A.

INTRODUCTION
The Importance of the Old Testament
This paper is based off of the lectures, overheads, and class notes of Dr. John Kleinig from the class he
taught at Australian Lutheran College on Old Testament Theology (OTT). In his very first lecture on OTT,
he emphasized that the knowledge and use of the OT has dropped precipitously. He gave four reasons
for this. (1) People believe the OT is all Law and that all it does is condemn people. (2) They believe the
God of the OT is angry and vengeful. (3) They believe the OT promotes patriarchy. (4) They believe that
since the OT promotes God’s Law, it makes people feel guilty. To that his students added that people
believe the OT to be outdated and primitive and hard to understand. These are all misconceptions. Part
of the purpose for the class and for this paper is to correct these misconceptions.

In his last lecture on OTT, Dr. Kleinig explained the importance of the OT. He said that in Luther’s view
the OT was the Scriptures proper, while the NT is gospel preaching, which says that all God promises in
the OT are ours through Christ. Dr. Kleinig ended the class by saying,

The way I see it is you can read the whole NT and you can get the basic message of the
NT. But what you get is the picture in black and white and consisting of still pictures.
What does the OT do? It turns the black and white into color and with it you can see the
riches and splendor of the NT only if you read it in the light of the OT. Likewise, you can
only see the full riches and color of the OT if you read it in the light of the NT.

The OT is important. The OT is God’s Word. The OT has both Law and Gospel. The Law shows us
that we are sinful and need a Savior and the Gospel shows us the Savior we need. The God of
the OT is the same God as the NT. He is a God who is slow to anger and who abounds in
steadfast love. He wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth. The
purpose of this paper then is to provide a framework in order that I and others can understand
the OT better, which in turn will lead to a better understanding of Jesus and the salvation that
he alone provides.

Jesus’ View of the OT

(This section is based on an article written by Dr. Matthew Harrison, the President of the
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod: https://blogs.lcms.org/2016/how-shall-we-regard-the-bible/.)

How did Jesus view the OT?

(1) Jesus viewed the OT as being about him (John 5:39; Luke 24:26-27).
(2) Jesus said the OT prophesied about him and he fulfilled those prophecies (Luke 24:45ff).
(3) Jesus regarded what was written in the OT as true and accurate. He talked about David,
Adam and Eve, Jonah, and Moses as real historical people (Mark 2:25; Matt. 19:4ff; 19:8).
(4) Jesus and his apostles believed the OT was inspired by the Holy Spirit (Mark 12:36; Acts

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4:25).
(5) Jesus viewed every word of the OT as the authoritative Word of God (Matt. 5:18).
(6) Jesus believed that the commandments given to Israel were given to them directly by God
himself (Mark 7:8).
(7) Jesus regarded the OT Scriptures as the Word of God which could not be broken (John
10:35).

Now if Jesus viewed the OT as the very authoritative Word of God, which cannot be broken, as
being inspired by the Holy Spirit, as prophecies which he fulfilled, should we view it in any other
way? Should be diminish its importance? Should we say it is outdated and has no meaning for
us? Obviously not! It is of great value because it, like the NT, points us to Christ and to the only
true God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

a. ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT OT THEOLOGY

The OT is the Word of God and the Means of the Holy Spirit
Dr. Kleinig’s assumptions when reading and studying the OT are as follows:

1. The OT, like the NT, is the Word of God. It is not the words of men about God. It is God revealing
himself and what he is doing in his creation.
2. The OT is the means of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of inspiration means not only that the Bible
is God’s Word, but even more importantly the words of Scripture become the means by which
God conveys his Holy Spirit.
3. Since the OT is the Word of God and it is the means of the Holy Spirit, it is powerful, it is
performative, and it is effective. That is my basic assumption, that the Holy Spirit speaks through
all of the OT.
4. God speaks two words in the OT, Law and Gospel.
5. Christ fulfills OT laws, types, and prophecy.
6. The purpose of God’s OT Word was to create a liturgical community through which he would
work to bless the world.

b. THE OT CENTERS ON ISRAEL AND POINTS TO CHRIST

(This section was not taken from the OTT class. The importance of Israel in the OT seems rather
obvious.)

Through the Word and Spirit God Reveals His Creation Of and Interaction with Israel
The OT is primarily about God’s creation of and interact ion with Israel. From Gen. 12 to Malachi, the OT
is primarily about God’s dealings with Israel.

1. The OT tells about the state of the world when God created Israel.

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 2. It tells about God’s creation of Israel beginning with Abraham.
3. It tells about God’s rescue of Israel from slavery in Egypt.
4. It tells about God’s covenant with Israel in which he made them holy, told them how to live as
holy people, and how to maintain their holiness through divine service.
5. It tells about how God accompanied, provided for, and protected Israel in the desert.
6. It tells how God defeated the Canaanites and gave the land of Canaan to Israel.
7. It tells about the cycle of Israel’s sin and God’s grace during the period of the judges.
8. It tells about God’s establishment of kingship and the Davidic dynasty in Israel.
9. It tells about God having Solomon build the temple in Jerusalem for Israel.
10. It tells Israel how to live wisely, by acknowledging their Creator and their place in his creation.
11. It tells about the idolatry and unfaithfulness of the kings in northern Israel.
12. It tells about the faithful and unfaithful kings in southern Israel.
13. It tells about the prophets God sent to Israel to speak his word in calling Israel to repentance.
14. It tells about how Israel did not repent and how God allowed the temple and Jerusalem to be
destroyed and the people of Israel expelled from the land.
15. It tells about Israel’s 70 years in exile.
16. It tells about a remnant of Israel returning to the land God had given them.
17. It tells about the rebuilding of the temple and the walls of Jerusalem.
18. It tells about God’s promise of a Messiah and Israel’s anticipation of him.

The Importance of Israel

God created a perfect world for people to live in, but people messed it up by not listening to him and
going their own way. From that point forward every generation of people was sinful, causing the world
to suffer the effects of sin. God was determined to set things straight and to right what was wrong. To
do this he would create this nation of Israel and from her he would bring forth a Savior who would make
things right and restore God’s creation to its pristine condition.

To Israel God would make promises and covenants. To Israel God would provide forefathers, leaders,
judges, and kings. To Israel God would give laws concerning life and divine service. To Israel God would
give atonement, purity, holiness, and rest. To Israel God would give his presence and blessing through
the tabernacle and the temple. In all of these words and persons and places and things God was working
for the benefit of his people and the world. And all of these words, persons, places, and things were not
just for Israel alone. They were for all future generations of people in all nations. That is because all of
these words, persons, places, and things looked forward to the promised Messiah. He would come and
fulfill them all.

So when we read about God’s dealings with Israel in the OT, there is much more to it than meets the
eye. Israel represents the people of God in every generation. Each generation of God’s people are
created from nothing and given precious gifts such as God’s promises and covenants, the Divine Service,
forgiveness of sins and peace, words that create faith and call to repentance. Israel’s story then
becomes our story. When we see Israel, we see ourselves. As Israel looked forward to the coming of the

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Messiah who would make things right, so we look at Jesus who is the promised Messiah who redeemed
the world in order to reconcile her back to God, its Creator.

c. FOUNDATIONAL ORDER AND INSTITUTIONS

God Provides the Order Necessary for People to Live
When God created the world, he created an ordered world. While ancient people did not
recognize this order and saw the world as basically chaotic, modern people recognize to some
extent the order that exists (i.e., the whole ecology movement assumes order). But modern
people see history as a chain of human cause and effect. So, modern people see the order and
disorder that exists as being created solely by human beings. In the modern understanding of
history there is an assumption that God and other supernatural agents do not exist and are not
at work in human history.

This modern view of the world only partially matches reality. There is order in the world, but it
is not man-made. God created order and works in the order he created in order to bless people.
This is the biblical/traditional worldview. In the modern worldview man is in control. In the
traditional worldview God is in control. In his wisdom God created natural, religious, social, and
political order. In the natural order he created day and night and seasons. In the social order he
created marriage and family structure. In the political order he created governments. In the
religious order he created a way that he could come to his people even though they were sinful
and bless them. Now, if one lives according to these divinely instituted foundations, one will
receive blessings because God works through them. If not, then life will be hard and difficult.

God Established Foundational Institutions for Humans

God establishes these institutions in order that he can give us what we need to live; he can
work through them for the benefit of mankind; he can provide a secure basis for our existence;
we can know that God sanctions them and therefore we can do them, knowing it is pleasing to
God; and he can give people the authority to act on his behalf. God initiated these institutions
through commands, legislation, and promises. These institutions were not for ancient people
only, but were meant to benefit all generations. These institutions form the solid foundation
upon which human life exists and flourishes.

d. GODS’ REVELATION OF HIS WORD

God “Appears” to His People by Speaking His Word to Them
In the OT God didn’t reveal himself so much as he revealed his Word. In pagan religions, their
gods visually revealed their faces to their people. When a pagan god appears to his people, it is

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called a theophany. When this happened the people would make an image of his/her face in
the form of an idol. The spirit of the god then inhabited the idol, giving the people access to
that god. God’s theophany to the Israelites was different. His theophanies were verbal
theophanies. God appears to his people by speaking to them. God spoke to the patriarchs.
Instead of visually appearing to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, God spoke the Ten Commandments
to them. God also spoke to Moses and when Moses wanted to see God, God said, I can’t show
you my face. If I do you will die. So instead God preached his name: “The Lord, the Lord,
gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love.” This is a verbal theophany, a
revealing of the gracious nature of God.

God Speaks His Name to Give People Access to Him and His Blessings
So, in the OT there are a whole number of theophanies in which the Lord “appears” to people
by speaking to them. He speaks his Word to them. And when he speaks his Word, he speaks his
name. He says, “I am the Lord” or “I am the God of your Fathers” or “I am God Almighty.” So
the name of God takes the place of the idol in paganism as the means by which they access
God. And by giving them his name, he gives them access to himself and his grace and blessings.
The name is used in the divine service at the altar at the tabernacle and later at the temple.
There Israel uses the name, calls on the name of Yahweh to access him and receive blessings.
This gives us the reason why the Word of God and the name of God are so important. God
comes to us and makes himself and what he is doing known to us and gives access to his grace
by speaking to us.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and his interaction with the
world in the INTRODUCTION?

1. We learn that the OT is God’s Spirit-filled Word. God always works through his Spirit and his
Word. He did so with creation. He did so with Israel. He does so with the Church. And he does so
with you and I.
2. God created the nation of Israel for the purpose of bringing forth from her the Savior of the
world – Jesus Christ.
3. God created the order and institutions necessary for people to live in the world. He gives
physical and spiritual blessings to people through them.
4. When God “appears” to people, it is verbal and not visual. He gives people his Word and his
Name and through them he gives people access to himself and spiritual blessings.

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 B. THE FOUNDATION OF HUMANITY IN CREATION
Before God tells us about Israel in the Scriptures, he gives the big picture of the world from
which Israel would come. He starts at the very beginning before the universe existed. He tells
about his creating and ordering of the universe, his creation of human beings as the crown of
his creation, and his institution of marriage and family as the basic social structure for human
beings to grow and live in. He then tells of rebellion of human beings and how that affected the
order and institutions he created.

a. THE MIRACLE OF CREATION

Creation – a Miracle of God and Arena for God’s Working
Ps. 89:5a says, Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD. “Wonders” refers to something
remarkable and amazing. What amazing things should the heavens praise Yahweh for? Verse 11
of that psalm says, The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in
it, you have founded them. The amazing thing God did was create the world as a home for
people. You can’t make sense of creation unless you see that it was a miracle.

What do we mean by creation was a miracle? First, it is a divine act that transcends human
causation. The laws of cause and effect that operate within creation do not apply for the act of
creation. Cause and effect are creatures. They are not absolute. And that is what science does.
It goes back and asks what caused this to happen? Scientific thinking is thinking in terms of
causation. Miracles transcend causation. They don’t necessarily violate causation but they do
transcend causation. They go beyond it. Creation is the arena, the stage for God’s working. God
established it as his stage, his arena, the place where he can show his justice, his righteousness,
his faithfulness, his generosity.

God Creates and Maintains through His Performative Spirit-Filled Word

How did God create? This is beyond the realm of science. Ps. 33 gives us the answer in verses 6
and 9. By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their
host. ... For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The answer is that God
creates by speaking his Word. God speaks and things come to be. So he creates through the use
of his Word and his Word is creative because it is a Spirit filled and powerful Word.

In creation God does something astonishing. He uses natural powers, like the land and the seas,
for his ongoing mediated creation. God doesn’t say, Let there be vegetation. He says, Let the
land produce vegetation. He doesn’t say, Let there be fish. He says, Let the sea teem with all
fish life. He doesn’t say, Let there be animals. He says, Let the land bring forth animals. And

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lastly God doesn’t say, Let there be babies. What does he do? He blesses Adam and Eve and
says, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. God uses created things and created humans to
mediate his creation and his ongoing creation.

God uses his Word to create and God’s speaking is always performative. His Word does what it
says; it is a creative Word. And not only did God’s Word create the world but it also upholds,
maintains, and preserves creation and everything in creation.

God’s Uses His Word and Spirit in Creation to Set a Precedent for How He Deals with People
God’s use of his Word in creation sets the precedent for the way he’s going to be at work in the rest of
human history. So if God does his work in creating the world through his Word and his Spirit, how is God
going to work with human beings in the history of the world? Through his Word and his Spirit. How is
God going to be at work in Israel? Through his Word and his Spirit. How is he going to be at work in the
Church? Through his Word and Spirit. So the speaking of God’s Word in creation sets a precedent for
God’s speaking his Word in human history, in the history of Israel, and in the history of the Church and in
your life and my life. God works through his Word and Spirit; that is the foundation for Christian faith.

Understanding Creation through Analogies

The miraculous way that God created the universe is beyond human comprehension. The only way
that humans can have any understanding is through analogies. But all analogies are going to be
limited by their very nature. So for instance when God formed Adam out of dust of the ground,
this is using the analogy of a potter shaping his creation. When it says that “God created the
heavens and the earth,” the word created gives us the picture of a craftsman or builder. And
when God gave the first humans a garden to live in, we get a picture of a farmer or gardener.
Similarly, when it says that the earth “brought forth” animals and plants, this is the same
language that is used for giving birth to a child. God uses these analogies to explain in human
terms what ultimately is beyond all human understanding.

God Was the Only Witness to Creation

That God created the earth by speaking his Word is an article of faith. Science cannot prove or
disprove it. The only way we know about the creation of the universe is that God, being the
only one who witnessed it, reveals it to us by his Word. We only know it because God chose to
reveal it and we only know as much as he chooses to reveal.

Communicating Mystery through Praise

The doctrine of the first things (protology) is like the doctrine of the last things (eschatology).
They both try and communicate the same kind of mystery that goes beyond human
understanding and that only God knows. So ultimately we are back where we started. Creation
is a mystery. Therefore you cannot communicate the doctrine of creation philosophically or
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scientifically or even rationally. Since it is a mystery, the only way you can communicate it is
through the language of praise. So for instance when your child is born, it is almost impossible
to communicate what that is like and what that means. When asked about it, you simply say,
Wow! It was amazing! The language of praise communicates this mystery. Outside of Genesis
there are few passages about creation except for the Psalms. And that makes sense since praise
is a big part of the Psalms. It is the language of praise that communicates the doctrine of
creation.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and his interaction with the
world in THE MIRACLE OF CREATION?

1. God’s creation of the universe is an amazing miracle which is beyond human

understanding.
2. God created the universe by his performative, Spirit-filled Word.
3. God’s use of Word and Spirit in creation sets a precedent for how he will deal with Israel
and with us.
4. There were no witnesses to creation except for God himself, so to help us get some
understanding of it, God revealed what he did and explained it through analogies and
through the language of praise.

b. GOD’S CREATION OF AN ORDERLY WORLD

God Created the Heavens and the Earth

The heading to the Bible is Gen. 1:1 and it is very significant. It says, “In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth.” And then immediately after that the focus is on the earth.
What is meant by heavens and earth? The way it is used here, heavens represents the invisible
world, the spiritual world, God’s world. And in this verse the earth is not just planet earth, but
the whole physical universe. So in the beginning God created the visible universe and invisible
universe. After that there is no further mention of the heavens in the Creation account. And
that is done deliberately because it is not human business. It’s God’s business. In that space you
have God’s creation of angels, the whole heavenly realm, also the fall of angels, Satan, and
demons. The curtain is drawn across this so that we know very little about it. The focus is on the
visible creation and its order.

God Not Only Created But Also Ordered His Creation

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Gen. 1:1-2a starts out with: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The
earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep . The way that I
(not Dr. Kleinig) think about these verses is this. It’s like someone building a house. He orders all the
materials and they are all delivered at one time and just dumped in a big pile. All the materials necessary
for the house are there but it’s not in any kind of order. It’s chaotic. Similarly, God created the heavens
and the earth but it was “without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” All the
material was there for the universe but God had to give order to his creation. He had to put everything
in its proper place.

So, in the beginning God not only created but he also ordered his creation. To order his creation God
separated light from darkness and the waters below the sky from the waters above the sky and he
separated day and night. He also gathered the waters together below the sky in order to form seas and
dry land. And when he made vegetation, God made the plants and trees according to their kinds. And he
made all of the fish according to their kinds, and all the livestock, creeping things, and beasts of the
earth according to their kinds. There was order in creation. Each thing was distinct from the other things
and each had a purpose.

In the beginning the earth is described as formless, void, and dark. It is disordered. What does
God do with the formlessness? He gives form to it. What does God do with the void and
emptiness of creation? He fills it. What does God do with the darkness? He creates light. What
does God do with the chaotic waters? He separates them and gathers them. He brought order
to creation and uses that order to bring blessing to us.

Consider also the sequence in which God created everything. He created light and air and dry
ground and vegetation and time and animals before he created human beings. In doing so he
first created everything necessary for human beings to live. Everything that human beings
depend on for life was created and then humans were created. There was a reason God created
things in the sequence he did. This is another facet of the order God brought to his creation.

Also notice that from the very beginning there are three levels of rule that God establishes. (1)
On day four God created the sun and moon in order to “rule” over the day and night (Gen.
1:16-18). (2) On day six God created man and he was to have “dominion” over the fish, birds,
animals, and earth (Gen. 1:26, 28). (3) On day seven God rested from his work and blessed the
seventh day and made it holy. God rules over all of his creation and through the order he
created he physically blesses his creation and through the seventh day, the day of rest, he
blesses his creation spiritually.

God’s Physical Creation is Good and God Uses It to Bless

Each day God pronounced what he had created as good. And in the end he said it was all very
good. So if God created a good world that is ordered, then the basic question that arises is, Why
is there chaos and evil? Why are there fires and floods and sickness, etc.? The answer that is

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given in the OT is that chaos and evil are a result of human sin. It’s not the fall of Satan,
although Satan plays a part in it. That is an audacious claim, which is rejected by almost all of
your contemporaries. But now with the ecological movement, I think they are opening up again
to that possibility.

Seeing material things as good is radical in the ancient world and increasingly in our modern
world where we are once again are going to a metaphysical kind of a dualism where spiritual is
considered good and physical is considered bad. But right at the beginning, the Bible makes it
quite clear that everything that God created, everything physical, is good and the whole created
order is very good. This means that matter is not antithetical to God. It’s not antithetical to
God’s Spirit. In fact God uses matter to do his work. His Spirit works through material things.
That is very important to the divine service for both the OT and NT. It is very important when
you come to incarnation and the Sacraments.

The Seventh Day: A Means of Blessing and Holiness; A Window of Time Into Eternity

Notice that days, months, and years in the natural order are determined by the sun and moon and stars.
But there is nothing in the natural order that would give us seven-day weeks. In the first six days of
creation God worked and then God rested on the seventh day. This seven-day, non-natural week is
God’s supernatural order. This is a pattern God set up for humans to live by spiritually. So humans are
synchronized to the natural order in days, months, and years and they are synchronized to the
supernatural order of God through the seventh day of the week. The first six days of creation are closed
out with the phrase, “and there was evening and there was morning, the x day.” But the seventh day is
left open. In explaining this, the rabbis put it beautifully. They say the seventh day is a day in time
but it is also a day of eternity in time, a foretaste of eternity. It is a day without end.

God rested on the seventh day and strangely God sanctifies the seventh day. He blesses it so
that it becomes a means of blessing for those who rest with him. And he sanctifies it as a means
by which he sanctifies people and his creation. The Sabbath day, the day of rest, is a foretaste
of eternity now in time. The age to come is the age of the eternal Sabbath. So then every
seventh day is a window of time into eternity or a foretaste of eternity in time.

Purpose for Life on Earth: To Work and Rest with God

Note that the order God gave to his creation is teleological. It has a goal. It has a purpose, a
telos, an aim to it. The account of creation shows God’s purpose for life on earth. Most
importantly God created humans to do two things – to work with him and to rest with him. In
pagan mythology, the gods were always resting and the people were doing all the work. The OT
says that God both works and rests and that humans beings are meant to work with God and

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rest with God. That is the basic pattern to be followed for human life on earth and when
followed brings God’s blessings.

True Worship: Resting and Receiving God’s Blessing

Most radically in the creation account, we have a complete redefinition of what worship is. In
all pagan forms of religion, worship is work. Unfortunately this is true of many/most branches
of Christianity too. Right at the beginning God created human beings not to work for him, but
to rest with him. They are to stop working so that he can do his work on them, which is to bless
them and keep them holy. And he does this by giving us his Word. So by hearing God’s Word,
God blesses us and makes us holy (1 Tim. 4:4-5). We rest from our attempts to make something
of ourselves, from our attempts to justify ourselves, so that God can do his work on us and bless
us and keep us holy. (See Luther’s explanation of the Third Commandment.)

Paganism Turned Upside Down

As we leave the story of God ordering his creation, there is one thing I’d like to point out. In the
Creation account and throughout the Bible God tells us how he takes things common to
paganism and turns them upside down. Let me give you some examples.

 For pagan people, light is divine. For them the sun, moon, and stars are gods. But God
says in his Word that he created light, that light is a creature and not a god. These are
things that God created and serve his purposes of regulating days, months, and years. In
the ancient world this is revolutionary.
 The stress on God ordering his creation is anti pagan. Pagans believed the world and life
to be chaotic. They did not/do not see that order has to exist or life as we know it could
not exist at all.
 Pagans believed that the gods rested and enjoyed life while humans worked to provide
for them. For pagans life was all about work. But in reality God works with us and God
encourages us to rest with him. That undermines pagan theology.
 The number seven does not fit in pagan religions. In pagan thinking, you must fit in with
the natural order in order to live in harmony and reap the benefits. God says that he not
only works and blesses through the natural order, he also works and blesses through the
supernatural order, which is what the number seven indicates. And when he does so,
people are completely passive. They simply rest and receive God’s gifts. Paganism
misses out on this completely.

You can see that God not only speaks into a situation where paganism abounds, but he speaks
against it. God reveals true reality against the false pagan views. This is true for your preaching
as well. It will be most powerful when it not only speaks the truth, but speaks the truth over

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against what is considered politically correct or sociologically correct, against the things that
people think are self-evidently true in our society.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and GOD’S CREATION OF AN
ORDERLY WORLD?

1. The creation story shows us that the origin of the earth and of humans was God’s
creative Word.
2. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth but in the Bible God focuses on
the earth.
3. God not only created the earth, but he also ordered his creation.
4. Everything God created in the physical world is good.
5. God blesses through the physical, ordered world he created.
6. God blesses not only physically but also spiritually.
7. In the seven day week that God imposed upon creation, he creates a spiritual pattern
for us to follow, one in which we work with God and rest with God.
8. God blesses through the day of rest, a day in which we do nothing but receive the gifts
God offers. We would do well to follow this pattern God set forth.

c. GOD’S CREATION OF HUMANITY

1. Kinship of humans with material and biological world

Humans Have Much in Common with Animals

Animals and humans have a lot in common. Both were created on the same day. Both were created
from the ground and when they die they both return to the ground. Both are biological, animate
creatures, who have the breath of life in them. Both are physical creatures made up of atoms and
molecules. Most of our DNA is shared with animals. Both are also blessed by God to procreate. God
gives them that ability. So humans have a kinship with the material and biological world.

Of all living creatures, the land animals are closest to us. We share the land with them. And the
land animals are made up of wild animals and domesticated animals. Domestic animals are
closest to human beings. The domesticated animals can become part of the family. So sheep
and goats and cattle are treated like part of the family. Because of this an interdependence
forms between humans and animals.

2. Uniqueness of humanity

Human Beings Are Unique in God’s Creation

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While on the one hand human beings have much in common with animals, on the other hand, there is a
stress in the Scriptures on the uniqueness of human beings. Not just some human beings or
some races but every human being without exception. There is something unique about them
and there is something mysterious as to what the uniqueness is. Because outwardly there is
nothing obvious that makes us physically or scientifically different from anything else that God
has created. Yet there are a number of ways that this uniqueness is asserted.

Humans Made by Special Decree

First of all, God made a special decree for the creation of humanity. He didn’t just say, “Let
there be” when he created man, but he said, “Let us make adam (humanity) in our image.”
Notice the plural (us, our). God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is making an important and
official decree. It’s not just the Father who is at work in creation but the Son and the Spirit are
at work in creation too. That is taught very clearly in the NT. So there is a special decision and a
special decree being made here by God to make man in his image.

God Breathed Life into Man

Secondly, remember that when God made Adam he made him from the dust of the ground and
he breathed in Adam “the breath (ruach) of life.” Ruach is a mysterious term used here. It is
different than nephesh (life-breath). The term used here is related to nephesh but it is also very
closely related to the term for Spirit. What is important here is that God breathed into Adam
some of his own life-breath. He breathes something of himself into Adam. (So ruach and
nephesh are related but different from each other. Ruach is animating life-power and nephesh
is animated life-power.)

Male and Female Bear the Image of God and are Blessed

Thirdly, it touches on something that is utterly mysterious and wonderful and far reaching and
completely and totally controversial, something anti-cultural in both the ancient world and the
modern world. God says in Genesis that he made human beings in his image. So when God
says, “Let us make man in our image,” he is saying he is making human beings to resemble him
in some way. It doesn’t mean that God and humans are identical or exactly the same in all
respects, but they resemble God in some respects.

There is something very interesting here by the way it is arranged. You get a chiasm with an
addition. Take notice of the last part of the arrangement.

God created humanity

in/as his image,
in/as the image of God
he created it,

13
 male and female
he created them.

Notice that it is male and female together that bear the image of God. There is something very
mysterious about this. Karl Barth and others have made a great point in Christian terms that the
reason for this is because God is not an isolated individual but God is trinity, a community of
persons. So since God is trinity therefore you need community to bear his image. And what is
the most fundamental unit of human society? Male and female. And it goes on in v. 28 to say:
“And he blessed them.” He blessed both the man and woman, male and female. Both sexes are
equally blessed by God.

Humans Are Given Responsibility for the Earth

Let’s take a look at the Hebrew word translated in v. 28 as “rule” or “dominion.” In our time we think of
this in political terms, but it has a different meaning here. This is a word used for establishing and
maintaining cosmic order. (The word translated as “subdue” in the same verse has a similar
meaning.) It also has to do with taking responsibility for something. It is a very concrete Hebrew
word. So for instance, in the ancient world, if you took possession over a piece of land, you
would walk over it and around it. This indicated that you were not only taking ownership of it
but also responsibility for it. In this case then, God is giving humans the responsibility for the
proper use of animals on the earth. Humans were to be good stewards of God’s creation. They
are responsible for taking care of it and maintaining the order God created.

What is the Image of God?

The Bible says God made man “as God’s image.” (Dr. Kleinig’s translation has “as” instead of
“in”.) What is the Image of God? To answer this question, one might think about the differences
between humans who are made as the image of the God versus animals who are not. This
question has been answered in several ways over the centuries. (1) In the early church they
thought that it had to do with the mind and intellect. People have minds, reason, and intellect
and animals don’t. (2) A second idea was that humans have emotions and the capacity to feel.
And taking it one step farther, they said humans have an imagination. So the belief was that
having the ability to feel and imagine made humans more like God. (3) Thirdly, a modern spin
on this says that people have an identity, a spirit, a soul that makes us persons. In this view,
what makes us like God is our self-consciousness.

There is some truth in all of these. The fact is that Gen. 1 presents the whole person in body,
mind, and spirit as being made as the image of God. What is important to realize is that there is
no dualism here between the body and the spirit. It is the whole person. It is also important to
realize that both sexes are equally in the image of God and they bear the image of God

14
together. And whether you are married or not you bear the image of God together with the
opposite sex.

The Results of Being God’s Image

So what does it mean to be like God? Ultimately it is a mystery. The Bible never explains how
we are like God! It does tell us two things that result from us being the image of God. (1)
Because we are God’s image we have the ability to procreate. God is the origin of life but most
miraculously God makes human beings like himself by giving them the power to have and raise
children, to establish a family, and to live together as families on the earth. So having a baby is a
result of being in the image of God. (2) Secondly, God created the earth, animals, and fish and
he rules over them. He then gave human beings the ability to rule over the earth with him. In
this way also we are like God.

Now let’s go to the NT. What is the likeness of God replaced with in the NT? Or who is not in
the image of God, but actually is the image of God? Jesus Christ. He is the visible image of the
invisible God. He bears the stamp of the Father’s being. He is the icon of the Father. If you’ve
seen Jesus you have seen the Father. But also notice that if you’ve seen Jesus, you’ve seen a
true human being (humanity) who has reached his full potential. What does a human being as
God first intended look like? Jesus. If you want to see yourself and what you were meant to
look like, you don’t compare yourself to other people, you look at Jesus.

Image Damaged - You are Like What You Worship

So people are made by God to be like him, to be his image. But humanity is sinful and worships man-
made gods. Ps. 106:19-20 puts it this way: 19 They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image.
20 
They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. They exchanged their glory
(God) for an ox that eats grass. The sarcasm is that they are no longer like God but have become like a
dumb ox. They became ox-like instead of God-like. In other words, you become like what you worship.

Another passage from the Psalms bears this out, Ps. 115:4-8.
4
Their idols are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
5 
They have mouths, but do not speak;
    eyes, but do not see.
6 
They have ears, but do not hear;
    noses, but do not smell.
7 
They have hands, but do not feel;
    feet, but do not walk;
    and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 
Those who make them become like them;
    so do all who trust in them.

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According to this passage, in what ways does one become like the idol he worships? The answer is, just
as an idol has eyes but cannot see, so the one who worships it will become blind. Idols can’t
hear, therefore those who worship them become deaf. They become like the idols and they
lose their humanity. Their human capacities are perverted. They see physically, but they no
longer can see spiritually. They lose the ability to see, hear, speak, smell, feel, and walk
spiritually. They lose their ability to know God. And therefore their capacity to know themselves
and to know the world is lost. If you could see with the eyes of God, then you would see God at
work everywhere in every detail. You would see the glory of God sparkling everywhere, with
everything reflecting something of God. But the result of the Fall and of idolatry is that we’ve
become deaf and dumb and blind, insensitive and desensitized to God and what he is doing. So
human beings are made in the image of God and that is the basis for the prohibition of idols.

The Vocation and Mission of Human Beings

As human beings, what is our vocation? What is our mission? Quite simply, our vocation is to work
with God and to rest with God. Notice I did not say work for God but work with God. And we do
that because we are made in the image of God. Consequently we have royal status. In Ps. 8:3-8
we hear something very important about what it means to be in the image of God. Having been
made as the image of God, God gives humans “glory and majesty” (v. 5). Humans have been
given royal status. And as such, God has given them “dominion over the works of your hands”
(v. 6). So we all rule with God over the earth. Every human being is called to do God’s work and
to work with God. This shows that God is not only at work in the church but also in society.
Most people don’t recognize this, or if they do, they see it in a negative, judging sort of way.

As God’s Image We Share in God’s Blessings and Holiness

The climax of creation was not the sixth day but the seventh day, the day on which God rested and the
day which he blesses and sanctifies. This tells us something else about humans being the image of God.
After the Fall, part of God’s image was lost or distorted in human beings. Paul picks this up in the NT
when he talks about us being renewed in Christ and that the image of God, which has been
distorted (it hasn’t been totally lost), is restored in Jesus and is restored in all righteousness and
holiness. So through Christ sharing his righteousness and holiness, we human beings are
restored in the image of God, sharing as recipients in God’s blessing (all of God’s blessings not
just physical blessings but also spiritual blessings, which includes the gift of the Holy Spirit) and
we share in God’s holiness. We then mediate God’s blessing and holiness to each other and to
the world. So this helps to fill in the unknown as to how we are like God.

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Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and GOD’S CREATION OF
HUMANITY?

1. Out of all of creation, humans are unique. They are unique because they were made by divine
decree, have God’s life breathed into them, and are made to be the image of God.
2. In body and soul and as male and female, humans are the image of God.
3. The image of God is never really explained, but as a result of it God shares with humanity the
ability to “create” life (have and raise children) and to rule wisely over the earth.
4. But humans distort God’s image when they worship other gods. This happens because they
become like the gods they worship instead of being like the God who made them.
5. Ultimately God made us to work and rest with him. He made us so that he could share his
blessings and holiness with us.

d. GOD’S CREATION OF MARRIAGE

The Big World vs the Little World
Gen. 1 focuses on the big world, God’s creation and ordering of the big world, the cosmos. But
for most of us the big world is not of immediate, practical significance. Our life is lived in a little
world, the little world that we experience. And that focuses on home and family and work. You
came into existence in a marriage of two human beings in a home. Your life began with your
parents, with your brothers and sisters, in a home, in a particular place. That’s the little world of
human beings.

The Little World Revolves Around Woman, Wife, Marriage, the Home

The most important thing about the big world is the seventh day. God’s plan for the big world
revolves around the seventh day. What’s interesting is that God’s plan for the little world (Gen.
2) culminates in the creation of woman. She is the crown of creation in the little world and with
woman comes the creation of marriage. The focus in the little world is woman, wife, marriage.

2. Similarity of male and female

What All Humans Have in Common

God created human beings as male and female. There are differences between the two but the
Bible starts out talking about what they have in common. (1) They both have a common
humanity. Both are full human beings. Each individual person, whether male or female or
whether married or single, is a complete human being. They all share a common humanity. (2)
They were both created in the image of God. (3) They were both given the mandate to be

17
fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. (4) All human beings are equally blessed by God within the
order of creation. God’s blessing of creation applies equally to all human beings, both male and
female. (5) And lastly all human beings are equally fallen. There are no inferior races or no
immoral races or groups. We’ve all been equally devastated by sin.

3. Dissimilarity of male and female

The Dissimilarities between Male and Female

While Genesis talks about the similarities all human beings have, it also talks about the
dissimilarities between being male and female. (1) Obviously each human is either male or
female. God purposely created humans as male and female. (2) Building on that, there is the
dissimilarity of identity. The male identity had to do with being a [male] husband. The female
identity had to do with a [female] wife. Husband and wife comes out of being male and female.
(3) The third dissimilarity is in the family roles of father and mother. There is a very strong
emphasis on Eve, the first woman, being the mother of all the living. Eve means life giver. As a
mother, she is a life giver, the mother of the human family as Adam is the father of the human
family.

4. Character of marriage as a divinely created community

The Fundamental Building Block of Human Community is the Family

Coming out of these identities is marriage as divinely created community. One of the lies of
western individualism is to see that the smallest social unit is the individual. An important
dogma to western cultures is that humans start out as isolated individuals and then that they
contract themselves into relationships. This is a very important modern teaching but it
contradicts realities. We were born in community. We live in community. We die in community.
You never exist as an isolated individual. After conception by your father and mother, you grow
in your mother’s womb and live within a family. So the smallest social unit is not one, but three
– mother, father, child. The fundamental building block of human community is the nuclear
family, that mini-community. That is God-given, God-created, and God-provided. Luther said it
is one of God’s holy orders, the order of family, the order of marriage. It precedes the fall.

The Garden as the Archetypal Sanctuary and Adam as the Archetypal Priest

Gen. 2 begins with God forming the first man out of the dust of the ground and breathing into
him the breath of life. The place that God created for the man to live in was a garden. The
language used to describe the garden is filled with symbolism describing it as an archetypal
sanctuary. (1) The garden is called Eden, which means delight or joy. (2) Planted in the garden

18
was the Tree of Life. The tree of life automatically signals that you are entering the supernatural
realm. This tree is a life-giving tree and it is available to humans. (3) The spring and rivers
watered the garden, giving it life. At other places in the Bible you have the temple with water
flowing from it to the Dead Sea, making it into fertile place. (4) Eden is filled with gold and
precious stones. Many times these were associated with the gods and the supernatural realm.
(5) In Gen. 3 it says God walked in the garden. This was the place God was present. (6) God put
the man in the garden to “serve it” and “keep it.” These two verbs were used for the role of the
Levites with the tabernacle. They were to serve it and protect it. So Adam’s job is to protect the
garden and to serve it. These verbs then hint at Adam’s role as the archetypal priest. What
happens later is that Adam sins and as a result of this he is removed from the garden and
instead of serving the garden, he serves the soil, the ground. Then his role to protect the garden
is taken by the cherubim (Gen. 3:23). Cherubim were supernatural creatures, angels. And
cherubim always guarded that point of transition from the natural realm to the super natural
realm. So Adam is commissioned as the priest. Adam is tasked not to be a farmer and serve the
soil, but to be a custodian of the garden, which is a holy place. He is to serve the garden and
protect it.

Woman Taken From the Man and Given To the Man in a Marriage Built Upon Sacrifice

You remember that God said it was not good for the man to be alone. So he said he would
make a helper fit for him. He then put Adam into a deep sleep and took his ribcage or a part of
his ribcage and created the woman. There is something funny here. God doesn’t create the
woman from the ground like he did Adam. He creates the woman from the man or more
exactly from his ribcage. Then as a Matchmaker he brings the woman to the man and
celebrates the first marriage.

What is the symbolism here? First of all you need to understand the symbolism of bones.
People had observed that the most indestructible part of a human being was his bones. When
you die, your flesh decays, but what remains are your bones. So the bone was the basic
substance of the person. In Hebrew to talk about the essence or substance of a person was to
talk about his bones.

Why the ribcage? Once again the rabbis nail it better than most modern exegetes. They put it
this way. God did not create Eve out of the head of the man so that she could be over him. He
didn’t create her from his feet so that she could be under him. But he created her from Adam’s
ribcage so that she could be next to his heart, alongside him, the notion of complementary
partnership. The ribcage protects the heart, which is most vulnerable.

The rabbis in the early church go one step further. They take it like Paul in drawing a parallel
between Adam/Eve, husband/wife, and Christ/Church. Paul tells husbands to love their wives
like Christ loved the Church. How did Christ love the Church? He sacrificed his body for the

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Church. There is some evidence that already the rabbis of Paul’s time or shortly after it pick up
on this.

The idea here is sacrifice. Sacrifice is built right in to the creation of humanity and into the
creation of marriage. So for a marriage to work, which way does sacrifice work? In most
societies it is the woman who is expected to sacrifice herself for her husband. But here it is
different. Right from the beginning Adam sacrificed something that was very important and
value to him (his ribcage) for the creation of Eve, his wife.

So the reality of sacrifice is built into marriage. And that is carried over to the woman too. Eve
received life from Adam and then the woman gives her life to her children. So sacrifice is built in
to being a human being. It is the essence of marriage and family life. When family members
willingly sacrifice themselves the family flourishes.

Adam had been given the responsibility of serving the garden and protecting it. He was the
priest of the holy sanctuary. So when Adam and Eve sinned, Adam was responsible for it. He is
held accountable for what happens by God.

Why God Created Marriage

First God said, “It was not good for the man to be alone.” So what is the first divinely-given
purpose of marriage? You might say community, but it is stronger than that. It’s
companionship. It’s not just general company, community. It’s personal company,
companionship. Animals can provide some companionship but they cannot provide sex, talk,
and communication. They cannot provide the full companionship that marriage does.

After God said it wasn’t good that the man was alone, he said, “ I will make him a helper fit for
him.” This is the second reason God created marriage. Now to our modern ears one might
understand helper as an assistant. But here it means one who can help in times of trouble, an
ally. It means someone who works together with you as a co-worker or partner. The focus of
helper is on working together. So instead of working by themselves, the husband and wife work
together on a common task. Marriage involves partnership, working together. It’s not just living
together and providing each other with company. It’s working together. And in marriage the
husband and wife are allies. They stick up for each other.

The third purpose for marriage is the most profound. God said he would make a helper who is
suitable or fit for him. This is a very odd expression in Hebrew. Usually the word for fit is used
as a preposition in the OT. It means over against/opposite/facing. So what does it mean? God
said he would make a helper that was his opposite, that is, face to face with him, his other half.
The helper will be Adam’s complement. Think of a circle cut in half. Each half is opposite each
other and together they make a circle. So we have two people who are opposite each other
who fit together and complement each other.

God’s Design for Marriage

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God is the celebrant who brings Adam and Eve together and celebrates the first marriage. At
the end of chpt. 2 there is a concluding sentence (v. 24): “Therefore a man shall leave his father
and his mother and hold fast (cleaves or sticks) to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” If you
want a recipe for the dynamics of marriage to work properly, this is it.

This is counter-cultural in all societies. For a marriage to work, what is the first thing that has to
happen? The man needs to leave mom and dad. Leaving father and mother and family is a kind
of suicide. He gives up everything he knows for an uncertain future. That is the first thing God
says about marriage.

The second thing is that he cleaves to his wife. What is cleave? Stick, like a band-aid on skin. It’s
not accidental. He sticks to her intentionally. The closest English word might be “commit” to his
wife.

For a marriage to work, notice that the emphasis is not on what the wife does, but on what the
husband does. He leaves and he cleaves and then the two become one flesh. That is an odd
expression. It has a number of different levels to it, but the two most important are sexual
intercourse and procreation. This is the whole physical side of marriage. The essence of that
physical union is sexual intercourse and children.

This is God’s order for marriage: leaving, cleaving, and one-fleshing. That’s the order that brings
God’s blessing with it.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and his interaction with the first
man and woman in GOD’S CREATION OF MARRIAGE?

1. God designed the personal lives of people around the home and family and work. And these
things are built around the wife and marriage.
2. God created human beings as male and female.
3. God creates men and women in his image and blesses them equally. Men and women are also
equally sinful.
4. God made men to be husbands and women to be wives.
5. God created marriage and family as the fundamental social unit for humanity.
6. God created the Garden of Eden as a Holy Place and Adam as its priest who was to serve it and
protect it.
7. God created the woman from the man and gave her to the man in marriage. Sacrifice is built in
to marriage. Adam gave up a part of himself for Eve and Eve naturally gives up herself for her
children and husband.
8. God created marriage for companionship, partnership, and to complement each other.

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9. God’s design for marriage is for the man to leave, cleave, and then become one flesh with his
wife.

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 e. THEOLOGY OF PRIMEVAL HISTORY
Now we want to move on and look at the theology that we see in Gen. 3-8, the so called
primeval history. In these chapters you get the picture of growing disorder in creation. Gen. 1
said God created an ordered cosmos but then you get the disordering of God’s ordered cosmos.
I would have expected that God would deprive human beings of his blessing if they rebelled
against him and rebelled against the order that he had provided in creation. Now the paradox is
that on the one hand God is not soft on evil and sin. He deals with it but in such a way that the
blessing continues and he brings good out of evil.

1. Result of human sin: disorder in the world but not destruction of creation

The Disordering of God’s Good Creation

This diagram illustrates how God’s good, ordered creation became disordered.

Disordered World
God

----- Disobey
Distrust

| |
‘Angels’ | Humans | brother v brother
| |
Take/rape Murder

----- Violence

Animals

What we have here is a picture of a world that becomes disordered and the way that God deals
with disorder. There are four dimensions to the disorder that comes into the world. In the order
he created, God set up boundaries which were for the benefit of human beings.
1. The first dimension is the theological dimension. Disorder occurs with the fall by Adam
and Eve and their rebellion against God. The theological boundary between God and
people is crossed.
2. The second dimension is the family and social dimension. Disorder occurs within the
family itself, human beings don’t love and care for each other, brother kills brother. And

23
 that leads to social anarchy – human beings killing human beings. The boundary
between social order and disorder is crossed.
3. The third dimension is a supernatural dimension. There is a boundary between angels
and human beings. Here there is a sexual disorder.
4. And finally we have disorder between humans and animals. They each violate each
other. Violence gets out of hand.

2. Operation of God’s blessing in a sinful world

3. God’s management of sin by the limitation of its consequences: sanction
of capital punishment
4. Origin of all nations from common parents
5. Primeval history as the foundation for God’s ongoing dealings with
humanity
6. God’s covenant with Noah as the foundation for order in a fallen world
7. Interpretation of Israel’s history in the light of God’s dealing with humanity
(Points 2-7 are covered next)

The Pattern of Benefaction, Sin, and Judgment in Gen. 2-11

Within all of this we find a pattern.

