled with the Holy Spirit, his nature was fallen and he was spiritually subject to the dominion of the god of this age, Satan. Never in human history would there be another ‘man’ until the Messiah. He would qualify as the ‘second man’ because He was born, not of Adam’s seed. He would be, as Adam was originally, born without sin. His obedience would be tested. Where the first man Adam disobeyed and brought sin and death into the stream of humanity, Jesus would obey and bring righteousness that would be extended as a gift to believers, and a new stream of humanity that would be born of the Holy Spirit.

Abel, the second son of Adam, is a picture of one who is obedient to the gospel. Cain brought to God what he thought best. He is a picture of man living by human reason without revelation. His religion is one of self-redemption.

Abel brought what God required- an innocent animal substitute, a type of Christ. This sacrificial system was instituted as a means of communicating the gospel. Abel received the witness from the Holy Spirit that He was accepted by God on the basis of the sacrifice of another made on his behalf, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Cain rejected the gospel. Although God appealed to him that both a sin offering and the rule of sin were at his doorstep, Cain rejected the sin offering and submitted to the rule of sin.

“By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.” (Heb 11:4)

We see the first case of depression in Cain. Failing to believe the gospel, he does not have the witness of God’s acceptance. He is still in his sins and under God’s wrath. He is angry that he is not accepted by God by living on his own terms. He is jealous of his brother Abel’s peace and joy. The spirit of antichrist takes over and we have the first religious war. Cain rises up to persecute and kill Abel.

“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. ¹² Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.” (1 John 3:11-12)

Jesus is the greater Abel who was despised, rejected and slain by His brothers. Abel was the first shepherd and Jesus is the Great Shepherd (John 10:11) Abel died a violent death and his blood called for judgment. Jesus died a violent death but His blood cries out for mercy. (Hebrews 12:24)

The rest of Genesis 4 is a powerful study on human sociology.

GENESIS 5

The development of human society continues with a record of years lived and the records of people’s death. The first part of the gospel is patently clear: The wages of sin is death. We have the repetition of the phrase, “And he died.”

Some have pointed out that the meaning of the names in the geneology give us the hope of the gospel in a sentence:

Man (Adam)
is appointed (Seth)
mortal (Enoch)
sorrow (Cainan) but
the blessed God (Mahalaleel)
shall come down (Jared)
teaching (Enoch) that
His death shall bring (Methusekah)
the despairing (Lamech)
rest (Noah)

Matthew 11:28 (NIV) ²⁸ "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

GENESIS 6

Mankind in going astray is ‘flesh’ (Gen 6:3). The New Testament use of the word ‘flesh’ as referring to the nature of man in its independence from God is seen here.

There is widespread corruption on the earth.

“The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.”(Gen 6:5)

Jesus certainly believed that Genesis 6 was historically accurate:

²⁶ "And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: ²⁷ they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. (Luke 17:26-27).

The ark of Noah is a picture of God’s plan of salvation in Christ. Noah was saved because he believed God’s message (Hebrews 11:7)

The ark, like the plan of salvation in the Christ event- the incarnation, sinless living and substitutionary dying of Jesus to fulfill the law, is planned by God. Noah had no part in the planning. God ordained that the ark would be the means of salvation from the wrathful judgment against sin. God was judging the old creation with the flood. Those who entered the ark (plan of salvation) would be saved.

As with the story of man’s fall in Genesis 3, no sooner had God announced His judgment against sin, He also announced His provision of escape from judgment. In every case, that provision speaks of Jesus!

¹⁴ So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. (Genesis 6:14)

The ark is made of wood. Wood speaks of humanity. Cypress wood is known for its resistance to corruption. The wood represents the sinless humanity of Jesus that qualifies Him to be our Savior. The wood is covered with pitch. The Hebrew word for ‘pitch’ is ‘kopher’ – covering. The common Hebrew word ‘kopher’ relates to atonement. His blood would provide atonement for our souls (Lev. 17:11). There are three sections to the ark, just as there are three sections to the tabernacle (another picture of the plan of salvation in the Old Testament!) Jesus is the Greater Ark of Noah.

There are many wonderful parallels to the plan of salvation seen in the ark of Noah and the plan of salvation that we can enter into through faith in Christ.

AS YOU READ THE PSALMS

Psalm 1 Jesus is the Blessed Man!
Psalm 2- Jesus is the Son of God
Psalm 3- Jesus is a shield about us, our glory and the lifter of our head! Our sustainer. The one who answers our prayers. The author and finisher of our salvation!

PROVERBS 1:1-7

Proverbs 1- Jesus is our Wisdom from God (1 Cor 1:30; Prov 4)

MATTHEW 1:-4:11

Worship the One who came to save us from our sins (Matt 1:21). He went right to the root of our problem. John the Baptist says it well: “ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”. Jesus did not come to prune our sinful nature. He came to deal with its root. He goes right back to the beginning of the problem- Adam. Where Adam fell into disobedience, Jesus would bring judgment on Adam and his progeny, as “the last Adam”, by identifying Himself with his sin on the cross. Sin would be cut down and thrown into the fire. As “the second man”, the federal head of a new humanity, he would rewrite our history as one of perfect obedience.

Jesus, though sinless, identified with the natural man in baptism. Notice the commendation by the attending persons of the Trinity. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased! (Notice also that the dove who is not seen after being sent out by Noah after the old creation is judged (Gen. 8:12) is finally seen in Matthew 3:16 resting on the head of Jesus Christ, the second man, the head of THE NEW CREATION!)

Where the first man was tested and failed, this man would succeed. The woman (whose name was also Adam) was tempted in the garden to live autonomously and to break fellowship with God through disobedience at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil through the lust of the flesh (she saw that the fruit was good for food) the lust of the eyes (a delight to the eyes) and the pride of life (desirable to make her wise). Jesus was tempted in the wilderness in the same areas: the lust of the flesh (to make stones bread, to break fellowship with the Father and to satisfy his hunger independently from the Father’s provision); the lust of the eyes (Luke has this as the second temptation, Matthew the third- to behold the glory of the kingdoms of this world) and the pride of life (prove who you are by casting yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple and commanding angels to save you).

As Jesus resisted the temptation to worldliness and sin by hiding the Word of God in His heart, let us do the same!

⁴ Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4)

You will be blessed!

Pastor David

P.S. As we pray for the global harvest in 2011, may the Lord increase our vision, our compassion, our prayer life and our obedience. Let’s pray for the “Global Hot Spots” on page 10 and “the Global Trends to Watch” on page 12 of the book “Operation World”

If you need online source material, go to these links:

www.Oneyearbibleonline.com

www.operationworld.org