1. You start off with God’s gift, his benefaction.
2. Then you get human sin.
3. Then comes God’s judgment on human sin.
4. Then comes God’s action to mitigate the effects of his judgment.
5. And finally, you have God’s punishment for the sin, but at the same time preserving
sinners.
This is illustrated in following diagram.

Diagram of the pattern of Benefaction, Sin, and Judgment in Gen. 2-11

God’s Human Sin God’s God’s God’s
Benefaction Judgment Mitigation Punishment
(a) The Fall Marriage (2:18- Disobedience Curse on Clothing Expulsion
25) (3:1-7) snake and (3:21) (3:22-24)
ground (3:14-
19)
(b) Cain Gift of sons Murder (4:8) Accusation Protection Landlessness
(4:1-5) (4:10-12) (4:15) (3:16; cf.
3:11-12)
(c) Flood Growth of Sacral sex Decision to 1. Ark (6:13- Flood (9:6-24)
Adam’s family (6:2, 4) and limit lifespan 21; 7:1-4;
(4:25-5:32) violence (6:5, (6:3) and 8:15-17).
11) destroy life 2. Sacrifice
(6:7) (8:20-22)
3. Blessing

24
 (9:1-7)
4. Covenant
(9:8-17)
(d) Babel Growth of Arrogance Decision to Scattering Confusion of
Noah’s family (11:4) confuse (9:8, 9) language
(9:18-10:32; language (9:9)
11:10-26) (9:6-7)

There are four cycles of this pattern. Let’s take a look at each one.

Cycle 1 of Benefaction, Sin, and Judgment: The Fall

After God created the first man and woman, he gave them the gift of marriage and the ability
to have and raise children. But the husband and wife of this first marriage together mistrusted
and disobeyed God. Now previously they had been naked but were unashamed. But now that
they were sinners, they were ashamed of their nakedness and they hid from God. God’s
judgment on sin is rather strange. You would have thought God would have cursed Adam and
Eve. But instead he curses the snake and the soil from which human beings are taken. Then
God gives a wonderful act of preservation. He provides proper clothes for human beings so
that social intercourse is possible, so that human beings aren’t exposed to each other. He
provides permanent clothes, but notice that it is at the cost of the death of animals. Then God’s
judgment is a merciful judgment. God always judges in order to save life. God expelled Adam
and Eve from the garden so that they don’t eat of the tree of life and make sin eternal.
Mercifully you get the expulsion from the garden.

In this cycle the boundary being crossed was the boundary between God and man.

Cycle 2 of Benefaction, Sin, and Judgment: Cain Kills His Brother Abel

The second cycle of sin is Cain killing his brother Abel. Now even though Adam and Eve were
fallen creatures, God gives them sons through procreation. But there is trouble between the
two sons and Cain killed Abel and buried him in the ground. God doesn’t just zap Cain dead,
but he confronts him with his murder. But then God does something strange to the murderer.
What should God have done? He should have killed Cain for his murder of Abel. But instead,
God puts his mark on Cain, which puts Cain under God’s protection. Anyone who touches the
murderer has to reckon with God. God protects the murderer and prevents vengeance from
being unleashed and getting out of hand. But the deed does not go unpunished by God. Since
the blood of Abel spilled on the ground, Cain could no longer farm the ground. So he becomes a
homeless wandering person. And so paradoxically, he becomes the founder of city and city
culture. So he too was blessed despite sin. He couldn’t live off the land, so he found another
way to live.

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In this cycle the boundary being crossed was the boundary between man and man, the respect
for life.

Cycle 3 of Benefaction, Sin, and Judgment: The Flood

Then comes the most far-reaching problem of all, the story of the flood. What is it that
unleashes the flood? We need to look closely at Gen. 6. The “sons of God” in the OT normally
refers to angels. The focus here is on the fallen angels. It is a very cryptic and euphemistic kind
of story. There is something terrible that goes on here that is covered by the vale of discretion.
The angels “take” the daughters of men, that is, they rape them. The result of this happening is
that God takes his spirit from human beings and sets an upper limit for human life to 120
years. God was grieved that he made human beings because human beings don’t just commit
occasional sin, but they are riddled with sin. It’s not just that their actions are sinful but their
whole imagination is corrupted and they are filled with violence. So God decided to destroy life
on earth. He makes one exception. He decides to rescue Noah and his family, eight people, with
the ark and a representative cross section of all animal life. And then after the flood, Noah
makes a sacrifice to God. This is the first burnt offering as an act of atonement. And God
accepts the offering of Noah. And in reaction to the offering, God blesses humanity and he
makes the first covenant with human beings. The covenant included all humans and animals.
So the flood is not just a destroying flood but also a cleansing flood and a new order is
established after the flood.

In this cycle the boundary being crossed is a sexual boundary and the boundary between
human beings and angels is violated.

How Things Changed After the Flood

What changed after the flood? The story of the flood is God’s act to put limits on what human
beings can do to his creation and it is a fresh start for his creation. Through the flood he has not
eliminated the problem of sin. People are equally as sinful after the flood as they were before
the flood. Just as every inclination of the heart of humans was evil all the time before the flood,
so it also is after the flood.

After the flood God deals with sin in a new way and we see that in the story of the flood itself.
First of all, God accepted the sacrifice that Noah offered him. That sacrifice points to God’s
ultimate plan for dealing with human sin. God himself will deal with it by means of sacrifice. It
begins with Noah’s sacrifice which points to the sacrificial system at the tabernacle/temple and
that in turn points to the great sacrifice of Christ. So in the post-flood period, sacrifices become
important.

Secondly, God gives permission for capital punishment. Capital punishment doesn’t remove
violence or eliminate violence but it limits it in a way that is fair and just. If an animal kills a

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human being, that animal may be killed. If one man kills another man then only the murderer
may be killed. No other member of his family may be killed. That’s the end of the story.

Thirdly, God gives human beings permission to use animals as a food source. This paradoxically
has two results. On the one hand, it puts the fear of man in animals. Also there is a vested
interest in human beings not eliminating their food chain. No farmer is going to kill all of his
sheep. He will only kill as many as is economically viable. In this arrangement humans benefit
from animals and animals benefit from human beings.

Fourthly, and most remarkably, God makes a covenant not only with Noah and all human
beings but also with every animal that lives on the face of the earth. Humans and animals
benefit from the covenant because it provides stability to the world in its seasons and
fruitfulness. In modern terms, God promises stability to the ecological system. It doesn’t mean
that human beings won’t muck it up, but God promises that never again will there be a flood
that inundates the face of the earth.

Cycle 4 of Benefaction, Sin, and Judgment: Babel

After the flood, Noah’s family grows and from Noah’s family you get the table of nations. All
of the nation groups come from Noah and eventually scatter all over the earth. The Semitic
group, which includes Israel, comes from Noah’s son, Shem.

The people of Babel build their own mountain in an attempt to ascend to the gods in the
heavenly realm. This is a repetition of the sin of Adam and Eve. They wanted to become like
gods. What these people want is divine power. They want the power so that they can control
their destiny. That’s the important thing. They don’t want to have to depend on anyone or
anything apart from themselves. That is the sin of Babel. And what is God’s reaction to it? He
brings the judgment of confused language on them. This building project will only work as long
as they can communicate with each other. Since they can’t communicate, the people are
scattered across the face of the earth.

What is beneficial about that scattering? If you get various ethnic groups who speak different
languages together, what do you get? Conflict, war. So they scatter and paradoxically this fulfills
God’s purpose for them. Originally they wanted to avoid filling the earth but now because of
this, they fill the earth. Part of the blessing given to Adam was “to be fruitful, multiply and fill
the earth.” Therefore God’s judgment is a merciful judgment. By means of it, his blessing is
fulfilled. He brings blessing out of human sin.

What Do We Learn From Primeval History?

(1) If it is true that God created an orderly world, and he did (he created cosmos and not chaos),
the obvious question is: how come things are so disorderly in our world? The answer is human
sin. Human beings are the cause of disorder and destruction in the world. True, Satan is at

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work. But Satan couldn’t do anything without human agents. Disorder goes back to human
beings.

(2) The primeval history shows us how God’s blessing works even in a sinful world. We see that
human beings can abuse, misuse, and pervert God’s good creation, but they cannot undo God’s
creation. Amazingly, God brings good out of evil and his blessing continues and balances out the
evil that human beings do.

(3) Thirdly, God manages the consequences of sin by limiting them. So for example, take capital
punishment. If a human being kills another human being, the killer’s life alone is forfeited. God
sanctions limited retribution in order to limit the consequences of evil.

(4) The OT, contrary to all pagan religions, says that all human beings come from common
parents. We have a common ancestry, we are all one flesh, one blood. And that means there
are no superior or inferior nations or races. Since God made the first human beings in his image
and since all human beings descend from them, all human beings are bearers of God’s image.
And even with the fall into sin, we still bear God’s image, even if it is in a perverted form. The
OT also shows us that all human beings are equally sinful and all are equally under God’s
judgment. But even though all people are sinful, all are meant to be recipients of God’s
blessings within the order of creation. There are no cursed nations. All are meant to enjoy the
blessings God provides in creation.

(5) Now more generally, the primeval history provides the foundation for God’s dealing in a
fallen world. So if you want to understand the way that God is at work out there in human
history, the primeval history gives you some clue. It is not a detailed explanation but it gives you
a vision of how God is at work in the fallen world. (See How Things Changed After the Flood
above.)

(6) Lastly, why is it that Genesis doesn’t go straight from fall of Adam and Eve to the call of
Abraham? It could have easily skipped over the primeval history. What is the function of these
chapters in the whole of OT theology? They force us to interpret Israel’s history, which begins
with Abraham, in the light of God’s dealing with the whole of humanity. The stories of Israel
and humanity belong together. You can’t understand God’s dealings with humanity apart from
Israel and you can’t understand God’s dealings with Israel apart from humanity. That is part of
the context of this part of Genesis. If you don’t see it within this context, you will
misunderstand everything that follows. God chooses Abraham and he chooses Israel so that
Abraham will be a blessing to all the nations. The theme of blessing begins with creation
continues with primeval history and with Abraham. After the break we will look at the call of
Abraham.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and his interaction with a sinful
world in THEOLOGY OF PRIMEVAL HISTORY?

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1. Because of man’s sin, the good, ordered world God created became disordered theologically,
socially, supernaturally, and sexually. The world became a violent place.
2. During the primeval period there was a continuing cycle of God’s blessing, man’s sin, and God’s
judgment. During this time God continues to bless and works to limit the effects of sin.
3. All the people God created have a common ancestry and are equal to each other, no matter
what sex or race they are. And the primeval history also shows that all people are equally sinful.
4. The primeval history shows us how God deals with a fallen world.
5. God provides us with the primeval history in order to provide the context for his
creation of Israel.

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 A Summary of:
B. THE FOUNDATION OF HUMANITY IN CREATION
The first chapter of Genesis provides us with God creating a stable environment for humans to live in.
First God created the universe. He did it by his performative, creative, and Spirit-filled Word. It was an
amazing miracle that is beyond human understanding. God’s use of his Word and Spirit in creating set a
precedent for how he works and how he deals with people. When God created the earth, he created it
with order. God then uses that order to bring physical blessings to his creation. And by his imposition of
a seven-day week and a pattern of work and rest on creation, he created a way that he could bring
spiritual blessings to humanity. When humans rest with God, he brings them spiritual blessings.

Chapter two of Genesis focuses on God’s creation of people. Human beings were God’s special and
unique creation. He breathed his own life-breath into them and made them in his image. He made them
so that he could share his blessings and holiness with them. God shared his power with them by
allowing them to “create” life (have and raise children) and to rule over the earth. But we learn else
where in the Scriptures that if humans worship other gods, they distort God’s image and become like
the gods they worship.

In the third chapter of Genesis we see that God created human beings as male and female. By bring Eve
to Adam, God showed that his intention for them was that they marry and have children. God designed
the personal lives of people around the home and family and work. God created marriage and family
as the fundamental social unit for humanity. God built sacrifice into marriage. In marriage the
husband and wife sacrifice for each other and their children. God created marriage for
companionship, partnership, and for the husband and wife to complement each other. God created the
Garden of Eden for the first married couple to live in. It was a Holy Place and Adam was its priest. He
was to serve it and protect it.

Adam and Eve had one prohibition. They were not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Wanting to be like God, they ate of it, bringing sin into God’s perfect world. Because of man’s sin, the
good, ordered world God created became disordered theologically, socially, supernaturally, and
sexually. The world became a violent place. During the primeval period there was a continuing cycle of
God’s blessing, man’s sin, and God’s judgment. During this time God continues to bless humans and
works to limit the effects of sin. It shows us how God deals with a fallen world. It shows us the bad
situation that humans had gotten themselves in to and it provides the context for God’s
creation of Israel. It is from Israel that God will one day send a Savior who will undo and fix
what man had messed up.

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 C. THE FOUNDATION OF ISRAEL
a. GOD’S DEALINGS WITH THE PATRIARCHS
Foundational Words and Events
We come in Gen. 12 – 50 to some of the most important founding stories and foundational
events for Israel. God’s dealings with the patriarchs are more than just the beginning of Israel.
God’s dealing with the patriarchs also provides the ongoing basis for God’s subsequent dealings
with Israel. So when God speaks to Abraham, he is not just speaking to Abraham but also to all
of Abraham’s descendants. What God does to Abraham, he does to all of his descendants. So
God’s words and actions to Abraham are foundational. It’s not just foundational historically, in
terms of where it all started. It is foundational in terms of God’s ongoing activity and God’s
ongoing commitment.

1. God’s Revelation to the Patriarchs

a. Foundational events for Israel (Deut 7:6-8)

Foundational Events for Israel

In Deut. 7:6 God says to Israel: 6 “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God
has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face
of the earth. The fact that Israel was “holy to the Lord” and that Israel was chosen by Yahweh “to be a
people for his treasured possession” is foundational. It applies to all the generations of Israel. Why is
this? What makes them different from all of the other peoples? It is because Yahweh swore an
oath in making a covenant with the Abram. Yahweh is faithful in keeping his Word and in
showing steadfast love. (Deut. 7:9).

In Gen. 12 – 50 you get the foundational events for Israel’s existence as a holy people, the
people of God. Israel’s founding occurs when God intervened in human history, after the fall,
after the flood, after Babel. God just doesn’t intervene, but he intervenes to disclose his
presence and his purpose for Abraham and his descendants. And by his verbal intervention,
God creates Israel by speaking his Word.

Each time God intervenes in Genesis he sets a precedent. So whenever you read a story in
Genesis, ask the question: How does what God is doing here set a precedent for what he will do
subsequently in Israel later on? So for instance take God’s appearances to Jacob. At Bethel
before Jacob left the land God promised to bless him. The same is true later on when Israel
enters the promised land. Later when Jacob returned to the land, having been blessed, he gave
God a tithe of all his possessions. Later on when Israel was in the promised land they brought
their tithes to God.

b. Manner of revelation: theophany

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God’s Theophanies to Israel

In Gen. 12-50 God appeared to the patriarchs several times. But the emphasis each time is not
on them seeing God but on hearing what he says. Visually the most you get is an angel in
disguise. Sometimes God speaks to the patriarchs in a dream. God “appears” by speaking his
name, by saying, I am the LORD or I am God Almighty, which is then followed by God’s Word.
So again the focus is on God’s Word where he gives commands and promises.

The significant of these theophanies, these appearances is they all occur in Canaan, except for
two very significant ones. The first appearance to Abraham was in Haran. And then later on God
appeared to Jacob in Haran. So he was like a second Abraham. Apart from those two
appearances, all of the theophanies are in the promised land. And there is a very interesting
feature about almost all of these theophanies. Most of them conclude with either Abraham or
Isaac or Jacob building an altar at the site where the theophany occurred.

c. Content of speeches

d. Places of revelation

Significance of Building Altars

What is the significance of the building of the altar? In pagan theology, a god owned the land
and people that surrounded the temple and idol. When the patriarchs encounter God in the
promised land and build an altar, God is reclaiming the land for himself. So God reclaims the
land long before the Israelites enter the land and take possession of it. God reclaims the land
from the pagan gods and the pagan people.

The places where the altars were set up in Genesis were the sites where subsequent
sanctuaries were built. The places where the patriarchs built the altars were the places where
later the Israelites rebuilt the altars and built sanctuaries. They became places of worship for
the Israelites. There is one mysterious holy place that is not named. All of them are named but
this one. Abraham built an altar at the place where he was going to sacrifice Isaac and instead
God provided a ram that was sacrificed in his place. . You have to go all the way to Chronicles
before you learn the name of that place. It is Mt. Moriah or Jerusalem.

Abraham built altars at places where he met with God. So what God did in that place is a
precedent for what he will do later with his people. So there is a story and a history behind it.
And the story not only tells you what happened then, but also what God is doing at this place
now.

2. God’s Promise of Land

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 a. God’s command to Abram: leave homeland for another land
b. God’s gift of Canaan to Abram

God’s Promise of Land

Now one of God’s foundational promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is God’s promise of the
land. It begins rather strangely with God’s command to Abraham to leave his ancestral land for
a land that God will show him. So he leaves his land for God’s land. What is paradoxical about
this promise of land is that it is never fulfilled in the lifetime of Abraham or Isaac or Jacob or
when Joshua brought the people into the land. Yet it was one of the foundational promises that
God made.

God’s promise was to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants, to the Seed of
Abraham. So when Abraham arrives at the land one of the first things Abraham does is to walk
over it. . For us this seems like a little insignificant detail. But in the ancient world it had great
significance. To walk over the land means to claim that land as your land and to take possession
of it. Once you claimed it, you walked over it to assert your property rights and to show that
you are taking responsibility for that land. Now God doesn’t just promise the land to Abraham
but he promises it to Abraham and his descendants as a perpetual possession. Perpetual means
until the end of time. As long as history lasts the land belongs to Abraham and his descendants.

Something you need to take note of in the Bible is where people leave the land and come back
to the land. When that happens, something significant is going on. So for example, when Joseph
is sent to the land of Egypt, Egypt is not just some other geographical location. It is the land that
belongs to the Egyptian gods. But God was with Joseph and helped Joseph remain strong in his
faith. So Land has theological significance. There is a difference between being in the land of
Canaan and being outside it. So when people are leaving it or coming to it, you need to weigh
the significance of it.

Despite God’s Promise Abraham Never Owns the Land

What is most startling is that God brings Abraham to the land and he promises him the land but
Abraham never owns the land. His status is a landless alien. He lives in the land God promised
him but he doesn’t own it.

The only piece of property that Abraham owns is his cemetery that he bought at Hebron. Once
again in secular terms this just a nice story, but this has very important legal and theological
significance. We have cemeteries where we bury the dead. In pagan countries you see
individual graves scattered all over the place. What is the significance of graves? In tribal
societies or ones like them, graves have to do with land rights. In paganism, how can you say
that this land belongs to me and my family? They didn’t have a piece of paper which was the
title to the land. It is mine because you can see that my family is buried there. And when
someone is buried there, their spirits are there. And actually the land doesn’t belong to me, it
belongs to my ancestors. I received the land from my ancestors and their spirits. I take care of

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the land for them. So, ancestor reverence, graves, and land rights all belong together in
paganism.

God tells Abraham to buy the plot of land for his cemetery and he buys it. By buying the land,
what is Abraham doing? He is asserting the future claim on the land. And it projects all the way
to the present day. Some conservative Jews have grabbed a hold of the tomb of Abraham some
years ago and it remains a flashpoint between the Jews and the Arabs to the present day. Why
did they grab a hold of Abraham’s grave? It is a claim to the whole promised land. It is the same
for Abraham.

c. Lack of possession

God Delays in Giving the Land to Abraham and His Descendants

God promised the land to Abraham but he did not give it to him right away. Why did he delay
giving it to him? You’ll find the answer in the covenant with Abraham in Gen. 15:15-16. God is
being patient with the current people that live in the land. It is still not bad enough for him to
intervene and take the land away from them because they abused the land.

If you look at the big picture, there is another reason why the giving of the land is delayed.
Before they receive the land, the following big events occur:
 The covenant with Abraham with its promise of blessing.
 The Sinai covenant with the gift of the divine service.
 The crossing of the desert and entry into the promised land.
Now in paganism, what determines what god you worship? It is determined by which god owns
the land you are living on. You worship the local god. Land and theology go together. Land and
worship of gods go together.

But here you get something new in human history. God gives Israel the divine service and the
divine service is not attached to the land. They worshipped God even when they did not have
any land! They worshipped God at Sinai. They worshipped God in the desert. Later they
worshipped God when they were in exile. For pagan people this is all nonsense. So even though
land is very significant in the OT, worship of God and the identity of the people of Israel as the
holy people is not dependent on the land. The land is a gift that comes after the divine service
and after the covenant with Abraham.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and his interaction with the
patriarchs in GOD’S DEALINGS WITH THE PATRIARCHS?

1. After Babel God intervened into human history to disclose his presence and his purpose for
Abraham and his descendants.

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2. Each time God intervenes in Genesis, he sets a precedent for how he will deal with Israel
in the future.
3. Whenever God appears to the patriarchs the emphasis is on what God says. Listening to
God is more important than seeing him.
4. God had the patriarchs build altars at the places where the patriarchs encountered him
in order to reclaim the land as his own. Those places will become holy places in the
future.
5. God promised the land of Canaan to the patriarchs but they never took possession of it.
6. The purpose for delaying possession of the land was to teach Israel that their worship of God did
not depend on them living in the land. He was their God no matter where they were.

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 b. GOD'S BLESSING OF ABRAM
1. God's Call to Abram in Gen 12:1-7

God’s call of Abraham in Gen. 12:1-3 is one of the pivotal texts in the whole book of Genesis. It
pivots from the first part of Genesis (Gen. 1-11) to the second part of Genesis (Gen. 12-50). And
in this text we have foundational promises that reach not only across the whole OT and NT but
the whole life of the Church until the close of the age. We gentiles are here today in fulfillment
of this series of promises.

Two Commands From God

We won’t look at it in Hebrew, but I will give you an exact translation. This is one case where
translations in their attempt to simplify and give clarity of meaning actually obscure what is
going on. Notice here that you have two imperatives. I don’t think there is any modern
translation that renders it as two commands. It goes like this:

Go from your land and from your kinsfolk and your clan to the land that I will show you,
so that I will make you a great nation,
and I will bless you,
and I will make your name great,
and be a blessing,
so that I will bless those that bless you,
but I will curse the one that belittles you,
and by you (or in you) all families of the earth will obtain blessing.

There are two imperatives here: (1) Go and (2) Be a blessing. Go from one land to another land.
“Be a blessing” is a unique expression. It is not used anywhere else in the OT. It is odd in
Hebrew and it is odd in English. Notice that it is a matter of being not doing.

Both of these commands are followed by a purpose or result clause. Why should he go? “so
that I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and I will make your name great.” Why
should you be a blessing? “so that I will bless those that bless you, ... by you (or in you) all
families of the earth will obtain blessing.” And there is a consequence for those who look
down on Abraham. God says, “I will curse the one that belittles you.”

Taking a Look at the Word “Bless”

Hebrew has a small vocabulary but a very sophisticated verb system with various tenses of
verbs. That means the same word can have a range of meanings depending upon the context.
So the word “bless” can be used in the following ways:
1. When God blesses someone, God gives blessing.

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 2. When priests bless (such as Aaronic benediction), they pronounce God’s blessing, they
mediate God’s blessing, they give God’s blessing.
3. When humans bless God, they acknowledge that God is the giver of blessing.
4. When humans bless other humans, they are recognizing that that person is the receiver
of God’s blessing.

So when God says, “Be a blessing,” it is the first use of bless above – it is God giving blessing.
And in the next phrase: “so that I will bless those that bless you,” it is the fourth and first use
of bless – it is a recognition that those who acknowledge that Abraham is blessed by God will
also be blessed by God. So Abraham becomes an agent of God’s blessing. God blesses Abraham
and his blessing flows through Abraham to other people. The opposite of bless is curse. So
those who do not acknowledge that God has blessed Abraham and made him a mediator of
blessing by belittling him, God will curse.

This is God’s call of Abraham and this is foundational, not only for Abraham, but this is the
foundational story for Israel and for every single Christian because we are children of Abraham.

Six Promises from God

Those two commands that we just looked at are coupled with six promises.
1. God promised that Abraham would be a great nation. How ironic is that? They were
very old and Sarah was barren. As an old man he is beyond having children. And Sarah is
not only barren, she is past menopause. Yet God says he will bless them and make them
into a great nation. Humanly speaking this is utterly impossible.
2. God will bless Abraham in a unique way.
3. God promised to make the name of Abraham great, so much so that he will be one of
the most famous people on earth. Notice the contrast of this promise given to Abraham,
who was a nobody with no family, no land, no future, against the backdrop of the story
of the tower of Babel where human beings wanted to make a great name for
themselves. God here turns it around and promises to make a great name for Abraham.
4. The fourth promise is that through Abraham people will receive blessings. God says, I
will bless those who bless you. So Abraham becomes the mediator of blessing. People’s
attitudes toward Abraham as being blessed by God will determine whether they are
recipients of God’s blessing or not.

Now this goes against karma, where supposedly your behavior determines whether
good or bad happens to you. But here in God’s promises to Abraham, blessing or curse
is not determined by what you do, but by a person and by your relationship with that
person and by your attitude towards that person. God gives his blessing to people
depending on their attitude to Abraham.

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 5. The fifth one is not so much a promise as it is a warning. Any person who belittles
Abraham, who treats him as low or unworthy or contemptuous, which would be very
easy since he is a no body, will be cursed by God.
6. Then comes the culminating promise: In you all families on earth will obtain blessing.
Notice here that the promise is not individual. Not each person, but each family will
obtain God’s blessing. All families on earth will be recipients of God’s blessing. So where
blessing originally had been given to Adam and all his descendants and then to Noah
and all his descendants, now blessing comes down to one person and then through that
one person to all families on earth.

2. Traditional Pattern of Blessing in Animist Cultures

How Blessing was Viewed in the Animist Culture Abraham Lived In

In an animist culture it was believed that the spirits of their deceased ancestors lived in and
controlled the land. The descendants of these ancestors received blessing from their ancestors
by living on the land, by observing customs, laws, rituals, and ceremonies. So their dead
ancestors were the sources of blessing. So in order to receive blessing, they had to live on the
land controlled by their ancestors and observe the customs and ceremonies of their families.

This was the type of culture that Abraham lived in. Everything revolved around living on the
land controlled by the spirits of your dead relatives. On top of that he was old, had no children,
his wife was barren and beyond the age of having children. And God was asking Abraham to
leave his land and leave his relatives in his old age and go to an unknown land.

3. Pattern with Abraham

The Pattern of Blessing with Abraham

In the story of Abraham, the source of blessing is not dead relatives and not the land. God is the
source of blessing and that blessing is not tied to the land. There are several stories in Genesis
where the patriarchs went outside the promised land and God continued to bless them. Take
Joseph for example. God was with Joseph and God brought blessing everywhere Joseph went
(Potiphar’s house, the prison, the whole land of Egypt). And Joseph and the patriarchs didn’t
have to do anything to bring blessing. They simply had to be, to exist. Contact with them
brought blessing. This is what God had promised. The reality is that blessing is given through
God’s Word, through his promise, and through God’s presence with Abraham and his

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descendants. And so it is God’s intention to bring blessing to the world through Abraham and
his descendants.

What is Blessing?

What is blessing? Blessing has to do with fertility, having children. It has to do with vitality,
having a long life and a full life. It has to do with longevity, prosperity, and success. And it goes
beyond that. It looks to the future and is open ended as to what else God will give. And blessing
is attached to God’s six-fold promise. This blessing is communicated in two ways. The first way
we just discussed. It was simply by them being. The second was through intercession. This is
illustrated by Abraham’s intercession for Sodom.

4. Reception and Transmission of Blessing

Transmission of the Promise and Blessing

The promise was given to Abraham and Sarah and was handed down to their descendants. The
path that the promise and blessing took was from God to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, to all
twelve of Jacob’s sons.

There are natural ways in which blessing is given. Children are a blessing. Owning land brings
food and a stable place to live. Blessing comes through laws and customs. But these normal
sources of blessing didn’t work for the patriarchs. Blessing was entirely dependent on the Word
of God, the promises of God. (1) First, the matriarchs couldn’t have children. That was the case
for Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel. They were infertile and God had to miraculously give them
children. So the blessing works apart from the natural law of fertility. (2) Second, the patriarchs
never owned the land. So the land was not the source of their blessing. Whether they were in
the land or not, the source of blessing was God, his Word, his promise, his presence. (3)
Whereas in the order of creation blessing goes according to law and custom, in Genesis blessing
depends on God’s grace and favor rather than on the legal right of firstborn sons. God
consistently chose younger sons over the firstborn sons of the patriarchs. (4) Fourth, God’s
promises and blessings overcame human interference (sexual harassment of Sarah and
Rebekah in Egypt), scheming (Sarah with Hagar, Laban with Jacob, and Jacob with God), and sin
(Jacob with Esau, Jacob and Rebekah with Isaac, Joseph’s brothers with Joseph).

God Brings Good Out of Evil

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Two different things are true about Jacob’s family. It is a dysfunctional family and yet it is a
blessed family. The whole story of Joseph being sold as a slave and ending up saving many lives
with the grain he stored up illustrates this. After Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers thought he
would take revenge on them, but instead Joseph said something very profound. He told his
brothers, You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. The blessing passed on to the
patriarchs and the twelve tribes of Israel was blessing where God brings good out of evil.

Now if ever there is a teaching that attacks and undermines the doctrine that has become very
prevalent in the current generation (karma) it is this blessing that brings good from evil. Karma
is usually referred to as: what goes around comes around or you get what you give. It is the one
thing that many people feel makes moral sense of their lives. According to the law of karma,
good cannot come out of evil. In karma only evil can come from evil and only good can come
from something good. So in order to get good you have to do good. What God does with
Abraham if you like is cut through the law of karma. The law of karma operates according to the
moral laws that govern the universe. But God’s blessing operates out of grace. It brings blessing
out of sin.

The Blessing God Promised Abraham is the Holy Spirit

One last thing. Notice that Paul says that the blessing God promised to Abraham is the gift of
the Holy Spirit that comes through the Seed of Abraham. And all of the gifts given by the Spirit
are the blessings in the order of redemption, the Messianic age. It is the counterpart to the
blessings of a full, rich life, a life as God meant it to be in the order of creation. In the order of
creation blessing is life power, life in all of its fullness. In the new age, blessing is eternal life. It
is the blessing of the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and Giver of Life. This is a very important
connection and it is very important that we don’t run them together, but at the same time you
don’t want to separate blessing within the Church from blessing within the world. They are
related but not identical.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and his interaction with
Abraham in GOD’S BLESSING OF ABRAM?

1. Through God’s promises Abraham is blessed and God blesses the earth through Abraham.
These promised hold true for Abraham’s descendants as well, including his spiritual descendants
– Christians.
2. By having Abraham leave his family and land, God dispelled the pagan notion that
blessing comes from dead relatives living in a land.

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3. Blessing is given by God and has to do with fertility, vitality, having a long life and a full
life, prosperity, and success. It looks to the future as to what else God will give.
4. The natural way that God gives blessing is through family, land, and custom. The
supernatural way that gives blessing is through his Word, promises, and presence.
5. The story of the patriarchs shows that even though people are sinful, God continues to
bless them, bringing good out of evil.
6. Ultimately God’s promise to bless the world through Abraham is fulfilled by him giving
the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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 c. GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM
1. Covenant as a legally binding foundational promise or commitment or
undertaking

What is a Covenant?
First of all, what is a covenant? We’ve already had God’s foundational commands and promises
to Abraham. A covenant goes beyond a promise. It is a legally binding promise and therefore a
commitment. It is the strongest kind of performative utterance possible in the OT.

So for example, I can promise to give to you all my property when I die. Now, you would be
much more impressed and assured that I would do it, if I have a will made up where I have
bequeathed it to you. It is the same promise but the difference is that the will (covenant) is
legally binding.

God’s Covenants are Foundational

In the OT the covenants God makes are foundational, which means they are not just relevant
for the immediate people involved but they are foundational for all those that that person
represents. So when God makes a covenant with Noah, it’s not just with Noah and his family,
but it is also with all human beings and all animals. When God makes a covenant with Abraham,
he makes that covenant with all of Abraham’s descendants. When God makes a covenant with
David, it’s not just with David but with all of his household, his dynasty, all the kings that come
after him that sit on the throne of David. It is a foundational covenant.

Two Kinds of Covenants

There are two kinds of covenants. Beginning in 1950 covenants became very fashionable in OT
scholarship and scholars began distinguishing between unilateral covenants and bilateral
covenants. Now this is not really precise terminology because all covenants are always bilateral.
What the terminology describes is whether the covenant is based on unilateral commitment or
a bilateral commitment.

So for example, a last will and testament technically is bilateral. It’s between me and my kids.
But the commitment is one-sided. I make the commitment to give my property to my kids. So
the commitment in this case is unilateral. On the other hand, when you get married, you enter
a covenant which has a bilateral commitment. The man and woman commit themselves to each
other.

In the OT there are four unilateral covenants. (1) God made a covenant with Noah, which was a
unilateral commitment from God. (2) Then there is God’s covenant with Abraham, which again
was a unilateral commitment from God. (3) Thirdly, comes a very important unilateral
covenant. It is God’s covenant with David and his seed, his descendant. (4) The fourth one

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might be God’s covenant with the priests. It is spoken of as a covenant, but it isn’t featured very
prominently in the OT.

Then there are two bilateral covenants which are very important. (1) There is God’s covenant
with Israel at Mt. Sinai. There God commits himself to Israel and then gives them the Ten
Commandments as their commitment to him. (2) Then there is another covenant (if you can call
it that) between God and Israel on the plains of Moab. God promises to give them the land and
then he demands a commitment from them in the land. He gives them the land and its
blessings. However the land and its blessings will be lost if they worship other gods. So the first
commandment is foundational to the covenant on the plains of Moab.

2. God's covenant with Abraham was like a royal grant of land to a faithful Official

A Royal Grant of Land to a Faithful Servant (Gen. 26:24)

God’s covenant with Abraham was very much like a royal land grant to a faithful official in the
ancient world and through the Middle Ages to Elizabethan England. Let’s say I was a king and
you were a general in my army. I would reward you for your service to me by giving you some
royal land. So the basics of it are that you work for a king, you serve him with distinction, and
the king rewards you by giving you land. God’s covenant with Abraham is somewhat like this
royal grant. In it God grants land to Abraham his faithful servant.

Be careful of the word “servant” used in both the OT and the NT. Servant can mean one of
three things. (1) First it can mean just a worker. So my “servant” is the person who works for
me. In modern terms, we would call him an employee. (2) Now as a special kind of employee,
you get slaves. (3) There are many cases in the OT where a servant doesn’t mean a worker or a
slave, but it means they are someone’s deputy. So for instance, Eleazar is the servant of
Abraham. He is the manager of Abraham’s estate, all his property. He is the steward of the
house of Abraham. Another example of a servant is David. He is a servant of the Lord. He is the
deputy of God, not God’s slave. He is God’s prime minister.

Now in which of these ways is Abraham the servant of the Lord in the OT? He is God’s deputy.
He is God’s agent or representative here on earth. In royal terms he is God’s prime minister
here on earth.

A Royal Grant Received Because of Faith Rather Than as a Result of Service (Gen. 15:4-6)
But here is where things get a little unusual. Usually when a king would call upon a man to be
his servant (deputy), he would call upon him at a very young age so that he could get maximum
service out of him. That way he could shape him and mold him as his courtier. But instead of
calling Abraham when he was 20 years old or 15 years old, God called Abraham when he was an
old codger, 75 years old. So he calls Abraham to be his servant at an age when he was of no use
(from a human point of view). And he doesn’t make a covenant to give him land as a reward for

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services rendered - because he’s done nothing! Instead he covenants to give it to him in view of
Abraham’s faith. And by doing this God will secure Abraham’s service.

So it’s all turned around. The land is given right at the beginning before there is any service so
that he can secure the services of Abraham. Notice that in the book of Isaiah God talks about
“my servant Abraham.” So the land is not given as a reward for service but because of the faith
of Abraham. We see this in Gen. 15:4-7.

4 
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very
own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven,
and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your
offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. And he
said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this
land to possess.”

Now Abraham has no children. So what will happen to the land if Abraham dies? This is all
upside down. God gives the land to Abraham even though he has no heir and not as a reward
for service but because of the faith of Abraham.

What Kind of Service Would Abraham Perform for God? (Gen. 17:1): A Royal/Priestly Deputy

Now what was the service that God required of Abraham? We’ve already heard that Abraham
would be a blessing and this is spelled out in a sentence that is very often overlooked but is far
reaching and it is found in Gen. 17:1.

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God
Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.

There are two new imperatives here: “walk before me and be blameless.” The English
translation here gives no indication of the weight of what God is commissioning Abraham to be.
“Walk” here is not just “walk before me”, it is “walk in my presence,” “walk before my face.”
God gives Abraham access to his face. Who is the one person who has unrestricted access to
the king in the ancient world? His deputy. He is the only person. Even his own children don’t
have unrestricted access.

Now based on the tense, it is more than “walk.” It is more like “walk in and out of my
presence.” That’s the closest you can come in English. This idiom “to walk in and out in my
presence” is a royal idiom – the language refers to the deputy, the prime minister. Abraham is
God’s deputy and he has access to God, he is to walk in and out of his royal presence.

Now walking in and out goes two ways. When Abraham walks in and out of God’s presence he
represents other people. He brings the needs of other people to God. And he brings God’s
decisions, God’s provision back from God to people. Normally in the OT, who is usually put in
this position, between God and people? Either a prophet or a priest. A prophet in a restricted

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sense intercedes to God and brings God’s word out to others. But in a broader sense, it’s what a
priest does. The high priest goes into God’s presence interceding for the people and he comes
out bringing God’s blessing from God’s presence to the people. So this type of language is the
language used for God appointing Abraham as a prophet or a priest as his deputy.

What Kind of Service Would Abraham Perform for God? (Gen. 17:1): A Ritually Blameless Servant

The second command pins it down further: “be blameless.” The word translated as “blameless”
means ritually blameless. Before an animal could be offered to God it had to be “blameless.”
What does this word blameless really mean? It means whole, intact, perfect condition, nothing
wrong with it, without blemish. It is not primarily a moral term. It is a ritual term. So Abraham is
to “be without any ritual blemish.” So it’s not only that offerings were to be ritually blameless,
but a man who was born into a priestly family who wasn’t ritually blameless, who had some
bodily defect, couldn’t become a priest. Only a man who was intact, in proper condition,
perfect could become a priest.

So what God is doing here is commissioning Abraham to be his deputy, his priestly deputy, and
to live a blameless life. This is not so much morally blameless but ritually blameless. The closest
we can get to it in the new covenant is having a good conscience. So in the new covenant
blamelessness has to do with having a good conscience before God.

Notice that this verse introduces the confirmation of God’s covenant with Abraham. What is
Abraham’s mission? He is to be a blessing. How is he to be a blessing? By walking in and out of
God’s royal presence as a mediator and by being a blameless servant/deputy of God. This
clearly shows the priestly nature of Abraham’s mission. However there is no temple and no
divine service. So blamelessness has to do with God’s command and God’s promise. And the
accent is on God’s promises. So the way that Abraham will serve God blamelessly will be to
enact God’s promises. Let me say that again. How does Abraham serve God blamelessly? How
does Abraham become a good deputy, a good agent of God? By enacting the promises of God.

The Result of Abraham’s Service is the Administration of God’s Righteousness and Justice (Gen.
18:18-19)

So the land is granted to Abraham so that Abraham can stand in God’s service as a blameless
mediator. The consequence of this is shown very clearly in the story of Abraham’s intercession
for Sodom and Gomorrah. We are going to look at three key verses that are almost always
overlooked, verses 17, 18 and 19 of chapter 18. First we will look at verses 17 and 18.

17 The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham
shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be
blessed in him?

Notice that God is talking about what he is going to do and that he is going to brief Abraham on
what he is going to do. And this has to do with what? Not punishing people, but what? “All

45
nations of the earth will be blessed through Abraham.” So this has to do with Abraham
administering God’s blessing on earth. And God briefs him on what he is going to do so that
Abraham can work with God in administering blessing here on earth. How does it work? Read
verse 19.

19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to
keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to
Abraham what he has promised him."

God has chosen Abraham so that he can command his children and his household “to keep the
way of the LORD” or to do the Lord’s work, to act the way that God acts, “by doing
righteousness and justice.” Abraham administers God’s righteousness, God’s justice in order to
bring blessing. What is the way of the Lord? The way of the Lord is the way of blessing. It also
involves judgment but he judges in order to bless. So primarily it has to do with blessing.
Abraham is to be an agent of blessing. He serves God by administering Gods’ righteousness and
God’s justice. He does this not only in his household but also in the descendants after him for
the benefit of the whole earth.

Now in the story that follows, how does Abraham do righteousness and justice? He intercedes
for Sodom and Gomorrah. Notice that doing righteousness and justice does not mean he is an
agent of retribution, but that he is the agent for salvation. He intercedes for God to spare at
least some people. So how does Abraham use his position as deputy to God? He administers
God’s righteousness and justice in order to bring blessing to all the nations of the earth. But he
also uses his position with God, his access with God, to intercede for sinful people. He doesn’t
just intercede for his family, he doesn’t just intercede for his relative Lot, but he intercedes for
the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were proverbial for their wickedness in the ancient
world. So he administers God’s righteousness by interceding for wicked people. So the result of
God’s choice, his election of Abraham, is so that he and his seed can administer/enact/do God’s
righteousness and justice.

3. Enactment in two stages

What is a Covenant?

God’s covenant with Abraham is enacted in two stages. First God makes the covenant with
Abraham (Gen. 15) and then he confirms it (Gen. 17). First off, what is a covenant? A covenant
is a commitment you make. Usually you make a covenant by swearing by someone greater than
you to guarantee the covenant. So when making a covenant, you typically take an oath in the
name of God who is the Guarantor of the covenant, who will penalize you if you break the
covenant. The problem is if God makes a covenant who does God swear by? There is no one
greater than God to swear by.

Covenant Promises of Offspring and Land (Gen. 15:2-7)

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The making of the covenant begins with Gen. 15:1-7.

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am
your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you
give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And
Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be
my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir;
your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward
heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So
shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as
righteousness. 7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the
Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” 

The word for offspring is seed. The heir will be a son coming from Abraham’s body. It will not be
an adopted son. And Abraham’s seed will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Now from a
human point of view this is ridiculous because Abraham is childless and Sarah is barren [and
they are both really old]. Notice that the focus initially is on the gift of a child from Abraham.
That is God’s promise. He will be Abraham’s heir.

An Elaborate Covenant Ceremony Where God Puts His Life on the Line (Gen. 15:8-18)

Next the covenant is officially made (cut) through a very stark ceremony.
7 
And he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to
give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall
possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years
old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all
these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the
birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them
away.
12 
As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great
darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your
offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they
will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they
serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go
to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back
here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
17 
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming
torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the
river Euphrates,

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What happens is this. God tells Abraham to get a 3 year old heifer and cut it in half and lay
them out opposite each other. Do the same with a 3 year old goat. And do the same with a 3
year old ram. Then kill a dove and pigeon and put them opposite each other. And then God put
Abraham into a deep sleep, the deepest of all deep sleep, a supernatural sleep, a total
unconscious sleep. And then in that state he has a vision of a smoking firepot moving backward
and forward between the cut up animals. And then God speaks and makes a covenant with
Abraham saying, “To your offspring/descendants/seed I give this land.”

What is the significance of the animals being cut in half? What you are saying when you walk
between them is, If I break this covenant then I will be cut in pieces like these animals. And the
one who would cut me in pieces would be the god whose name I swore by and in whose
presence I am making this covenant. This is a very strong covenant. In it you put your life on the
line. If you break the covenant the god will enact the penalties. That is the most extreme
commitment you can make in Semitic culture.

Everywhere in the OT God takes something that is established and turns it on its head. What is
being turned on its head here? Who would you expect to walk through the cut up animals? You
would expect Abraham to commit himself to God, which means he would be the one to walk
through the cut up animals. The surprise is that God commits himself to Abraham and he puts
his life on the line. So he swears by himself, he swears by his life. He puts his life on the line for
Abraham. He commits himself to the fulfillment of this covenant. So Abraham and God switch
positions in this covenant.

What is the state of Abraham in this covenant? He is as passive as you can get. He is not even
awake. He is asleep. And he isn’t a little bit asleep but is in the deepest possible unconscious
sleep.

Notice two things that are promised here. It is to Abraham’s offspring that the land is to be
given. So the covenant promises offspring and land to the offspring. That is the core of the
covenant.

Confirmation of the covenant in Genesis 17

The second stage of the covenant enactment is the confirmation of the covenant. The covenant
that God makes with Abraham is confirmed in Genesis 17. We had a look at Gen. 17:1 earlier.
God said to Abraham, I am El Shaddai, walk in and out before me and be perfect. This is
Abraham’s commissioning to be God’s priestly deputy, his servant. So notice that Abraham’s
vocation begins when he is an old man at the end of his life.

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I
am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant
between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God
said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of
nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I

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have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and
I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish my covenant
between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an
everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you
and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an
everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
9 
And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring
after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between
me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You
shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant
between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male
throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from
any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is
bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an
everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his
foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
15 
And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but
Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will
bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then
Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who
is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham
said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife
shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him
as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you;
behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father
twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant
with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”

In verse 2 God says, “2 that I may make my covenant between me and you”. To make a
covenant is to cut a covenant. This is a very strong covenant where the parties put their lives on
the line by walking between the cut up animals. (The same outcome awaits them if they break
the covenant.) God’s promise to Abram in v. 3 is to make him a father of a multitude of nations.
To give Abram a constant reminder of this promise God changes Abram’s name to Abraham,
which means father of many nations. In v. 7 God says that the covenant is between him and
Abraham and Abraham’s descendants and it is an everlasting covenant.

What Benefits Will Abraham and His Descendants Receive From the Covenant?

Abraham will receive many benefits from this covenant. (1) First, he will have offspring – many,
many offspring (vv. 2, 6). (2) Yahweh says he will be the God of Abraham and his offspring. This
is a new gift that is often overlooked, but is really the heart of the matter (vv. 7-8). (We’ll talk
about this some shortly.) (3) Abraham and his descendents are also promised the whole land of

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Canaan (v.8). (4) God promises to give Abraham and Sarah, even though they are very old, a son
whose name shall be Isaac. The covenant established with Abraham will be handed on to Isaac
and not Ishmael and then to Isaac’s offspring (v. 19). (5) God institutes circumcision as a sign of
the covenant (vv. 9-14). (More on this shortly.)

God Promises to Be the God of Abraham and His Descendants

In. v. 7 God said to Abraham, “I will be God to you and to your offspring after you.” Here God
is committing himself to Abraham and his descendants. Later on at Sinai God says, “I will be
your God and you will be my people.” That is called the covenant formula. In it God commits to
Israel and Israel commits to God. But notice here in Gen. 17 that we only get the first part of the
formula: “I will be to you Abraham and to your seed as a God” (Dr, Kleinig’s translation).
What’s going on here? There is something of a riddle here. The fulfillment of the riddle is in Ex.
29:45-46, where you have God’s establishment of the divine service in the daily sacrifice. In
looking at that passage, notice that it is speaking about the daily burnt offering where God will
meet with his people every morning and every evening, where God will speak through first
Moses and then Aaron and the priests to the people.

Ex. 29
45 
I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I
am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among
them. I am the Lord their God.

In and through the daily service God dwells with his people and God says he will be their God.
The verb translated into English as “be” in vv. 7 and 8 is difficult to translate because it is far
broader than the modern English verb “to be.” So for instance take a marriage formula. The
husband would say to his bride, “I will be to you for a husband.” What would that mean? It
would mean, I will serve you or act as your husband. I will belong to you as your husband. So it
is not just commitment to allegiance. It is commitment to ongoing activity. Practically that
means, I will provide for you. I will live with you. I will do all the things that a husband should do
for his wife.

So along those lines, what God promises here is that he will act as a God to Abraham and his
descendants. Now that promise to act or serve as God is fulfilled when God establishes the
divine service. Why is it fulfilled only then? Until the divine service is established he cannot act
as a God to the Israelites. As a God he will speak to them and bless them, purify them and
sanctify them, care for them and look after them, dwell with them. Notice that all of this is
connected with him dwelling with them. Only when he dwells with them can he provide
everything that a God should provide for his people.

The commitment eventually will be mutual but here God’s commitment comes first. When God
serves them then they will become and act as his people. And how do the Israelites serve God
as his people? They worship in the way that God establishes worship. So the promise here to
Abraham to be their God is really a promise of divine service, which is fulfilled later on in

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Exodus. The formula has a liturgical context. So every Sunday, God is for us our God. He serves
us as our God in the Divine Service so that we in turn can serve and act as his people.

So what we have here in God’s covenant with Abraham is the heart of God’s covenant at Sinai.
That is because the covenant formula epitomizes the two sides to the covenant at Sinai. But
here in these verses, we only get the first part of the formula. At Mt. Sinai we get the full
formula being enacted – God serving as Israel’s God and Israel serving as God’s people.

Circumcision is a Performative Sign of the Covenant

God establishes circumcision as a sign of the covenant. A sign can have two different meanings.
(1) First, a sign can be just an informative sign. For instance, if you are married you wear a
wedding ring. It informs anyone who wants to know that I am married. It informs of something
that has already happened. It is an informative sign. (2) Secondly, the word that is used for sign
in the covenant with Abraham is oath. In that case, the sign is more than just information. It
actually does something. It is a performative sign.

Let’s take marriage as an example of these two uses of sign. A marriage certificate is an
informative sign. It informs you of something that has already happened, that you got married.
On the other hand, the marriage ceremony itself is a performative sign. It actually does
something. In it two people are officially married. The marriage ceremony is an oath in Hebrew
because it is not only an indication of the relationship between two people, but it actually
establishes the relationship.

With this as background, take note that circumcision is a performative sign of the covenant.
When a person is circumcised that person’s status before God changes. We read of
circumcision in Gen. 17:9-14.
9 
And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your
offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall
keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be
circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign
of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be
circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or
bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is
born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So
shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who
is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken
my covenant.”

Traditional Pagan Circumcision vs. Israelite Circumcision

Circumcision was common in the ancient world. But the practice of circumcision in traditional
cultures was much different than the way the Israelites practiced it. In traditional cultures the
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marriage of an adolescent boy and girl was arranged. The person who did the circumcision was
the future father-in-law. He performed circumcision as the head of his clan. When a boy was
circumcised he became a man and was adopted into the wife’s clan.

As God often does, he takes human ceremonies and turns them on their head. God applies
circumcision to an eight day old infant boy. As the head of the clan, God is the one doing the
circumcision (through the father or his representative). Since God is the head of the clan, the
circumcision of the boy makes the boy part of God’s clan, part of God’s family. Through this act,
the boy becomes God’s son and as such he becomes an heir and he is considered an adult with
all of the responsibilities and privileges of an adult.

This is a sign of the covenant. But in what sense? Is it only informative or does it actually do
something? Circumcision makes him a Jew. It makes him a son of the covenant. It makes him a
member of God’s family so much so that any male that is not circumcised is excluded from the
family/people/kinsfolk of Israel. Anyone who is uncircumcised cannot celebrate the Passover
and cannot participate in the divine service. So what is the basic prerequisite to be a member of
the congregation of Israel? You had to be circumcised. It brought you into the congregation, the
family of God.

The “Circumcision” of the NT

Let’s go to the NT. The NT talks about a different kind of circumcision. Already in Deuteronomy
God had spoken about the circumcision of the heart. Jeremiah picks up on that and says in the
age to come people’s hearts will be circumcised. What is the symbolism here? In circumcision, if
I put it crudely, a part of the old boy is removed. In the new covenant, the whole of the old boy,
the old man, is removed. So the NT talks about Baptism as an act of circumcision, where the
whole old person, the old Adam, is put off. And we put on a new person, a new man in Christ.
So when Paul talks about old Adam/new Adam or old self/new self he is using circumcision
language. The NT talks about a circumcision not done by human hands. In the OT the foreskin
was physically removed. In Baptism, God himself, through the Holy Spirit, puts to death the
whole old man and creates a new man, a new self.

Lastly, we have here one of the strongest arguments for infant baptism. The NT makes it quite
clear that Baptism is the Christian circumcision. Circumcision in the OT was quite deliberately
not just for adults but for infants. In the new covenant, infants are also “circumcised”
(baptized), females as well as males. This is because it isn’t just dealing with the male anatomy
but with the whole old self being removed. The baptismal ceremony is the same for infants as it
is for adults. They are all treated the same. Before God, all people, young and old, are as
helpless as babies. And if possible the best day to baptize is the 8 th day in order to make the
connection to circumcision.

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4. God’s Covenant with Abraham is Foundational for All His Future Dealings
with Israel

What is most important is to see that this is The foundational covenant. All of God’s dealings
with Israel are on the basis of this covenant. By foundational we mean that the covenant is not
just important at the time it was given but it will continue to be important in God’s dealings
with Israel and the Church. Let’s take a look at some passages that shows that God’s activity
with Israel is based on this covenant with Abraham.

Deliverance from Egypt Because of the Oath

Remember that in Hebrew the word for sign was oath. In this passage we see that the reason
God rescued his people from Egypt was because he loved them and because of the oath he
made to Abraham. So in this oath God committed himself to the Israelite fathers. The exodus is
a consequence of his covenant with Abraham.

Deut. 7:8
8 
but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers,
that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of
slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deliverance and the Land Because of the Covenant Sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

As God spoke to Moses before he went to confront pharaoh, God said he would deliver Israel
from Egypt because he remembered his covenant with Abraham. Whenever God “remembers”
he takes action. And because he swore an oath to give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s
descendants, God promised to keep his word.

Ex. 6:5-6, 8
5 
Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as
slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the
Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you
from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of
judgment. ... 8 I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to
Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’”

Because of His Covenant and Steadfast Love He Will Bless Israel in the Land

Not only will God give them the land of Canaan, but he will also bless them once they are in the
land. And the basis for this blessing is the covenant that he swore with Abraham.

Deut. 7:12-14

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12 
“And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the Lord your God will keep
with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers. 13 He will love
you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of
your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young
of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. 14 You shall be blessed
above all peoples. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your
livestock.

Because of the Covenant God Has Compassion for His Unfaithful People

2 Kings talks about the faithlessness of the northern kingdom who was guilty of idolatry. So why
had God not destroyed the northern kingdom?

2 Kings 13:23
23 
But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward
them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them,
nor has he cast them from his presence until now.

Even though Israel was unfaithful God had patience with the northern kingdom and its apostate
kings. And that was because of covenant with Abraham. That is why he had not banished them
from the land. That is why he had not destroyed them. The covenant was the basis for God’s
ongoing patience and mercy with a sinful northern kingdom.

Because of the Covenant God Will Deliver Israel From Exile

Even when Israel is in exile from the land because they’ve broken the covenant, what still
applies? What’s the bottom line? What hope is there for the future?

42 
then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac
and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.

45 
But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out
of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the Lord.”

When God remembers his covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, he will bring his people
back to the land but only if they repent. So this covenant provides the foundation for
repentance. God’s covenant stands despite human sin. God cannot and will not ever annul his
covenant with Abraham. The people can annul it. They can spurn it but God never will. What
does that mean then? Even if Israel sins, there is always an open door, the open door of
repentance.

Covenant Blessings through the Davidic King/Messiah

In Ps. 72 we have a very interesting application of the covenant.

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Ps. 72:17
17 
May his name endure forever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
    all nations call him blessed!

This is a psalm of Solomon and it is a psalm that is prayed at the coronation of Solomon and
every king after Solomon. Notice here that the promise that was made to Abraham, that
Abraham would be blessed and that everyone would be blessed through Abraham, is now
applied to the king and messianic king. And via the messianic king, it comes to the NT. So we
are heirs of Abraham through David through the Messiah who is Jesus. Through Jesus we
become honorary Jews, Jews not by law but by grace. We are adopted into Israel and we are
therefore heirs of Abraham and the promise of blessing that God applied to Abraham.

Ultimately Paul reminds us that the great blessing that God promises to Abraham is the gift of
the Holy Spirit. And that promise doesn’t apply to the old age, it doesn’t apply to the land of
Israel, but it applies to the age to come. We will come to this again, but God promises Abraham
“land.” But the Hebrew word translated as “land” also means “the earth.” So in Romans, Paul
says that God promised Abraham that he would inherit the earth. And in the Beatitudes Jesus
said, Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Which earth does Paul say the
descendants of Abraham will inherit? Not the old earth but the new earth, the new age, the
heavenly inheritance. So the trajectory of the promises to Abraham goes through the OT to the
NT and beyond.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and his interaction with
Abraham in GOD’S COVENANT WITH ABRAMAM?

1. God’s covenants are foundational. They affect not only the present generation but also
future generations.
2. God grants Abraham land because of Abraham’s faith and not as a reward for his
service.
3. God makes Abraham his deputy, giving him access to the heavenly King. He is to use his
deputy position and his access to intercede for and to bring blessings to the nations.
4. Initially the covenant focuses on Abraham and Sarah having a son and Abraham’s belief
in God’s Word.
5. God cut a very strong covenant with Abraham. In it God promised to give the land of
Canaan to Abraham’s descendants. In it Abraham was completely passive and God
swore by his own life that he would keep this covenant.
6. The benefits to Abraham of the covenant are: Abraham and Sarah will have a son
named Isaac and the covenant will be through him. They will have many offspring and
God will be the God of not only Abraham but also of his descendants. Abraham’s

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 offspring will receive the land of Canaan. They will become partakers in the covenant
through circumcision.
7. God’s commitment to be their God means he will dwell with them in order that he can
speak to them, bless them, purify them, sanctify them, care for them and look after
them. The fulfillment of this will occur at Mt. Sinai when he gives them the divine
service.
8. Circumcision is a performative sign. It changes the status of people. It makes the person
circumcised a part of God’s family, God’s son. (Baptism is the NT circumcision.)
9. God’s covenant with Abraham was foundational. All important OT events were done on
the basis of this covenant: redemption from Egypt, giving of the land, God’s patience
and compassion with his unfaithful people, deliverance from exile, and blessings
through the Davidic kings and the Messiah.

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 D. GOD’S FOUNDATION OF ISRAEL AS HIS HOLY PEOPLE
Now we move on to the next big foundational event. Let me remind you that this reading of the
OT that I am presenting is in terms of foundational words, stories, and events. The exodus from
Egypt is a great foundational event. This is so much so that for last 100 years it has been looked
on as The great foundational event of the OT. So for instance the great Karl Barth and other OT
scholars after him call the exodus in the OT equivalent to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Is
he right? Yes, in the sense that the death and resurrection of Jesus is pictured as the new
exodus. So the exodus is a great foundational event, but is it The foundational event of the OT?
No, The foundational event is the call of Abraham and the covenant with Abraham.

a. THE DELIVERANCE FROM EGYPT

1. The Status of Israel

The View that the Exodus and Covenant Make Israel God’s People
I am going to give you an overview of my reading of exodus, which is going to be different to
one that you will find in most OT theologies, which follow Karl Barth. Their view says that
exodus leads to the covenant at Sinai and then as a result of the exodus and the covenant at
Sinai the descendants of Abraham become God’s people, God’s kinfolk. So according to them
the story is that as a result of the exodus from Egypt and the covenant at Sinai, people who
were merely an ethnic group become God’s ethnic group. In this view the covenant at Sinai is
the means where God becomes the God of Israel, the King of Israel, and Israel becomes God’s
royal people.

In the Exodus and Covenant God’s Makes His People Holy

The problem with this reading (that Israel becomes God’s people at Sinai) is that it does not
correspond to the OT. In Genesis and in Exodus before being released from slavery, God quite
clearly calls the descendants of Abraham his people. He calls them his people even before they
go to Egypt, before the release from Egypt, before the covenant at Sinai. So, the exodus and
covenant at Sinai is Not the foundational event by which Israel becomes the people of God.

My contention, going back to patristic theology, is that the deliverance from Egypt and the
covenant at Sinai is foundational for Israel as a liturgical community, as a holy community.
Because of the exodus and because of the covenant at Sinai, the people, who were the people
of God already, become a holy nation, a royal priesthood. God gives them the divine service.
And because they have the divine service, they can be a holy, priestly people [because in it God
shares his holiness with them.] So, these events are not foundational for the creation of Israel

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but are foundational for the sanctification of Israel. They already are the people of God! These
events sanctify Israel. They make Israel a holy people.

Israel as God’s People – God’s Firstborn Son

What is the status of Israel before Sinai, before the exodus? First of all, even before the
deliverance the Israelites are the people of God. So, when Moses comes to pharaoh and speaks
in the name of the Lord, he says, “Let my people go” (Ex. 5:1; 7:16; 8:1; 8:8; 8:20, 21; 9:1; 9:13;
9:17; 10:3, 4). They are already God’s people. And not only are his people, the Lord says in Ex.
4:22-23, “Israel is my firstborn son.”

Ex.4:22-23
22 
Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I say to
you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your
firstborn son.’”

Notice the parallel here between pharaoh’s firstborn son and Israel as the firstborn son of the
Lord. Israel is God’s firstborn son just as pharaoh has a firstborn son. Pharaoh is to let the
Israelites go from their service to him so that they may serve the Lord. So, what is Israel’s
status? Israel is God’s firstborn son among the nations. The picture is this. Every nation on the
earth has been created by God. All the nations of the earth in a sense are sons of God. And God
has given a particular part of the earth to every national, ethnic group. They are therefore sons
of God. But Israel has a special status amongst all the nations. Israel has the status of being
God’s firstborn son.

Service of Pharaoh (as Slaves) vs. Servants of God (as Sons)

Pharaoh made the Israelites serve him as slaves. God demanded that pharaoh release the
Israelites so that they could serve him. The service of pharaoh is the service of slavery. The
service of God is the service of sonship. So there is the service of a son to his father and the
service of a slave to his master. They are called to serve God not as slaves but as sons.

2. God’s Involvement in their Oppression

God Visits His People in Egypt

Even before Jacob and his family went down to Egypt, God promised to go down with them
(see Gen. 46:4). Then in Egypt after the Israelites were made into slaves, God “visits” his people.
To “visit” is to inspect a situation and to intervene to fix it. So in Ex. 3:3 God said, “I have come
down to deliver (to visit) them out of the hand of the Egyptians.” God has observed the
situation (Ex. 3:16) and the way that he will fix it is to deliver them.

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God Hears, Sees, and Joins the Israelites in Their Suffering
In their slavery the Israelites groaned and cried out (Ex. 2:23). How did God react to their
groans and cries?

Ex. 2:24-25
24 
And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with
Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

First, he heard their groans. Second, he remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. Third, he saw the Israelites. He paid attention to them and their problem. And fourth, it
says “God knew.” This is rather strange. It doesn’t tell us what God knew. This is not an
intellectual knowing, but experiential knowing. God experienced their suffering. Then God
appeared to Moses in the burning bush and said to him:

Ex. 3:7-9
7 
Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have
heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down
to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to
a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites,
the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now,
behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression
with which the Egyptians oppress them.

First it says God saw their affliction. He paid attention to their plight. Secondly, he heard their
cry. And thirdly, he knows their sufferings. He knows their sufferings because he suffers with
them. God is now suffering here with the Israelites and that is the basis for him getting involved
in calling Moses and delivering them from slavery. So God hears them, remembers his covenant
commitment, sees what is happening, and joins them in their suffering. That is the motive for
his deliverance of them.

3. Call of Moses

As a result of God’s hearing, remembering, seeing, and knowing, God calls Moses to be his
agent in delivering the people. Moses is a strange person to call to be a deliverer. Moses
murdered an Egyptian and had to run for his life. And now 40 years later as an old man (80
years old) God calls him and commissions him to rescue his people from slavery in Egypt. But
Moses doesn’t think he can do it. Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh
and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He is saying, I’m a nobody. How can I go up

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against might pharaoh and his armies and his sorcerers, with all their political and spiritual
power?

God Equips Moses for the Task with Two Weapons

God answered Moses doubts by giving him two weapons.

Ex. 3:11-15
11 
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of
Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I
have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this
mountain.”
13 
Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your
fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to
them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I
am has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel:
‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered
throughout all generations

The first weapon God gives Moses is God’s presence. Moses will not go up against pharaoh
alone. God will be with him. To prove this is true, God gives Moses as sign. This is a funny sign.
Usually a sign is given before the event occurs to convince you and reassure you that what is
promised will happen. But in this case the sign will not occur until after it is all over. God is
saying to Moses, Everything seems to be against you. You are an old man. Pharaoh seems to
hold all the power. You’re a nobody who pharaoh won’t listen to. So when it is all over and
Israel has been released from slavery and you bring them to this mountain to serve me, then
you will know for certain that I was with you.

The second weapon is the name of God. Now why would the people want to know the name of
the God who sent Moses to deliver them? Since there were hundreds of gods, they would want
to know which one sent Moses. A second reason is that they would want to know which god
gave Moses authority to do this. A third reason is that they would want to know which god to
pray to and worship if they were delivered. God gives Moses his proper name, which is YHWH (I
AM, Yahweh, the One who is or the One who causes to be). It is not a title. It is a proper name.

The term “God” is a common name. Many religions call their god, God. So if someone talks
about God, what god are they talking about? It’s too generic. You need the proper name for the
god. The proper name identifies and distinguishes that god from all other gods. The name of

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the God that is Israel’s God, who called Moses to deliver Israel, is Yahweh. Besides a proper
name identifying a person, a proper name gives you access to that person. One of the most
profound things that happens to you is when someone introduces them self to you. If they give
you their personal, proper name, they are giving you full unrestricted access to them self.

Uses of God’s Holy, Proper Name

Since God gave Moses his holy name, how can Moses and Israel use the holy name? (1) First
Moses can use God’s name to introduce God and proclaim his presence to his people. So when
he goes to the people he says, Thus says YHWH and then he speaks in the first person. He uses
the name to introduce God to the people and to speak God’s word to the people. (2) Secondly
he uses God’s name so that he can announce God’s deliverance to the people. He says, YHWH
will do xxxxx. (3) Thirdly, Moses will use God’s name to demand that pharaoh let God’s people
go. When he does, pharaoh thinks, Who does this Yahweh think he is? Then when pharaoh
refuses to let them go, Moses uses God’s name to announce judgment on Egypt. Also notice
that Moses uses God’s name to intercede for and bless pharaoh too. (4) Moses uses God’s
name to gain access his help and his grace in prayer. Apart from God’s name, we/they have no
access to God or his grace. If you look at the book of Psalms, every psalm repeats over and over
again the name YHWH as the psalmist seeks God’s grace and mercy.

A Reluctance to Name God in Modern Christianity

There is a reluctance in modern Christianity to name God. This is especially true in many
Protestant churches. Sometimes in prayers they don’t even address God. They just start talking
without naming who they are talking to. This is also true in many modern songs. And the worst
are the Jesus boyfriend songs. In those songs you can’t be sure who is being addressed - Jesus
or a boyfriend. We need to take great care in naming God because everything hinges on it.

There are many, including Christian pastors, who purposely pray to “God.” They are purposely
vague so as to not offend anyone and to allow each person to address their version of “God.”
So they pray to an unknown, unnamed god. This will continue. You will see more of it. Realize
that our creeds show us the way in naming God. Not only what God has done, but primarily in
how we name God. We say we believe in the Father Almighty and in one Lord Jesus Christ and
in the Holy Spirit. That is naming God.

4. Nature of Deliverance

God’s Deliverance of Israel

The deliverance of Israel from Egypt is understood in four main ways theologically. The basic
conviction is this, that what looks like a great escape story from a human point of view is in fact

61
the work of God. So God is at work behind and in this event in human history. And God’s role in
delivering the Israelites is understood in terms of four pictures or images or analogies.

The Deliverance from Egypt as an Act of Redemption by a Kinsman

First of all the deliverance of Israel is an act of redemption by a kinsman, a kinsman redeemer.
Each family had a kinsman redeemer. The redeemer was usually the oldest male in the family.
He was responsible for keeping the family together and out of trouble. He would do this in a
number of ways.

(1) First, if anyone in the family got into debt, the redeemer would get the money together
from the family to bail that family member out. So if a person got into debt, he could be made
into a slave. Or if a member were taken as a prisoner of war, he could be sold as a slave. This
was common in the ancient world. The redeemer would pay money to get that person out of
slavery. He would buy his freedom. He would get all the resources from the family clan together
to free him from slavery.

(2) Second, the redeemer also redeems from a court of law. Courts in the ancient world were
much more informal. They met in the village square. The elders were the judges. You had an
accuser on one side and the one being accused on the other side. The redeemer acted like a
defense attorney. He was an advocate for the family member who was accused.

(3) Third, if a member went into debt, the debt collectors could come and take their land away.
Now the land in Israel was not to be sold because God gave it to each family to provide a
livelihood and stability for the family. The land technically belonged to God and he was
“renting” it to the family. By paying the debt they would keep the land in the family and
continue to be able to live off the land.

(4) Fourth, The last aspect of a kinsman is the most startling. If I were to die without leaving an
heir, it would be the job of my kinsman redeemer himself or another male in the family to
father a child with my wife. That child would then be considered my child and not his child. The
child would be my heir. By doing this the family is redeemed. By doing this the family line would
continue and the land would stay in the family.

So in the Exodus from Egypt, God acts as the Kinsman Redeemer for Israel. Israel is God’s
people. God redeems his people because they are his kinsfolk [, his firstborn son]. So he
ransoms them from captivity and slavery. The Israelites were threatened with extinction
through genocide, so God intervened to save their lives, and then later he restores their land
and livelihood to them when he gives them and divides the land of Canaan up among them. So
the deliverance from Egypt is an act of redemption.

The Deliverance from Egypt as an Act of Emancipation

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The second picture for Israel’s deliverance is related to the first. The exodus is an act of
emancipation. Emancipation means freeing someone from slavery. The Israelites were slaves in
Egypt. Moses came to pharaoh and said, Let my people go that they may serve me. The
underlying Hebrew word here means to send out, to release, to free, to let go. So “let my
people go” means release them from slavery. A common phrase in the OT is where God says, I
am Yahweh, the one who brought out the Israelites from the land of Egypt. God is the one who
liberated, brought out, freed the Israelites from slavery.

So through Moses God demanded that pharaoh free his people. He says if pharaoh does not let
them go, he will use his right hand and outstretched arm, which means he will use military
force to free his people. So the exodus is an act of emancipation, an act of liberation, where
they go out of Egypt and are free.

The Deliverance from Egypt as a Victory Over the Powers of Evil and Chaos
The third picture of the exodus is not as evident but if you look closely you can see it all over
the place. The deliverance from Egypt is seen as a victory. Not as a political victory of Moses
over pharaoh, but of God over the gods of Egypt and the powers of chaos. So God is pictured as
the divine warrior. He single handedly takes on pharaoh and his armies.

Pharaoh was viewed by the Egyptians as the incarnation of the sun god. So when pharaoh
enslaves the Israelites, it not just a form of political oppression but also spiritual oppression. To
put it in Christian terms, pharaoh puts on a front for Satan and the powers of darkness. So
Moses is not only called on to deliver the Israelites politically, but to deliver them from the
Egyptian gods. Yet it’s not Moses who will deliver Israel, but God would come and fight for
them. He would be their divine Champion (see Ex. 15:3).

Moses deals with not only pharaoh, but also with his magicians. Pharaoh exercises spiritual
power, but the power he exercises is occult power, sorcery, magic. Egyptian theology is riddled
with sorcery and magic. Moses engages with these sorcerers and overcomes them. But again
it’s not really Moses, but the Lord, working through Moses, who is the Champion. You will
remember from the Bible Introduction class that the ten plagues are ten battles in the war
between God and the Egyptian gods.

Ex. 12:12
12 
For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the
land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am
the Lord.

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God said he would execute judgment on all the gods of Egypt. So on one side you have God
who fights alone and on the other side you have all the gods of Egypt, thousands of them. And
God single handedly wins the battle.

The fact that God wins the battle single handedly is emphasized in a number of different ways.
The twelve tribes of Israel are the twelve armies of Israel or the twelve divisions of the Lord’s
army. One name for God is YHWH Sabaoth, the God of the armies. But Israel is a very strange
kind of army. They simply stand still and watch the battle and witness the victory of the Lord
over pharaoh and his army and the gods of Egypt. And then afterwards they plunder the
enemy.

Ex. 14:13-14
13 
And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will
work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The LORD will
fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Ex. 14:30-31
30 
Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians
dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the
people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

The Final Victory of God Over the Powers of Darkness

To understand the final battle at the Red Sea you have to understand Egyptian theology.
Yahweh goes before Israel and enters the domain of the underworld (the Red Sea), the domain
of death. And when he does, he turns the abyss into a solid pavement so the Israelites can walk
across the Red Sea. And then he moves from the front of his army to the back. His glory cloud
separates the Egyptian army from the Israelites. The cloud gives light to Israel and darkness to
the Egyptians. Once all of the Israelites have passed through the sea, God releases the water on
the Egyptian army and they all drowned.

What is the theology behind this in a mythological way of thinking? Pharaoh and the Egyptians
are overwhelmed and taken into the underworld. Pharaoh’s son had already been killed in the
last plague and now pharaoh dies and goes not into the heavens but into the underworld. The
sun god can’t save him. The sun god cannot save his son who is lost forever in the underworld.
That is the pagan view of the story. What is the Israelite view? God went into death and
achieved victory over death in the underworld. And God brought all the people through death
and out of death, through chaos and into order, out of darkness and into the light.

This then is a foretaste of what Jesus did. Jesus didn’t just die but he descended into hell (the
underworld). And on the third day he arose from the dead victorious. Jesus death and
resurrection is the great Exodus, the great deliverance, the great victory. So the victory of God

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over pharaoh and his army in a little way is a pointer to the great victory which is achieved by
Christ’s death and resurrection. The defeat of pharaoh prefigures the defeat of Satan and all the
powers of darkness. Paul picks up on this in 1 Cor. 10:1-2. And the role of Christians in spiritual
warfare is like that of the Israelites. They don’t do any fighting but merely call on the Champion,
Christ, and witness the victory.

The Exodus as Divine Theophany

Fourthly, the exodus is a strange, unusual theophany. In the pagan theology a god appears. At
the place where he or she appears a shrine is built and an idol of the god is placed in the shrine.
The idol is the means of access to that god. In the story of the deliverance from Egypt you have
theophany by Yahweh, the God of Israel, that occurs in a series of historical events. It begins
with the call of Moses. And the result of this appearance by God in this series of events is that
people get to know and recognize the Lord.

Before the plagues begin God says two different groups will get to know him (Ex. 6:7; 7:5). The
Israelites will get to know the Lord as their redeemer and the Egyptians will get to know the
Lord as their judge. This touches on a very important part of the OT. Whenever God appears,
his appearance is ambiguous; it has two sides to it. On the one hand, his presence and
appearance is and brings salvation to those who are righteous. And on the other hand, it brings
judgment and destruction to those who are wicked. He is Light and Light destroys darkness. So
The purpose of the exodus is for God to disclose himself as Savior and Judge.

God’s visible presence was seen in the glory cloud that led Israel out of Egypt. The cloud both
conceals and reveals God’s glory. His presence is shown visibly but in a concealed way. During
the daytime it is a dark cloud but at night the cloud lights up. At the Red Sea the cloud of God’s
presence separates the Egyptians and Israelites. The cloud brought darkness to the Egyptians
and light to the Israelites, darkness to God’s enemies and light to the righteous. So God appears
as a gracious Deliverer to the Israelites and a God of wrath and judgment to pharaoh.

There is something very profound here, not only for the OT but also for the NT. Pastors preach
the Word and administer the Sacraments in order to reveal the glory of God, the presence of
God here on earth. And the presence of God is never neutral. The presence of Christ is either
judgment or salvation; it is either grace or wrath.

The Result and Reaction to God’s Theophany

The effects of God’s presence and his word can have two effects, either hardening of hearts or
faith in God. God’s presence for the Egyptians makes them more defiant and rebellious and
leads to the hardening of their hearts. They refuse to listen to Moses. They refuse to listen to
God. They harden their hearts and God allows their hearts to be hardened.

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The other result is faith. In this regard there are three things that are mentioned. (1) First of all,
when Aaron told the elders of Israel the words of the Lord, the people believed and bowed
down and worshipped (Ex. 4:29-31). They submitted to God in faith. (2) Second, when given
God’s word concerning the Passover, the people obeyed and did what God commanded (Ex.
12:28). (3) Third, when Israel saw the Lord destroy pharaoh and his army, they feared and
believed the Lord (Ex. 14:31). So the Exodus displays two vastly different reactions to God’s
word. Israel, in faith believed and obeyed God’s word, while pharaoh disbelieved and disobeyed
God’s word.

So the whole series of events are a theophany and they are bracketed by two theophanic
events. Before Moses was called by God, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. Moses
stood on holy ground at Mt. Horeb (Sinai). That was the first theophany. And then at the end of
the exodus lies the great theophany to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai (the giving of the Ten
Commandments). Between them is a series of events which are theophanic. God reveals
himself through them. They disclose God as Judge and as Savior.

5. Liturgical goal of deliverance

The Goal and Purpose of the Exodus is for Israel to Serve God
The last thing to emphasize about the exodus is its goal. What is its purpose? It is stated over
and over again by Moses when he comes to demand that pharaoh release God’s people. You
should notice that Moses doesn’t just say, Let my people go. But there is always a purpose that
he adds on to it: Let my people go so that they may serve me.

The whole book of exodus is an elaborate pun on the verb “serve” and its cognates. The noun
from it is “service” and is used in two ways in Exodus. (1) On the one hand, the Israelites are in
bondage or slavery to the Egyptians and the Egyptian gods. (2) But they are delivered from
service as slaves for another kind of service. They are delivered from service to the pagan gods,
which is slavery, to the service of the living God, which is serving freely. That is the basic
theology of Exodus.

Right from the beginning when God called Moses, God told Moses that after he delivered Israel
from slavery, “you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Ex. 3:12) Before the first plague, God’s
demand through Moses was, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.”
(Ex. 7:16) The word “serve” can mean four things: (1) to work as a worker, (2) to work as a
slave, (3) to work as a deputy, right-hand man or (4) to perform ritual work. In the above use of
serve, which one of these meanings is meant?

The Goal and Purpose of the Exodus is for Israel to Serve God Liturgically

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It becomes clear which of these meanings is meant when Moses makes this same request to
pharaoh in a slightly different manner. Moses said to pharaoh, Thus says the LORD,  “the God 
of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’” (Ex. 5:1).
This refers to a pilgrim festival. The way that you worship the Lord at a festival is by feasting.
The term means to go on a pilgrimage to a holy place to celebrate a festival and a festival
always has to do with eating and drinking and having a good time. From Moses’ encounter with
God at the burning bush, we know that the holy place in the wilderness is Mt. Sinai. That is
where they will serve/feast with God.

In that same conversation with pharaoh, Moses makes the same request in yet a different way.
He says, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into
the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence
or with the sword.” (Ex. 5:3) To make a sacrifice was to bring a domesticated animal to the
Lord, slaughter it, drain the blood and pour it out on the altar, offer the fatty parts of the animal
on the altar, give part of the meat to the priests, and the rest of the meat goes to the one
offering the sacrifice who then, with his family and friends, eats the meat as a holy meal in the
presence of God.

So the way they were to serve the Lord was to perform this ritual, which involved feasting on a
holy meal. This was called the divine service. God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt so that
they could serve him by participating in the divine service and receiving the gifts that God
provides for them, so that they can have access to God and his blessings in the divine service.
The purpose of the exodus is liturgical.

Take note also of the Passover. The Passover, which is at the center of the exodus from Egypt,
celebrates the exodus and reenacts the exodus every year. The ceremony where they reenact
the exodus is the Feast of the Passover.

The Liturgical Goal is Reinforced by the Passover, the Sanctuary, and God’s Presence
The Passover, which is at the center of the exodus from Egypt, celebrates the exodus and
reenacts the exodus every year. The ceremony where they reenact the exodus is the Feast of
the Passover. In the Passover blood was placed on the doorposts of the house. That made the
house a clean and holy place, a kind of temporary sanctuary. This led then to a feast where the
Passover lamb was eaten. They were to perform these rituals (“service” (Ex. 12:26)) every year
to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt. In the Passover God served Israel by delivering
them from Egypt.

After the Exodus was complete, the Israelites sang the Song of the Sea. In Ex. 15:17-18, they
sang:

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17 
You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain,
    the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode,
    the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
18 
The Lord will reign forever and ever.”

The goal of the exodus is for God to bring the people to his holy mountain, the place where he
builds his sanctuary, the place where he builds his temple (Jerusalem). He does this so that he
can reign over them and through them the world. So again the goal of the exodus is liturgical. It
so that God can bring the people to his temple sanctuary so they can worship God there, so
they can serve the heavenly king.

Finally the purpose for the exodus and journey to the promised land is put even more clearly in
Ex. 39:46.

46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of
Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

According to this verse What God had in mind when he brought them out of Egypt was so that
he might dwell among them. The Hebrew word for “dwell” means to reside, to live, to dwell.
How does he dwell among his people? First of all he dwells in the tabernacle. The Hebrew word
for tabernacle has the same root as the word for dwell. The tabernacle is the earthly residence
of the heavenly King. God will live with his people, first in the tabernacle and then in the
temple. In doing so, he will make himself available and accessible to them in this way.

To summarize, the goal of the deliverance is liturgical. God delivers his people so he can dwell
in their midst, so that through the divine service, which is performed in his presence, he can
serve them and bless them. The purpose of the exodus is divine service. The purpose is
liturgical.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and his DELIVERANCE OF ISRAEL
FROM EGYPT?

1. The Israelites are already God’s people before they went to Egypt. But even more, God
considers them his firstborn son.
2. God was with his people as they were made slaves in Egypt. He heard their cries, he saw
their oppression, and he suffered with them.
3. As a result, he called Moses to deliver Israel from slavery and gave him two powerful
weapons: his presence and his Name.
4. When God delivered Israel, he acted as their Kinsman Redeemer protecting his family;
he emancipated his people, freeing them from slavery; and he, acting as their

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 Champion, single handedly defeated all the political and spiritual powers of darkness
and chaos in Egypt.
5. God’s appearance in Egypt is ambiguous. Through his appearance and actions God’s
people see him as their Savior and the enemies of God and his people see him as their
Judge. God’s appearance is always either one or the other.
6. The purpose of God’s deliverance of Israel through the exodus was so that Israel could
serve the Lord/feast with the Lord/sacrifice to the Lord. The purpose was so that God
could dwell with them and bless them through the rituals he gave them to perform. The
purpose of the exodus was liturgical.

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 b. THE COVENANT AT SINAI
1. Theory of Sinai covenant as suzerain-vassal treaty

The Dominant View of the Sinai Covenant: Analogous to Suzerain-Vassal Treaty

The most fashionable theory, which is still followed currently, is to see the covenant at Mt. Sinai
as being analogous to and derived from the Hittite treaties. The Hittites were a small group, but
because of this technology they used in warfare they created an empire. But because they were
small, they couldn’t occupy the areas that they conquered. So they devised a very ingenious
political instrument to rule over and to control the people they conquered. They made vassal
treaties with the kings they conquered. Instead of placing their own men over the people they
conquered, they allowed the existing kings to continue to rule. But when they did, they bound
the existing kings to a treaty. So the Hittite king (suzerain) made a treaty with an under-king
(vassal) for their mutual advantage. If either of the parties were attacked by a third party, the
other party would be obligated to come to their assistance. And it also obligated the vassal
kingdoms to pay tribute to the Hittite king, pay a tax to the Hittite king, and to appear before
the Hittite king once a year.

An OT scholar named Mendenhall thought there was a resemblance between these Hittite
treaties and some things in the OT. So he thought these treaties might help us understand why
we get various covenants in the OT. He noticed that of all the parts of the OT, the book of
Deuteronomy most closely resembled these treaties. This view also became applied to the Sinai
covenant and it has taken off. Today almost all scholars see the Sinai covenant in terms of a
Hittite treaty.

What was the structure of a Hittite treaty? It consisted of six major parts. (1) It began with a
preamble, which identified the two major parties of the treaty. (2) An historical preamble was
next and it identifies the past history between the two parties. (3) Then comes the stipulations
for the treaty. In most cases it has to do with a mutual alliance, where they are to support each
other if either of them are attacked. (4) This treaty then is to be written in stone or metal
(meaning permanent) and deposited in a public place in both kingdoms. It was to be read once
a year. (5) The treaty was enacted in a temple where the gods were witnesses of the treaty. (6)
Then the benefits of the treaty were outlined in terms of blessings and the consequences for
breaking the covenant were outlined in terms of curses.

Many OT scholars believe that the Sinai covenant was based or designed to be like these Hittite
treaties.

Reasons Why the Sinai Covenant Does Not Fit the Pattern of a Hittite Treaty

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There are several reasons why the Sinai covenant is not like a Hittite treaty and too much
emphasis is given to covenants in general in the OT theology. First, many commentators make
the statement that in the Sinai covenant God, the heavenly King, makes a covenant with his
vassal Israel. But the Hittite vassal treaties weren’t between one people and another people or
between a king and a people but were between king and king. Hittite kings did not make vassal
treaties with their own people. The covenant at Sinai is between God and his people. It does
not fit.

Second, the exodus occurred somewhere around 1400 BC. The Hittite treaties occurred around
1800 BC. They are historically remote from each other. Also the Hittites were up in modern day
Turkey, so the Hittites and Israelites were also geographically remote to each other. It is
doubtful that with this distance in time and space that the Hittites had that kind of influence
over Israel. It does not fit.

Third, looking at the covenant itself, there are several parts of the normal Hittite treaty that are
absent from the Sinai covenant. A historical preamble records the past history between the two
parties. The covenant at Sinai does not have a historical preamble (see #2 above). At most you
could say the covenant has a one sentence history: I am the Lord your God who brought you up
out of the land of Egypt out of the house of slaves. However in the Hittite treaties the preamble
is the critical part because it gives the legal basis for the covenant that is being made. It does
not fit.

There also is no deposition of the whole covenant as there are in Hittite treaties (see #4 above).
The Ten Commandments are written on two tablets of stone and placed in the Ark of the
Covenant, but that is not the full covenant. There are also no witnesses to the covenant (see #5
above). The witnesses were normally the gods who were to make sure the treaty was kept. God
is the only witness to the covenant. Lastly, there is no listing of blessings and curses (see #6
above). There are some threats and some promises but there is no listing of blessings or curses
for the observance or non observance of the covenant. Therefore once again it does not fit.

2. Nature of Covenant

God’s Intention in the Covenant is to Make Israel a Holy Nation and Royal Priesthood
The context of the giving of the covenant is important. Israel is at Mt. Sinai, they had prepared
themselves for three days to meet with the Lord, God’s glory was on top of the mountain, and
the people assembled at the bottom. Pagans would expect God to appear to them, but instead
God speaks to them. So the context for the covenant is a theophany in which God speaks to his
people.

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Then God tells them what he intends to do. He is going to make a covenant with them and if
they listen to what he says and keep the covenant then he will makes them his “treasured
possession,” and “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” So God’s covenant with Israel has
to do with establishing Israel as a holy nation and royal priesthood. These are not two different
things but one. They are to be a holy nation which is a kingdom of priests.

What is God proposing to his people? Remember, Israel is already the people of God. But now
God, as their holy King, appoints Israel to be his priesthood and not just some of them, but the
whole nation is to be the King’s priests. Therefore they are not the King’s servants or slaves [as
was usually the case in ancient times], but they are the King’s courtiers. And since he is holy, he
makes them holy so that they are a holy nation – a nation of holy priests. Normally a priest is a
person who mediates between a god and a people. So on the one hand, they will represent the
nations before God and on the other hand they bring God’s blessings to the nations. They are to
serve God, not just as courtiers to a king, but as holy courtiers, as priests.

So this covenant doesn’t have to do so much with Israel’s existence as the people of God, but
with its mission as the people of God to be a holy nation and royal priesthood. The whole of the
covenant and all the laws in the covenant have to do with Israel’s vocation to be a holy nation.
How are the Israelites to live and act, not just as God’s people, but as God’s holy people? They
are to keep the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments have to do with the holiness of
Israel, not just with the morality of Israel, and they have to do with Israel’s vocation to be a
holy, priestly, people. If they break the Ten Commandments, they desecrate their holiness and
God’s holiness. So the law giving here is for Israel’s vocation as a holy nation.

The Five Elements in the Enactment of the Covenant

There are five elements in the enactment of the covenant.

1. (Ex. 19:3-6) It begins with God’s announcement and Israel’s agreement with his proposal
(that they be a holy nation and royal priesthood). The people agree by saying, What the
Lord has said we will do. In other words, Yes, we are happy to go along with this
covenant.
2. (Ex. 20 – 23) In chapter 20 God gave the Ten Commandments and then the Law of the
Altar. The altar was the place of worship, the place where God will come and bless his
people. So God appeared at Sinai, but in the future the place where God will meet with
his people is not Mt. Sinai, but at the altar. And then in chapters 21-23, God gives the
covenant code. These are laws for Israel’s life as a holy people with their holy God as
they journey through the desert to the promised land. So the second element is the
giving of laws.

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 3. (Ex. 24:8-11) The third part is the consecration of Israel for God’s service. Moses is told
get some young men to slaughter a large number of animals. Half of the blood from
them is poured out at the altar at the foot of the mountain and the other half is
sprinkled over the people. Now if that blood is sprinkled on the altar then it becomes
most holy (and therefore communicates holiness). So if the most holy blood is sprinkled
on the people then it makes them a holy nation. It consecrates them as the priesthood
of the heavenly King.
4. (Ex. 25 – 31) The fourth element in the enactment of God’s covenant is the institution of
the tabernacle, priesthood, and divine service. If the Ten Commandments are what God
requires of Israel as his holy people, God’s gift to his people are the tabernacle, the
priesthood, and the divine service. Through these things God will keep his people holy.
5. (Ex. 34:5-10) And the fifth and last part is the reaffirmation of the covenant after the
golden calf incident. Even Israel’s breaking of the first commandment didn’t annul God’s
covenant with his people. The covenant is reaffirmed after this incident.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and his COVENANT with Israel
AT SINAI?

1. The most fashionable theory, which is still followed currently by most scholars, is to see
the covenant at Mt. Sinai as being analogous to and derived from the Hittite treaties.
2. The Sinai Covenant does not fit the pattern of a Hittite treaty. It is not between two kings. It is
remote in time and distance from the Hittites. It is missing some of the basic parts of the treaty.
3. God’s intention in the covenant at Sinai is to make his people a holy and priestly people. The
Israelites agreed to this proposal by God.
4. The laws God gave in the covenant have to do with Israel’s life as holy people.
5. God made his people holy when most holy blood was sprinkled on them.
6. As part of the covenant, God gave Israel four gifts: the altar, the tabernacle, the priesthood, and
the divine service. God would use these things to keep his people holy.

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 c. THE NATURE OF THE DECALOGUE
1. Decalogue as the words of God's covenant with Israel (Exod 34:28)

The Ten Commandments are About Holy Living

What is the nature of the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments)? How does it fit in to OT
theology? The answer to these questions is most clear in Ex. 24:28. In this verse the words of
the Ten Commandments are called “the words of the covenant.” Actually, they are called the
Ten Words in Hebrew, so they are the ten words of the covenant. So the Ten Commandments
are an intrinsic part of God’s words to Israel. And you will remember that the purpose of the
covenant is for God to consecrate his people as a holy, priestly people. It has to do with their
vocation as the people of God. It has to do with their mission as a holy people. So the Ten
Commandments as an important part of the covenant are related to Israel being a holy, priestly
people.

God’s Side of the Covenant

There are two sides to this covenant and it is easy to overlook certain aspects of it. First of all
God commits himself to his people. This is summarized in Ex. 20:2 where God says something
very simple, which is easy to overlook and to see how enormous it is. He says, “I am YHWH.” He
introduces himself by name and he goes on, “I am YHWH your God.” In saying, “your God,” he
is committing himself to his people. What has he done for them? He has brought them out of
Egypt, out of slavery. He has freed them from bondage in Egypt. In this one sentence, God gives
his people two things. First, He gives them his name, “I am YHWH.” Secondly, he gives them his
commitment to be their God.

What does it mean for God to say, I am your God? This is fleshed out then in the laws that
follow the Ten Commandments. So following the commandments comes more of God’s side of
the covenant. This is something that is very easy to overlook particularly because of our
negative attitude towards law legislation. What does God give to his people at Mt. Sinai? He
gives them (Ex. 20:2):

 His name: I am YHWH.

 His commitment to his people, not just theoretical, but practical commitment.

And since he is committed to them, he gives them (Ex. 20:22-26; 25 – 31):

 The altar as the place where he meets with his people and brings blessing to them.
 The tabernacle as the means by which he can dwell with his people.
 The priesthood to mediate between him and his people.

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  The divine service as the means by which he interacts and delivers his gifts to his people.

All of that is God’s side to the covenant. That is what the holy God gives to them in the Sinai
Covenant.

The Israelite’s Side of the Covenant

What does God require of his holy people? Remember this has to do with holiness. It doesn’t
have to do with secular ethics. He is giving them commandments couched in negative form
which have to do the boundaries they are to live in. God requires them to keep the
commandments so that they remain holy and clean.

Since they are a holy people, the first three commandments deal with worship: have no other
gods, don’t take God’s name in vain, and keep the Sabbath Day. All three of these have to do
with holiness and the means by which God makes and keeps them holy. So if they don’t keep
those commandments, they cannot continue to be holy. By breaking them, they cut themselves
off from God and his holiness.

Secondly, since all of God’s people are holy, therefore they need to treat each other as holy
brothers and sisters, which is where the second table of the law comes in. It has to do with how
to live within a holy community. So the commandments are [the people’s] part of the covenant
and have to do with holy living.

The Ten Commandments are elaborated at some length and applied to some issues of life in
the desert in the Covenant Code in Ex. 21 - 23. So you need to see that the commandments are
a part of the covenant – the people’s part. And you need to see them within the context we’ve
just described in order to make sense of it.

How are the Ten Commandments applicable to those who are not God’s people? They are
directly applicable to all people. They are acknowledged by all cultures. It is natural law that
applies to all people. So the first commandment, to have no other gods, is not just for Israel but
also for the nations because he is not only Israel’s God but he is the Creator. It doesn’t mean
that pagan nations will observe this. But it is still God’s Law for all nations. The NT makes it
quite clear that the Ten Commandments don’t apply just to the Israelites but they apply to
Gentiles as well.

Summary of the Sinai Covenant

The covenant starts out with God telling Moses his proposal to make Israel his holy, priestly
people (Ex. 19:2-6). When Moses told the people about God’s proposal, three times they
agreed to it (Ex. 19:8; 24:3; 24:7). Then God spoke to the people (Ex. 20:1-17). He began by
introducing and committing himself to Israel (Ex. 20:2). Then the people’s side of the covenant

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is given (Ex. 20:3-17), which gives them the basic requirements for holy living. This is followed
by God’s gift of the Law of the Altar to his people (Ex. 20:22-26). It is at the altar where God will
meet with his people and bless them. Then the commandments are expanded upon in the
Covenant Code (Ex. 21 – 23). Then the people are actually sanctified as the holy blood is
sprinkled upon them (Ex. 24). And then finally there is more to God’s side of the covenant as he
gifts to his people the means by which they can remain holy: the tabernacle, priesthood, and
divine service (Ex. 25 – 31). Then after the golden calf incident the covenant is reaffirmed (Ex.
24:5-10). This is the covenant God made with Israel at Mt. Sinai.

2. God's gifts as the foundation for his demands in the Decalogue

The Liturgical Use of the Ten Commandments in Israel’s Worship

In the covenant God gave Israel the great gifts of the tabernacle, the altar, and the divine
service. He also gave them the priests who were to perform the divine service at the
tabernacle, making sacrifices on the altar. God gave these gifts to them in a theophany where
he stated his commitment to be their God. Likewise, every morning and every evening in the
divine service God comes to his people and says to them, “I am YHWH, I am your God.” He
comes to them and meets with them at the altar, and he blesses them. So every divine service
God reiterates his commitment to them and claims them and their allegiance to him as he had
in the covenant.

Now before the Israelites could come into God’s presence, they had to be clean and holy,
otherwise they would desecrate God’s holiness. So what would happen was there were
gatekeepers, which were priests and Levites, positioned at the gate to the upper court.
Everyone who wanted to enter the upper court was required to ask, Who can enter this place?
And the gatekeeper, who was screening people to admit them or exclude them, responded
with the Ten Commandments.

How did this screening of the people work? They take the Ten Commandments and if a person
had broken one of the Ten Commandments, they had to confess their sin and they had to offer
either a guilt offering, if they were guilty of sacrilege against the first three commandments, or
if they were guilty of sinning against the last seven commandments, they had to offer a sin
offering for purification and forgiveness and cleansing. Then they could enter the holy court. So
in this way the Ten Commandments were used liturgically. An example of an entrance liturgy is
found in Ps. 24:3-6.
3 
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to what is false

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    and does not swear deceitfully.
5 
He will receive blessing from the Lord
    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

In v. 3 the hill of the Lord refers to the temple which was at the top of Mt. Zion. So it begins
with the question, Who is allowed to stand in this holy place? The answer is only those who
have clean hands (the second table) and a pure heart (the first table), those who do not
worship false gods or swear deceitfully. They will receive vindication or justification from God
their Savior. The answer given to the question of who may enter is basically a summary of the
Ten Commandments.

Christians have used the Ten Commandments liturgically also for a long time. They were used
as a diagnostic tool for self examination. They were used to examine someone before they
were baptized, to find out what they needed to repent of, what they needed to be cleansed of.
And very strongly in the Lutheran tradition, the Ten Commandments are used to prepare
oneself for confession and absolution and to prepare oneself for Holy Communion. It is used as
a diagnostic tool to diagnose one’s spiritual state. So you see even in the NT there is a close
connection between the Ten Commandments and worship.

God’s Mercy Overshadows the Ten Commandments

Another way of emphasizing the importance of the Ten Commandments lies in the fact that
those Ten Commandments were written on two tablets of stone and they were lodged in a very
interesting place. They were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant and over the Ten
Commandments was the mercy seat. The mercy seat is the foundation for God’s throne and the
foundation for his rule. So what stands between the Ten Commandments and God? The mercy
seat, atonement. So God’s interaction with his people is based partly on the Ten
Commandments, but the Ten Commandments are overshadowed by the mercy seat. Ultimately
what determines the way God rules as King is the mercy seat, atonement for sin, forgiveness.

4. Instruction in the fear of the Lord (Deut 4:9-10)

The Ten Commandments Used to Teach the Fear of the Lord (Worship)
There is really no good word for worship in the OT. The closest you can get for what we would
consider worship is “the fear of the Lord.” You see that in Deut. 4:9-10.
9 
“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have
seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your

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children and your children's children— 10 how on the day that you stood before the Lord your
God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my
words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that
they may teach their children so.’

He said to “Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words.” What are those
words that God spoke to them? The Ten Commandments are the words God spoke to them at
Mt. Sinai. What is the purpose of hearing these words? “So that they may learn to fear me,” to
respect me. And they are not only to learn these words themselves but they are to teach the
fear of the Lord, the worship of God, by teaching the commandments to their children. This is
the foundation for the Jewish and Christian tradition of education of children. You teach the
Ten Commandments to children so that they revere God, respect God, worship God. So the
purpose of teaching the Ten Commandments is to teach true worship, true reverence, true
devotion, true piety, true spirituality to the people of God, and particularly to children. So there
is a close connection between the Ten Commandments and spiritual education, religious
education. This is the foundation for that strong part of Christian tradition.

5. Differences in two versions from Exodus and Deuteronomy

[The lecture that covered this part was missing. It covered the differences in the Decalogue in
Exodus and Deuteronomy. The emphasis shifted from what Israel had just gone through being
freed from slavery to their entry into and possession of the land.]

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and THE NATURE OF THE
DECALOGUE?

1. The covenant is a two-sided covenant that has to do with Israel being God’s holy, priestly
people.
2. God’s side of the covenant included giving Israel his name and his commitment as well as his
gifts by which he would keep them holy (tabernacle, priesthood, divine service).
3. The people’s side of the covenant included the Ten Commandments. The first three
commandments have to do with worship and Israel maintaining their holiness. The last seven
commandments have to with how to live in a holy community. The commandments are
elaborated on in the Covenant Code.
4. The Ten Commandments were used as a diagnostic tool to screen those wishing to come into
God’s holy presence. They were used to protect the holiness of God from desecration.
5. God’s mercy overshadows the Ten Commandments. God’s grace overcomes God’s justice.
6. God commanded that the Israelites teach the Ten Commandments to their children. They were
to do this so that the children would learn to revere God, respect God, worship God.

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[The lecture on the First Commandment was missing. The information below on the First
Commandment comes from a continuing education class taught by Dr. Kleinig at the seminary at Fort
Wayne.]

d. THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

Prohibition of Any Other gods Before Yahweh’s Face
The Hebrew for the first commandment could be translated as either a command (that is the
normal translation) or a statement of fact: There will be/shall be no other gods before me. It is
a fact that for Israel worship of other gods is an impossibility. Translating it as, You shall have no
other gods “before me” is a weak translation. The gift of God here is his face, his presence, his
countenance. Actually presence is too vague, too abstract. Face is concrete. The whole of
worship at the tabernacle has to do with the “face of God.” That is made clear in the Aaronic
benediction. A better translation would be: “There shall be no other gods ‘against/next to/upon’
my face.” A good rule in Hebrew and in exegesis is to take what is being said as concretely as
possible. So what does it mean to say, “There are to be no other gods before my face”? They
are not to put any idols in the tabernacle/temple. That is the most obvious meaning. This
means for Yahweh that all other gods are to be excluded from his presence.

Where is God’s presence? For pagans their gods are where their idols are. That doesn’t work for
Israel because they were forbidden to have idols. The presence of Yahweh was at the
tabernacle in the Holy of Holies on the mercy seat. But only the high priest could enter the Holy
of Holies, and he could only do that one day a year. The priests didn’t have access to the Holy of
Holies and neither did the people. So how did they have access to God? The place where the
people had access to the face of God was at the altar for burnt offering. Instead of an idol they
had an altar. That was the place where God made himself available to his people. They had
access to God in the morning and evening sacrifices; they had ritual access to him.

What was to occur before Yahweh’s face was the divine service, the ritual enactments that he
prescribed for his people. It was not enough to simple know cognitively that there is only one,
true, living God. Besides knowing the right things, God also required that they do the right
things, that they worship him in the way that he gave them. People do have other gods, but
they have no place in the lives of God’s people (OT and NT). God’s people come before his face
and serve him in the Divine Service.

First Commandment Prohibitions

If in 20:3 God prohibits Israel from having any idols before his face, then it is directly related to
vv. 4-6, which prohibit the Israelites from making their own idols and serving them. God even
prohibits them from making an idol of him. God considers all idols, even if they are for him, as

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false gods. They are prohibited from making them and bringing them before his face. They are
prohibited from prostrating themselves before other gods, after all, they were sons and not
slaves of God. They were not to serve other gods, which means they were not to perform
rituals to other gods, like offering sacrifices to and praying to an idol.

In Ex. 23:23-24 God talks about when he leads them into the promised land. When they enter
the promised land the same prohibition applies, but it is also extended by adding “nor do as
they do.” Most commentaries explain this as: you shall not practice immorality like they do.
That misses the point. The verb means to make, to do, to do work. But it also has another
meaning: perform the ritual. That is the meaning here. They are not to perform pagan rituals in
honor of Yahweh. In these same verses, as well as Deut. 12:3-4 and 29-32, God says to do away
with the pagan holy places. They are not to worship God in that way. And they are not to serve
Yahweh using pagan rituals.

So the first commandment is extended to the prohibition of Canaanite rituals. Commenting on

this, the Rabbis say there are two different kinds of divine service. There is authorized service
and unauthorized service. This means that if you perform divine service in a way that Yahweh
has not authorized, you are guilty of idolatry; you desecrate God’s holiness. An example of this
is when the two sons of Aaron offered unauthorized fire. Another example is that in Numbers it
says no “stranger” is to come near the altar. What does this mean? No unauthorized person is
to come to the altar. In Christian terms, no unauthorized person is to come near the altar and
perform the Divine Service.

Reasons Why Idols are Prohibited

There are many reasons why God prohibits idols. First, the first commandment says you shall
not bow down and serve them. An alternate reading, which is just as valid, is you shall not bow
down and be enslaved by them. So the first commandment prevents enslavement.

Second, if you have the real thing why go with a poor inadequate substitute? God has given
access to himself through his name. If you have his name, which you can use to access God
anywhere and at any time, why would you want to try and access God through an idol?

Third, God has instituted the altar for burnt offering as the place where he will come to his
people and bless them. Pagans approach an idol to receive blessing. You don’t receive blessing
from an idol but you do receive blessing from Yahweh’s altar in the divine service and in the
Aaronic benediction and in eating the holy meal.

Four, Deut. 4 is a discussion about idolatry and why idolatry is prohibited. Why should you not
make any idols? Because they didn’t see God’s form but they heard his voice speaking to them
out of the fire at Sinai. So why no idols? Because God doesn’t reveal himself through the face of

80
an idol but through his voice, through his Word. You get to know God not by seeing him but by
listening to him.

Five, Idols are prohibited because they are associated with evil spirits. The OT is strangely quiet
on this matter. There is probably a good reason for it. The less said the better. The more you
speak about them the more arise two things, either idle curiosity that leads deeper and deeper
into it or unnecessary fear.

An Example of Idolatry in the OT – Worshipping God in the Wrong Way

In 1 Ki. 12:28-33 we read a foundational story about idolatry in the Northern kingdom. What
was the sin of Jeroboam, the founding king of the Northern kingdom? Most people would say
that it was the idols that he made. They are right but there is more to it. First he does use a
forbidden image/idol of Yahweh, two golden calves. So he is guilty of making and serving idols.
But there is more. He does all sorts of unauthorized things. He performs the divine service in an
unauthorized place – Bethel. He performs the service with unauthorized priests, people who
are not of the tribe of Levi. He performs the service at an unauthorized time. He celebrates the
Feast of Tabernacles in the 8th month instead of the 7th month. The service is performed by an
unauthorized high priest. He as the king acted like the high priest.

So what is idolatry? It is a whole range of things. Jeroboam served God but he did it in the
wrong way. What we learn from this, which is important for our Lutheran tradition, is that any
form of worship that is not based on or consistent with what God has instituted is considered
idolatry by God.

What is the point of having things divinely instituted? For one it provides certainty and for
another they are the way that God gives out and delivers his gifts. If you go away from that
there is no basis for faith so you lose the certainty. And where there is no certainty you open
the door to other spiritual beings to move in. It becomes about experience which is subjective.

Reasons to Keep the First Commandment

What reasons would God’s people have for keeping the first commandment? First, they should
keep it out of gratitude for God releasing them from slavery in Egypt and fully committing
himself to them (Ex. 20:2). Second, they would not serve other gods because in the history of
God’s people they have never served other gods. They have never listened to the enticements
of others to follow other gods (Deut. 13:6-8). Third, God has a passionate jealousy for his
people. He never wants his people to leave him for any other god (Ex. 20:5-6). Fourth, they are
God’s holy people, his treasured possession. Worshipping other gods would desecrate their
holiness and spurn God’s love for them (Deut. 7:4-6). The fifth reason is to avoid enslavement
(Ex. 20:5). If they worship other gods, they will become slaves to them. And the last reason for

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them to love the Lord instead of idols is that “he is your life” (Deut. 30:19b-20). Connection
with God brings life and connection with idols bring death.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and THE FIRST
COMMANDMENT?

1. The first commandment stated that there were to be no gods before Yahweh’s face, that is, no
idols in Yahweh’s presence. The place where the people had access to the face of God was at
the altar for burnt offering and not a idol.
2. God considers all idols as false gods. They are not to prostrate themselves before an idol or to
perform religious rituals to them. Worship using any kind of unauthorized persons or services
was prohibited and considered idolatry.
3. God prohibits idols because they enslave people, they had access to God through his name, God
blesses at the altar, God is known through his Word, and evil spirits are associated with idols.
4. Serving false gods is idolatry but so also is serving the true God in the wrong way. Serving God at
an unauthorized place or with unauthorized priests or in unauthorized ways is considered by
God as idolatry.
5. Reasons to keep the first commandment are: gratitude for redemption, that is what God’s
people do, not to provoke God’s jealousy, maintain their holiness, prevent enslavement to other
gods, and the Lord is their life.

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 e. PROHIBITION OF IDOLATRY
1. The Definition of an Idol
Right from the beginning there is a problem here. There are two ways you can understand
idolatry and idols. You could have an idol of the true God or of a false god. One of the features
of pagan theology, pagan worship, is that they have access to their gods through an idol. So for
instance you have an idol for Baal or Asherah. That is what scholars call gross idolatry. But that
was not the usual problem in the OT. The problem in the OT was not that Israel made idols for
other gods but they used an idol to serve the true God, the Lord. The first commandment
forbids both of these things. It bans the use of idols to serve God or another god. Let’s take a
closer look at the prohibition of idolatry.

First of all what is the definition of an idol? We run into problems right away because we
translate the Hebrew word as idol, which is rather vague. Quite literally it means statue, a
statue that has been carved either from stone or from wood. Very often then it is painted or
has a metal overlay. Another word that is used, but not here in the Ten Commandments, is a
word that means to cast metal. So you can have a cast statue made from bronze or copper or
gold or silver.

In addition to carved images, you had other representations of gods in Canaan. The sky god
Baal was represented in one of two ways. Either with a statue of a bull, hence the golden calf,
but more commonly he was represented by a carved stone, shaped either directly or roughly in
the form of a penis, representing virility and male power. So hence you get pillars of stone and
God forbidding pillars of stone. You will notice that in the OT. Then you had Asherah the earth
mother. She was either represented by a statue of a naked woman, with great emphasis on the
sexual organs, or else quite commonly she was represented by a pole, a stylized pole in the
shape of a tree or a tree in the shape of a woman. If you read Deuteronomy, God says they are
to destroy the Asherahs in the land. That includes the statues and the shaped trees.
Archaeologists have dug up lots of statues Baal and Asherah.

2. The Nature of Idols

At this point I’d like to take issue with the definition of an idol that’s been common since the
enlightenment. It is a common belief that for pagan people the idol is the god. The message
from this is that these pagan people are very stupid. How could they think this statue is a god?
This view is a load of bunk. Pagan people, today as well as in ancient times, don’t believe that
the statue is their god. So if you destroyed the statue, they didn’t believe the god was
destroyed. And because there were many statues of Baal, they didn’t believe there were many
Baal gods. They believed in one god called Baal and they had many statues of him.

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If that was the case, how did they understand the statue? What was the function of the idol?
The idol was called the face of the god. So the statue of Baal gave you access to the face of Baal.
To use a Christian term, the idol was not the god but gave you access to the god. So if you want
to see Baal, you go and look at the statue of Baal. If you want to pray to Baal, you pray before
the statue. If you want to pay homage to Baal, you bow down to the statue. If you want to kiss
Baal, you kiss the statue. If you want to make offerings to Baal, you bring them and place them
before the statue of Baal. If you want to see how it works, go to a Hindu temple. It’s very much
in this world of thought. So the statue is not the god but the means by which you can access to
the god.

The way that they would have understood it was that the statue contained or embodied the
spirit of the god. The statue is the face of the god and it was animated by the spirit and power
of the god.

So the way it would work was like this. You had a person whose job it was to make idols. Until
that idol was dedicated or consecrated, that idol was just a heap of metal or stone or wood. But
then came a very important ritual in which the idol was consecrated to a god. The ritual opened
the eyes of the god. They would have a ceremony in which the priest of that god would open
the eyes of the statue so that through that statue the god could see you. He would open the
ears of the statue so the god could hear you. He would open the mouth of the statue so that
the god could speak to you. He would open the nostrils of the statue so that the statue would
be animated by the spirit of the god. So in pagan theology, the god takes up residence in the
statue with its spirit. They don’t believe that the statue is the god but that it is animated by the
spirit of the god. . Take a look at Hab. 2:18-19. It is a reference to all of this, the spirit of the god
and the ceremony that consecrates the statue for the god.
18 
“What profit is an idol
    when its maker has shaped it,
    a metal image, a teacher of lies?
For its maker trusts in his own creation
    when he makes speechless idols!
19 
Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake;
    to a silent stone, Arise!
Can this teach?
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
    and there is no breath at all in it.

Wake up, rise is the command given to the statue in the dedication ceremony. By saying those
words, the statue is thought to come to life and to be filled with the spirit of the god. But notice
the irony here. God says, This statue has no life in it! It can’t see. It can’t hear. It’s lifeless. It
can’t speak.

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This is a summary of something very complicated. It’s very important not only if you want to
make sense of the OT and its prohibition of idols, but many of you will be dealing with ex-
Hindus or ex-Buddhists, where idols are very important to them. Before you can help people,
you need to understand their situation. And you need to avoid crude polemics or they’ll shut
you out.

The Israelites weren’t allowed to have idols. So the nations would taunt them with, Where is
your god? They believed the Jews were atheists. Why? Because they didn’t have an idol. To
them it looked like their god was just a useless idea. Idols and gods went together everywhere
in the ancient world.

3. God Identifies All Idols with Other gods

I would have thought that God would prohibit the use of idols with other gods, but he would be
ok if people used an idol to worship him. After all, what matters is not how you worship but
who you worship and that you have the right motives, right? But the one thing that is
prohibited here in the first commandment is not just that they have no other gods, and they
have no idols for other gods, but they are not to have any idols for God. God considers any idol
to be bad. And God seems to imply that if you use an idol to try and access him, you aren’t
accessing him but are accessing other gods. Idols are never identified with God but with other
gods. Keep that in mind for what follows because it helps to explain the reason for this
prohibition.

4. The prohibition of idolatry in the OT

The Prohibition of Idolatry – Serving the True God in an Unauthorized Way

The whole of the OT identifies idols with other gods, even idols dedicated to God. Therefore
idols are prohibited. As we mentioned above, the Decalogue prohibits three things. It prohibits
the making of an idol, bowing down to an idol, and serving an idol. And we saw earlier that
Deut. 12:4 extends idolatry to serving God “in that way.” “That way” is using pagan rituals. So
using unauthorized pagan rituals is also considered idolatry. Deut. 12:29-31 makes the same
point.

This is referred to by the Jewish Rabbis as alien service or unauthorized service. There is a
contrast between the service that God institutes and establishes through the Law of Moses and
the service performed by pagans. If you worship God in an alien way, in a way that he has not
authorized, then you are guilty of idolatry. Any form of serving God in a way that he hasn’t
instituted or established or authorized is idolatry.

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So idolatry is not just serving the wrong god, but can also be serving the right God in a wrong
way, in a way that he has not authorized or established. You can see this quite clearly in the
story of Jereboam. You remember the sin of Jereboam. We talked about it earlier. There were a
half a dozen things he did wrong in worshipping the Lord. He made idols. He had services
performed in an unauthorized place by unauthorized priests at unauthorized times while being
led by an unauthorized high priest. Any one of these things is considered idolatry. He served the
right God in the wrong way and that ultimately is idolatry.

5. Reasons for the prohibition of idolatry

Reasons Idolatry Prohibited: God’s Name as a Means of Access

Why did God prohibit the use of idols? The reasons for prohibiting idols are very interesting and
rather unexpected. If I could summarize them in a sentence it would be: the Israelites are not to
use idols to access God’s blessings because they have something far better than an idol – God’s
name and God’s altar.

When pagans wanted to access their god, they addressed the god’s idol. They believed the god
could see, hear, and speak through the idol. For the Israelites, God prohibited the use of idols to
access him and instead gave them his name. He said, “I am YHWH, your God” and commanded
them not to misuse his name in the second commandment.

In Deuteronomy God told the people that once they entered the promised land they were to
serve the Lord in only one place. And that place was where God would to “put” his name. This
verb is quite concrete. The picture is of someone picking up something and putting it down
quite deliberately in a certain place. This is language that has been adopted from pagan people
from what they do when they make a sanctuary. They take an idol and “put” it in the sanctuary.
But God takes his name and “puts” it in his temple. So the name of God takes the place of an
idol.

Concretely, the name of God was put in only one place. And it was interesting where it was
physically put. It was written on a plate that was attached to the “crown” that the high priest
wore. So it appeared on the forehead of the high priest. It said “Holiness to YHWH.” So he had
the name of God upon him. And when he appeared to the public, the people could see the holy
name on his forehead. And then he would pronounce the holy name and put it on the people
when he gave the Aaronic benediction. So the holy name on the high priest was “put on” the
people. In 1&2 Kings you see a repeated theme that the temple is for the name of the Lord. It is
the name of God takes the place of the idol as the means to access God.

Reasons Idolatry Prohibited: The Altar as the Place of Access

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A second reason why idolatry is prohibited is given in Ex. 20:22-24. This comes immediately
after the Ten Commandments and it’s a little unit by itself that looks like it is out of place.
22 
And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for
yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make gods of silver to be
with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth you shall make
for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your
oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless
you.

What God is saying through Moses is this. Since you heard me speak to you from heaven,
therefore do not make an idol but instead make an altar and present offerings to me on the
altar. Whenever my name is remembered by making offerings to me, I will come to you and
bless you. So blessing is connected to the honoring of God’s name. And what takes the place of
the idol as the place for accessing God is the altar. That is a concrete place. It was the place
where God was present with his people to bless them.

When pagan people wanted to pray to or give thanks to or prostrate themselves to their god,
they did it in front of the idol. When the Israelites prayed, gave thanks, or prostrated
themselves to God, they did it at the altar. For Israel the altar takes the place of the idol.

Reasons Idolatry Prohibited: God Reveals Himself through His Word

A third reason why idolatry is prohibited is given in Deut. 4:12, 15-19.
15 
“Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord
spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 beware lest you act corruptly by making
a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17 the
likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air,
18 
the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the
water under the earth. 19 And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see
the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow
down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples
under the whole heaven.

In light of this, we look back at v. 12.

12 
Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but
saw no form; there was only a voice.

The argument is this: When God appeared to you in the theophany at Mt. Sinai, you didn’t see
him with your eyes. You didn’t see his form. You didn’t see his face. Instead you heard his voice.

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You heard his Word. So since you did not see him, therefore you are not to have any idols
because the means by which he comes to you and gives access to you is through his Word
rather than through his face. His Word is the means of revelation therefore you are to have no
idols.

At Mt. Sinai God spoke directly to his people from the fire and cloud, which hid and revealed his
glory. The same thing happened each day at the tabernacle/temple. When the offering was
placed on the fire on the altar, a sweet smelling cloud of smoke arose, revealing God’s gracious
glory. Then the priest, speaking for God, spoke the benediction in which God put his name on
his people. The pagan people looked for blessing from their gods through the god’s face (the
idol). The Israelites looked for and received bless from God through his Word. Therefore they
were to have no idols.

Reasons Idolatry Prohibited: Created in God’s Image

The fourth reason for the prohibition of idolatry is related to and interlocks with the other
reasons. Pagans make an idol that either look like their god or symbolically shows important
traits about the god. So for instance the Canaanites used a bull to represent Baal because it was
strong and viral. Asherah, the earth mother, was represented by an evergreen tree. Why?
Because it represented fertility and life.

Right at the beginning of Genesis, God said something startling. Who does he say he makes in
his image? Human beings. So the closest beings on earth that are like God are human beings.
Human beings are made in the image of God. Therefore human beings are like walking, talking
idols of God in a true sense. Therefore if you make an idol of God using anything else, you
misrepresent God and you misrepresent humanity.

Pagans believed that their gods could speak, see, hear, smell, and walk through idols. But
according to passages like Ps. 115:2-8, they can do none of these things through idols. And by
worshipping an idol you become spiritually like that idol – blind, mute, deaf, unable to feel and
walk and talk. This is profound. Idols enslave human beings by you becoming like the thing you
serve.

Reasons Idolatry Prohibited: Idols are Associated with Evil Spirits

Lastly, we’ve emphasized that for pagan people idols are not mere pieces of statuary. They
have real power, which is supernatural power. The OT doesn’t speak very much about what the
power is in idols and other gods. But there are a couple of places where it is made quite explicit.
Let’s take a look at two passages. First there is Ps. 106:36-38.

36 
They served their idols,
    which became a snare to them.

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37 
They sacrificed their sons
    and their daughters to the demons;
38 
they poured out innocent blood,
    the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
    and the land was polluted with blood.

The Israelites worshipped other gods and they even sacrificed their children to other gods. And
when they did so to whom were they really sacrificing them to? Demons. There is a spirit in an
idol, but it is an evil spirit. You do access supernatural power but that power according to the
OT and NT is demonic power.

In 2 Kings 21:1-11 it talks about all the abominations of king Manasseh, son of Hezekiah. He
worshipped all the gods of the Canaanites. In doing so he not only practiced all kinds of evil
rituals, like child sacrifice, but he also practiced sorcery, divination, and consulted mediums and
spriritists. So idolatry leads to not just immoral practices, but it also leads to trafficking in and
involvement in the occult.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and THE PROHIBITION OF
IDOLATRY?

1. An idol is a statue of a god or a representation of a god used to access the god. Idols and gods
went together everywhere in the ancient world.
2. An idol was viewed as the face of the god and the statue contained or embodied the spirit
of the god. It was thought that the god could see, hear, speak, and breathe through the
idol.
3. God forbid Israel from having an idol of him. God is never identified with idols.
4. All idolatry is prohibited, whether to God or other gods or pagan rituals to God, or unauthorized
service to God. So serving the wrong god or the right God in the wrong way is idolatry and is
prohibited.
5. Instead of accessing God through an idol, God is accessed through his name. In the divine
service the name of God was seen on the high priest’s crown, blessings were given in his name,
and his name was placed upon the people in the benediction.
6. The altar, not an idol, was the place where the Israelites could come to God, meet with him, and
pray and give thanks and receive blessing.
7. God’s Word is the means of revelation not idols. Therefore they are not to have idols
but instead listen to him.
8. Human beings are like walking, talking idols of God in a true sense. Therefore if you
make an idol of God using anything else, you misrepresent God.

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9. In an idol, you do access supernatural power but that power according to the OT and NT
is demonic power. So stay away from them.

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 f. THE SABBATH
1. God's creation of humans for rest with him

The Pagan View of Work

To understand the Sabbath better, we need to look at the pagan view of work and rest.
Everywhere in the ancient world there were two classes of people. There were the bosses and
the workers. The workers were not really workers. In the ancient world they were basically
slaves. The bosses were people of leisure and the workers were people who worked all the
time. Since the bosses didn’t do any work, they got plenty of rest. And since the workers did all
the work, they didn’t have time to rest.

This view of work and rest shaped all ancient religions. For them the gods did not work. They
believed the gods created human beings to be their slaves, that is, to do all the work. So the
basic relationship between human beings and gods is the master/slave relationship, leisure
class/working class. The purpose of having human beings is to provide for the gods. And it
worked out for human beings too because the gods provided protection and benefits for their
people. And from this point of view, ritual is work. And ritual work is for the gods. So for pagans
ritual is doing work for the gods.

Working and Resting with God

Gen. 1 paints a different picture. What kind of God is the God of Israel? He is a working God. He
works and then he rests. He doesn’t fit the normal pagan category of being a boss who never
works. And he created human beings to work for sure but also to rest. And he doesn’t create
them to work for him, that is, to provide for his needs, but to work with him and then to rest
with him. As usual, God turns the normal pagan thinking on its head. This is in sharp contrast to
pagan theology and pagan ideology we saw above. This led to a big difference in the area of
worship. Pagans work for and provided for their gods in worship, while in the divine service God
worked for and provided for his people.

2. The Sabbath as a holy day free from work

The most important religious celebration for Israel is the Sabbath. What is the Sabbath? The
Sabbath was a day of rest from doing agricultural work and from doing work at a trade. So the
Israelites “serve” God by resting versus the pagans who serve their gods by doing work for
them. The central ritual for Israel is not ritual work but ritual leisure. So the central ritual wasn’t
praising God or praying. What was mandated was a Sabbath day, a day of rest, a day of doing
nothing. This is utterly countercultural, not only in the ancient world but also today.

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God made the seventh day the Sabbath day. And not only that, he blessed it and made it holy.
This means he made that day as a means by which he communicated blessing and holiness to
his people. How do God’s people receive God’s holiness and blessing on the seventh day? By
resting with God. On this day God’s people receive from God all that he has done for them.

The Weekly Sabbath Day Does Not Fit in the Cosmic Order
Secular and religious calendars tend to be tied to certain elements of the natural order.
Cosmically significant times are: the year (the earth’s orbit around the sun every 365 days), the
month (the moon’s orbit around the earth every 28 days), the seasons (based on the tilt of the
earth’s axis), the solstices (the longest and shortest days of the year), and the equinoxes (the
days that have exactly 12 hours each of day and night). Much of Israel’s liturgical calendar fit in
with the cosmic calendar. In doing so it synchronizes the lives of the people and their religious
observances with the cosmic order.

But you will notice that the Sabbath does not connect with anything in the natural cosmic
order. It is something that God has imposed from outside. In terms of natural order, the
number seven has no significance. Nothing in the natural order says that there should be seven
day weeks.

People from other religions would look at this and be completely puzzled. They would see that
it doesn’t fit with science or astronomy. Their festivals tie in with astronomy, but the
observance of Sabbaths on this weekly cycle doesn’t. It’s not in sync with the solar cycle. It’s not
in sync with the lunar cycle. It’s not in sync with the movement of the constellations.

3. Two kinds of Sabbaths in the OT

There are two kinds of Sabbaths. First there are the regular Sabbaths. No matter what, every
seventh day you have a Sabbath. So you have the weekly Sabbaths and the Sabbath is the last
day of the week. What is the significance of it being the last day of the week? Something has
come to an end; it is the end of a cycle. And that means it sums up the cycle and is the most
important day of the cycle. It is the last word. It shows the purpose of it. So in terms of human
life, according to weekly cycle, what is the purpose of human life? It is to rest. We tend to look
at it in the opposite way. We rest so that we can work better. We get it backwards.

There are cycles of seven everywhere in the OT. So in addition to the weekly Sabbaths, you
have seven special festive Sabbaths. These are seven extra ordinary days of rest. Sometimes
they will coincide with regular days of Sabbath and other times they won’t. The seven special
Sabbaths are: (1) the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, (2) the seventh day of the
Feast of Unleavened Bread, (3) the day of Pentecost, (4) new year’s day, the first day of the
seventh month, (5) The Day of Atonement, the tenth day of the seventh month, (6) the first day

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of Tabernacles, the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and (7) the eighth day of Tabernacles,
the eighth day represents the beginning of something new.

We don’t have time to get into other Sabbaths, but there is also the notion of Sabbatical years.
So you have the normal Sabbath of days (7 days) and a Sabbath of weeks (7 days x 7 weeks = 49
days) and a Sabbath of years (7 x 1 year = 7 years) and a Sabbath of decades (7 x 7 years = 49
years). So every seven years you have a Sabbatical year. After every 49 years you have the Year
of Jubilee, which is the forgiving of debts. The Jubilee year is very important for NT theology
because what Jesus does when he comes to Nazareth is proclaim a Jubilee, God’s amnesty, the
forgiveness of all debts.

4. God's gift of the Sabbath (Exod 16:29)

The first mention in the OT of the Sabbath is not in the third commandment but on God’s
resting on the Sabbath day in the creation account and then of God’s giving the Sabbath to his
people in the desert (Ex. 16:29-30). In the desert God provides food for them. Five days a week
God provides food for them. On the sixth day God provided a double portion of food so that the
Israelites wouldn’t have to work on the seventh day. So before God gives them the
commandment to rest on the Sabbath, he gives them a day of rest and he provides for them so
they can rest.

5. Reason for rest (Exod 20:11): God's rest after six days of creation

So it’s only after he gives them the gift of the Sabbath that he makes a law about them
observing the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments. And what is interesting is the reason for
observing the Sabbath. They are to rest because God rested from his work as Creator on the
seventh day. Notice that he rested from his work as Creator and not as Lord or Judge. He rested
from the work of creation. So God their Creator invites them to rest with him.

6. Purpose of rest

What was the purpose of resting? That can be answered in three ways. First, in Deut. 5:15 God
said to the Israelites, Since you were slaves and had to work all the time, when you get into the
land make sure your slaves get rest together with you. The basic goal of it is to provide rest for
everyone – family and slaves. They were once slaves but God set them free. Now in the land the
Sabbath will be a day of freedom for everyone. Remember in the ancient world the free people
didn’t have to work. The people who had to work were the slaves. So freedom and rest went
together in the ancient world.

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Secondly, it’s not just that the slaves are to have rest and enjoy freedom. According to Ex.
23:12, the Sabbath day is a day to be refreshed, to take breather, for animals, servants, and
aliens. Every person and animal in the household is to receive rest on the Sabbath.

Thirdly, the Sabbath is mentioned again in Deut. 5:14. It again references animals, servants, and
aliens resting, as well as sons and daughters. The verb used here means to stop working. So the
emphasis here is not so much on the resting side of it but on the not working side of it. But it
also mentions rest. Looking at it positively, rest means to sit down and enjoy not working. So a
Sabbath rest involves the act of not working and enjoying it, a time to rest, and a place to rest.

7. Results of observance

What was the result of them observing the Sabbath day? God rested on the seventh day so that
he could bless that day and sanctify that day. This is very strange because normally God blesses
people and sanctifies things and people. God blessed the seventh day in order to make it a
means of blessing. God made the seventh day holy in order to make it a day on which he
communicates his holiness and people share in God’s holiness.

Now, there is blessing in the order of creation that all human beings enjoy that comes by virtue
of working. You work with God in life and you receive blessing. But there is a different kind of
blessing given here in the Sabbath. It doesn’t come from work but it comes from rest. (Now if
we jump ahead to the NT, we find that the blessing that comes from rest is the gift of the Holy
Spirit.) So God sanctifies Israel every seventh day by their resting on that day. So how do the
Israelites remain holy? By observing the Sabbath every week. And then what does that do to
their work during the rest of the week? It makes their work holy work. Since they are holy, the
work they do is holy work. When they work, they work with God and that work is holy work.

8. Connection of the day of rest with the place of rest with God

The OT makes a connection between the day of rest and a place of rest for both God and his
people. In both Joshua and Deuteronomy God says he has provided a place of rest for his
people. That place is the promised land. God provides both a time and place of rest and the
time of rest points forward to and prepares them for the place of rest.

In the Psalms God speaks of another place in which he rests and he wants his people to rest
with him there. In Ps. 132:13-14 God says, 13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for
his dwelling place: 14 “This is my resting place forever;     here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
God’s dwelling place on Mt. Zion is the temple. It is the place where he is enthroned. The
temple where God dwells is also God’s place of rest. At the temple God rests with his people. It
is the place where people can come and enjoy resting with God. They do this when the divine
service is enacted.

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 9. Sabbath as a foretaste of eternity in time: sanctuary in time

Now, one final feature of the OT Sabbath and then a bit of NT. You will remember that there is
a strange feature in Genesis that I pointed out. You have seven days in which God orders his
creation. After each one of the six days you get a closure: there was evening and morning the
first day, etc. But the pattern is broken on the seventh day because there is no closure. There is
no evening and morning the seventh day. Why is there no closure? The Rabbis quite rightly
exegete this correctly. And this is a fundamental part of Jewish theology and Sabbatical
theology in Judaism to the present day. They say, the seventh day is in time, but it is also
outside of time. It is a day without end. It is a day that is a foretaste of eternity in time. It is a
foretaste of the age to come while still in this age. It is a foretaste of the messianic age while
still in the old age of judgment. It is a foretaste of heaven here on earth.

What does Jesus do on the seventh day of Holy Week, which is an extraordinary Sabbath? He
rests on the Sabbath. Where did he rest? In the tomb. He rests so that the Father can do his
work on him, which is what? Raise him from the dead. The eighth day, which then is Sunday, is
the beginning of something new. It begins the new age, which is not just a foretaste of eternity
in time, but is the beginning of eternity. Through what Jesus did, God offers us an eternal
Sabbath rest.

How do we enter the rest that God offers? We enter that rest by listening to the Gospel.
Through the Gospel, God works on us, creating faith. And in faith we rest with Christ. That is
why Luther, in his explanation of the third commandment, focuses on hearing God’s Word. It is
the Word of God that is most holy and makes us holy and keeps us holy. And it is through
hearing the Word of God that we observe the eternal Sabbath. We enter our heavenly place of
rest. We have access to heaven here on earth. We begin to live in the new age even though we
are still living in the old age.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and THE SABBATH?

1. In the ancient world there were bosses, who were people of leisure, and slaves, who did all the
work. This influenced ancient religions. They believed that the gods created humans to be their
slaves and do all the work. So in worship people worked to provide for their gods.
2. Contrary to this view, Israel’s God worked and rested. And he created human beings to work
and rest with him. For their worship, God gave them the divine service where they rested and
God worked and provided for them.
3. The most important religious celebration for Israel was the weekly Sabbath. It was the central
ritual for Israel. It was a day when the Israelites did nothing. On this day God blessed and made
his people holy.

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4. God made the seventh day of the week a Sabbath day, a day of rest. The seventh day does not
fit into the natural order. It was a day imposed on creation by God, a day that he used as a
means to bless and sanctify.
5. God instituted not only weekly Sabbaths, but also seven other extra ordinary Sabbaths which
were connected to Israel’s pilgrim feasts. He also instituted a Jubilee year which occurred every
49 years (7 x 7 years) and allowed the land to rest.
6. Before God gave the command to keep the Sabbath, he gave them the gift of the Sabbath, a day
in which he invites them to rest with him. Everyone was to rest, including family, servants,
animals, and aliens. It was for their benefit and they were to enjoy it.
7. The day of rest looked forward to a place of rest, the promised land. God would give them the
land so that they could rest from their sojourning. And even more specifically, he would give
them the temple, which was God’s place of rest, as a place for them to rest with God.
8. In the beginning the seventh day was never closed. By leaving it open, it looks forward to an
eternal day, a day in the messianic age which will be without end. Jesus rested in the tomb and
when he arose, the new eternal, Sabbath age began. We enter the eternal rest simply by
believing the Gospel.

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 g. THE TABERNACLE AND DIVINE SERVICE
1. THE TABERNACLE

As part of his gifts to his people at Mt. Sinai and as part of his side of the covenant with his
people, he gave them the divine service and everything that has to do with the divine service,
which is the priesthood, the tabernacle, and the ritual service that was enacted every morning
and every evening at the tabernacle. Next we are going to look at this more closely and touch
on the main theological parts of this.

A Description of the Tabernacle

I will describe the layout of the Tabernacle for you. The description will go from the outside to
the inside. The tabernacle was an open air sanctuary, fenced in on the outside by a curtain.
There was only one entrance, which was on the east side. The tabernacle is designed in the
form of cubes. The outer court was in a cube shape. And then there was the inner court, which
was also in a cubed shape. The altar for burnt offering was cube shaped. The Holy of Holies (or
Most Holy Place) was cubed shaped. And the Holy Place was a double cube.

Inner Court Table of Shewbread Outer Court Altar for Burnt Offering

East Side
Entrance

Most Holy Place Ark Holy Place Wash Basin

Curtain Altar of Incense Lampstand

The precincts themselves fall into two parts. There is the outer court and at the center of it was
the altar for burnt offering. And then there was the inner part of the tabernacle and the center
of it was the Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat and the cherubim, which forms God’s
throne in the Holy of Holies. So the two central features are the Altar for Burnt Offering and the
Mercy Seat, the throne of God.

Coming in from the East is the Altar for Burnt Offering. There are steps that lead up to it. And
the altar has four horns on the four corners of it. Then between the Altar for Burnt Offering and

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the entrance to the tabernacle, you have the wash basin, the laver. The priest on duty would
wash his hands and feet before he enters and leaves the Holy Place.

Then we come to the inner court. The closer you get to the Ark, the holier the space gets. The
entire area (inner and outer courts) is considered the sanctuary and is holy. The holiest parts of
the outer court are the Altar and Basin. They are most holy. Only a priest is allowed to approach
them and touch them.

The inner court is a tent. It is God’s personal residence here on earth. It is a mobile residence.
The Holy Place is the public space of his residence. This could be considered his office, the place
where God the King interacts with his courtiers, the priests. And the Most Holy Place is his
private quarters. The priest on duty entered the Holy Place each morning and evening to
interact with God.

There are three items of furniture in the Holy Place. (1) There is the Altar of Incense, which
stood just before the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. The
curtain is not a single curtain. It is a double curtain. To enter the Most Holy Place, you had to go
to one end and go through one curtain, travel between the curtains to the other end, and then
enter through the other curtain to get to the Mercy Seat, God’s throne. (So Hebrews talks
about us having a new and living way through the curtain of Christ’s flesh.)

(2) The second piece of furniture is the Table for Shewbread. On this table were twelve round
pita loaves of bread, flat bread loaves made of unleavened bread. They were in two piles of six.
Next to the loaves were bowls with incense in them. The loaves are changed every Sabbath
Day. They are called the Bread of the Presence. On the Sabbath Day the incense is burned along
with the regular incense on the Incense Altar and the bread, which is most holy and therefore
communicates God’s holiness, is eaten by the priests on duty. On the Sabbath, the old bread is
eaten and new bread is placed on the table.

(3) The third piece of furniture is the Lampstand. It has seven branches to it and each branch
has a cup that contains a bowl for the seven lamps. It uses very precious olive oil. It is made in
such a way that it looks like an almond tree with almond flowers and almonds. These seven
lamps give light to the Holy Place. Every morning and every evening the priest on duty attends
to the lamps. He trims the lamps and makes sure they have oil.

The Altar of Incense is square and has four horns on it. The priest puts coals on it that he gets
from the Altar for Burnt Offering. On top of the coals he puts incense, a very pungent incense.
The incense that is used can only be used at the tabernacle. It cannot be used anywhere else for
any other purposes. It is most holy and therefore anything that it permeates becomes holy. And
notice that the incense is burned in front of the throne of God. The altar is separated from
God’s presence by a curtain.

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Normally, no one enters the Most Holy Place. And it is has no light in it. It is totally and utterly
dark. The double curtain helps to ensure this. Only once a year on the Day of Atonement does
the high priest enter that most holy of holy places. When he enters, he sprinkles blood both on
the floor and on the Mercy Seat. That is the basic arrangement of the tabernacle.

The Purpose for the Tabernacle and Everything in It

Everything in the sanctuary connects with one central fact. And What is that central fact? The
one and only God, whose glory is hidden in a cloud in the Holy of Holies, comes and makes
himself known, makes himself available, makes himself accessible to his people at the altar.
And he comes there to bless his people. And the people come to the altar to meet with God
and to present their petitions to God and to receive blessings from God. Everything focuses on
that interaction, that reality. A holy God meets with an unclean, sinful people in a way that is
beneficial and not detrimental to both parties. It doesn’t desecrate God’s holiness and it
doesn’t destroy or damage the people because of their sinfulness. That is the central purpose of
all of this. So everything about the tabernacle and its rituals is designed by God to make that
possible.

The Tabernacle is Where God Resided with His People

In Ex. 25:8-9 God tells Moses to make him a sanctuary.
8 
And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you
concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.

There are a couple of things here we want to look at. First, he says “according to the pattern I
will show them.” Up on the mountain God shows Moses the heavenly prototype from which he
will build a copy here on earth. So when the tabernacle is built, it will be a copy of what exists in
the heavenly realm. So God’s true residence is there in heaven. Moses is shown the master plan
up in heaven of what he is to build here on earth. This word for pattern, model, copy is very
important.

Secondly, the thing that Moses is to build is given two names. First it is usually translated as
tabernacle, which is most unfortunate. The word it comes from means “to dwell, to reside, to
be at home.” It is a concrete term that refers to the place where a person lives, his dwelling
place, his residence. This tent is to be God’s dwelling place, his residence, his home. As we said,
it is normally translated as “tabernacle” and most people don’t have a clue of what tabernacle
means. Tabernacle is a Latin word that means a tent. When it’s translated that way, the
theology is always lost. A better translation would be “a dwelling place” or “a residence.”

The remarkable thing is that God, whose proper place of residence is in heaven, chooses to live
in the middle of his people, with his people. This is very significant theologically. From this
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comes the Hebrew word shekinah, his dwelling with his people, the dwelling of his glory with
his people. The glory cloud is his shekinah, his dwelling.

In summary then, the first picture is that the tabernacle is God’s residence. If it is God’s
residence, what does that mean practically for the Israelites? If you know where God lives, you
can come and visit him at his dwelling place. He gives you access to himself at this place.

God’s Sanctuary
In a broad sense, sanctuary refers to the whole thing, both inner and outer courts. Sanctuary
simply means holy place. All of it is holy because it all belongs to God. It is God’s place. More
narrowly, the sanctuary is the tabernacle proper, the Holy Place, Most Holy Place, the wash
basin, and the Altar for Burnt Offering. This was the zone that only the priests were allowed to
go into. The Levites could go anywhere in the other areas and the Israelites could only come in
the area before the Altar for Burnt Offering.

Take note that the Hebrew terms used here have a wide range of meaning and can be used in
different ways in different contexts. So the term “the holy place” sometimes might refer to the
whole tabernacle complex and at other times it may only refer to the Holy Place. The most
hidden place is called the Holy of Holies. To repeat a word in Hebrew is to give it a superlative
meaning. So this place is the holiest of all holy places. Other places are made holy because of
the holiness of this place.

So the language here indicates that we are dealing with God’s holiness and in this place God
shares his holiness, not just with people but also with places and things. So corresponding with
this there is a graded system of holiness.
 Some things are most holy. They communicate holiness. Contact with them makes
people, places, and things holy. For instance, if you touch the Altar or the laver then you
become holy.
 Some things are holy. They derive their holiness from the most holy things but in and of
themselves they are not holy and they do not communicate holiness. An example of this
is a priest. He is holy because he comes into contact with most holy things, but if you
touch a priest you don’t become holy.

In terms of places, there is graded access to God. The closer you come to God, the holier the
place is. And in the next unit we will see that the closer you come, the demand for ritual purity
becomes higher. The demands for purity are highest for the high priest, and then comes the
priests, the Levites, and finally the Israelites.

God’s Tent of Meeting

The purpose for the tabernacle structure is for God to meet with his people. I want to go over
with you some very important terminology, which is not evident in our translation. It all hinges

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on the notion of meeting. When the meeting is set up, it is set up at a particular time and place.
The symbolism here is one of citizens meeting with a king. So we have royal imagery, royal
terminology.

In speaking about the Tabernacle as a meeting place, there are three important words that are
used.

 The first word means “to arrange to meet” “to meet with a person at a prescribed time
and place.” It means to meet in audience with a king. In the ancient world, people could
present petitions to the king for themselves or for other people. That is the point of this
meeting with God, so that God can hear and grant their requests.
 (1) Another word means “meeting time.” God has set certain times to meet with his
people. At the Tabernacle there are: (a) meeting times everyday, morning and evening.
(b) Meeting times every month, new moon and full moon. (c) Annual meeting times.
Among the annual meeting times are pilgrim festivals, which are Tabernacles, Passover,
and Pentecost.
(2)This same word can also mean “meeting place.” God meets with his priests in the
Holy Place and he meets with the people at the Altar.
(3) Thirdly, this word can also refer to what you do at this time and this place. You meet
with someone. God meets with his people.
 The third word is very important term. This word refers to the people who actually meet
with God at that place and at those times. We would call them the congregation. A
different term refers to everyone who has met with God over the entire year. We might
call this the assembly of people or the church.

The Purpose of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting

This use of terminology gives you a basic theology of worship. Theologically speaking, what is
the point of the tabernacle and the ritual that is performed at the tabernacle? It is very simple.
It is the place where God can meet with his people. And the miracle is that God, who resides in
heaven, comes to meet with his people here on earth. They don’t go up to heaven in ecstasy to
meet with him. He meets them where they are here on earth. And even more remarkably, he
doesn’t make a part of the world permanently holy. Instead he makes his holy presence
available in the middle of his sinful, unclean people.

The miracle is that everything here is arranged to do what is spiritually impossible to do. What
is it that is impossible? Let’s state this as bluntly as possible. If you bring fire into contact with
petrol (gasoline), what will happen to the petrol? It will burn up. If you bring light into the
presence of darkness, what will happen to the darkness? It will disappear. If you bring a holy

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God into the presence of anyone or anything unclean what is God’s holiness going to do? His
holiness will obliterate it. It will only leave what is clean behind.

Is there such a thing a clean person in Israel? No. So it should be impossible for any Israelite to
come into the presence of the holy God without being destroyed. How then is it possible for an
unclean people to come into the presence of and meet with their holy God? How can they meet
with God without them desecrating God’s holiness and incurring God’s wrath? How can they
meet with holy God without dying? The answer is given in the ritual. The whole ritual is
designed to insulate God from the people and the people from God, not by separating them but
by allowing them to come together. I’m trying to use a secular analogy to describe how
people’s impurity can be covered over, removed, or purified so that even sinful people can
meet with a holy God in such a way that they receive nothing but blessing. We will explore this
next.

2. THE DAILY PUBLIC SACRIFICIAL RITUAL

The Daily Divine Service:Presentation of a Burnt Offering and a Grain Offering

Now I’d like to look at the daily ritual, the morning and evening sacrifice. There is no general
term for sacrifice in the OT. The OT term translated as sacrifice or offering means “to bring near
and present to God.” The daily divine service involves two things: the daily burnt offering and
the daily grain offering. Every morning and every evening the divine service is enacted in Israel.

On the face of it, it looks like people are bringing a meal to God. This is because they bring the
basic food stuffs as their offering. They bring meat, bread, and wine. So every morning and
every evening a male lamb is burnt on the altar together with some grain mixed with olive oil
and some wine is poured out on the altar. The grain flour is mixed with incense, so that when
you put the flour on the altar it produces a sweet smelling cloud of smoke.

In the ancient world, people didn’t eat meat every day. They ate it only on special occasions. So
this is not an ordinary meal but a special feast. It looks like it is offered to God every morning
and every evening but it is not what it seems. It’s upside down. The food is not brought into
God’s presence in the Holy of Holies but it is burnt up on the altar. And then there is a paradox.
God takes the offerings that the people bring and he uses it to provide a meal for his priests.
And on festive occasions he uses them to provide a meal for his people.

The Divine Service: Offerings Made in God’s Presence that Produce Sweet Smelling Smoke
As we’ve already indicated, every morning and every evening there is a meeting between God
and his people. The key text for the theology of worship in the OT is found in Ex. 29: 38-46.

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38 
“Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly.
39 
One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.
40 
And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of
beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you shall offer
at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for
a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. 42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout
your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet
with you, to speak to you there. 43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be
sanctified by my glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and
his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and
will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out
of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

These verses describe what is done on the altar with the morning and evening sacrifices. You
get a basic description of what is done in vv. 38-41a and then you get the basic theological
significance of it in vv. 41b-46.

Concerning the divine service there are two things I want to point out. (1) First of all, it clearly
says in v. 42 that these offerings are made “before the LORD” or “before the face of the LORD.”
This clearly identifies the presence of the Lord with the altar where these offerings are made.
The altar is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. So when someone comes to the altar, they
come into the presence of God. (2) When these sacrifices are made, they produce “a pleasing
aroma” (v. 41). When flour is burned, it does not produce a pleasing aroma. In fact it stinks! To
make it a pleasing aroma, it is mixed with pure olive oil and a very strong incense. The meat
from the lamb is placed on the hot coals and the flour mixture is placed on top of the meat. The
sweet smelling aroma then is the smell of meat barbequing together with the smell of incense
smoke.

There is great symbolism in the sweet smelling smoke. It is not only sweet smelling to the
people, but it is sweet to God, which means that God is pleased with this offering. And he
accepts not only the offering, but he also accepts the people who bring it. If God looks favorably
on the offering then he looks favorably on the people who bring it. As the people stand before
the altar, they also smell the sweet smell. And that tells them that God is pleased with them. In
that sense incense preaches. It preaches that God is pleased with them. It shows that God is
sweet towards them. Paul by the way uses incense in connection with the preaching of the
Gospel. And this is where he gets it from.

The Order for Making the Daily Sacrifices

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The sacrifices made each day were made in the following order. In the morning the coals are
prepared and the first lamb is cut up and placed on top of the coals. Then on top of the burnt
offering they place the grain offering, which is the flammable mixture of very fine flour with
olive oil and incense. It burns immediately and produces a cloud of smoke. And then if there are
other offerings that are brought by people during the day, those offerings are placed on top of
the morning burnt offering. And at the end of the day, another lamb is placed on top of all the
other offerings and burned. So you have a lamb on the bottom and a lamb on top and other
offerings in between. (If you go to the NT, all of our offerings to God are placed on and included
in the great offering, which is Jesus himself. Our offerings go through Jesus and with Jesus.)

What God is Doing in the Divine Service

Take note of what God is doing in the divine service. (1) In vv. 42b and 43a twice God says he is
meeting with the people of Israel. (2) In v. 43b, God says in this service Israel “is sanctified by
my glory.” God’s glory is his hidden presence. So God’s holy presence makes Israel holy. (3) In v.
44a God says in this service he will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar. (4) In v. 44b God
says he also sanctifies Aaron (high priest) and his sons (the priests). (5) In v. 45a and 46b, God
says he dwells with the people of Israel so he can be their God, so they will know him as their
God. One of the reasons we call this the “divine service” is because of all the things God is doing
for this people in this service. For pagans, worship is all about what the people are doing. For
OT Israel and NT Christians, worship is all about what God is doing. In worship, God’s people
receive God’s blessings as God serves them.

Let’s talk a little more about YHWH being Israel’s God (vv. 45-46). We’ve heard this before. In
the covenant confirmation (Gen. 17:8) God had promised Abraham that he would be the God of
his descendants. This promise is fulfilled when God gives Israel the divine service. In order to be
their God, God had to dwell with them. When he dwells with them he can speak to them and
bless them, purify them and sanctify them, care for them and look after them. Since in the
divine service God will dwell with Israel, he can now do all these things. He can be the God of
Israel as he promised. In the daily ritual/sacrifice God serves his people and acts as their God.
And by God doing this, the people get to know YHWH as their God, not just know about God,
but to personally know and experience God as their God. He isn’t a God who is far away in
heaven, but he is the God who comes down to them to dwell with them and meet with them.

In the Divine Service God Comes to His People and Blesses Them
Immediately after speaking the Ten Commandments to Israel, God spoke to Moses, giving Israel
the Law of the Altar (Ex. 20:22-24).
22 
And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for
yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make gods of silver to be

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with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth you shall make
for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your
oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless
you.

Here he says, Don’t make idols for me, rather, make an altar on which you will sacrifice burnt
and peace offerings. At this place I will cause my name to be remembered and I will come to
you and bless you. So at the altar where God’s name is remembered, God comes to his people,
meets with them, and blesses them. This then is the purpose of the divine service.

How is God’s name remembered in the divine service? The name of YHWH is on the high
priest’s crown for all to see. And at the end of the ritual God’s name is used when the priest
says the Aaronic Benediction: “YHWH bless you, keep you. YHWH make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you. YHWH lift up his face upon you and give you peace.” Every divine
service God’s name is remembered.

In the Divine Service God Appears in Glory in the Fire on the Altar
We’ve talked a lot in this course about theophany and how theophany in Israel is different from
pagan theophanies. When God appears to Israel, it is a hidden theophany. He appears but he
appears in a cloud. He hides himself to show himself. He conceals himself in order to reveal
himself. At Mt. Sinai his glory was hidden in a cloud. The same thing happens in the daily
sacrifice. Every morning and every evening God shows his glory to his people. We read about it
in Lev. 9, which is the inauguration of the divine service. Key passages are Lev. 9:6, 23-24.
6 
And Moses said, “This is the thing that the Lord commanded you to do, that the glory of the
Lord may appear to you.”

“This” refers to the daily sacrifice. They are to do this every day in order that the Lord may
appear in his glory to them. How does this theophany, this appearance by God, occur?
23 
And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed
the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 And fire came out from
before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when
all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

You need to realize at this point there was no holy fire. Moses and Aaron had placed the
offering on the altar. They had completed the ritual except that there was no fire to burn up the
offering. At the moment they stood in front of the altar and pronounced the Aaronic
Benediction on the people, fire came from the Holy of Holies, from the presence of YHWH, and
lit the Altar of Incense and Altar for Burnt Offering. And when the people saw it, they fell on
their faces, prostrating themselves before the altar because that fire was the fire of theophany.

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Now what this story indicates is that God’s theophany occurs every morning and every evening
whenever the burnt offering is presented on the altar. That is God’s theophany to his people.
It’s not a theophany where God comes in judgment. God doesn’t come to wipe them out. This
is a theophany of blessing. He appears to his people in order to bless them. Hence, the
coincidence of the two things. The moment the priest pronounced the blessing is the moment
when fire comes to burn the offering. This story connects the fire of God’s presence with the
blessing pronounced. God’s glory and his blessing are in separately together. The theophany is
reflected in the words of the benediction: “the Lord make his face shine/burning/lighting on
you.”

In the NT Jesus is the theophany of God. When you see Jesus, you see God. Jesus became flesh
and tabernacled among us. Because the disciples saw Jesus, they were able to say, We have
seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son of God. We the church also see the glory of
Jesus. Where do we see his glory? Where is the place of theophany for Christians? In the
preaching of the Gospel, in the Lord’s Supper, at the altar. The place of theophany is in the
Divine Service.

The Tabernacle/Temple is the Bridge Between Heaven and Earth

Later the tabernacle gave way to temple, which was patterned after the tabernacle. We read
about Solomon’s dedication of the temple in 2 Chron. 7:12-16.
12 
Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer
and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up the heavens so
that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my
people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my
face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin
and heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is
made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be
there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.

When the temple was consecrated, the fire once again came from the Most Holy Place and lit
up the altar. So what happened at the consecration of the tabernacle also happened at the
consecration of the temple. Now what does God say about the temple?
 First he says it’s a place of sacrifice.
 But it’s also a place of prayer. The Israelites can come to it to petition their heavenly
king.
 Thirdly, it’s a place where God puts his name. So it is a place where he gives them access
to himself.
 And through the temple and the daily sacrifices God opens his ears and eyes to his
people. They have access to the ears of God, which means they can petition him. They
have access to the eyes of God, so they can meet with God and he can show them his

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 grace and favor. But most importantly, at this place they have access to the heart of
God.

So to put it most graphically, the temple and the daily burnt offering are the bridge between
heaven and earth. At this place human beings can access the heavenly king on earth. Here the
heavenly king comes down to meet with his people on earth, to see them, to hear them, and to
open his heart to them.

Public Offerings in the Daily Divine Service

You need to distinguish the public offerings of the Israelites from the private family offerings. A
lot of people lump them all together. Every morning and evening a simple ritual is performed. It
is the public offerings and it consists of:

 One lamb is slaughtered and burnt on the altar.

 With the lamb, a couple of handfuls of flour are burnt on the altar.

Whether the Israelites were present or not, it was done on their behalf by the priests every day.
On the Sabbath Day two lambs were offered instead of one and double the amount of flour was
offered. When the festivals were held three times a year, other animals were offered. At those
times, in addition to the daily offerings, a sin offering was presented in order to purify and
cleanse the congregation and the sanctuary. In a little bit we will talk about the
personal/private offerings, which were usually offered during the festivals.

The Order of the Daily Burnt Offering

The daily ritual occurred in the following stages.

 First thing in the morning the altar is prepared for sacrifice and everything needed for
the sacrifice is prepared. The fire is stoked and the ashes are removed.
 After that the animal is slaughtered, blood is separated from the meat, and the animal is
divided.
 (1) Then come the first part of the ritual. The priest stands by the altar and splashes half
of the blood on one side of the altar and the other half of the blood on another side [Dr.
Kleinig pointed to where this occurred, but I could not see it.]
 (2) Then the priest washed his hands and feet, entered the Holy Place, and burned
incense on the Incense Altar. The whole room fills up with sweet smelling smoke from
the incense burning. The priest would go in with human odor and come out with the
odor of holiness.
 (3) Then he went up the steps of the Altar for Burnt Offering and put the meat from
lamb, the flour mixed with olive oil and incense, and the wine on the altar. That
produced another sweet smelling cloud of smoke. Over and over in the sacrificial ritual

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 the offering is described as a “sweet smelling savor/aroma to the Lord that
gives/provides rest.”
 (4) After that the priest on duty stood with the other priests in front of the altar and
pronounced the Aaronic Benediction to the people.
 (5) The last thing the priest did was take the leftover flour and olive oil and baked it and
make bread from it. Since part of that flour was placed on the altar, it made the flour
most holy and therefore the bread made from it was most holy. And if it is most holy
then when the priests ate it, it conveyed God’s holiness to the priests. That was their
daily meal, a holy meal provided by God for his servants. (That should ring a bell with
you. We do the same in the Lord’s Supper.)

The Ritual Function of the Rite of Atonement

Next we will look at the ritual function of each of the five main parts of the daily divine service.
The first part of the ritual was the rite of atonement. This involves splashing blood on the side
of the altar. Why is this the first act? If the priest went first right into the presence of God, what
would happen to him? He would have been struck dead. His sin and all of the sin of the people
needs to be atoned for. Atonement involves a number of things, it involves purification from
impurity. It involves covering up uncleanness. It involves the forgiveness of sins. It involves
putting away uncleanness because if an unclean person comes into the presence of holy God
then he will come under the wrath of God. So it means putting aside, appeasing the wrath of
God.

Atonement brings forgiveness, which we tend to understand very narrowly as pardon from sin.
Atonement involves forgiveness but forgiveness in a broader sense, which is freedom from,
release from, redemption from impurity and its consequences. If you sin, your conscience
knows it. It knows you are tainted, you are contaminated. It makes you unclean. It makes your
conscience unclean and you feel unworthy and dirty in the presence of God. Atonement
cleanses and gives you a clear conscience.

So atonement is the first ritual act and it must occur first because none of the rest can happen
unless it occurs first. Atonement is not just for the priest but it is for all the people and it’s for
the whole sanctuary. Why does the sanctuary have to be atoned for? The sanctuary doesn’t sin
and yet it needs to be atoned for. Why? It needs to be cleansed of the impurity of the priests
and people.

The Ritual function of the Burning of Incense

Next the priest washes his hands and feet before entering the Holy Place. Why? Because he is
about to handle holy things and he is about to walk on holy ground. Nothing unclean can come
into contact with God’s holiness. With his hands and feet clean, the priest entered the Holy
Place to burn incense as an act of intercession for God’s grace. When he enters, he wears the

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most holy vestments and he puts on a turban with a plate on it that is engraved with “Holiness
to YHWH.” So he covers himself with God’s holiness and he bears the name of God on him. He
also puts on the breastplate of judgment, which has the 12 tribes of Israel engraved on 12
precious stones. So he comes into God’s presence bearing the name of God and the names of
the 12 tribes of Israel. The breastplate of judgment also contained the holy lots, which were
used to determine God’s judgment on particular matters.

In Ex. 30:7-8 it says that when the high priest tends the lamps in the morning and evening he is
to burn incense before the Lord. To see the significance of burning incense, we look at Ex.
28:29-30.

Ex. 28:
29 
So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his
heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the
Lord. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and
they shall be on Aaron's heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the
judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.

The key verb here is translated as “bear.” Quite literally he carries in “the names of the sons of
Israel” and he carries out “the judgment of the people of Israel.” When Aaron goes in, he bears
the names of the Israelites to bring them to God’s remembrance. God remembers by acting, by
doing, by keeping his promises. So to bring them to remembrance before God is to ask God to
remember them by answering their prayers.

Notice that this is a type of intercession that is not spoken but enacted. Because he bears the
names of the 12 tribes, it is as if he is bringing them into the Holy Place. And when he burns the
incense, it represents the prayers of the people going up to God. And because he is wearing the
breastpiece of judgment, it is as if he picks up God’s judgment and carries it out from the Holy
Place to the people. It is enacted intercession. Incense and intercession go together. So it’s not
just speaking on behalf of others, it is standing in on behalf of others, representing others,
putting yourself on the line for them. Jesus is our intercessor in the same way, not just by what
he says, but by what he does for us, standing in for us, representing us.

The high priest bears the “the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord
regularly.” He bears their judgment. A positive judgement would be that he carries out and
brings to the people God’s pardon and forgiveness. A negative judgment would be that the
people are unclean and deserve God’s wrath. But instead of the people receiving it, it is the
high priest who bears God’s judgment on them.

The Priests Bear the Guilt of the People

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So he stands in between the people and God and intercedes for them and represents them. The
negative judgment of God falls on him so that the positive judgment of God can fall on them.
Does that sound familiar? This is what Christ does for us supremely. He bears the judgment of
God on the cross and he brings us the judgment of God, which is pardon and forgiveness. This is
put very clearly a few verses later in Ex. 28.

Ex. 28:
36 
“You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy
to the Lord.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front
of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy
things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his
forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

Note that “Holy to the Lord” should be “Holiness belonging to the Lord.” It is not just that the
priest is holy to God but the priest embodies, bears, is covered by God’s holiness. The priest
belongs to the Lord, so the Lord puts his name on him and he covers the priest with his
holiness. This is the only place that the holy name of God is written down. The only time the
Israelites see the name of God is when they see it on the forehead of the high priest when he
pronounces the Aaron Benediction. So they not only hear the holy name in the benediction, but
they see the holy name forehead of the high priest. And all of the vestments and robes that he
wears shows that he is robed in God’s holiness. Therefore when he comes out to the people to
bless them, he also brings God’s holiness to the people of God.

“That they may be accepted before the Lord” means that they may have God’s grace or God’s
favor. The verb translated as “accepted” is a theologically heavy verb that has to do with God’s
grace, God’s favor. Another translation might be: “so that it might be for acceptance before
the Lord.” So that God might show his grace and favor, the priest is to wear the name of God.

Quite concretely what does this mean? Let’s say you come to the tabernacle to bring your
offerings to the Lord but you are unclean and the danger is that you will desecrate the holiness
of the Lord. If that happens, if you bring a defective offering or an unclean offering or if you
yourself are unclean, the danger is that you will desecrate God’s holiness. If that does happen,
who will bear God’s wrath? Aaron, the high priest. The people don’t’ experience God’s wrath,
instead they experience God’s grace. If the people have committed sins and come into God’s
presence bearing the guilt of their sin and they desecrate God’s holiness, who is punished? The
high priest.

What you get is a really complex system of representation. If a layperson comes into God’s
presence and defiles the tabernacle, the layperson will not bear the judgment but the judgment
will fall on the Levites. Then the Levites present offerings to God to cover these transgressions.
And in doing so, the guilt is passed on to the priests. And from the priests it’s passed on to the

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high priest. But that is not where it ends. Remember that the high priest is a human being.
What an awful burden it would be. How difficult it would be to stand before God bearing the
iniquity of the people. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest confesses all the sins and
iniquities of the people, Levites, priests, and himself and puts them on the scapegoat and it is
sent out to the desert.

The priest entered the Holy Place bearing the people of Israel, bringing them into God’s
presence. What is it he brings out of God’s presence? He carries out the judgment of God on
the people. And anyone there can smell what that judgment is. They can smell God’s sweet and
gracious disposition towards them. The rest of the ritual unpacks God’s grace towards his
people.

The Ritual Function of the Burning Up of the Lamb and Flour

The third major step in the daily ritual is the burning, the smoking up of the burnt offering with
flour, oil, and wine on the altar. This is done in order to produce a cloud of smoke. That smoke
comes out of the holy fire that never goes out, the fire of God’s glory, which is veiled in a cloud.
This is a theophany, God’s appearance to his people. The cloud that God appears in and hides
himself in is a sweet smelling cloud. This conveys God’s gracious acceptance of the offering and
the offerers of the offering. In the daily service God comes to his people to meet with them in
order to bless them. We’ve already discussed this, so we will limit our discussion here.

The Ritual Function of the Aaronic Benediction

The Lord meets with his people to bless them and it is in the Aaronic Benediction (the fourth
step in the divine service) that the Lord blesses and keeps his people. In the Benediction God
turns his face towards his people and is gracious toward them. That refers to God’s favor, God’s
attention, God’s interest, God’s love, God’s concern. In the divine service they have access to
God’s grace. It ends with, “the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
What is the idea of lifting up his countenance? If God lifts up his face on you, what does it
mean? He looks at you and smiles. He is pleased with you. He is happy with you. He approves of
you.

The Ritual Function of the Priests Eating Holy Bread in the Presence of God
The last step in the daily ritual is the eating of the holy meal by the priests. The picture here is
that God is a King and he is the host. He doesn’t need any food, but he provides food for his
servants, his courtiers, the priests. And that food is not just for physical nourishment. It’s most
holy food. What happens when the most holy food is eaten? The priests are sanctified; they
share in God’s holiness. You need to realize that sanctification is not an event where it is
received once and then you possess God’s holiness. You keep on receiving God’s holiness. You

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keep on participating in God’s holiness without ever possessing it. In a similar way, you don’t
possess God’s love, you receive God’s love. You don’t possess God’s grace, you receive God’s
grace. You don’t possess blessing, you receive blessing. In a similar way God’s holiness is
communicated. And it is communicated through very concrete things. The most holy things
communicate God’s holiness both in the OT and the NT.

A Summary of God’s Activity In and Through the Service

We can use the following to summarize what we’ve been talking about. The most important
part of the daily sacrifices is not what humans are doing, but what God is doing. Why did God
established this ritual? So that he can do his work on them through this ritual. What is God
doing every morning and every evening through the performance of this ritual? First of all, God
cleanses and forgives people through the rite of atonement. Take note that the cleansing and
forgiveness are not just for the priests and the people who are there at the tabernacle. It’s for
the people of the whole nation, including the people who are not there. Secondly, God accepts
them and their prayers through the act of intercession by the priest and then shows that he
accepts them and approves of them through the sweet-smelling cloud of smoke from the
incense offering. Third, in the cloud of smoke that results from the burnt offering, God meets
with his people and shows his acceptance of them and their offerings. Fourthly, he bestows his
blessing on them through the benediction. And lastly, he sanctifies them and creates holy
fellowship with them and then with each other through the holy meal. Note that the holy meal
which occurs every day only involves the priests. But when people come, they also have a holy
meal. The priests have to eat their holy meal inside the tabernacle because they were required
to eat it before the Lord. Laypeople eat their holy meal somewhere just outside the tabernacle.

Something very profound is happening here. And this then is the foundation for our
communion service. There is a pattern here. Some things are the same and some things have
changed. Some things are no longer necessary because of Christ’s incarnation, death,
resurrection, and ascension. Yet the basic pattern is the same. The basic pattern has to do with
how can an unclean people stand in the presence of a holy God without desecrating God’s
holiness and being put to death? How can they receive life and blessing as sinners from a holy
God? This is the means by which God communicates his blessing, his holiness, his gifts to his
people.

3. THE PERSONAL FAMILY SACRIFICES

The Picture Behind Israel’s Private/Personal Sacrifices

A lot of people confuse the public and private sacrifices. We’ve been talking about the public
sacrifices, the burnt offering and grain offering that are made every morning and every evening
on behalf of the nation to the Lord. At the great festivals the number of sacrifices increases

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quite considerably as people bring their personal offerings to the Lord. So now we want to
focus on the personal sacrifices.

Here is the picture that lies behind the personal offerings. God gave his land on loan to his
people. It is not their land, it is God’s land. If you are a farmer and you farm some land that
another person owns, you pay rent to farm that land. The offerings that the people bring to
God are taken from his land which they are “renting.” When they bring their offerings, they
acknowledge that God is the giver of all of the produce of the land and that he is the owner of
the land. We do something similar today. A land owner finds a farmer to farm his land and then
when the crops are harvested, a certain percentage goes to the owner and the rest goes to the
farmer.

Two Classes of Private Offerings

What is it that the Israelites bring as their offerings to the Lord? There are two classes. First of
all there are the first things and then there are tithes and then other possibilities. The most
important offerings they bring, and they are obligated to bring, are the first things. There are
two kinds of first things. There are the first born male animals. All the firstborn of their male
domesticated animals belong to the Lord. (God may have specified the firstborn male animals
because they were expendable. Females are needed to expand the flock or herd.)

The second class of first things are the first fruits of their agricultural produce. They also belong
to God. The first fruits of their grain, olive oil, and wine are given to God. For the grain there
were two kinds of grain that were common, barley and wheat. So they are to bring the first
produce, whether it was animals or food stuff, and offer it to God.

Now if someone has a lot of animals and therefore a lot of firstborn animals, the problem was
that they have far more than they can eat. So they invited guests to eat. And the people you
invited were the poor, the needy, the orphans, the widows, and the landless aliens. And
secondly you invite the Levites because they had no land. God has blessed you, so you turn
around and bless others.

The Main Point of Private Offerings

The whole point of coming to meet with God is not that you give all this stuff to God but the
paradox is that when you bring it all to him, he turns around and gives it back to his priests and
people. You bring the blessings you’ve received from God to acknowledge God as the giver of
the blessing and God takes and blesses the foodstuff and gives it back to them as holy foodstuff.
So the primary point of the divine service is to have a holy meal. That is the focal point. It is
setup so that you can eat and drink and rejoice in the presence of the Lord. That is the language
of Deuteronomy.

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We’ve said this before but I’d like to emphasize it again. Until modern times people ate meat
only rarely. The only time you ate meat was at the great festivals. Secularly speaking, which
people would eat meat every day? The rich and particularly kings. Now if God provides meat for
his priests every day, what is he treating them as if they are? Royalty. He is giving them the
royal treatment. They aren’t his slaves. They are members of his royal family. And then three
times a year all the Israelite families would gather for the three great festivals. And on these
occasions God provided them with holy meat to eat. He treated all the Israelites like royalty.
They eat and drink from the table of the heavenly king. God is the host and he prepares a royal
banquet for his people three times a year. And arranges it in such a way so that whether you
are rich or poor everyone will be able to eat from his table and feast and rejoice in his presence.

The Private Offerings Consisted of Three Kinds of Peace Offerings

Now what I’d like to do is to very quickly go through personal family sacrifices. The sacrifices
that people brought were domestic animals that were offered as peace offerings. So this
sacrifice has to do with peace (shalom), that is peace with God and peace with each other. The
feasts where they were presented by the head of the family were: Passover, Pentecost, and
Tabernacles. The animal was presented together with bread and oil and wine. There were three
kinds of peace offerings. The first was a thank offering. This was an offering where you thanked
God for hearing your prayers. Secondly, there was a votive offering, where an offering was
made to keep a vow made to God. And third there were free will offerings that you offered just
because you wanted to.

The Procedure for the Private Peace Offering

The important thing is to see that these peace offerings were brought between the morning
offering and the evening offering, in the middle of the day. They would be placed on the
morning sacrifice and they would be covered by the evening sacrifice. In this way they were
incorporated into the daily sacrifice.

Now let’s say you presented a lamb as a peace offering. You would kill the animal and prepare
it. You would then present the blood to the priest who was on duty. The priest would splash the
blood against the side of the altar in the rite of atonement. Then the priest on duty would take
the liver, and most importantly the liver lobe, together with the kidney and the fat of the
animal (all of these things were used for divination by the pagan people) and offered them to
God by burning it on the altar. This was done in order to prevent anyone from using them for
divination. So in this offering, only a small part of it was offered to God. Only the fatty pieces
(liver, kidneys, and fat) were offered to God on the altar. The forequarter of the animal along
with a little bit of the bread would be offered to the priest on duty who could take it home and
use it in the family meals. He did not have to eat it at the tabernacle. He could take it back

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home. The rest of the offerings, the rest of the olive oil, flour, wine, and all the rest of the meat
of the animal were eaten as a holy meal in God’s presence. Since it included meat and wine, it
was a festive meal. Because part of it was offered on the altar, the rest of it became holy. So
they ate holy meat, holy bread, and holy wine from the table of God as God’s guests.

Three Other Kinds of Private Offerings

Besides the normal private peace offering, there were three other kinds of offerings a layperson
could make.

1. As an act of devotion, he or she or the family could offer a burnt offering. In this offering
the whole animal was burned. It was not required. It was a freewill offering.
2. Secondly, if a person commits a sin, if he breaks one of the Ten Commandments from
the second table and therefore not a deliberate sin against God, and then repents of the
sin, he brings a sin offering and then receives forgiveness and cleansing of his sin. This
offering was to be made before your other offerings. This offering is kind of like a rite of
private confession and absolution.
3. If you broke one of the first three commandments, desecrating something holy, you had
to bring a guilt offering. And besides offering an animal, you had to pay compensation
for damages done to God for what you’ve stolen from God. So guilt offerings have to do
with desecration of something holy and sin offerings have to do with immoral deeds.

One last thing. For both sin offerings and guilt offerings, only the fatty parts were burnt on the
altar. The rest of the animal was given to the priests and it was most holy, which meant it had
to be eaten within the tabernacle precincts. So every day the priests would eat three kinds of
most holy food. They would eat most holy bread and eat meat from the sin offerings and the
guilt offerings. You will find references to that in the prophets who say that the priests are
greedy for the sins of the people. The more the people sinned, the more the priests got to eat
meat. The priests on duty had a very high meat diet.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and THE TABERNACLE and
DIVINE SERVICE?

1. The tabernacle consisted of two courts. The center of the outer court was the Altar for Burnt
Offering and the center of the inner court was the Ark of the Covenant within the Most Holy
Place.
2. The tabernacle was the place where God came to dwell with his people, making himself
available to them so that he could meet with them and bless them. At this place Holy God meets
with sinful people in a beneficial way.

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3. The tabernacle is a holy place where Holy God shares his holiness by making people and things
holy.
4. The tabernacle is called the Tent of Meeting because it is the place where the God of heaven
comes down to his people on earth to meet with them. How can a holy God meet with sinful
people without destroying them? The answer to this is the divine service.
5. The meeting between God and the people takes place at the Altar in the daily divine service
where each morning and evening a whole burnt offering and a grain offering are made to God.
The sacrifices result in a sweet smelling cloud of smoke indicating God’s favor toward his people.
6. In the daily divine service God is doing several things: meeting with Israel, making them holy,
making the Tent and Altar holy, making the high priest and priests holy, and dwelling with Israel
and being their God. The divine service is all about what God is doing for his people. In the
divine service God is acting as their God.
7. The divine service is a theophany where God is present but hidden in the holy fire and cloud of
smoke. He appears to his people in order to bless them. God’s glory and his blessing are
in separately together. In the daily sacrifice, heaven and earth are bridged and God
offers his whole self to Israel.
8. The first part of the divine service was the rite of atonement where blood was splashed on the
sides of the altar. People are by nature sinful and unclean. Atonement releases one from
impurity and it consequences. Atonement purifies, cleanses, covers, and forgives sin.
9. The second part of the divine service was the burning of incense. When the high priest burned
incense in the Holy Place, he acted as a mediator between God and the people. In doing so, he
brought the people and their concerns to God and brought God’s gracious judgment back to the
people. If God’s judgment is negative, it is the high priest that bore the guilt of the people.
10. The third part of the divine service is the smoking up of the lamb and flour. It produces a cloud
of smoke. God appears in and hides himself in this sweet smelling cloud. This conveys
God’s gracious acceptance of the offering and the offerers of it.
11. The fourth part of the divine service is the Aaronic Benediction. It is in the Aaronic
Benediction that the Lord blesses and keeps his people. In the Benediction God turns his
face towards his people and is gracious toward them.
12. The fifth part of the divine service is the holy meal eaten by the priests. The clean food
offered to God is sanctified by God and given to his servants the priests as most holy
food. In this meal God shares his holiness with the priests.
13. There are two classes of private offerings, the firstborn male animals belong to the Lord and the
first fruits of their agricultural produce belong to God. This is in recognition of God’s provision
for them. Paradoxically God takes their offerings, makes them holy, and gives them to the
priests and people to eat as a holy feast for his royal family.
14. A person or family could bring a private peace offering to God. This sacrifice had to do with
peace with God and each other. The peace offering could be a thank offering, a votive offering,
or a freewill offering.

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15. In a peace offering the fatty parts of the animal were burned on the altar, preventing them from
being used for divination. The meat went to the priests and people to eat as a holy meal as
God’s guests.
16. Three other kinds of private offerings could be made: a freewill burnt offering, a sin offering
(made because the second table of the Ten Commandments was broken), and a guilt offering
(one of the first three commandments was broken when something holy was desecrated).

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 h. HOLINESS AND PURITY
Misunderstanding and Denial of Holiness
The topic we will talk about today is the theology of holiness in the OT. We will be spending
some time on it because this is one area of biblical theology that has fallen on hard times and is
basically misunderstood. It has either evaporated into general notions of God’s sovereignty or
else it is connected with morality and moral self-improvement. In our society a holy Joe is
someone who pretends to be more moral than what he really is. For most people holiness is
equated with morality. As always, there is an element of truth in this but it is basically,
fundamentally wrong.

One of the biggest problems we have in our western churches has to do with our blindness to
the reality of God’s holiness. For the church it seems that nothing is holy anymore. And this
began with the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was a deliberate attempt to desacralize
everything, to eliminate holiness from human affairs. What it is is an intellectual con job. And
even if they get rid of the language of holiness and the concept of holiness, you haven’t gotten
rid of the reality of holiness. And that is what we are going to talk about today – the reality of
holiness.

1. Sharing in God’s Holiness

God Alone is Holy but Israel Is and Will Be Holy Also

When discussing holiness, the most important thing to realize is that God alone is holy. Holiness
is not a moral term. It is a theological and liturgical term. If you want to make sense of worship
and what happens in the divine service you’ve got to think in terms of holiness. So holiness is
basically a liturgical category; it has to do with worship and is the key to the theology of
worship.

The starting point in making sense of everything that is said about holiness is that God alone is
intrinsically and basically holy. There is no other being who is holy apart from God. There is no
other thing that is holy apart from God. The starting point for any theological discussion about
holiness is Lev. 19:1-2.

19 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to all the congregation of the people of
Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

First of all, you get this strange formula that you find in Leviticus, where God declares himself to
be holy. “I the Lord your God am holy.” It is an ontological statement. It is a statement about
God’s being. And this means that you cannot define holiness in abstract terms anymore than

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you can define God. This is because holiness has to do with God’s divinity, his being as God. He
is holy while nothing else is. That is the starting point.

Secondly, he not only says, “I am holy,” but he says, “You shall be holy.” Look at the Hebrew.
“You Israelites/You the congregation of Israel.” Notice it is not just the priests but it is all of the
Israelites. Notice “holy” is in the emphatic position. “Holy you will be.” Why? Because “holy am
I YHWH your God.”

This statement in Hebrew is in the imperfect tense. And the imperfect can be understood in
three ways. (1) It can be understood as the future, as a promise. “You will be holy” is my
promise to the Israelites. (2) It can also be understood as the present. “You are holy.” Why?
Because I am holy. This is a statement of fact. (3) Thirdly, it is understood as favor or privilege.
In this sense it is understood as an imperative: “You shall be holy.” Which of these is the correct
translation? All three. Anyone who understands Hebrew, when they hear this, hears all three of
them. It is a promise. It is a statement of fact. And it is a demand and requirement.

Notice that it has to do with being. You can have an imperative to do something, but how can
you have an imperative for being? As if you can change your being. So the first two meanings
take precedent here – (1) a promise and (2) a fact. And since they are holy, therefore (3) you
shall be holy. You are to be what you are. This is very profound because for most Christians
holiness has to do with moral self-improvement. For them it doesn’t have to do with being but
with doing, with actions and not what you are.

God as the Source of Sanctification: “I am the LORD who sanctifies…”

Lev. 20:8 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. Keep my
statutes and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

Now if that weren’t enough, we get another formula that occurs seven times in the book of
Leviticus. Seven times you get the formula of sanctification. An important Hebrew word in this
formula means “to make holy.” And this is used in the Pentateuch only of God. Only God can
make holy. Humans in and of themselves cannot make anything holy. Yet, in another sense they
can cause someone to be holy, can sanctify other human beings when they act as agents for
God or instruments for God. So for instance, a priest makes people holy by using the most holy
things by which God sanctifies the people. In another tense of this word, you are told to make
yourself holy. To sanctify yourself means that you participate in the ritual that God uses to
make people holy.

One other thing about this. Many people take this in the past tense, “I am the Lord who has
sanctified you”(Lev. 20:8). But there is a deliberate use of the participle here. And a participle
denotes continuous action. That is very important. You can’t make sense of the whole doctrine

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of sanctification unless you see that you never possess God’s holiness but continually receive it.
It is ongoing activity. God is the source of holiness, so in order to continue to be holy, one must
keep contact with him and continue receiving it from him. If you cut yourself off from God then
you cut yourself off from holiness and you are no longer holy.

God Sanctifies Israel, Priests, and Things

In Lev. 20 God told Moses what to say to the people of Israel. In v.8 God says, “I am the LORD
who sanctifies you.” In this sentence “you” is plural, therefore these are God’s words to the
Israelites. So another translation could be, “I am the one who sanctifies you Israelites.” When
God sanctifies, he shares his holiness. So in this case God shares his holiness with his people. He
makes Israel holy. This is God’s primary goal, to make Israel holy.

In Lev. 22 God, through Moses, speaks to Aaron and his sons (the high priest and priests). In v. 9
God says:

They shall therefore keep my charge, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby when they
profane it: I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

Since God is talking to the priests, here he says he is the one who sanctifies the priests. Since
God’s primary goal is to make the Israelites holy, his sanctification of the priests is a means to
that end. God makes the priests holy so that he can use them to make Israel holy.

Not only does God make people holy (Israelites and priests), but he also makes things holy. In
Lev. 21:16-24 God gives instructions to the priests on what disqualifies a man serving as a
priest. A Levite man who has some kind of physical blemish cannot serve as a priest. About such
a man God says in vv. 22-23:
22 
He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy things, 23 but he shall
not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish, that he may not
profane my sanctuaries, for I am the LORD who sanctifies them.”

Here God states that some things can be most holy and other things can be holy. Why would
God sanctify things? It is for the same purpose that God makes priests holy. God uses holy
priests and holy things as a means to make the Israelites holy. God uses holy things to share his
holiness with people. Seven times in Lev. God sanctifies the people, the priests, and the most
holy things.

God’s Sanctification of Israel with His Holy Name and Word

Let’s take a look at Lev. 22:31-33.

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31 
“So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the Lord. 32 And you shall not
profane my holy name, that I may be sanctified among the people of Israel. I am the Lord
who sanctifies you, 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the
Lord.”

Notice that there is a connection between the following three things: (1) Keeping and enacting
God’s commandments, (2) not desecrating God’s holy name, which is used in the sanctuary,
and (3) “that I may be sanctified” would be better translated here as “so that I may reveal my
holiness.” So what we have here is that God reveals his holiness and he sanctifies his people
through his Word, his commands, and through his most holy Name. His Name is most holy, so it
makes things holy. He attaches his most holy Name to his commandments and those
commandments need to be enacted for him to communicate his holiness to his people. Now
those commandments are not the Ten Commandments, but are the commandments (Word)
whereby God establishes the divine service and everything to do with the divine service.

So God sanctifies the Israelites with his holy Name and his holy Word. Therefore in all of that
liturgical legislation, you get again and again God saying, I am the Lord, I am the Lord, I am the
Lord. And on the other hand you get all of the laws and decrees that God gives. Those laws
don’t just tell the Israelites what to do, but those decrees establish and institute the divine
service and they make and keep the divine service holy. And through the divine service God
makes and keeps his people holy. To put this in Lutheran terms, what is it that makes us holy in
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper? God’s most holy Name and Word. So Lutheran theology is
closely tied to this and builds on this.

Self-Sanctification with Divinely Instituted Rites

Let’s see if you get the basic sense of this. Let’s go to Lev. 20:7-8. As you read it, look for the
apparent contradiction. And think about the solution to it.

7 
Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my
statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

What is the contradiction? On the one hand God says, “Consecrate yourselves” and on the
other hand God says, “I am the one who sanctifies you.” The answer is found in what lies in
between those two statements: “Keep my statutes.” So how do the Israelites sanctify
themselves? By performing God’s statutes in the tabernacle in the divine service. They offered
the sacrifices that God told them to offer. In Christian terms, they attended church. And in
doing so, God sanctified them. They simply did what God told them to do. God then through
these ritual statutes sanctified them.

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How do we sanctify ourselves today? By doing the divine service. By listening to the Word of
God. How do we sanctify ourselves every Sunday? By receiving the body and blood of Christ
and by hearing the Word of God. How were you initially sanctified? By being baptized. Baptism
is something that is done to you that makes you holy. The Israelites and Christians sanctify
themselves through the divinely instituted rituals, the means by which God makes and keeps
them holy.

God’s Glory in the Divine Service Sanctifies

The next passage (Ex. 29:43) we’ve read already. You will remember that in the account of the
institution of the divine service you have the line: “There I will meet with the people of Israel,
and it shall be sanctified by my glory.” “It” is the congregation of Israel. They will be sanctified
by God’s glory. What is God’s glory? God’s glory is his visible, manifest presence. So every
morning and every evening, when God reveals his glory in that cloud of smoke rising from the
altar and the incense that permeates the whole environment, what is God doing to his people?
He is sharing his holiness with them. In fact he says by means of the divine service every
morning and evening, the tabernacle and all of its furnishings are made holy, the priests are
made holy, and the people are made holy. What is it that makes them holy? God’s presence.
God’s glory. Take God’s glory out of it and nothing is holy. You can participate in God’s holiness
only as long as you are in contact with God, in the presence of God. So Ex. 29:43 is one of the
key verses in making sense of the whole theology of holiness. Every divine service is an act of
sanctification. Every divine service God reveals his glory to his people so that he can share his
holiness with them, give them the gift of his holiness.

God Communicates His Holiness through Most Holy Things

The next point we’ve already touched on. How did God communicate his holiness to his
people? Pagan people and even some Christians believe it is through holy people. But there is
only one person who is holy and that is Jesus Christ. And he communicates his holiness through
the most holy things. What are the most holy things in the OT?

First, and for functional reasons the most important one, is the altar for burnt offering. It is
most holy. Twice in the Pentateuch you get the phrase, whatever touches or comes into contact
with the altar is holy or becomes holy. So the altar is a means of sanctification. So when the
sacrifices are placed on the altar they become holy. Anyone who touches the altar becomes
holy. That is fundamental to all of the basic ritual in the divine service.

You will remember that the Holy of Holies is most holy. The incense altar is most holy. The table
for shewbread is most holy. The lampstand is most holy. The laver is most holy. They aren’t
most holy intrinsically, but only because they have been anointed with the most holy anointing

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oil. So the most holy anointing oil makes things most holy or holy, depending upon how God
has arranged it.

So how does a priest become holy? At his ordination he is anointed with the most holy
anointing oil. When this happens, he becomes a messiah, an anointed one. This is where the
whole theology of the messiah comes from. A messiah is a person who has been anointed with
the most holy anointing oil. And therefore he is holy to God. The most holy anointing oil can
only be used at the temple and it can be used only for the purposes that God designates.

Next, the meat from the guilt offerings and sin offerings from the people and the bread from
the daily public grain offering are most holy. Who eats this most holy meat and most holy
bread? The priests. And where are they allowed to eat it and only allowed to eat it? In the
sanctuary. They cannot take it outside the sanctuary. It has to be eaten before the face of God,
in the presence of God. You cannot take it home to feed the family. You can take the meat from
the peace offering home because it is not most holy, it is only holy. So the meat from a peace
offering doesn’t communicate holiness.

Distinguish Between Most Holy Things and Holy Things

You need to distinguish between the most holy things that sanctify by contact with them and
the things that are holy because they have been sanctified by the most holy things. So for
example, let’s take the meat from the peace offering. The fatty parts of the animal are burnt on
the most holy altar and that makes the rest of the animal holy. Since it is holy and not most
holy, it does not communicate holiness. It is holy meat but it does not sanctify. On the other
hand, the meat from the sin offering and the guilt offering, which only the priests can eat,
communicates holiness. People do not communicate holiness. Even the high priest does not
communicate holiness. Only the most holy things communicate holiness. It is only when the
priest is in office and uses the most holy things that he brings holiness to people.

God’s Word Determines What is Most Holy

What determines whether something is holy or most holy? God himself determines what is
most holy. It comes back to God’s Word. Only those things are most holy that God chooses to
be most holy and declares to be most holy. So for instance, there is nothing intrinsically holy
about the incense ingredients. So why is it that incense is most holy and the perfume which you
use, which has many of the same ingredients, is not holy? It is because God says it is. It is
because of the Word that is attached to it. It is God’s Word that makes them most holy. That is
very important to understand. Much of modern theology runs into problems because it
disconnects holiness from the Word of God. A student pointed out that it is the same with
Baptism, that it is not the water alone but the Word of God attached to the water. Dr. Kleinig

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agreed and said in that one sentence of Luther’s explanation of Baptism you have the whole
theology of holiness in practical, non-technical terms.

Degrees of Holiness
Since holiness comes with contact with God, in the OT there are degrees of holiness. Since God
alone is holy, the closer you are to God the more fully you share in God’s holiness. The further
you are from God and the most holy things of God, the less fully you share in God’s holiness.
Even though every Israelite is holy, there are degrees of holiness.

There are degrees of holiness in terms of space. The Holy of Holies is more holy than the Holy
Place and the altar. And the altar is more holy than the courtyard. And the courtyard is more
holy than the camp. The farther you go from God, the less holy it is. What makes all these
things holy is the presence of God. If you take God out of the picture then none of it is holy. So
when God withdrew his presence from the temple, the temple ceased to be holy. It became an
ordinary building.

And then likewise you get degrees of holiness with people. Who is the most holy person in
Israel? The high priest. Why is he the most holy? Because he alone enters the Most Holy Place.
And he does this only once a year. But he is less holy when he lives at home than when he
officiates at the temple. It is when he is at the temple performing the rituals that he shares in
God’s holiness the most. The next most holy people besides the high priest are the other
priests. And then you have the Levites and then you have the Israelites. (In between the priests
and the Israelites are what are called the Nazarites. These are ordinary Israelites who dedicate
(make a vow) themselves to God and can receive the same degree of holiness as a priest.)

Ongoing Reception of God’s Holiness by Contact with Most Holy Things

Next comes something that is fundamental. Holiness is never possessed. It is always given by
God and received by people. So the emphasis in the OT is on the ongoing reception of God’s
holiness by contact with the most holy things.

Ordinary lay people have contact with only one most holy thing and can use only one most holy
thing. Now the high priest can use other most holy things, such as the most holy anointing oil,
the meat from the guilt and sin offerings, the showbread. What is the one most holy thing that
lay people can use? God’s name. So what is the second commandment? You shall not take the
name of the Lord your God in vain. That is because that name is most holy and the Ten
Commandments are geared toward the lay people. So first of all you get the first
commandment that deals with worship of God. The second commandment deals with his most
holy name, which is the most holy thing that people can use. That name makes and keeps them
holy. And then you have the third holy thing, which is the holy day. But the holy day does not

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sanctify them (make them holy). Even though it is a holy day, it does not sanctify them. The day
itself does not communicate holiness. And Luther explains this most nicely because he goes
away from the day. In his explanation, what does he say that makes the day and everything we
do on that day holy? The most holy Word of God.

Desecration of God’s Holiness Leads to God’s Wrath

If this is the case, the worst sin that the Israelites can commit is the sin of desecration.
Desecrating God’s holiness has more far reaching effects than immorality, sins against human
beings. Even the worst sins, like murder and rejection of parents are not as bad as desecration.
If you desecrate the holy things of God, what are you doing? You are cutting off the lifeline
between you and God. So the desecration of the most holy things are the worst sins.

Now this leads to a term that modern people have great difficulty with. And that is the wrath of
God. The wrath of God comes from the desecration of God’s holiness. If God’s holiness is life
giving (and it is), what is consequence of desecrating God’s holiness going to be? [Death.] If holy
means we enjoy God’s grace and favor, then desecration means we come under God’s wrath. If
God’s holiness is life-giving holiness, life-sustaining holiness, then what is desecration going to
result in? Death.

There are two degrees to desecrating God’s holiness. There is the individual and the nation. If
an individual desecrates God’s holiness, that individual will die (see Lev. 15:31). The priests are
responsible for making sure the people are ritually clean. This is because God dwells with his
people and unless they are ritually clean they defile God’s holiness, they contaminate God’s
holiness. And when God’s holiness is contaminated then God’s wrath ensues. They are going to
die.

The ultimate sanction for an individual is the loss of life. But if a whole nation is guilty of
desecration because of its persistent idolatry what is going to happen according to the books of
Deuteronomy and Leviticus? Leviticus puts it very graphically. It says that the land will vomit
them out. God will remove that poison from his presence by vomiting out the unclean people.
So the result of corporate desecration is exile from the land. If the nation is guilty of
desecration, it does not mean the death of the nation. It means exile from the presence of God.
Because as long as the nation is away from God’s presence, they are away from God’s wrath.
But bring the unclean nation into God’s presence then they come into God’s wrath.

Looking at this positively, the positive result of sanctification is access to God’s grace, to God’s
favor, to the blessings of God. In sanctification you receive God’s life-giving blessings. You know
that in Romans Paul says that the result of our sanctification is eternal life. Life and holiness go
together. Desecration, defilement, and death go together.

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Four Realities: Holy, Common, Clean, and Unclean
To make sense of holiness and the way it works, the way that God communicates holiness to us
and the problems associated with this, we need to understand four realities: holy, common,
clean, and unclean. In Lev. 10:10-12 God gives the priests their basic mandate. He said to them,
“10 You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and
the clean, 11 and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken
to them by Moses.” The task of the priests is to distinguish between holy from common and
unclean from clean and to teach the people how to do this. So the task of the priests is to be a
custodian, caretaker of God’s holiness. That is their mandate.

Now, what is meant by these four terms? The first term is “holy.” God alone is holy, so holiness
has to do with God. And therefore anything connected with God is holy. Anything that is in
God’s presence and has contact with God shares in his holiness. Holiness is never defined.
Because it only applies to God and is beyond human comprehension, it can’t be defined.
Holiness is talked about in the architecture of the tabernacle and in the commands given about
the Israelites’ participation in God’s holiness in the divine service. It is the same for us. We
participate in God’s holiness in the Divine Service.

The opposite of holiness is what is common. This term means what is common to human
beings. . It refers to that which is permitted for human use in the order of creation. The general
rule is that anything that God has created is common. It belongs to humanity. So for example
take sex and food. Sex is a common thing married couples do and food is a common thing that
all human beings eat.

Holy and common are opposites.

Holy Common

Next comes another pair of opposites: clean and unclean things. The unclean thing is that which
is disorderly and forbidden because it disrupts God’s order of creation. If something is
unnatural or perverted in the order of creation, then it is unclean. So for example, God created
our bodies to be healthy. Sickness is abnormal for created human beings therefore sickness is
unclean. The opposite of what is unclean is clean. Clean is the proper, natural condition of
something common. So take for instance bread. Ordinary bread is clean. Therefore everything
that is common is either clean or unclean.

Common Common
Clean Unclean

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God’s Presence Creates Three Domains or States of Being
When God comes and places his presence with his people, you get the creation of three
spheres, three environments, three habitats. (1) First, God’s holy presence on earth creates a
holy/clean domain. What was the holy/clean domain in Israel? Wherever God dwells must be a
holy/clean place. For Israel this included the tabernacle and courtyard and by extension the
whole camp of Israel. Everything unclean was excluded from it. Anything unclean had to go
outside the camp. (2) The second domain is the clean but common domain. That is ordinary
secular life. This is still part of God’s kingdom. It is where things work in the order of creation
according to the way that God meant them to work. (3) Then you get the third domain, which is
the unclean/common domain, which is the realm of Satan. Satan and his demons take what is
common and defile it. That is the key to understanding Satan, evil spirits, the demonic realm.
They work through impurity. In the NT they are called unclean spirits.

One can represent all of this diagrammatically. This is all in abstract terms because notice that
God doesn’t explain it like this, but he merely gives them the tabernacle and the laws having to
do with worship. And it’s all mapped out practically for them, not theoretically.

Holy Common Common

Clean Clean Unclean

In the Three Domains You Can Have Four Changes of Status

There are four actions that can occur that moves someone or something from one of these
domains to another. (1) First there is desecration. Desecration is the transference of something
holy into a common state. Desecration can be legitimate. Say you build a new church and don’t
need the old church anymore. You remove all the holy things and it is no longer holy but a
common building. For Israel the firstborn male child belonged to God. If the child was needed
on the farm, the parents would buy him back, redeem him. This changed him from holy to
common. But most of the time desecration involved sacrilege. This was an illegitimate assault
on something holy. Human beings are responsible for desecration.

(2) Second there is defilement. Defilement is the transference of something from a clean state
to an unclean state. Synonyms for defilement are pollution and contamination. So for instance
if you are clean and you touch a corpse, you become unclean. It defiles you. Human beings are
responsible for defilement.

(3) Third there is purification. Purification is the transference of something unclean into a clean
state. In purification God undoes what humans defile. What God wants for people is for them
to be clean. And so God purifies what is unclean. Things that are common and unclean, he

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wants to purify and make clean. A simple example of this is blood from menstruation makes a
woman unclean. At the end of her period, God has her wash and she become clean again.

(4) Fourth is sanctification. Sanctification is the transference of something clean into a holy
state. So you can bring a clean animal like a sheep or goat or calf, present it to God, slaughter it,
place part of that animal on the altar, and that whole animal becomes holy.

Here is a diagram that shows how desecration, defilement, purification, and sanctification fit
into the picture with the three states of being.

God's Presence
↓

Sanctification Purification

Holy Clean Common

and and and
Clean Common Unclean

Desecration Defilement
↑
Evil Powers

This helps to explain much about Jesus’ ministry. If you want to make sense of just about every
story in the Gospels, run this grid over them to see what Jesus does and what people do. A
leper comes and touches Jesus, what happens? Jesus is most holy and clean. Therefore what
happens? The leper that touches Jesus becomes clean, and not just clean, but holy. But what
happens to Jesus? He takes on the impurity and is defiled and his holiness is desecrated. And if
his holiness is desecrated, what is inevitably going to happen? He will face God’s wrath and die.
So after his baptism, when Jesus comes into contact with the first unclean person or thing, his
death is inevitable. What is involved here is the great exchange. Jesus gives people his holiness
and his purity and in return he takes on their impurity and their death and their unholiness on
himself.

2. The Nature of Ritual Impurity

Clean and Unclean as Universal Categories

Next we will map out the reality of impurity. What is impurity? One of the most brilliant books
that has been published in the last century is by Mary Douglas, a social anthropologist, called

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Purity and Danger. I would urge you to read it because it makes sense of so much in our society
that otherwise doesn’t make sense.

Let me give you three phenomena related to this. (1) Mary Douglas claims that if there is a
universal social category that runs across all societies, and it’s built into our bodies, it is the
distinction between that what is clean comes from inside us and what’s unclean comes from
outside us. She has studied many societies and she says it fits all societies. All societies are built
around this clean/unclean grid. (2) Hitler used the idea of clean and unclean for his benefit. He
said the Arians are clean and the Jews are unclean. And everyone else is in between. This
simple identification basically changed European history. (3) The third case in point is closer to
home. Beginning already in the 1920’s and 1930’s people who studied the natural sciences
were aware of the web of life and how interconnected the whole ecological system was and the
danger of disrupting the ecological order. And they found it impossible to communicate this to
people until someone had the great idea of identifying ecological disorder with pollution and
green with clean. Once they had that, it sold itself and it sells itself to your generation.

Clean and unclean are universal human categories. And you can communicate across cultures
very powerfully in this way. Mary Douglas has written further on this and other people have
refined her work but she spelled out this ground breaking analysis.

The Nature of Impurity

Let’s dive into this. To understand purity theologically rather than psychologically and
sociologically (we’ve been talking about clean/unclean in this way so far), we have to look at
ritual purity, spiritual purity, and theological purity.

Spiritual impurity is the opposite of holiness. And they are totally incompatible with each other.
Just as darkness is incompatible with light, so impurity is incompatible with holiness. Just as you
bring petrol into contact with fire and the fire destroys the petrol, if you bring darkness into
light, the light destroys the darkness. In the same way, holiness destroys that which is unclean.
They are mutually incompatible. This is simply the way things are. So impurity is a life-denying,
destructive power. It is incompatible with holiness. Because they are incompatible, you need to
be separated from impurity before you can be admitted to God’s holy presence. Impurity is
communicated by physical contact with that which is unclean.

Spiritually speaking, the spiritual power of impurity comes from the desecration of what is holy.
So impurity in itself has no power. It is parasitic power. It is power that comes from being
perverted, robbed, stolen. So if you think about it, Satan has no power in himself. The only way
he can build up his power is by desecrating holy people and holy things, the holy things of God.
So it is parasitic power that comes from the abuse of what is good.

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The Source of Spiritual Impurity: Satan and the Demons
Individual human beings divide the world into two domains. First there is the clean domain,
which is my domain, my body, my house, my village, my tribe, my people. We are clean and
others are unclean. So impurity is always placed or located outside one’s self in other human
beings. Human beings are regarded as the source of impurity. Now in the OT and NT it is taught
that no human being, even the most depraved or most wicked, is intrinsically unclean. Just as
no human being is intrinsically holy, no human being is intrinsically unclean because every
human being is made in the image of God. The source of impurity lies in the demons. The
demons are the unclean spirits. They are the source of all impurity and ultimately behind all
demons lies Satan himself.

Three Kinds of Impurity

We will now look at three kinds of impurity but really this is not how the OT teaches it. This is a
way to make it accessible to us post-enlightenment people. And all three kinds of impurity have
to do with various kinds of disorder. That is the key to it. And it’s not just disorder, but life
threatening disorder. It is a disorder that diminishes or threatens or even takes away life. Ritual
impurity is that kind of impurity which disqualifies you from attendance of the divine service.
Why does it disqualify you? Because if you are unclean and you come into God’s presence, you
desecrate God’s holiness.

(1) The first kind of disorder is physical disorder. This includes physical deformities and sickness.
An example is irregular menstruation. Instead of regular menstruation, you might have
continuous menstruation or no menstruation. This is unnatural. It is not the way human beings
were made to operate and therefore it is unclean. So notice that uncleanness is not primarily
just a moral category. Deformity and sickness don’t have to do with morality. These are not
ethical issues. It is a question of a physical life diminishing disorder.

(2) The second kind of disorder is moral disorder, disorder in relationships. So adultery makes
both adulterers unclean. Murder makes the murderer and his whole environment unclean.
Bestiality, which is sexual intercourse with an animal, makes a person unclean. Murder is easy
for us to understand, but adultery is very hard for modern people to understand. And with
bestiality we instinctively understand that it is a crossing of a boundary, a fundamental moral
disorder.

(3) Then there is what we would call religious disorder. It has to do with association with the
occult. The occult is demonic associated stuff. It is this category of stuff that is least accessible
to us because it has to do with practices that are common in animist societies. In animist
societies they believe everything has spirits. The way you access the spiritual realm and the

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power of the spiritual realm is through blood, semen, menstrual blood, stuff like that. So use of
these things for these purposes makes you unclean.

The prohibition of eating pork falls under this third disorder. Why was meat from cows and
sheep ok and pigs not ok? Because in pagan religions pigs were tied to the gods of the
underworld, the occult gods. Pigs were used in occult ceremonies. Therefore anything
connected to pagan religions and false gods was prohibited.

Degrees of Impurity
Just as there were degrees of holiness, so too there were degrees of impurity. In the OT there
are three basic classes of ritual/spiritual impurity. (We’ll look at the two extremes.) First there is
what we would call mild, low level, ordinary impurity. Examples of this are if a man has an
emission of semen or a woman has her period. If these things happen the person is considered
unclean and cannot go to the divine service at the tabernacle. To become clean again, they
simply needed to wash themselves.

These are difficult for modern people to understand because they are just normal things that
happen to people. We tend to think that the physical doesn’t have anything to do with the
spiritual. But you must remember that physical things can have religious significance. [To do his
work, the Holy Spirit uses physical things – words, water, bread, and wine.]

Those are mild forms of impurity. Now let’s look at the worst forms of impurity. (There are
other forms of impurity in between, but we’re looking at both extremes.) The worst forms
result in excommunication from the holy community or in some cases death. Because these
extreme forms of impurity are so polluting that they bring death, you need to get rid of them
from the community. So you either remove the source of pollution from the body or you kill it
so it does no more harm. As a metaphor consider cancer. You can either kill it or remove it by
cutting it out. It is the same here with high level forms of impurity.

What are the worst forms of impurity? A terrible practice was sacrificing children to Molech.
Molech was a god of the underworld. You give up the life of your child, usually your firstborn
child, to the god of the underworld, the god of death. Why would you want to sacrifice your
child to the god of death? So that he stays away from you and the rest of your family. You
attempt to keep your life at the expense of your child’s life. Sounds gruesome doesn’t it? But
that is the basic rationale for abortion in our society.

Another form of gross impurity is consulting mediums and spiritists. Anyone who did this was to
be put to death because this tapped into the occult, the realm of Satan. Consulting them is
deliberately seeking deadly powers. Another is cursing parents. Why is this considered so
heinous? Because in doing so, you wish they were dead. You killed them verbally and mentally.

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Another example of gross impurity is in the area of sexual abuse. This includes adultery, incest,
homosexuality, and bestiality. Why is sexuality targeted as an extreme form of impurity? It is
the action that creates and passes on life. If you mess with sexuality, you are messing with life.
You are diminishing in some way life.

Impurity Affects the Holy Land

There are some forms of pollution, to use a modern term, that are environmental. People are
polluted by unclean acts, but there are certain acts that also pollute the environment. There are
three of them in the Pentateuch. (1) First there is sexual impurity (Lev 18:1-20, 22-30). It
doesn’t just pollute the actors, the family, but it also pollutes the land. And that is one of the
reasons that unless it is dealt with and stopped the land will vomit its inhabitants out. We find
this a little bit odd, but if you think in purely biological terms, human sexuality is part of the
whole ecological order, the order of creation, the order of life. (2) The second form of
environmental pollution, pollution of the holy land, is child sacrifice, the worship of Molech
(Lev. 18:21, 24-30)). Other forms of paganism don’t pollute the land. But this pollutes the land.
(3) And most importantly, murder (Num. 35:33-34), unless it is dealt with and rectified, will
pollute the holy land.

Purity in the OT is Liturgical rather Than Sociological

In the OT, purity is different than it is anywhere else in the ancient world. Purity is regarded as a
liturgical rather than a social category. Mary Douglas and other sociologists say that
clean/unclean has to do with the body and that we view ourselves as clean and others as
unclean. Now what God does in the OT is take this and reconfigures it, not in terms of society,
but in terms of liturgy/worship. So let’s put this in theological terms. All purity originates in God
rather than from certain persons or classes of people. Purity doesn’t come from me, instead it
comes from God. The only one who is intrinsically clean is God. All purity comes from God.
What does this mean about all human beings? They are all more or less unclean.

It follows then that all Israelites are unclean and need continual purification. So what is going
on here? It has to do with the teaching of sin and original sin. Because of original sin, all human
beings that descend from Adam and Eve are unclean and excluded from God’s presence. They
have been removed from the holy garden. The whole fallen world is a polluted environment. So
clean and unclean basically teaches Israel the grammar of sin, not morally but theologically. It
teaches that sin leads to impurity, that sin and uncleanness are linked. They aren’t exactly the
same but they are closely linked. So for instance, if I sin against another person, then both of us
are defiled by that act. The victim is not guilty but yet he has been made unclean and needs to
be cleansed. And of course I am made unclean by my sin and I need to be cleansed too.

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So then the rules for purity have to do with admission to God’s presence, first at the tabernacle
and then later at the temple. And they have to do with inclusion into a holy community.
Clean/unclean is not primarily social and physical but rather liturgical and spiritual. So the rules
of purity have to do with admission into God’s presence and either inclusion or exclusion from
the holy congregation.

On the other hand, rules for impurity have to do with exclusion from God’s presence and his
holy congregation. And you don’t need to just see this negatively. Why is it not just negative?
Why does God exclude unclean people from his presence? It is for their protection. It is so that
they don’t die. Because if an unclean person comes into God’s presence, they come under his
wrath. God’s wrath goes against what is unclean and it is death-dealing. So these rules are used
to protect people from God’s holiness.

Difference Between the OT and NT Teaching on Impurity

What is the basic difference between the OT teaching on impurity and the NT? Jesus sums it up
very clearly in one of the beatitudes. He says, Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see
God. If you want to put that in OT terms it would be, Blessed are those who are physically,
bodily clean for they shall be admitted to God’s presence at the tabernacle/temple. The big
change between OT and NT is that in the OT people were admitted into God’s presence
physically at the tabernacle/temple. It was a this-worldly, physical thing. There was a certain
degree of physical purity that was required to come to the tabernacle/temple.

Now as a result of Jesus’ death and resurrection we are admitted not to an earthly tabernacle
or temple, but to the heaven, even while we are still here on earth. So it is physical but it goes
beyond physical. Therefore we need a far higher degree of purity than the OT people of God.
We don’t just need clean hands but according to Hebrews a clean conscience. If your
conscience is clean, what does it mean about the rest of you? It means you are totally clean for
entry into the heavenly sanctuary and for participation into the heavenly liturgy. That is why we
get a new teaching on holiness, which is much misunderstood by most modern people.

Take a look at Mk. 7:14-23. The key verse is verse 15: 15 “There is nothing outside a person that
by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile
him.” Remember people think that they are clean and what comes from outside them is
unclean. But Jesus says that what comes out of you makes you unclean. The OT concentrates
on physical impurity but what lies behind the physical impurity is the impurity of the heart.
From an unclean heart comes all the other impurities. So the source of impurity is not from
others to me, but from inside me, from my heart. My unclean heart leads to unclean thoughts
and unclean deeds and it defiles me. In this way Jesus doesn’t, as some scholars claim, abolish
the distinction between clean and unclean, but he affirms it and he radicalizes it. If it is true that

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what makes you unclean is your unclean heart, then what is Jesus’ solution to this? A heart
transplant, a new heart, a clean heart that replaces your unclean heart.

So from one point of view, there are no degrees of impurity in the NT. If we are in Christ we are
clean. If we are not in Christ, we are unclean. But that doesn’t abolish the fact that there are
certain things that defile you and make you unclean. We read some of those things. Paul also
gives a list. He says no fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, catamites, sodomites, greedy people,
thieves, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers will enter the kingdom of God. And he tells the
Corinthians that some of them were these things. But something changed. He says they were
cleansed, sanctified, purified, washed in baptism. You have these lists of things that were
prohibited in the NT. These lists were probably used for people to diagnose themselves or to be
diagnosed either in preparation for baptism or for confession. If you were unclean because of
one of these things, you had to undergo a rite of purification. What was that for Christians?
Baptism and confession.

A Summary of Purification and Sanctification --How God Works

One of the dangers that westerners face is that when it comes to the Bible we abstract
principles from the Bible. The principle of purity. The principle of holiness. And then we define
it. And then we operate as if it were an idea. Purity and holiness are not ideas. They are
realities. They are powers. So when God wants to communicate his holiness to his people and
to purify them, he doesn’t give the theory of holiness or the theory of purity. Instead he gives
them a tabernacle. He gives them priests. He gives them rituals. He gives them divine service.
And using those things he communicates his holiness to them and his purity to them.

In the NT Jesus doesn’t give us a theology of atonement and purity. Instead he gives us Holy
Communion. And by giving us Holy Communion, [he gives us holiness and purity and] he
teaches us about holiness and purity. And the fact that he gives us these realities instead of
theories applies to much in theology. God giving the tabernacle and Holy Communion illustrates
very well how God works. [He uses physical means to convey purity (justification) and holiness
(sanctification).]

God is not satisfied with having just a little bridgehead of holiness at the sanctuary. He wanted
to extend the realm of holiness from the tabernacle to the realm where people live and then
from there to the whole world. So the tabernacle/temple is a bridgehead of holiness in the
world because God’s ultimate aim is to sanctify everything he has created. That is his ultimate
purpose. But before he can sanctify everything, he has to purify everybody and everything. Only
after everything is purified can it be sanctified. So to do that, he starts by establishing a
bridgehead here on earth.

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In the OT the bridgehead is the tabernacle/temple. In the NT the bridgehead is a person. It is
Jesus. [He is the new place where God dwells with his people.] Why did Jesus become
incarnate, becoming a human being at conception, living on earth, and then dying and rising?
Why did God’s Son become a physical, embodied human being? The answer the early church
gave, which summarized the content of all the Scriptures, was so that Jesus could purify every
single stage of human existence, from conception through to death. And secondly, so that Jesus
could sanctify the whole of human life from conception through to death. So the aim of God is
to establish a bridgehead for purification and sanctification, so that eventually he could purify
and sanctify the whole of his fallen creation.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and HOLINESS AND PURITY?

1. God alone is holy and therefore holiness cannot be defined. Holiness is a liturgical term and so it
has to do with Divine Service. In the Divine Service the holy God comes to his people and shares
his holiness with them. Through the Divine Service God’s people continuously receive God’s
holiness.
2. When God shares his holiness, he makes people holy and things holy. God uses holy people
(priests) and holy things (like meat from offerings) to sanctify (make holy) his people. God also
sanctifies his people through his holy Name and his holy Word. When Israel participates in the
rituals at the tabernacle God sanctifies them. God’s glory (presence) is at the tabernacle and it
too sanctifies Israel.
3. Since God alone is holy, the closer you are to God the more fully you share in God’s
holiness. Therefore there are degrees of holiness in terms of space and people.
4. Holiness is never possessed. It is always given by God and received by people. So the
emphasis in the OT is on the ongoing reception of God’s holiness by contact with the
most holy things in the divine service.
5. The worst sin that the Israelites can commit is the sin of desecrating God’s holiness
because the wrath of God comes from the desecration of his holiness. God’s holiness is
life-giving therefore desecrating it cuts you off from God and leads to death. If the whole
nation of Israel desecrates God’s holiness the penalty for it is not death but exile from
the land.
6. To make sense of how holiness is communicated, you have to understand four realities.
Anything that is holy is connected to God. The opposite of holy is common. Everything
used by humans in the order of creation is common. Common things can be either clean
or unclean. Unclean things are disorderly and disrupt God’s order of creation.
7. Combinations of these four realities create three domains. Wherever God dwells is a
holy/clean domain. The common/clean domain is where ordinary human life takes
place. The common/unclean domain is the domain of Satan and his demons.

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8. There are four ways that someone or something can move from one of these three
domains to another. Desecration transfers from holy/clean to common/clean.
Defilement moves from common/clean to common/unclean. Purification moves from
common/unclean to common/clean. And sanctification moves from common/clean to
holy/clean.
9. Spiritual impurity is the opposite of holiness. They are incompatible. Holiness destroys what is
unclean. Human beings are born into the common/clean domain. The source of impurity is
demons or, as the NT calls them, unclean spirits.
10. Impurity has to do with disorder that diminishes or threatens life. Ritual impurity disqualifies
one from attending the divine service. Generally there are three kinds of impurity. There are
physical disorders, like deformity and sickness. There are moral disorders, such as murder, lying,
adultery. And there are religious disorders, which is association with the occult.
11. As there are degrees of holiness, so there are degrees of impurity. There are mild, medium, and
extreme forms of impurity. Mild impurity is dealt with by simple washing. Extreme impurity is so
polluting that you either remove it or kill it so it does no more harm. Examples of extreme
impurity are: child sacrifice, consulting spiritists, and sexual abuse.
12. While people are created in the image of God, they are born into a sinful world. Sin pollutes and
because of that Israel and all humans are unclean and excluded from God’s presence. So clean
and unclean basically teaches Israel the grammar of sin, not morally but theologically. It
teaches that sin leads to impurity, that sin and uncleanness are linked.
13. Rules given to Israel concerning impurity have to do with exclusion from God’s presence
and his holy congregation. This is not always negative though. It protects unclean people
from God’s wrath. These rules are used to protect unclean people from God’s holiness.
14. In the OT being clean allows physical entrance into God’s holy presence at the
tabernacle/temple. In the NT it allows entrance into the heavenly sanctuary. Jesus
speaks of having a pure heart, which equates to a clean conscience. Jesus takes our
unclean hearts and gives us new, clean hearts.
15. When God wants to communicate his holiness to his people and to purify them, he gives
them a tabernacle, priests, rituals, divine service. Through them he purifies and
sanctifies them.
16. God used the tabernacle/temple as a bridgehead of holiness in the world because God’s
ultimate aim is to sanctify everything he has created. But before he can sanctify, he has
to purify everybody and everything. In the NT the bridgehead is Jesus. Through Jesus
God purifies (justifies) and makes holy (sanctifies) his fallen creation.

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i. God’s Institution of the Rite of Atonement - Leviticus 17:10-12

1. Problem: Num 17:12-13

The Problem: How Can an Unclean People Meet with Holy God?
In the previous section we talked about people’s need for purification. How are people purified
from the impurity that comes from sin? The answer is through the rite of atonement. So
atonement is of enormous importance. Let’s go to Numbers 17:12-13, which puts the problem
we want to deal with in its most acute form. Now, just prior to these verses, you had Korah
along with others leading a rebellion against Moses because they said, We’re all holy and
therefore we should all be priests. They barged into God’s presence and were killed because
they desecrated God’s holiness. This is the reaction of the people to that whole episode.
12 
And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all
undone. 13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, shall die.
Are we all to perish?”

What is the problem that the rite of atonement solves? If a sinful people come into the
presence of holy God, they are doomed. So the safe thing to do is to avoid God altogether.
What practical question does this deal with? The practical question is, how can unclean people
meet with their holy God at the altar without desecrating his holiness and dying from their
defilement of it? So, how can they as sinners approach holy God without desecrating his
holiness and as a result dying? How can you safely approach God if you are unclean?

The Answer: The Rite of Atonement

The answer to this question is the rite of atonement. Let’s go to Lev. 17:10-12. This is a very
important and foundational text for the teaching of atonement in both the OT and the NT.
10 
“If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any
blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among
his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to
make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
12 
Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither
shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.

God gives the blood of an animal upon the altar so that he himself can atone for their souls, for
their lives. Now, it is not that the blood has the power to atone by itself, but it is the word of

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God which is attached to the blood. What is important here is that God attaches this promise to
the use of blood for the rite of atonement on the altar.

2. Use of Blood by Pagan Animists

Now to understand this in its full sense and why God chooses blood as the means by which he
atones for sin, you need to understand the use of blood in pagan cultures and particularly in
animist cultures, like the Aboriginals. Blood is regarded by animist people and by many other
people around the world as the carrier of life-power, the life-power that animates all living
creatures. So the life of an animal is in its blood. The life of a human being is in its blood. The
blood is not the life, but it is the medium, the carrier of life-power.

In animist cultures, blood is the only natural thing, the only material thing that is both physical
and spiritual. It acts as a bridgehead between the material world and the spiritual world. So if
you want to access the spirits and the spiritual world and you want to bridge between those
living on earth and those who have died but now live in the underworld, it is through blood.
This then explains to us what look like rather strange customs.

For instance, traditionally Aboriginals under the right circumstances would drink the blood of a
kangaroo. Why would they do that? To get its life. Drinking its blood was thought to give you
kangaroo power. So you eat blood and drink blood in order to get life-power and not just
natural life-power. It’s not just good healthy food but it’s supernatural life-power. They ate it
for virility and fertility, strength and health.

Lastly, animist people use blood as food for the spirits of the dead and to appease evil spirits.
So archeologists have found something that looks rather strange to us. You will find a lead pipe
that goes from above ground down to the bones of a dead person. The purpose of the pipe was
to pour blood into it so it would reach the bones. In doing so, you would be giving blood to the
spirits of the dead and in that way you would increase their strength and energy and they in
turn could do favors for you. Because for animist people the most powerful people are not
those that are living but those that are dead. For them, the most alive people are dead people.
They would also use blood to feed evil spirits in order to appease them.

3. Structure of Leviticus 17:10-12

The Meaning of the Word “Atone”

A literal translation of Lev. 17:11 would be as follows:

For the life-power of an animate creature is in the blood, and I have provided it for you upon
the altar to atone for your lives, for the blood, it by means of the life atones.

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Blood in itself does not atone. Only blood placed on the altar atones. The blood of a sacrificed
animal that is placed on the altar God has provided atones for sins. And it is not the blood in
itself that does it, but it is because of the Word of God that is attached to it. It is by virtue of this
divine institution that the blood atones.

4. Meaning of KIPPER

What is meant by the Hebrew word kipper, which is translated as atone? There are three levels
of meaning of this word. As you remember, Hebrew has a very small vocabulary and any one
word in the Hebrew language is used in a number of different ways. It is semantically very rich.

First, and most obviously, kipper is a verb taken from the noun kopher. A kopher is a bribe or
ransom. It is a payment you make to get you free from something. So in v. 11 of Lev. 17 instead
of “atone” you could say that the blood ransoms you. It ransoms by means of a life. So a life
ransoms a life. Atoning is ransoming. Life is paid to free life.

Secondly, kipper has a second root in Hebrew. It has the idea of covering or wiping out a stain.
If you have something that is dirty, you can cover it up. Or you can do the opposite, but it has
the same result. Instead of covering it up, you can remove the stain.

Thirdly, it becomes a ritual technical term and it means to perform the rite of atonement. So
whenever you see this Hebrew word used, you have to think about in which of three ways it is
being used. The first two can be used in a secular sense, non-theologically. But the third sense is
only used theologically in a ritual sense. The most important sense that we are concerned
about is the third sense, the performance of the rite of atonement.

5. Disposal of Blood in the Rite of Atonement

The Application of Blood in the Rite of Atonement

The divine service begins with the rite of atonement. The rite of atonement is performed for
four different sacrifices. But what is the rite of atonement? According to v. 11, it has to do with
the placement of blood on the altar. God gives the blood of various sacrifices for the purpose of
making atonement, that is, to ransom life and to cover over and remove sin in the divine
service. How is the blood used to make atonement in these four different sacrifices?

(1) First of all the blood from every public burnt offering (daily and others), along with the
private peace offerings brought by the people was splashed against the sides of the altar. That
is the primary rite of atonement. It is called by scholars the minor rite of atonement. Besides
the atonement of these offerings, there were three extraordinary rites of atonement.

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(2) A sin offering was made for the purification of sin. The sin offering was made for a
layperson. In the rite of atonement for the sin offering, the priest takes the blood from the sin
offering and applies it to the four horns of the altar, cleansing it from impurity. Once he has
applied the blood to the horns, he pours out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So it
is not splashed against the altar, but it is placed on the altar and disposed of at the altar. That is
the sin offering of a lay person. If a person breaks one of the ten commandments, confesses
their sin, and wants to cleansed from it, he comes and presents a sin offering. And once they’ve
presented a sin offering, they can once again safely approach God without coming under God’s
wrath.

(3) Then there is the sin offering of the high priest and the congregation as a whole. The high
priest represents the congregation and if the high priest sins then the congregation sins. In this
case the high priest brings the blood into the Holy Place and stands before the Holy of Holies
and sprinkles the blood seven times against the curtain. So he sprinkles the blood in the
direction of the atonement cover on the mercy seat seven times. And then he smeared the
blood on the four horns of the incense altar. Then he brought out the rest of the blood poured
it out at the base of the altar for burnt offering. Notice then in this case that the blood is not
only placed at the altar for burnt offering but also on the incense altar to make atonement. So
when it is the sin of the high priest and congregation not only does the altar for burnt offering
have to be cleansed but so also does the incense altar.

(4) Then you have the sin offerings for the Day of Atonement. This has to do with a
comprehensive cleansing ceremony once a year before the feast of tabernacles in the seventh
month. In this ceremony there are sin offerings offered for the priests and the congregation. So
a bull was sacrificed for the priesthood and a goat for the congregation. And in all there are 49
applications of blood.

On the Day of Atonement, the cleansing begins in the Holy of Holies. The priest brings blood
from both of the offerings and sprinkles it on the mercy seat once for each offering. And then
he sprinkled it on the floor of the Holy of Holies seven times for each offering. So the blood is
sprinkled twice on the mercy seat and fourteen times on the floor for a total of sixteen times.
But what is important is that it begins with the sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat. It goes
from the inside out, from the Holy of Holies to the Holy Place to the altar for burnt offering.

The second place cleansed on Day of Atonement is the Holy Place. After that, the high priest
comes out of the Holy of Holies and applies the blood to the four horns of the incense altar.
Then he sprinkled it on the floor of the Holy Place seven times. Again, he does this for both
offerings. So blood is applied eight times to the horns of the incense altar and fourteen times
on the Holy Place floor. So the blood is applied a total of twenty two times in the Holy Place.
And the two bowls of blood are poured together.

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The third place cleansed on the Day of Atonement is the altar for burnt offering. The blood is
then brought out of the Holy Place to the altar for burnt offering. The blood was placed on the
four horns of the altar for burnt offering. And then the blood was sprinkled seven times on the
altar. And whatever blood was left, it was poured out on the base of the altar.

Notice how the blood was brought in and then it is brought out. If that blood is brought into the
Holy of Holies and applied to the mercy seat, what does it make the blood? Most holy blood.
Since it is most holy, it communicates holiness. So it sanctifies from the inside out. Clean blood
is brought in and most holy blood is brought out. The writer of the Hebrews says that Jesus
brings his blood into the heavenly sanctuary, the heavenly Holy of Holies, and then sprinkles it
on us here on earth. He brings it from heaven to earth as the most holy, sanctifying blood.

6. Theological Function of the Rite of Atonement

Theological Function #1 of the Rite of Atonement: Cleansing from the Impurity of Sin
Quite simply the rite of atonement cleanses from sin. Sin doesn’t just defile and dirty the
evildoer, but it also dirties the people being sinned against. And it dirties the whole
environment. So the altar needs to be cleansed. The sanctuary needs to be cleansed. The
priests need to be cleansed as well as the people and the land needs to be cleansed. So
atonement leads to cleansing, purification from sin. It covers and removes sin. Or rather than
sin being removed, the consequences of sin, the stain from it, the impurity from it are covered
and removed. Therefore the guilt from the sin is removed.

Theological Function #2 of the Rite of Atonement: Pardon/Release/Remission from Sin and Its
Impurity
Secondly, when it is applied to persons, it has the sense of pardoning, forgiving. The result of
performing the rite of atonement is to release or free. Literally it means “to be released for
him.” That is always translated as “he will be forgiven.” But this is a divine passive, which means
God releases him from his impurity, from his sin. So atonement has to do with
remission/release/freeing from sin and its consequences. And it is for the sinner and the person
sinned against. This is the doctrine of forgiveness in the OT. So there is a close connection
between atonement and pardon. There is no forgiveness without atonement. And there is no
atonement without sacrifice. So, sacrifice and atonement leads to purification and forgiveness
of sin.

Theological Function #3 of the Rite of Atonement: Bearing God’s Punishment for Iniquity
Thirdly, atonement has to do with the bearing of iniquity. This is important for the NT too. The
Hebrew word nasa’ means to bear, to carry, and to remove. The Hebrew word ‘avon is a rich
term, semantically. ‘avon is a crooked act and is translated as iniquity. Iniquity is inequality,

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something that is evil. So ‘avon is an evil act, but it is also the consequences of an evil act. So
iniquity is an evil act and it is the punishment for an evil act.

So iniquity first of all is an evil act, an act that violates the God-given order. And since it breaks
the order given by God, it has inevitable consequences. Evil results in and produces evil, both
for the evildoer and for those who are victims of the evil act. Iniquity is also the guilt objectively
and subjectively of the evil act. And it is also the punishment of an evil act. How does God
punish people for their sins? He delivers them over to the consequences of their evil deeds.

(1) First of all it is used for a person who bears the consequences of their evil act. Again and
again you get the expression: that the person will bear his iniquity. What does that mean? It
means that a person will suffer the consequences of his or her actions. Now, normally what God
does is hold back the consequences of evil. Because if God didn’t hem in and control evil what
would happen? We would all die. If evil gets out of hand, it just destroys everything. So
normally God holds back evil. When he decides to bring forth judgment, all he does is remove
his protective hand and let us suffer the consequences of our sins. So to nasa’ ‘avon means to
bear the consequences of your iniquity. All human beings have a sense of this: if I do evil, I will
have to pay the consequences for it. In Hindu terms, that is the law of karma. If you do evil, evil
will befall you. But notice that this is not full karma. If God allowed us to suffer the
consequences for every evil thing we did, none of us would survive.

(2) Secondly, in Ex. 34 God says he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in
steadfast love, bearing the iniquity and sin and misdeeds of people. This is usually translated as
forgiving. There God is the one who bears iniquity. What does it mean when God bears
iniquity? It doesn’t mean that God suffers the consequences of his sins. But he -- and this is the
miraculous teaching in the OT, which pagan people cannot understand –- he bears the
consequences of people’s sin. And by doing so, he removes from us the consequences of our
iniquity. And so God’s forgiveness means that God removes iniquity; God takes responsibility
for it and removes the consequences of it.

(3) So the rite of atonement has to do with God intervening to take on people’s iniquity and to
take away the iniquity of the evil deed. How does he do this quite concretely? This leads to the
third sense of nasa’ ‘avon and we’ve already touched on most of this. You get a chain of
responsibility for bearing iniquity at the sanctuary. If someone unclean comes to the
tabernacle, the Levites bear that iniquity. Then the priests bear the iniquity of the Levites. And
the high priest bears the iniquity of all the Israelites (the priests, Levites, and people). And then
once a year the scapegoat bears the iniquity of everyone in Israel (high priest, priests, Levites,
people) and takes their iniquity out to the desert. It is removed from them and taken away.

How God Bears the Iniquity of Israel

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Let’s take a look at a passage that has to do with bearing iniquity. Let’s look at Ex. 28:36-38,
especially v. 38.
36 
“You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy
to the Lord.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front
of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy
things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his
forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

The priest bears on his head a plate that says, Holiness to Yahweh. So when the priest comes
out of the Holy Place, the people see the name of God on his forehead and the priest is covered
with the holiness of God. That is the only place where the name of God is inscribed at the
sanctuary; it is on the forehead of the high priest. What is the significance of him wearing the
turban with that plate with that inscription? He wears this plate and he is covered with God’s
holiness so that he can bear the iniquity of the people. Any defilement, any desecration by the
people when they bring in their offerings to God will be passed on and fall on the head of the
high priest. And if he is covered with the holiness of God and he bears the holy name of God,
who in fact is bearing the iniquity? God is bearing their iniquity. And the purpose of this then is
so that the people can receive God’s grace and favor (see the end of v. 38). They will find favor
from the Lord rather than wrath from the Lord. So the priest bears the iniquity of the people,
which means that the wrath of God will fall on him rather than on them. There is substitution
and exchange involved here. And ultimately, the miraculous thing is that God himself through
the high priest bears iniquity. Then on the Day of Atonement the high priest places that iniquity
on the scapegoat.

When John the Baptist said about Jesus, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world, he is saying, “Who nasa’ ‘avon (bears) the sin of the world.” Now it is not because Jesus
is the Lamb that he takes away the sin of the world, but because Jesus is the great High Priest.
He is both Victim and Priest. As a Victim his blood cleanses from sin, brings forgiveness. As the
Priest he bears iniquity on behalf of all people all over the world. And the result of it is that
people can therefore receive God’s grace and favor.

Theological Function #4 of the Rite of Atonement: The Blood Sanctifies

The same blood that cleanses is the blood that sanctifies. Once the blood has been placed on
the altar then it becomes most holy. So for instance, when a priest is consecrated, part of his
consecration is to place blood on his earlobe, his thumb, and his big toe. He does this on his ear
so he can hear the holy word of God, on his thumb so he can handle the holy things of God, and
on his big toe so he can walk on holy ground. So the blood first of all cleanses the priest by
being placed on those three places and then after that the blood is sprinkled on the vestments
of the priests with the holy anointing oil to sanctify him. And for the high priest the blood mixed

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with the holy anointing oil is placed on his forehead. So the blood that atones is also the blood
that sanctifies, making the priest holy. [Similarly, the blood of atonement from the daily
sacrifices sanctifies. It sanctifies the tabernacle, the priests, and all the people.]

Theological Function #5 of the Rite of Atonement: Gives Access to God’s Gracious Presence
Having been cleansed and sanctified by the blood of atonement, God’s people can safely enter
into God’s holy presence to receive God’s grace. Because of atonement, sin has been covered
and removed, the sinner has been cleansed and made holy, God bears the iniquity of their sin.
This is what Paul says in Rom. 5:1-2.

5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we
stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

The result of justification by grace, which is the cleansing as result of atonement for sin, is
access to God’s grace.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and the RITE OF ATONEMENT?

1. The problem for an unclean people is how can they as unclean sinners approach
holy God without desecrating his holiness and as a result die? The answer is the rite of
atonement. The Word of God attached to the blood atones for sin.
2. Blood was viewed by pagans as a way to get life-power and to reach the dead.
The reason God chose to use blood for atonement was to prevent Israel from following
these occult practices.
3. The word atone has several different meanings. Atonement ransoms life by
means of a life. Atonement covers up or wipes out the stain of sin. Atonement is a ritual
term, which refers to the rite of atonement.
4. In the rite of atonement blood is used in several different ways to make
atonement. It is splashed against the sides of the altar (public burnt offering), applied to
horn of the altar (sin offering of layperson), sprinkled on the curtain and smeared on the
horns of the incense altar (sin offering of high priest), and applied 49 times from the
inside out in the tabernacle (on the day of atonement.)
5. The rite of atonement cleanses from sin. It cleanses the person who sins, the
person who is sinned against, the priests, the tabernacle, and the land. The impurity
that results from sin is covered and removed by atonement.

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6. The rite of atonement pardons and releases from sin and the impurity that
results from it. This is the doctrine of forgiveness in the OT. Sacrifice provides blood,
blood is used for atonement, and atonement leads to purification and forgiveness.
7. Iniquity is an evil act that violates the God-given order. Iniquity results in guilt.
Someone must bear guilt of iniquity. Sometimes to get our attention God allows us to
bear the iniquity of our sin. But primarily God takes on and bears the iniquity of our sin.
In the OT he did this through a chain of responsibility, from people to Levites to priests
to high priest to God.
8. The high priest wears the name and holiness of God (turban and vestments).
Because he is covered with God’s holiness, he can bear the sins of the people. And
because he bears them in God’s name, it is really God who bears their sin. That way the
people receive God’s grace and not his wrath.
9. When the blood of atonement touches the altar, it becomes most holy. Because
it is most holy, it sanctifies the tabernacle, priests, and all the people.
10. Having been cleansed and sanctified by the blood of atonement, God’s people
can safely enter into God’s holy presence to receive God’s grace. Atonement is
equivalent to justification and justification gives safe access to God’s grace.

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 E. GOD’S FOUNDATIONAL GIFTS FOR ISRAEL
One of the dangers in teaching this course is that there is so much material and the danger is
trying to cram in too much. I won’t be able to cover everything and that is why I’ve given you
extensive notes. If everything isn’t covered in class, at least you have the notes. We’ve been
concentrating on what I see as foundational to understand the OT, and not just the OT, but the
NT as well.

So we’ve looked at the foundational events in the OT. Now if we had time, I’d like to cover six
foundational gifts, but I won’t be able to do that. Notice that the gift of worship is already
outside the land. In addition to the divine service and the covenants, you get the following
great gifts that God gives to his people: the land (promised to Abraham), kingship (we will focus
on that because of its great importance to us as Christians), justice and righteousness, the
temple in Jerusalem the holy city (which is a type of the church), prophecy (most of you have
had a course on the prophets), and wisdom. The one for sure that I want to cover is kingship
because it has to do with our confession that Jesus is the Messiah.

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 a. THE GIFT OF THE LAND
(Dr. Kleinig skipped the Gift of the Land because of lack of time but I’ve added the following
notes based on the Class Overheads and the Class Notes provided by Dr. Kleinig.)

1. Importance of land in the ancient world

 Source of livelihood with wealth and security
 Presupposition for status and power in society
 Division into two classes: the landed and the landless aliens (gerim)
 Origin of Israel as a landless people (Deut 26:5-10)
2. Association of pagan gods with their land
 Gods as the owners of the land around their temples
 Inhabitants of that land as the servants of that god
 Reception of benefits from the god through the land
3. God's promise to the landless patriarchs
 Their status as aliens in the land
 God’s promise of Canaan to Abraham’s seed (Gen 12:7; 17:8)
 God's promise of blessing in and through the land
 Abraham's possession of the cemetery at Hebron as his only piece of land
4. God's gift of the land of Israel to his people under Joshua
 Canaan as God's hereditary estate (nachalah)
 God's claim of the land by the altars of the patriarchs
 God's repossession of the land by right of forfeiture through iniquity and conquest (Gen
15:16)
 God's allotment of his land to the twelve tribes with their clans
 Their portion (chēleq), lot (gōrāl) and inheritance from God: leasehold rather than
freehold (Lev 25:23)
 God as the landlord/owner (‘adon)
 The Israelites as tenants rather than land owners
 Prohibition of sale outside the clan
 Laws of redemption of the land at the jubilee
 God as the redeemer of the land
 Offerings as the rental for the land
 Laws for use of the land and enjoyment of its blessings
5. God's presence with his people in the land
 The temple as God's residence in the land (1 Kgs 6:11-13)
 Religious status of land because of God's presence (Num 35:34)
 It heard God's word
 It suffered from the sin that polluted it
 It feared God
 It rejoiced in his presence and praised him
 The Israelites as God's holy servants
 Beneficiaries of God's holiness
 Demand for allegiance to their divine land owner
 Danger of faithlessness and apostasy

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  Requirement of ritual purity for the land
 Removal of pagan idols and sanctuaries (Deut 7:1-6)
 Avoidance of pollution from murder, child sacrifice, sexual perversions, and idolatry
(Lev 18:24-28; Num 35:33,34)
 God's presence as source of life and death in the land (Deut 11:26-29; 30:15-20)
 Participation in God's blessing through the divine service
 Participation in righteousness and peace through the monarchy
 God's presence as source of curse on apostate people in land
 Death to the individual
 Extinction of family with the loss of its land (cutting off)
 Exile of people from the land
6. The eschatological interpretation of the land/earth
 Paradisal state of the land/earth after return from exile and restoration of Zion (Jer 31:10-
14)
 Transformation of the land/earth after the day of the Lord
 God's judgment of the land and the people (Isa 24:1-13)
 Their transformation by God's Spirit (Isa 32:15-20)
 Creation of a new heavenly world (Isa 65:17-25)
 Presence of God's glory in the land and in heavenly Jerusalem (Isa 62:1-5)
 The eschatological inheritance of God's people
 Messiah as the heir of the world (Ps 2:8)
 Heavenly allotment for saints in age to come (Dan 12:13)
 Promised blessing as the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:14,18-19)
 Christians as joint-heirs with the Messiah in their inheritance of heavenly blessings
(Eph 3:6)

1. Importance of land in the ancient world

In the ancient world there were two different groups of people, people who owned land and people
who did not. Whether or not one owned land was of immense importance. Owning land afforded a
family with a place where they could build a permanent place to live. And being an agrarian society,
owning land gave them a place to graze their flocks and herds without having to move from place to
place. Therefore those who owned land were viewed as wealthy and had a higher status in society.
Owning land provided economic stability and security for families. And when we talk about families,
we’re not talking about just nuclear families but extended families. So, owning land allowed the whole
clan stability and security.

Those who did not own land were economically vulnerable and disadvantaged. They had no permanent
place of residence and were constantly on the move. Their plans for the future were always up in the
air. There were two basic classes of landless people (see Lev. 25:6). There were slaves and hired
workers. The hired workers had to seek employment wherever it was available. And slaves were owned
by their masters and had no freedom in life.

Lev. 25:6

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 6 
The Sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female
slaves and for your hired worker and the sojourner who lives with you,

Israel Began as a Landless People

Israel started out as a landless people. When God called Abraham, he journeyed from Haran to the land
of Canaan (Gen. 12:1-5). While in Canaan, the patriarchs of Israel, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, moved
from place to place (Gen 20:1; 21:23; 23:4; 26:3: 35:27; Exod 6:4 ). The only property that Abraham ever
owned in Canaan was a cemetery plot for his family.

Gen. 23:4
“I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place,
that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

Later the people of Israel ended up in Egypt to escape a famine. Originally pharaoh treated them well for
Joseph’s sake. But later a pharaoh arose that did not know Joseph and ruthlessly made the Israelites into
slaves.

Ex. 1

13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter
with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work
they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

So the Israelites went from being landless aliens in Canaan to landless slaves in Egypt. And the Lord
commanded that they never forget that they were slaves and that the Lord redeemed them from
slavery (Deut 5:15; 15:15; 16:12; 24:18,22).

Deut. 15:15

15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God
redeemed you; therefore I command you this today.

Because Israel was the people of God from the time of the patriarchs, to Egypt, to the desert
wanderings, and all the while they were landless aliens and slaves, their livelihood, security and identity
did not depend on their possession of the land but on God and his presence with them (Ex. 33:15-16).

Ex. 33:15-16

15 And he [Moses] said to him [God], "If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up
from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your
people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every
other people on the face of the earth?"

2. Association of pagan gods with their land

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Pagan Beliefs about Land and the Gods
Pagans believed in local gods. They believed that each territory of land was owned and
controlled by the local god. Anyone who lived on that land had to serve that god if he wanted
to receive blessings. The people worked to provide whatever the god needed and the god in
turn would take care of his people by providing them with crops and flocks and fertility to have
children.

3. God's promise to the landless patriarchs

God’s Promise of Land to the Patriarchs

As mentioned above the patriarchs of Israel were landless. They were aliens living in and moving around
the land of Canaan. Later their descendants had to move to Egypt where they were made into landless
slaves. But God had promised to give the land of Canaan to the descendants of the landless patriarchs.
To Abraham God first made this promise. When Abraham first came to Canaan, God promised:

Gen. 12

7 ... “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had
appeared to him.

God then incorporated this promise into his covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:18-21). In this covenant
God swore by the highest authority in heaven and earth, himself. And these covenant promises were
passed on to Isaac and Jacob. Hence the land became known as the promised land.

In Deuteronomy as Israel was about to enter the promised land, God stated over and over again that he
would bless Israel in and through the land.

Deut. 7
13 
He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and
the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and
the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you.

See also Deut. 15:4; 23:20; 28:8; 30:16.

God had sworn to give the land to Abraham’s descendants and bless them through it, but Abraham did
not live long enough to see the fulfillment of that promise. The only property that Abraham and the
patriarchs ever owned in the land of Canaan was a plot of land that Abraham bought from some Hittites
to use as a family cemetery (See Gen. 23).

4. God's gift of the land of Israel to his people under Joshua

The Land of Canaan was God’s Hereditary Estate

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When someone inherits property, the possession of the property is passed from one person to another.
God created the earth and all the people on it. He is the owner of all things.

Jos. 3
11 
Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before
you into the Jordan.

He created all nations and he gave each nation an inheritance, the land they live on.

Deut. 32
8 
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples

according to the number of the sons of God.

The Lord claimed Canaan as his own inheritance and especially Jerusalem where his holy temple was.

Ps. 79:1
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple;
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.

To his people Israel God gave the land of Canaan as their inheritance from him.

Jer. 3
In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come
from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.
19 
“‘I said,
How I would set you among my sons,
and give you a pleasant land,
a heritage most beautiful of all nations. ...

Deut. 12
10 
But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to
inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety

God Publically Made Known His Claim on the Land by the Altars of the Patriarchs
Through idols and shrines, the pagan gods claimed the land of Canaan as their own. But in
actuality it was the Lord’s land.

Jos. 22:19

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19 
But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the LORD's landnwhere the 
LORD's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us.

1King 8:36
36 
then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you 
teach them  the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which 
you have given to your people as an inheritance.

Since the land belonged to the Lord, the Israelites who lived on it were regarded theologically
as resident aliens and landless tenants rather than land-owners.

Lev.25:23
23 
“The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers
and sojourners  with me.

The patriarchs were aliens who lived in the land and moved from place to place. As they did,
God appeared to them and they built an altar and called on the name of the Lord. Every place
they moved, they built an altar to the Lord. By doing this, the Lord staked his claim to the land
of Canaan long before the Israelites wrested it from its former inhabitants.

God Evicted the Current Tenants of His Land Because of Their Wickedness
God would take the land back from the Canaanites because of their iniquity and wickedness.

Gen. 15:16

 16 And theyshall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is
not yet complete.”

Deut 9:5
5 e
Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going into posse
ss their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the LORD your God is driving 
them out from  before you, and that he may confirm fthe word that the LORD swore to  your
fathers, to Abraham, to  Isaac, and to Jacob.

The Israelites were not told to claim the pagan sanctuaries with their paraphernalia for the Lord
but to destroy the sanctuaries of the gods with their idols and sacred symbols.

Ex. 23:23-24

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23 
“When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the
Perizzites  and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out,24 you shall
not  bow down to  their gods nor serve them, enor do as they do, but you shall utterly 
overthrow them and break their  pillars in pieces.

By the total destruction of the idols and shrines of the pagans, the pagan gods were treated as
imposters and nonentities rather than as the former owners of the land.

God Leased the Land to New Tenants – the Israelites

When the Lord brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan, he took the land from the
Canaanites and turned around and allotted it to the twelve tribes of Israel. Eleazar the priest
and Joshua allotted the land in the Lord's presence. The division of the land took place by the
casting of a lot for each tract of land, so that the Lord himself would determine its distribution.
The allotment was made to extended families in the tribes. Each family received its portion of
the promised land.

Now since the land belonged to the Lord who gave it inalienably on lease to each tribe and
family, it could not be sold (Lev 25:23) or transferred to another tribe (Num 36:5-9). Since they
did not own the land, they could not sell the land.

Lev.25:23
23 
“The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers
and sojourners  with me.

Num. 36:7

 7 The inheritance of the peopleof Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another, for 
every  one of the people of Israel shall hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.

Israel was God’s firstborn son and as his inheritance, the Lord gave him his land, the land of
Canaan as his inheritance.

Deut.15:4
4 
But there will be no poor among you;  for the LORD will bless you in the land that the LORD
your  God  is giving you for an inheritance to possess—

God was the Landlord/Owner of the Land

As the owner of the land, the Lord acted like a landlord renting the land to his people. They
then were treated like renters and he expected them to recognize his ownership and blessing of
them by worshipping him alone and giving him the firstfruits of their crops and flocks.
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Since Israel Leased the Land, They Were Not Allowed to Sell It
Since the Lord was the owner of the land when he gave his land to the Israelites, he gave it to
them to live in. They would lease his land like tenants renting a house or farmers renting some
land.

Because God owned the land and not the Israelites, the Israelites were forbidden to
permanently sell the land or to transfer it to another tribe.

Lev. 25:23
23 
“The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers
and sojourners  with me.

Num. 36:7

 7 The inheritance of the peopleof Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another, for 
every  one of the people ofIsrael shall hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.

If an Israelite got into financial trouble and “sold” his land, God provided a year of Jubilee in
which all land was returned to its original “owners.” The land he apportioned to each family
was to remain with that family. If the land was “sold” to pay a debt, in the year of Jubilee the
land was to be returned to the original owning family.

God Acts as the Redeemer of the Land

God is the Kinsman-Redeemer of Israel. He is the protector of the family. One duty of a
kinsman-redeemer was to make sure the family’s portion of land allotted to it by God remained
in the family. If the land was taken from the family, it was the responsibility of the redeemer to
gather an army or the money needed to pay off the debt and get the land back.

In this case, the Canaanites had taken God’s land. So as the Redeemer, God led his family into
his land, dispossessed the wicked Canaanites, and took the land back for himself and his family.

Deut. 31:3
3 
The LORD your God himself will go
over before you. He will destroy these nations before you,  so that you shall dispossess
them, and Joshua will go over at your head,  as the LORD has spoken.

Viewing Offerings as Rent for the Land

Since God was the owner of the land and the Israelites were aliens living in God’s land and God
had given each family land to live on, the Israelites were to recognize that God graciously gave

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them this land to live in and gave them the crops that grew on the land. They did this when
they brought the firstfruits of the land to the Lord as an offering.

Ex. 23:19a
19 
“The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your
God.

Num. 15:20
20 
Of the first of your dough you shall present a loaf as a contribution; like a contribution from
the threshing floor, so shall you present it.

Num. 18:13
13 
The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the Lord, shall be yours.
Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.

When a farmer rents some land from a landowner, normally an agreement is made where the
farmer will pay the owner rent for use of the land. The rent typically is that the owner gets a
certain portion of the harvest and the farmer receives the rest. In this case the rent paid to the
Lord was the firstfruits of the harvest.

Blessing Came from the Lord and the People Were to Acknowledge It in Worship
God had promised to bless Abraham and his descendants and he did so in Canaan and in Egypt.
God instituted the divine service so that he could come to them and bless them. In the
wilderness God blessed his people by providing for their basic needs.

Deut. 2:7
7 
For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going
through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You
have lacked nothing.”’

God would continue to bless his people by giving them the land of Canaan. As they entered the
land, the prayer of each family was to be:

Deut. 26:15
15 
Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the
ground that you have given us, as you swore to our fathers, a land flowing with milk and
honey.’

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Blessing came from the Lord and not directly from the land. The Lord blessed the people by
making the land a blessing to them. When they received these blessings, they were to
acknowledge the Lord as the source of the blessings (by blesings the Lord) and remain fully
committed to him. They did this in their worship. The people brought the firstfruits of their
blessings from the land, gave them to the Lord, and rejoiced in his blessings by enjoying
sacrificial banquets.

Deut. 16:17

17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he
has given you.

Deut. 8:10

10 And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he
has given you.

Deut. 12:7

7 And there you shall eat before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your
households, in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you.

The Lord was the source of blessing and curse in the land. The reception of blessing or curse
depended on Israel’s attitude toward him and their allegiance to him as his tenants. Whether or
not they kept the laws God gave them concerning worship showed their attitude and
allegiance. If they worshipped him as he had commanded, they would receive his blessing in
the land.

Deut. 30:16

16 If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by
loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his
statutes and his rules,2 then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you
in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

If they failed to worship him as he had commanded or worshipped other gods, instead of
blessing they would bring the curse upon themselves and the land.

Deut. 11:26-28

26 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the
commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, 28 and the curse, if you

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do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am
commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.

The curse for those who were idolatrous or served other gods was that they would perish
together with their families and so cease to live in the land.

Deut. 8:19-20

19 And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship
them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20 Like the nations that the
LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice
of the LORD your God.

If the nation as a whole served other gods, the land would be cursed and its inhabitants would
be uprooted from the land [but the nation would not be permanently destroyed].

Deut. 29:24-28

24 all the nations will say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land? What caused the heat
of this great anger?’ 25 Then people will say, ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of
the LORD, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of
the land of Egypt, 26 and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they
had not known and whom he had not allotted to them. 27 Therefore the anger of the LORD
was kindled against this land, bringing upon it all the curses written in this book, 28 and the
LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and fury and great wrath, and cast them into
another land, as they are this day.’

So it all boiled down to this, the enjoyment of God’s blessing in the land depended on their
observance of the first commandment.

5. God's presence with his people in the land

God Dwelled with His People in the Land to Bless Them

The reason God had the Israelites made the tabernacle was so that he could dwell with them
and bless them. It was the job of the priests and Levites to serve the Lord by caring for the
tabernacle and by administering the divine service at the tabernacle. It was through these
means that God came to his people and blessed them. The ark was in the Holy of Holies. It
served as the throne for God. His presence with his people at the tabernacle brought blessing.

Deut. 10:8

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8 At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord
to stand before the Lord to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day.

In addition to God bringing blessing to Israel through the priests and Levites at the tabernacle,
he also brought blessing through the kings. Through them God brought justice and
righteousness, bringing blessing to the land.

Ps. 72

1 Give the king your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!

...

17 May his name endure forever,

his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
all nations call him blessed!

The Temple was God’s Residence in the Land

The main thing that king Solomon became known for was his building of the temple. It was a
more permanent structure for God to live in than the tabernacle. God brought his people into
the land and lived with them in the land at the temple.

1 Kings 6:11-13

11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are
building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments
and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.
13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”

The Religious Status of the Land Because of God’s Presence

Because God lived with his people in the land, the land was holy land. Therefore there was to
be no impurity in the land. Impurity and God’s holiness do not go together; they are opposites.
Impurity within God’s holy domain triggers God’s wrath. Therefore the land of Israel, the place
where God dwelled with his people, had to remain clean.

Num. 35:34

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34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord
dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”

Because of the importance of maintaining a clean land, when God speaks of the land in the
Scriptures, he speaks of it as if it were human (personification) in order that we might
understand it better. Therefore God spoke to the land and called on it to hear his word.

Is. 1:2

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;

for the Lord has spoken:
“Children have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.

Jer. 6:19

Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,

the fruit of their devices,
because they have not paid attention to my words;
and as for my law, they have rejected it.

The land suffered from the wickedness of its inhabitants and mourned with them at its own
death.

Jer. 12:4
4 
How long will the land mourn
and the grass of every field wither?
For the evil of those who dwell in it
the beasts and the birds are swept away,
because they said, “He will not see our latter end.”

The land (earth) was called to fear the Lord and praise him for making his home on it, judging it,
reigning over it and blessing it.

Ps. 96:9

Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;

tremble before him, all the earth!

Ps. 114:7

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Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,

PS. 69:34

Let heaven and earth praise him,

the seas and everything that moves in them.

Joel 2:21

“Fear not, O land;

be glad and rejoice,
for the Lord has done great things!

The Israelites, as God’s Holy People, were Expected to Worship Him Alone
At Mt. Sinai the Lord brought the Israelites to himself to make them a holy nation and royal
priesthood (Ex. 19:6). Then after he had given them the laws for holy living, he sanctified them
by sprinkling the blood of the covenant on them (Ex. 24), making them his people holy. They
served him by performing the divine service.

When they perform the divine service, holy God meets with his people at the altar for burnt
offering. There he forgives their sin, shows his presence and approval of them in the sweet-
smelling cloud of smoke, and blesses them in the Aaronic benediction. Also in the benediction
the holy name of God is placed on his people to take with them to their homes.

As said above, the Lord is the divine land owner and he leased the land to Israel. Since the Lord
was the source of both the blessing and the curse in the land, the reception of blessing or curse
depended on their attitude to him and his claims on their allegiance as tenants in his land. If
they worshipped him as he had commanded, they would receive his blessing in the land.

And as said above, if they failed to worship him as he had commanded or worshipped other
gods, they would bring the curse upon themselves and the land. If individuals and families do
this, the Lord’s anger could be kindled and they could perish and cease to live in the land. If the
nation as a whole abandons the Lord, the whole nation would be vomited out of the land.

Requirement of Ritual Purity for the Land

Because holy God lived in the land with his people, the land was a holy and clean land. God
demanded the land be kept clean. The Israelites were not only to have nothing to do with the
gods of the Canaanites, they were to totally destroy everything that has to do with them. They
were to completely destroy their shrines and altars and idols.

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Deut. 7:1-6

7:1 “When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take
possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the
Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more
numerous and mightier than you, 2 and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and
you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no
covenant with them and show no mercy to them. 3 You shall not intermarry with them,
giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, 4 for they would
turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD
would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. 5 But thus shall you deal
with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down
their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire. 6 “For you are a people holy to the
LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured
possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

The Israelites were to avoid the sins that polluted the land and made it unclean. Murder
polluted the land.

Deut. 35:33-34

33 You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no
atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of
the one who shed it. 34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I
dwell, for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”

Child sacrifice was prohibited. It polluted the land and defiled it.

Lev. 18:21

21 You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name
of your God: I am the Lord.

Ps. 106:38

38 they poured out innocent blood,

the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.

Israel was prohibited from living sexually perverse lives. Spiritual apostasy is comparable to
adultery.

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Jer. 3:2

2 Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see!

Where have you not been ravished?
By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers
like an Arab in the wilderness.
You have polluted the land
with your vile whoredom.

Idolatry, which is worship of other gods, is prohibited. It too polluted and defiled the land. To
God idols are detestable.

Jer. 16:18

18 But first I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted my land
with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and have filled my inheritance with their
abominations.”

Eze. 36:18

18 So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, for the
idols with which they had defiled it.

God’s Presence was the Source of Life and Death in the Land
The Lord is bringing Israel into the land he swore to give to the patriarchs. The Lord himself
would be their source of life. But if they turned away from him to other gods, a curse would fall
upon them and they will not live in the land for long.

Deut. 30:15-20

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the
commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your
God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his
rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that
you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not
hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today,
that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the
Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I
have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and
your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to

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him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore
to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

God was the source of blessing and it was through the divine service that he gave blessing to his
people. Specifically, in the Aaronic Benediction, the priests pronounced God’s blessing on the
people by placing God’s holy name upon them.

Num. 6:23-27

23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall
say to them,
24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
    27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

The Lord had made Israel his holy, priestly people. Keeping the commandments he gave them
would prevent them from desecrating their holiness and defiling their cleanness and allow God
to live among them. When Israel enacted the divine service as God commanded, he would
meet with his people and bless them. This was the means by which God would bless his people.

Deut. 30:16

16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving
the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his
statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in
the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

Ps. 72 is a royal psalm used at the coronation of the king of Israel. In it we see that God
maintained justice, righteousness, and peace through the king. This was one of the main
purposes that God established kingship in Israel.

Ps. 72:1-4, 7

72:1 Give the king your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to the royal son! 2
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice! 3
Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness! 4
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,

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and crush the oppressor!
...
7 In his days may the righteous flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

God’s Presence as the Source of Curse on Apostate People in the Land

The Lord was with his people in the land and blessed his people in the land and he expected
that they would respond by acknowledging him as their God and their source of blessing. If
instead they turned away from him and worshipped other gods, he would no longer be a source
of blessing to them, but a source of cursing. We have gone over this above (see Deut. 11:26-28;
8:19-20; 29:24-28). If an individual abandoned the Lord, he would perish. If a family abandoned
the Lord, the family would die out. If the nation abandoned the Lord, he would expel them from
the land. To avoid the curse, they needed to remain faithful to the Lord.

6. The eschatological interpretation of the land/earth

Eschatological Interpretation of the Land/Earth: Paradise on Mt. Zion

The Lord promised to bless his people in the land. This promise came to be viewed in a short
term way and in a long term way. In the short term he did bless his people as he gave them the
land of Canaan, the land he had promised them, a land flowing with milk and honey. The long
term view looks forward to the end times and eternity. At the End, the Lord will make a new
heaven and new earth and bless his people as they live in the new earth with him in an Eden-
like paradise as Adam and Eve once did.

As Jeremiah prophesied that the Lord would bring judgment on Israel for their rebellion against
him and remove them from the land, so also he prophesied that the Lord would bring his
people back and they would prosper. Jeremiah talks about their return from exile in
paradisiacal terms. Israel’s return to the promised land was never paradise. They went through
much hardship. Therefore his prophecy looks forward to the End when God will ransom and
redeem all of his people all across the earth and they will live in abundance and shall rejoice
and be merry and be glad, well satisfied with the goodness of the Lord.

Jer. 31:10-14

10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,

and declare it in the coastlands far away;
say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,
and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’ 11

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For the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. 12
They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall be like a watered garden,
and they shall languish no more. 13
Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy;
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. 14
I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,
and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,declares the Lord.”

Transformation of the Land/Earth after the Day of the Lord

Isaiah, peering through the millennia of time to the End, sees the earth sitting under God’s
judgment. The basic laws by which humans are to live are written in men’s hearts. But men
have disregarded and transgressed those laws and the earth is under a curse. God’s judgment is
on the earth.

Is. 24

5 The earth lies defiled

under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed the laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,
and few men are left.

The earth will continue to be under the curse of sin and God’s judgment on sin until the Day of
the Lord. On that day, the Spirit of the Lord will transform the earth from a wilderness to a
fruitful field. For God’s people it will be a place of justice and righteousness, resulting in peace,
security, and quiet rest.

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Is. 32:15-20

15 until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,

and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace,
and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
18 My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
19 And it will hail when the forest falls down,
and the city will be utterly laid low.
20 Happy are you who sow beside all waters,
who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.

When the Lord returns on the Last Day, he will create a new heaven and a new earth and a new
Jerusalem for his people. In the former earth, sin and its consequences took over. But the new
earth will be a place where there will be no more weeping or crying in distress. Sin will no
longer abound. The Lord will rejoice and be glad in his people. Paradise will be restored.

Is. 65:17-19

17 “For behold, I create new heavens

and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress.

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While on this earth, God’s people are persecuted and suffer distress. It looks as if God has
forsaken them and left them desolate. But when the Last Day comes the true reality will be
seen by all. He has not forsaken them. They are his delight. They are his precious crown. The
land that Israel once lost will be theirs again and this points forward to the time when God’s
reconciled people will be brought into the land of heaven, their eternal resting place. There
they will live with God forever and he will rejoice over them.

Is. 63:3-5

3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,

and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

The Eschatological Inheritance of God’s People

Israel’s inheritance of the land of Canaan looked forward to a much greater and eternal
inheritance.

In Ps. 2, the Lord speaks of his Son, whom he has placed on the throne. The inheritance he has
given him is all the nations. The whole earth is his possession.

Ps. 2:6-8

6 “As for me, I have set my King

on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.

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Before the End, it will appear that all of God’s faithful people will be wiped out. But God will
intervene before that happens and those who remain faithful when he does intervene will
receive an allotted inheritance. And so what will happen is the Son, who has inherited and
possesses the whole earth, will share his inheritance and a portion of it will be allotted to each
of the saints in the age to come.

Dan. 12:13

13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the
end of the days.” (NIV has “allotted inheritance”)

In Galatians Paul ties the promised blessing and inheritance to Abraham to the reception of the
Holy Spirit by faith. Abraham was more than the father of Israel. He was the father of all who
believe. God’s promise of blessing and inheritance through Abraham would go to all who had
faith like Abraham. So the promise of the land to the patriarchs looks forward to the eternal
inheritance that all whom the Spirit brings to faith will receive.

Gal. 3

14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we
might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

...

18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to
Abraham by a promise.
    19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should
come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an
intermediary.

The Spirit and the Word always go together. Wherever the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached,
there the Holy Spirit is at work bringing people to faith. This applies not only to the Jews but
also to the Gentiles. Through the gospel promise the Gentiles are also heirs in the inheritance of
heavenly blessings. All Christians, the whole church, are heirs and recipients of eternal life with
God.

Eph. 3:6

6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers
of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

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Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and the foundational GIFT OF
THE LAND?

1. As sojourners in Canaan, slaves in Egypt, and wanderers in the desert, the Israelites were
landless people. Because of this, you can safely say that their identity as a people did not come from
the land they lived in. Instead it was determined by God’s presence with them.
2. God owned the land of Canaan and promised and swore to give the land to Abraham and his
descendants to live in. He would allow Israel to live in his land as resident aliens who were his
tenants.
3. As Owner of the land and Redeemer of Israel, God evicted the Canaanites from his land because
of their wickedness and leased the land to the Israelites with the stipulation that they could not sell
the land, since they were not the owners, and they were to bring the firstfruits of their crops each
year as rent.
4. God had always blessed his people, whether it be in Canaan, in Egypt, or in the desert. He would
continue blessing them when they took up residence in his land. The Israelites were to recognize
that blessing came to them through the land but it came from the Lord. He was the source of their
blessing.
5. God was also the source of curse in the land. Whether Israel received blessing or curse
depended upon their attitude and allegiance toward him. If they worshipped him alone they
received blessing. If they abandoned the Lord and worshipped other gods they received curses.
6. God went with and led his people through the desert to the promised land. In the promised land
God continued to be with and live with his people. God’s residence in the land was the
tabernacle/temple. Through the divine service enacted at the tabernacle/temple God showed his
grace and favor and blessed his people.
7. Because God lived with Israel in the land and because God was holy, the land was holy and had
to remain clean. They were to have nothing to do with idolatry, child sacrifice, etc. They were to
maintain justice and righteousness. If they did not, the land became polluted and God’s wrath
became kindled.
8. Israel’s inheritance of the land of Canaan looked forward to a much greater and eternal
inheritance. At the End the Lord will take all those who remain faithful and bring them into
the eternal promised land where they will rest and live in peace, joy, and abundance.
Paradise will be restored as they live with God forever.
9. How will this occur? God the Son has been given the whole earth as his inheritance. Before the
End, God’s people will be persecuted and nearly wiped out. But God will intervene to save his
people and the Son will share his inheritance with them and a portion of it will be allotted to each of
the saints who by Spirit-generated faith trust in the Son. The promised land then served as a type of
heaven, the eternal promised land, where God will live with his people and bless them for all
eternity.

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170
 b. THE GIFT OF KINGSHIP
1. The Promise of Kingship

The Promise of Kingship to Israel

What is remarkable is even though there was a promise of kings right from the beginning,
kingship came late in the history of God’s dealings with his people. Already in Gen. 17:6 and
35:11 God promised that kings would come from the descendants of Abraham and Jacob, that
they would be the father of kings.

Gen. 17
16 
I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall
become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”

Gen. 35
11 
And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company
of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.

When Jacob blessed his sons, he singled out Judah and the tribe of Judah as the one from
whom the ruler in Israel would come, as the Lion (Gen 49:8-12). The lion is a symbol of kingship.
The Lion of Judah refers to the kings of Israel.

Gen. 49
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
    nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him;
    and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

Remember that Balaam was hired by the king of Moab to curse the Israelites and instead of
cursing them he blessed them (Num. 24:15-19). And as part of the blessings he gave to the
Israelites a vision of a coming king, a star coming out of Israel. A star represented a dynasty of
kings. So he had a vision of a coming king, who would not just rule Israel but rule over the
nations.

Num. 24
I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
    and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;

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it shall crush the forehead of Moab
    and break down all the sons of Sheth.

Fourthly, the book of Deuteronomy gives laws about a coming king (Deut. 17:14-20). And what
Deuteronomy says is that, unlike what happens elsewhere in the ancient world where kings
were law makers and were divine in status, that is, above the law, in Israel the king is under
God’s law. So a king in Israel could not make law. A king in Israel would administer God’s law in
the civil domain. The law for the king of Israel said he had to be God-fearing Israelite and he
was subject to God’s law together with his subjects and his task was to administer God’s law.

2. Problem of Kingship in Ancient Israel

The Problem with Kingship in Ancient Pagan Countries

From an Israelite point of view, there was a great problem with kingship in the ancient world
everywhere because kings were always regarded as gods or at least semi-gods. There were two
basic options. (1) There was the Egyptian option. Right from the beginning the king was the
incarnation of the highest god, the sun god. So he was the physical, earthly, human
embodiment of the sun god. And when he died he would join the gods. He was the son of the
sun god and therefore divine. (2) The other option was the Mesopotamian option. In Babylon
and Assyria and the kings after that, kings were regarded as divinized human beings. They
started off as regular human beings but they would be chosen by the chief god of the nation
and at the coronation of the king the king would be divinized. That meant that the king ceased
having human status and began having divine status. In a sense he occupied the heavenly realm
rather than the earthly realm. Therefore the king was also the high priest of Babylon. He would
be the one who would go up the ziggurat and enter the heavenly realm, the house of the gods
and he would consult the omens and make law for the people. So a king was a divinized human
being.

If you go later on in history, one of the most fateful turns in Roman history was that right from
the beginning the Romans rejected the idea of divine kingship. But beginning with Julius Caesar
gradually kings were divinized, either at their death or later on while they were alive. So
kingship and paganism go together. So why did God reject kings in the beginning? Because
kingship was idolatry and led to tyranny.

How Kingship in Israel Differed From Pagan Kingship

Israel only had one king and it was the Lord. It is interesting how rarely the kings in Israel are
actually called kings. If you look at 1&2 Samuel and 1&2 Kings, notice how few times they are

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called kings. There is a reluctance to call human beings kings (malak) because of their
association with idolatry.

Something that was very different about Israelite kingship was that right from the beginning
God separated the office of kingship and political leadership from the priesthood. There was a
strict division between politics and religion. No king was allowed to go on the altar. No king was
allowed to present offerings to God or burn incense in the Holy Place. No king was allowed to
enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. The administration of God’s holiness by the
priests was separated from the administration of God’s righteousness and justice by the king.
Kingship was also separated from prophecy.

In Israel, a king is not a law giver (as he is in other countries). The king is under God and is to
administer God’s law. God alone is king and he makes the law. He gave the law to Israel through
Moses and later through the prophets. Israel’s kings were under God’s law. They were God’s
servants, God’s messiahs, God’s representatives. They were under God’s law and they
administered God’s law for the people. So the king is not the law maker but the law
administrator. He applies the law.

If Israel’s king falls out of line and acts as if he is God, who can pull him back into line? The
prophets. But those who have the first responsibility to confront him on what he is doing wrong
are the priests. They are the custodians of God’s Torah. One of their jobs was to teach the king
and people God’s law. If the king won’t listen to the priests, God sends a prophet to pull him
back in line. A very dramatic case of this was when David committed adultery with Bathsheba
and killed her husband. Who called David into line? The prophet Nathan.

The most common term for a king is that he is the “servant of Yahweh.” In English we would
use the term “minister.” The kings were the ministers of the Lord, God’s deputy, his chief
administrator. In Israel the person who was the king’s deputy was the crown prince. On
ceremonial occasions, the king would be seated upon his throne and on the right hand side of
the king was his son and heir. The crown prince would run the kingdom on a day to day basis.
That is where he gained administrative experience. Now in the NT at the ascension of Jesus, he
sits where? At the right hand of God the Father almighty. He is the deputy of his Father. He is
the “crown prince.” He administers God’s kingdom.

3. God's Covenant with David as his Anointed Deputy (servant and messiah)
(See 2 Sam 7:1lb-16; Ps 89:3-4, 19-37; cf Ps 132:11-12)

The Importance of the Covenant with David for Understanding Kingship

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You need to look closely at the important covenant of God with David because it is foundational
and it gives us the basic theology of kingship. In class we will only have time to summarize it.
After we’ve dealt with it, I want to deal with the messianic promises. Again because of time, we
won’t be able to read them all in class. You have them in your notes, so please take time and
read the whole list of messianic promises. You need those passages in your head if you are
going to make sense of the NT and the basic confession of faith, which is Jesus is Messiah
(Christ) (Anointed One). The foundational confession of faith is that Jesus is the Messiah. Now,
unless you have all this stuff down about kingship in the OT, it won’t make sense. And unless
you see the messianic promises in their fullness, you won’t’ be able to understand the
implications of it. It’s the same with the importance of connecting “Lord” with “Yahweh.” Then
you can understand how far reaching that confession is that Jesus is Lord/Yahweh. On the
divine side Jesus is Yahweh and on the human side Jesus is the anointed king. And he’s not just
the anointed king, he is also the anointed high priest, because both priests and kings were
anointed in the OT.

Now whereas the theme of kingship in Israel and the prophecies concerning kingship were one
among many of the gifts and hopes that the Israelites had in the post exilic period leading up to
the time of Christ, in the NT the promise of a coming king, the Messiah, was the promise of all
promises. All of the other promises of God eventually connected with and were funneled
through the promise of a coming king. And as you know, the fundamental confession of faith of
Christians is that Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed king. So you won’t understand our Christian
faith unless you see that kingship, and a unique kind of kingship, which is countercultural, lies at
the heart of it.

God's Covenant with David as His Anointed Servant/Messiah (2 Sam 7:1lb-16)

The focus of God’s covenant with David is God’s gift of kingship and the theology of kingship.
We’ve discussed God’s covenant with Abraham and the covenant at Sinai and now we have the
last and greatest of all the covenants, the covenant with David. Let’s have a look at its
foundational word in 2Sam. 7:11-16.

But before we read, you must remember the context. David decided to build a house/temple
for God. He runs the idea by Nathan the prophet. He says check this out with God. Nathan said
it sounded like a good idea, so go ahead. Then that night God spoke to Nathan and sent him
back to David to say, No David, you are not to build me a house. I want to build you a house.
Your son will build a house for me. There is a lot of punning going on here with the word house.
House is literally a building, but it can be household or family or royal dynasty and it can also
mean temple. Now let’s read through it bit by bit.

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11 
from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all
your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.
12 
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your
offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He
shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will
be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline
him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not
depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house
and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established
forever.’”

V. 11b – “make you a house” is a good translation. House could be taken in two senses. The
obvious sense is that God will make for David a dynasty. But it could also be saying that he will
make David his temple/house. Now this is not picked up any in the OT, but it is picked up in the
NT because who is the house of God? Jesus’ body is the house of God. John’s gospel picks this
up and runs with it. Just notice that there is that exegetical option. One of the problems with
translating from Hebrew is that it needs to decide between open exegetical options. In a sense
a translation narrows down the possibility of meaning. [That is why our pastors learn the
original languages of Scripture, so they can get the full range of exegetical options.]

Vv. 12-13 – “A house for my name” means a temple for my name. The house that God will
make for David will be a dynasty. Your seed, your descendant, someone who comes from your
body, so a direct male descendant of David will build my temple, my house. Notice that here
you get the first “forever.” There are four “forevers” here.

V. 14a – On the face of it, this is an adoption formula. In the ancient world, let’s say you were
marrying a woman. You would say to her, I will be to you a husband and you will be to me my
wife. If I was adopting you, I would say, I will be to you for a father and you will be to me for a
son. This is an adoption formula. But it is also a recognition formula of sonship. If there is any
doubt, this statement makes it clear that we are father and son.

Vv 14b-15 – Concerning the king God said, “When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with
the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men.” When David, Solomon, and kings after him
went astray they received the discipline of God. The irony is that Jesus, the future king, is sin-
free and yet he is the one that is punished. And the amazing thing is that this is God’s grace that
is at work! In the NT the King is the administrator of God’s grace. And he administers it through
the great exchange. He was punished for the sins that he never committed so that his grace can
be extended to sinners.

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Now “steadfast love” is translated in the Septuagint as “mercy.” That word is more closely
associated with grace and generosity and mercy. It is translated as “steadfast love” because of a
whole complicated theory behind it. Now what is being said here is that unlike Saul, whose
dynasty was wiped out because of his sin, if one of David’s sons who is a king sins only the king
that sins will be punished and not the dynasty. So the sins of a member of the dynasty will not
result in extinction of the dynasty. If you read 1&2 Kings closely, there is a very interesting
history of that. At one point the dynasty of David was reduced to one person and he was
preserved miraculously.

V. 16 – Notice that in v. 15 there is a “never,” which means “not forever.” And now in this verse
you have two more “forevers.” God promises that David’s house and kingdom will last forever
“before me,” which means in my presence. This probably has to do with the connection
between the dynasty of the descendants of David and the Temple of God, where you have the
presence of God. “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever.” Where? Before me, in
my presence.

The Covenant Applies to David, His Successor, and a Future King

One of the problems with this prophecy (2Sam. 7:11-16) is that it has a three point frame of
reference. Parts of this prophecy have to do with David. Parts of it have to do with the
immediate descendant of David. And some parts of it have to do with some future king (the
Messiah). Think of those three for the following questions.

1. Of the three, whose dynasty will last forever?

David is promised that his dynasty will last forever.
2. Of the three, whose kingship will last forever?
David died. Solomon died. It refers to a future king.
3. Of the three, whose throne will last forever?
It’s David’s throne. And it will happen through his immediate descendant and through
the future king. Even Jesus sits on the throne of David. So there is a difference between
kingship (the person who occupies the throne) and the throne (the institution). The
dynasty is the family from which the occupant comes. So the dynasty is the whole
family. The throne doesn’t belong to the whole family, the throne is occupied by a
particular person in the family.
4. Being a king is not a right but by divine grace. And God says this grace will never leave
him. Who is the recipient of God’s perpetual grace?
All the kings are recipients of God’s grace, but it is David who receives God’s perpetual
grace and the Messiah too is a recipient of God’s never ending grace.
5. Of the three, which is the temple builder?
David was not allowed to build the temple. Solomon built the temple. But there was

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 also an eternal temple in which each believer is a stone built around the cornerstone.
The builder of this temple is the Messiah.
6. Lastly, it speaks of a son of God. Of the three, who is a son of God?
If you read the accounts carefully, David is never ever referred to as God’s son. Who is
referred to as God’s son? Solomon and the Messiah will be the Son of God. Now what is
the difference between Solomon and the coming Messiah? And this goes beyond the
OT. God’s son could be an adopted son or a real begotten son. Solomon is the adopted
son of God. And it seems that all the descendants of Solomon had the status as adopted
son. And according to the NT, the Messiah was the Son of God.
7. Now consider the connection between “house” and “son.” Normally, who is the person
who is in charge of the house of his father? The elder son, the heir. So son and house go
together. Now when considering house here, and particularly when you read some
things in 1&2 Chronicles and some of the Psalms, we see that the king, as God’s son, has
responsibility for the house of God. What is the house of God?
You could say it is his family, Israel, but it is also the temple of God. The kings are temple
patrons. Jesus is the divine Son of God in charge of his Father’s house/family/temple.

The above discussion is summarized in this table. And it shows that the exegetical options are
open for this very important prophecy.

Promises David Solomon Messiah

Perpetual Dynasty Yes No No
Perpetual Kingship No No Yes
Perpetual Throne Yes ? ?
Perpetual Grace Yes ? Yes
Temple Builder No Yes Yes
Sonship No Yes Yes

A Kingdom that Lasts Forever

Notice the promise of a “perpetual kingdom” or a kingdom that lasts “forever.” When in Israel’s
history would this word become particularly important? After the exile. Why? At that time
there was no king. The temple was destroyed but God gave it back to them. The land was taken
away but God gave it back to them. Everything was given back to them except for the kings.
From 586 BC onwards there was no king.

There are two exegetical options that could be used to try and understand under these
circumstances God’s use of “forever” four times. It is either a lie or the great Messiah/King is
still to come. The latter was the dominant option in the post-exilic period. And it grew stronger
over time. So the foundation for the messianic hope comes from here in 2 Sam. 7. The

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foundation for all the messianic psalms is found here. The foundation for all of the messianic
promises comes from here. And to this day Jews wear the star of David around their necks
because they believe that the messiah promised to David is still to come. All pious Jews look for
the coming of the messiah. There is only one difference between Jews and Christians. What is
it? For Christians the messiah has come and it was Jesus. The Jews do not believe Jesus was the
messiah and so they continue to wait for the messiah.

4. The King as God's Right Hand Man (See Ps 110:1-2)

The King as God's Right Hand Man

Let’s turn to Ps. 110:1-2. This is a very important royal, messianic psalm. Of all of the psalms,
this is the one that is quoted most frequently in the NT.

The Lord says to my Lord:

    “Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 
The Lord sends forth from Zion
    your mighty scepter.
    Rule in the midst of your enemies!

A more literal translation of the Hebrew is: Yahweh says to my Master: sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Yahweh will extend his mighty scepter
and rule from Zion, the scepter of Yahweh is put in the hand of my Master. Yahweh extends
his scepter and his rule from Zion over the nations.

To understand the picture here, you will need to know two things. First of all, a general thing
about kingship in the ancient world and then the symbolic geography of Jerusalem. In the royal
palace in the throne room, the king’s deputy, his heir, usually his son, would sit at the right
hand of the king. And the king would rule through his son. The son would administer the
kingdom on behalf of the father. And so at ceremonial occasions he would sit at the right hand
of the king. He was the king’s right hand man.

Now in Jerusalem the temple and the palace were connected together. So much so that from a
human point of view, visually they formed one complex of buildings. In the ancient world you
had cities with walls and then you had a fortress complex within the city. Usually it was the
highest place in the city. The Greeks called it the acropolis. The acropolis of Jerusalem was
Mount Zion. The highest point of Mount Zion was the place where the altar for burnt offering
was. God was enthroned in the Holy of Holies in the temple. Who was enthroned at the right

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hand of God? The king. The palace was on the right side of the temple. So as God sat on his
throne in the Holy of Holies, so also sat the king on his throne to the right hand of God. We
orient ourselves to the north but in the ancient world they always oriented themselves to the
east. So we have theology expressed in geography. The king is at the right hand of Yahweh.
There are two separate buildings for worship and for the king and yet they are interconnected.

This indicates that the king reigns with God as his vice-regent. He doesn’t just reign for God. It’s
not as if God is absent. The picture is that he is reigning with God. That is what anointed one
means. The one anointed is the deputy of the person who anointed him. He is the one
designated as the holy deputy of the Lord. And that means that he administers God’s kingdom,
God’s rule here on earth. And Ps. 110 indicates that the king was not only to rule over Israel but
also over the enemies of Israel and he rules over all the earth. You will see that theme in all of
the royal psalms.

So you had the temple and palace, the house of God and the house of the king. These two
things go together. Now it was different in the post-exilic period. Symbolically the temple
swallows up the royal palace and all you have is the temple.

5. King as Administrator of God's Justice and Righteousness (See Ps 72:1-4)

The Function of the King: Administrator of God's Justice and Righteousness

Now what was the function of a king? The king administered God’s justice and righteousness.
God chose various offices/institutions to administer his gifts to his people. He mediates his gifts.
God does not give his gifts directly. (1) So how does God teach and administer his wisdom to
people on earth? Through parents and teaches and mentors. So his wisdom is mediated
through human beings. (2) God does not speak his Word directly to his people (except once at
Mt. Sinai). Normally he speaks his Word through Moses and the prophets to Israel. (3) God
mediates his holiness to people through the priests in the divine service. (4) And lastly, God
administers his righteousness and justice in Israel through the kings.

Summary of the administration of God’s gifts to Israel

Lord God

Wisdom Word Holiness Righteousness/Justice

Parents/Teachers Moses/Prophets Priests Kings

Israel

A Foundational Passage of the King Administering God’s Justice and Righteousness

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Ps. 72:1-4 is a prayer for Solomon the king and the prayer is: Give the king your justice and
righteousness O Lord. And the rest of the psalm has to do with the way that the king mediates
God’s righteousness and justice for the benefit of the people in the land.

Give the king your justice, O God,

    and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 
May he judge your people with righteousness,
    and your poor with justice!
3 
Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
    and the hills, in righteousness!
4 
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    give deliverance to the children of the needy,
    and crush the oppressor!

God is the King and [the kings of Israel were under him.] The Israelite king exercises his reign
and kingship in three areas. (1) And the first area is justice. The king is always the judge in the
ancient world. You don’t have a separation of the executive and judicial branches of
government. The king’s task is to vindicate the righteous and to punish the unrighteous. He is to
vindicate the righteous and to defend the poor, the people who have no one to act as their
kinsman-redeemer. Ps. 72 speaks to this function of the king. (2) Secondly, the king is God’s
commander-in-chief, the one who is at the head of the armies of, not Israel, but of the Lord.
Then through the king, God delivers the Israelites from their enemies. (3) Thirdly, the king is not
a priest. He doesn’t stand on God’s side when it comes to worship, but he is the head of the
congregation. If you remember the geography of the temple, the outer court led to the inner
court and at the top of the steps that led to the inner court there was a place called the king’s
post. So looking at it from the other way: you had the temple, the altar, the Levitical choir, the
steps, and then the congregation in the outer court. The king stood on top of the steps,
symbolically at the head of the congregation. He doesn’t mediate God’s holiness to the
congregation, but he leads the people in prayer and praise. He is the head of the congregation.

6. King as the Patron of the Temple

The Function of the Kings in Relation to the Temple

That leads to the next important theme. You see it developed extensively in 1&2 Samuel and
1&2 Chronicles. The most important duty of a king was religious. It wasn’t economic. It wasn’t
military. He wasn’t a law-giver. Only God made law. (1) The king administered God’s law, not
only in justice and warfare, but he administered God’s law in worship. He was responsible for
the organization of worship. Not the running of worship, but the patronage of worship. So the
king is the patron of the temple and its services. He was responsible for the maintenance and
the financing of the temple and its services.

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(2) He was also responsible for the organization of the priests and Levites with their rosters. The
high priest was in charge at the temple, but the king had to make sure they were organized
properly. The king didn’t do what the priests did, but he organized them. And he watched over
the high priest and priests to make sure they did what they were supposed to do based on
God’s law.

(3) Thirdly, at the great festivals, he presented burnt offerings for the monarchy and for the
land. When we say he presented the offerings, we don’t mean he laid them on the altar. He
brought the offerings to the temple. As the head of the nation, he brought the nation’s
offerings to God. He did help slaughter the animals, but then the priests took over in the
splashing of blood to make atonement and in laying the offerings out on the altar. In presenting
these offerings, the king acted as the head of the congregation.

(4) And lastly, the king leads the congregation in prayer and praise. Remember that one of the
things that David did was establish the Levitical choir. And the Levitical choir sang the songs of
David, which are prayers and praises. So the Levitical choir was the part of the priesthood that
was directly under the control of the king because amongst the priests they represented the
king. Who was it that brought prayer and praises to God? It was the king. How did he do it?
Through the Levitical singers. On whose behalf did the king bring prayers and praises through
the singers to God? The Israelites, and if you read the Psalms, it is also on behalf of the nations.
Don’t’ forget that. The king is not just the king of Israel spiritually, but he is the leader of the
nations in prayer and praise. So the Psalms call on not just Israel, but all the earth to present
offerings to God, all the earth to praise God, all the earth to seek the Lord in prayer. The king
represents the people and through the Levitical choir presents their prayers and praises to God
at the temple.

7. The Religious Role of Israel’s Kings

Israel is a Liturgical Community and the King was the Liturgical Leader
What was the religious role of a king? First of all, to understand this you need to realize that as
far as the OT is concerned Israel is not basically, fundamentally a political ethnic community. It’s
not a cultural community. It’s not a geographical community. Despite the fact that Israel
occupied a particular place, the land of Canaan, despite the fact that they descended from a
common ancestor, despite the fact that they most likely spoke a common language and had a
common culture, they were not primarily a geographical, political, ethnic, cultural community.
What kind of a community were they? They were a liturgical community, which means that
basically their identity lies in their common worship of one God in one place in the temple in
Jerusalem. So the OT makes it clear that from beginning to end that Israel is primarily a
liturgical community, a religious community, a holy community.

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And this means that leadership in Israel is always going to be what kind of leadership? Not
political leadership, not judicial leadership, not military leadership, but liturgical leadership. So
the king is a liturgical leader. But then comes a surprise, a reversal. If it was the case that the
king was a liturgical leader, wouldn’t you expect the king to also be high priest? That’s what
people thought and they couldn’t understand why he wasn’t. Everywhere in the ancient world
kingship and priesthood belonged together, but not in Israel. In Israel you have the separation
of liturgy and politics. But that does not mean that the king is strictly secular. The king is not a
priest, but he is the head of the congregation.

King David was the Second Cult-Founder

What does this mean then? It means that David is the second cult-founder after Moses.
Abraham was the father of the nation. Solomon was the father of wisdom. David was the father
of psalmody. And David was the father of worship at the temple. This is developed at great
length in the books of 1&2 Chronicles. David implements the law of God as found in the
Pentateuch by giving detailed descriptions and doing all the planning for Solomon to
implement. He designed the temple and designed the arrangement of the priesthood. That was
all done by David. In a strict sense the law of God about worship given in the Pentateuch was
only able to be implemented fully for the first time once Solomon built the temple. Before then
it could only be instituted partially because there was no central place of worship.

Secondly, David instituted the singing of psalms as part of the divine service. For the daily divine
service, morning and evening, as the burnt offering was presented on the altar, the Levitical
choir, standing in front of the altar, sang the psalms of David. So in this way also, David is the
second cult founder.

Thirdly, David is the model of orthodox kingship in Israel, not as a politician or military leader,
but because of his religious policy and practice. David promoted worship as God instituted it.
He worshipped the right God in the right way.

King Solomon was the Temple Builder

Next, Solomon was the builder of the temple. He was the great temple-builder, not David.
Building the temple was Solomon’s great achievement. If you read the story of Solomon,
basically everything leads up to the building of the temple and is an appendix to the building of
the temple. Building the temple was only a small part of his 40 years of kingship. But the Bible
isn’t interested in most of the rest of his reign. If Solomon is the great temple builder, what
does that mean for the descendants of Solomon? That means the kings that follow him are
responsible for the care of the temple. And that is one of the criteria in 1&2 Kings for
determining if a king is a good king or bad king. Did they look after the temple or not?

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Criteria for Good Kings and Bad Kings
Based on this criteria, Hezekiah and Josiah were great kings. Why were they great kings?
Because they were liturgical performers, because of their care for the temple and its services.
They brought the priests back into line. They brought the people back into line. They
reestablished the temple and its services. That is what made them great kings. There were
other kings in Israel that are greater politically but the Bible dismisses them in only a few lines.
Why? Because they failed in this respect.

Just as David is the orthodox king, Jeroboam is the model for the unorthodox king because of
his incorrect worship – the worship of the right God in the wrong way. Jereboam was the model
of idolatrous kingship and the patron of heterodox worship. Just to make sure you understand,
what does the word orthodox mean? The answer given was that it means right belief and right
practice. It’s even more exact than that. Doxa is praise. So orthodoxy has to do with right
doctrine and right practice. Right practice is right praise. Heterodoxy is other praise, which is
the wrong kind of praise. And wrong praise is based on wrong doctrine and wrong practice.
These are very important terms for our Christian heritage. That is the task of a king in brief.

8. The Messianic Prophecies

Seeing the Promised Messiah/King through Identicate Prophecies

Now we’ll take a look at the messianic prophecies. You are probably familiar with some of these
passages. This will just be a summary. You will see as we go through them that the picture of a
coming king, which initially is very vague, becomes fleshed out with greater detail. It is a kind of
identicate sketch that is being established.

Do you know what I am talking about? As an example, there is a robbery and the police come.
The person robbed has a good view of the robber but is traumatized and can’t give a good
description of him. So the police give him bits and pieces of the head. They don’t have him look
at the whole person but have him look at small parts. Perhaps first they show him the hair and
ask what kind of hair the suspect had. So you have a blank face with hair on it. Then they go to
the nose and then the eyes, etc. Coming out it then you get an identicate picture being
established. When done, it is not a perfect picture but it is often pretty accurate.

Now from an OT point of view, you can’t get the face of the messiah by putting all the bits and
pieces together because there are too many gaps. But once the messiah comes, you can look
back and say, Ah ha, yes, I see how all this fits together now. The whole of the gospels pick up
things from the OT to show that the face of Jesus fits the identicate features established in the
OT.

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The foundation of these messianic prophecies is God’s covenant with David that we’ve already
looked at. The second foundation, which we don’t have time to look at, are the messianic
psalms. These psalms were originally royal psalms. These psalms focused on David, Solomon,
and their successors. But they are prophetic because they are psalms inspired by God’s Spirit
and they always show the face, not of one particular king, but they show the face of kingship
and they show the face of God’s kingship, God’s picture of kingship in Israel.

Amos Prophesies the Coming King as a New David Who Incorporates the Nations into His Kingdom
One of the earliest of the messianic prophecies came around 740 – 730 BC from Amos. You get
these prophecies from this period onwards. Amos speaks about the reunion of Israel, the
northern kingdom and southern kingdom, under a new David. Sometime in the future a second
David is going to come and he is going to reestablish the house of David. The picture is of a
house where some rooms are intact but some of the rooms are falling down. He is going to
rebuild the whole house by reuniting the north and south. When that happens, he will
incorporate Edom, who are the descendants of Esau, into Israel and he will bring nations, the
Gentiles, into his kingdom. Now symbolically Edom is a type of Adam. In an unpointed text (a
text without vowels), there is no difference between Edom and Adam. So there is an
Edom/Adam typology. It doesn’t always work, but whenever you see stuff about Edom,
especially in the Prophets, keep in mind this feature of the Hebrew language.

Micah Prophesies the Birth of the Coming King

The first real sharp profile that we will get is from Micah about the birth of a coming king, the
Messiah in Micah 5:2-5a.

Micah 5

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
3Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
4And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great

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to the ends of the earth.
5And he shall be their peace.

When the Assyrian comes into our land

and treads in our palaces,
then we will raise against him seven shepherds
and eight princes of men;

Israel’s ruler will originate not just from David but also from Bethlehem. “But you Bethlehem
Ephrata, though you are least among the clans of Judah, from you will come ...” and then you
get a reference to the Messiah. The origins of this Messiah will be from antiquity or from
heaven. His origins will be from “eternity.” He will have both a human and divine origin in some
way. His origins are from antiquity but they are also from eternity. Then picking up the theme
from Amos, under his rule he will reunite the north and south. And as their king, he will be
Israel’s divine Shepherd. Through the king God will shepherd his people. He will be the Pastor of
the congregation of Israel. So the King is the Shepherd of the flock and through the King God
shepherds his flock. And this coming King, who comes from Bethlehem, (just as Jesse and David
came from Bethlehem but no other king after them came from there) this King will be an
international Peacemaker. He will bring peace between the nations. This prophecy of Micah
was prophesied somewhere around 720 – 710 BC.

Isaiah Prophesies the Messiah’s Name as a Sign

Then you get Isaiah who is a contemporary of Micah. From Isaiah you get the Immanuel
prophecy. You know the prophecy since it is read every Christmas, but you may not know the
context of this terribly well.

Isaiah 7
10 
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or
high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And
he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my
God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive
and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he
knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse
the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The
Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as
have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”

The context is this: the northern kingdom of Israel had allied itself with Assyria to try and get
Judah and king Ahaz in Jerusalem to join with them in an anti-Syrian alliance. So this is real
politics. So they told Ahaz, if you don’t join us, we will attack you and wipe you out and put

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somebody on the throne who will join us in our alliance. Now the king was in a real pickle
because he was afraid of the Assyrians because they were the super-power of that day. He
didn’t want to fall out with the Assyrians so a large number of his advisors said, Make an
alliance with the Egyptians. The Egyptians don’t want another big political block just to the
north of them that will threaten their interests.

And in that precarious political position, Isaiah comes to the king as he is inspecting the
fortifications for the imminent invasion and siege of Jerusalem, and he says, Don’t form any
alliance. Rely on God. Don’t try and get the Egyptians against your enemies in the north. Don’t
get the Assyrians to attack them from the north, but just rely on God. And then he offers a sign
to the king. He tells him, To show that you can rely on God, ask for any sign up in the heavens
or down on earth, an earthquake, an eclipse, whatever you want. Ahaz acted very pious. He
said, I can’t put the Lord to a test. Was that his real reason? No, because once he knows if he
has the sign then politically he knows his hands are tied and he won’t be able to do anything. If
he is going to rely on God, then there is no politics. He can’t do a thing and he is afraid he will
get it from both sides. So he doesn’t want a sign.

In that situation, God gives a sign to Ahaz [anyway]. The sign is the birth of a child from a virgin
mother and the gift of a name of Immanuel, which means God with us or among us, to this child
from the virgin mother. There are three exegetical options here for interpreting this. Who is the
virgin mother? (1) It could be symbolic, the birth of a new king from mother Zion. Zion is always
depicted in Isaiah and the Psalms as a woman. And one of the pictures is that Zion is a virgin
and here it is said she will give birth to a new king and this new king is going to be called
Immanuel. (2) Or it could be more specific that a woman who Ahaz is going to take as a wife will
bear a son and that son will be Immanuel. If it is this option, then the child is Hezekiah. (3) Or it
could refer to the mother of the coming king, the messianic king. So for us that is Mary. Which
one of these is it? It could be all three. It could have various levels of meaning.

[When this son is born, he will be given the name of Immanuel, which means, God with us.
When Jesus was born, Matthew tells us (Mt. 1:21-23) that his birth fulfilled what the prophet
Isaiah had said.]

Isaiah Prophesies that the Messiah will be the Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9

The people who walked in darkness

    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
3 
You have multiplied the nation;

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    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 
For the yoke of his burden,
    and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
    and every garment rolled in blood
    will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 
For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 
Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Let’s take a quick look at theses verses. V2 – We have here the first picture: the dawning of a
new day for people who have been living in darkness. V3 – It is a new day of rejoicing, as if
there has been a great victory or as if there has been a great harvest. So it’s a new day, a day of
rejoicing. We still don’t know what the reason for rejoicing is. Vv 4-5 – What is the reason for
the dawning of a new day? What is the reason for rejoicing? A great victory in which the
oppressor has been destroyed. So who has brought about the end of this oppression? Who has
delivered in battle and given the victory? Vv 6-7 – The celebration here is not actually for a
victory but for the birth of a royal son, a son of God, a king who will bring about the victory. So
it is anticipating a victory.

In the ancient world when a king was enthroned he was given symbolic names which summed
up his policy and mission. This king will be given four composite throne names. (1) The first
name is Wonderful Counselor. Counselor in the sense of forming good policy. Wonderful in the
sense of policy that brings miracles. He will be a miracle working policy maker and
implementer. (2) The second name is Mighty God. God here is El, a supernatural power. So it
could be angel but it could also be God. Mighty here is used in the sense of bringing victory,

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meaning military might. (3) The third name is Everlasting Father. (4) And the fourth is Prince of
Peace.

This king will bring about a peaceful rule. His government will increase and will be based on
God’s righteousness and justice, will implement God’s righteousness and justice, and therefore
establishes peace on earth. Whenever Jesus says “the kingdom of God,” this is one of the
foundational passages for it. The kingdom of God will be ushered in by a king who comes. In
this kingdom the righteousness of God will be implemented here on earth. You have peaceful
rule based on God’s justice and righteousness.

This is very, very important for your whole NT theology. Just think about how frequently Jesus
preaches the kingdom of God. This is one of the foundational passages that lie behind it. Now,
what is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is God’s rule on earth, which will be
established through his king, his messiah. And it is a kingdom of peace.

Isaiah Prophesies that the Messiah will be Empowered by God’s Spirit

How will the Messiah rule his kingdom with peace? We find out in Is. 11. Chapter 11 is
preceded by a picture of God using the axe of the Assyrian king to chop down Israel and to chop
down the royal family tree. The tree is reduced to a stump.

Isaiah 11

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 
And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
    or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
    and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 
Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
    and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

6 
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
    and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
    and a little child shall lead them.

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7 
The cow and the bear shall graze;
    their young shall lie down together;
    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
9 
They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

10 
In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the
nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

We’ll go through chpt. 11 bit by bit. V 1 – The stump of Jesse is the family tree of Jesse, the
father of David. So there will be a new shoot from the royal family. Notice these terms, shoot
and branch. In the OT these are pictures for the messiah. They come from the stump of a
chopped down tree. So it begins saying there will be a new king from the dynasty of David.

Vv 2-3a – Instead of the Spirit of the Lord coming on a king and leaving the king, like Saul, the
Spirit will come upon and empower and remain with this king. In John’s Gospel, John the
Baptist speaks about the Holy Spirit coming on the One who he is preparing the way for, which
would remain on the Lamb of God, the coming king, the messiah. The Spirit will remain on this
king. The king would receive and possess the Spirit. The Spirit will enable this new king to do
what no king had done before. He would have wisdom like Solomon. He would have military
prowess like David. And he would have piety, spirituality, the fear of God, the knowledge of
God like king Hezekiah. He would outdo all of these kings put together. His whole life would be
characterized by the fear of God, respect for God.

Vv 3b-5 – Let me explain a couple of things. First of all “the breath of his lips.” The Hebrew
word here could be translated as breath or Spirit. So Word and Spirit work together. He will use
the sword of the Word, which is the sword of the Spirit. Secondly, “And he shall slay the
wicked,” in Hebrew that is singular and not plural. So “he will slay the wicked one.” Thirdly, “he
shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,” this also refers to the Word. Now this king will
be a righteous judge. He will destroy the wicked one, Satan. And he will vindicate, justify the
righteous. So judgment, and we regrettably don’t have enough time to deal with this, always
does two things. It vindicates a righteous person and it condemns a person who is wicked. So
judgment in the OT is primarily positive. It vindicates the righteous. So this king will justify the
poor who are righteous.

What will be the result of his rule by his word and Spirit? Vv 6-9 – As a result of his rule,
paradise will be restored. Where is the one place where paradise will be restored, where there

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will no longer be predators and prey? The holy mountain, the mountain of the Lord, Mt. Zion,
the city of God, the New Jerusalem. And from New Jerusalem “the earth will be filled with the
knowledge of the Lord, as waters cover the sea.” You get an allusion to that in the book of Acts.
From Mt. Zion, the New Jerusalem, the Church the Gospel goes out to the world and people
come into the Church. By this the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord.

V10 - “His resting place shall be” not glorious but glory. So God’s glory shall be his resting place.
The picture here is that the whole mountain being filled with the glory of God, the presence of
God. And that is the resting place of the king. And that is the place where people will come as a
place of rest. And the messiah, the shoot from the stump of Jesse, will be a banner/ensign for
the nations. What is the picture here? You have troops that are scattered and the royal
banner/ensign is raised. It is a rallying point. The people who are scattered, see the banner and
gather around it. So the messiah will rally the nations to God. Now a great deal of this is made
in the early church. The banner that is raised, the banner of the messiah is the cross. The cross
is the rallying point from which Christ draws all people to himself.

Jeremiah Prophesies that the King will be the Mediator of God’s Righteousness
Let’s go to Jeremiah now. We are going roughly in chronological order. The shepherds, which
are the kings of Israel, have failed. So what does God intend to do because they have failed?

Jer. 23
5 
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous
Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness
in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the
name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

7 
“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say,
‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 8 but ‘As the
Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country
and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own
land.”

What is odd about the name that is given to the new branch from the stump of Jesse? The
name is: Yahweh is our righteousness. So the king is given Yahweh’s name. In the Pentecost
sermon, which name does God the Father give to Jesus at his resurrection and ascension? The
name that is above every other name? In Greek it is Lord. In Hebrew it is Yahweh. So the king
will be divine and he will give/bring/mediate the righteousness of God. He will be a justifying
king. And instead of God raising up a second Moses to bring the people back to himself, he will
raise up a second David for a second exodus to bring his people back to himself. This king that

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God raises up will provide salvation and safety for God’s people under his righteous rule. The
name of the king will be Yahweh is our righteousness.

There is a second prophecy which is close to this. Let’s read Jer. 33:14-26 and notice the
significant differences.

Jer. 33
14 
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the
house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a
righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the
land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the
name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

17 
“For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of
Israel, 18 and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt
offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”

19 
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “Thus says the Lord: If you can break my
covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at
their appointed time, 21 then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that
he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my
ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be
measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who
minister to me.”

23 
The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not observed that these people are
saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus they have despised my
people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. 25 Thus says the Lord: If I have not
established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, 26 then I
will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his
offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their
fortunes and will have mercy on them.”

vv. 14-16. Previously we saw that the name “Yahweh is our righteousness” was given to the
king. Now we see that this name is going to be extended to what? The branch is not just the
king. Here it talks about Judah and Jerusalem living in safety. And the name by which ‘it’ will be
called is “Yahweh our righteousness.” What does ‘it’ refer to? It is feminine singular. It refers to
Jerusalem. So Jerusalem will be the royal city and the New Jerusalem will reign and be a part of
the branch of the messiah. They will be a royal people and have the same title as the messiah.
Their name will be their confession of faith.

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vv. 17-26. Notice two things here. First notice that the covenant with David is as fixed as God’s
covenant with creation, the sun and the moon and the stars. Notice too the connection
between God’s covenant with David and God’s covenant with Levi. Just as there will never fail
to be a king on throne, so there will never fail to be a priest on the throne. The question then is,
does it refer to two different figures or does it refer to one figure? In the Jewish tradition this
passage causes a hope in two messiahs, a royal messiah and a priestly messiah. We will be
coming to another passage shortly where the two go together. Whereas you had the separation
of the priesthood and kingship in the past, when the messiah comes the office of priest and king
will come together and you will have an anointed priest/king, which is very important for
Hebrews. So the name of the king and his city is a confession of faith in God’s righteousness,
the Lord’s justification. The priesthood is included in God’s covenant with David. Are there two
messiahs or is it a double office? The NT is quite clear. It is a single office where the two come
together. The messiah is the king/priest.

Notice lastly that the foundation of the king’s rule is God’s covenant with Abraham. It is when
this king comes that God’s covenant with Abraham will be fulfilled. In him the promises God
made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be fulfilled. This messiah will bring the fulfillment of all
of those immense promises in Genesis.

Isaiah Prophesies about God’s Presentation of His Servant King

Several of the next passages come from the latter part of Isaiah and they speak about the
Messiah as being God’s servant. This Hebrew word translated as servant could be translated in
a number of ways. It could be servant (working with and for God). It could also be deputy. Now
who or what is called the servant of Yahweh before this time? Most of the time it is the king.
But Abraham too was called the servant of God and Moses was called the servant of God. The
prophets are called the servants of God also. And in a few places the high priest is called the
servant of God. But at the time of Isaiah, the first thing anyone would think about when they
heard this word would be David and the kings in the south.

In Is. 42:1-4 God introduces his Servant. The question is: Who or what is this Servant and what
is his task or mission?

42 Behold my servant, whom I uphold,

    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street;
3 
a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;

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    he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 
He will not grow faint or be discouraged
    till he has established justice in the earth;
    and the coastlands wait for his law.

Going backwards, law is torah. Not in a narrow sense such as in law as commandments, but
torah in the sense of teaching. So this Servant will bring God’s justice not just to Israel but to
the nations through his torah, his teaching, his doctrine. Secondly, what is it that he brings to
the nations by means of his torah, his teaching, his word? His justice. Justice is primarily the
notion of righting something that has gone wrong. It is quite different from our notion of
justice, which is punishing evildoers. In Scripture it involves punishing evildoers but it is
primarily righting what has gone wrong, putting things right. So God’s justice is rectifying,
restorative justice.

So here we have God’s presentation of his Servant, who is a new king. The king is God’s chosen
servant, his deputy. He represents God and does the work of God. He is empowered by God’s
Spirit. Notice that God puts his Spirit on him, that he has possession of the Spirit. And because
he has God’s Spirit, he extends God’s justice to the nations by teaching God’s word. And he has
a particular care and concern for bruised reed and smoldering wick, the weak, oppressed, little
people that have gotten a rough deal in life.

Isaiah Prophesies about the Servant’s Mission

In the last passage God introduced his Servant. In this passage we have the Servant speaking
about his mission in Is. 49:1-6.

49 Listen to me, O coastlands,

    and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The Lord called me from the womb,
    from the body of my mother he named my name.
2 
He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
    in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
    in his quiver he hid me away.
3 
And he said to me, “You are my servant,
    Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
4 
But I said, “I have labored in vain;
    I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
    and my recompense with my God.”

5 
And now the Lord says,
    he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
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to bring Jacob back to him;
    and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
    and my God has become my strength—
6 
he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
    to raise up the tribes of Jacob
    and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
    that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

7 
Thus says the Lord,
    the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
    the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
    princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Vv 1-4 – Here the Servant is speaking about his mission to the nations. He has been
commissioned by God from his conception. Already before he was born he was chosen by God
in the womb. The picture again is the sword of the word. By speaking he wields the sword of
God. But despite all his efforts, he has apparently failed totally in his mission and yet relies on
God for his vindication. Then comes the surprise. You have the servant who is an utter
complete failure and what is God’s attitude toward this servant who seems to have failed?

Vv 5-6 – Salvation is victory or deliverance. What has been the mission of God’s Servant? He
was supposed to bring back and restore the tribes of Israel to God. He failed to do this. And God
says, Good, that a good trial run. Now in addition to that you have to bring back not only Israel,
but you’ve got to bring back all the nations to me, bring my light to the nations, save the
nations.

V. 7 - This despised, abhorred Servant of God who had seemed to be a total failure in the
mission God had given him will in fact be acknowledged by all the powerful kings of the earth as
their superior, as their King. They will pay homage to him because of the salvation, the
deliverance, victory that he brings to people all over the world, not just the Jews, but also to the
Gentiles. He was the Light to the nations. An amazing prophecy!

Isaiah Prophesies about the Servant’s Reliance on God

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The Servant speaks in Is. 50:4-9. The Servant is speaking as a prophet. Notice the first part of
this where you get the language of a prophet and the reception of prophecy, the word of God.

4 
The Lord GOD has given me
    the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
    him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
    he awakens my ear
    to hear as those who are taught.
5 
The Lord GOD has opened my ear,
    and I was not rebellious;
    I turned not backward.
6 
I gave my back to those who strike,
    and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
    from disgrace and spitting.
7 
But the Lord GOD helps me;
    therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
    and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
8 
    He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
    Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?
    Let him come near to me.
9 
Behold, the Lord GOD helps me;
    who will declare me guilty?
Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;
    the moth will eat them up.

The servant is not just a king who brings God’s justice, God’s victory to the nations of the world
as well as Israel by torah, teaching. He is also a prophet who brings the word of God to people.
And as a result of the word of God, he has to suffer terribly. And he can’t defend himself and he
relies on God for his vindication.

Isaiah Prophesies about the Servant as Priest and Offering

The theme of suffering has been introduced in Isaiah. In the first Servant psalm there is the
concern of the messiah for the abused, suffering people – to bring justice to them. How does he
bring them justice? He himself suffers and we get the great chapter on the suffering Servant in

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chpts. 52-53. We’ll take this bit by bit. First we’ll look at Is. 52:13-15. First of all God speaks
about his Servant.
13 
Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
    he shall be high and lifted up,
    and shall be exalted.
14 
As many were astonished at you—
    his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
    and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 
so shall he sprinkle many nations.
    Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
    and that which they have not heard they understand.

Here God is speaking about the exaltation of his Servant as a Priest for the nations. The key
verse is v. 15: so he will sprinkle many nations. The word used here for sprinkled is the same
word used in the Pentateuch for the sprinkling of blood. Now normally blood is sprinkled on the
altar of incense and the altar for burnt offering and it is sprinkled all over on the Day of
Atonement. There is only one occasion where blood is sprinkled on the whole nation. And there
is one occasion where it is sprinkled on people. At Mt. Sinai it was sprinkled on the people of
Israel to consecrate them as God’s holy people. And when every priest is dedicated blood taken
from the altar is mixed with anointing oil and it is sprinkled on the vestments of the priests.

Now this person who is going to be king sprinkles many people. What does that mean? He is
their High Priest. He is anointing them with oil and blood – blood to cleanse them and oil that
makes them holy. So he is cleansing the nations and making them holy. So this king is not only
going to bring justice, but he is also going to bring holiness to the people.

Next in Is. 53:1-11a you get the people speaking about their king and what he has done. The
basic image here is the arm of the Lord. The arm of the Lord is God’s power, his military might.
How does God reveal his arm among the nations? This is the answer.

53 Who has believed what he has heard from us?

    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 
He was despised and rejected by men,
    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

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4 
Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
6 
All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

7 
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
    yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
    so he opened not his mouth.
8 
By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
    and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
    stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 
And they made his grave with the wicked
    and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
    and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
    he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

The picture here is of this Servant being a priest on whom God lays the iniquity of the people
(remember the priests bearing the iniquity of the people) and who is offered by God as a guilt
offering on behalf of the people. A guilt offering was offered when people desecrated God’s
holiness. So he is the guilty offering. He bears the iniquity of the people. He is the guilt offering
by which God’s people will be made and kept holy. So he is the sanctifying guilt offering.

Then after the people speak we have God’s point of view in Is. 53:11b-12. This is God’s final
verdict on his Servant.

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by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
    and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
    and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Notice the two references to bearing sin and bearing iniquity. God accepts his Servant’s
intercession and self-sacrifice. And this brings about the justification of something new!
Previous which people did God justify? The righteous. But you get something astonishing and
amazing here. God justifies, not righteous people, but through the Servant God justifies sinners.
His Servant will intercede for sinners; he’ll make a sacrifice for sinners and as a result of that
sinners will be justified before God because he has borne their iniquity.

That was a very short explanation. You need to take a close look at it if you are going to
understand both the OT and NT. This is the linking passage between the OT and NT. And it
contains the Gospel most clearly in the OT.

How does God reveal his arm? We want God to come in and wipe out evil and wipe out
evildoers. But where is the arm of God revealed? In his suffering Servant. The power of God, the
victory of God is revealed in the sacrificial death of his Servant. The NT makes a great deal of
this and the whole of John’s gospel focuses around that – the theology of the cross.

Isaiah Prophesies about the Messiah’s Mission

The last Servant passage is found in Is. 61:1-3. Here you get the Servant, the Messiah speaking
about himself and his mission.

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

    because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
3 
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

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    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

This was the text that Jesus used to preach himself in the first sermon he ever preached in his
hometown of Nazareth. All he did was read this passage and then he said, “Today this Scripture
is fulfilled in your hearing.” Now this is very important for the NT and the whole of Christology.
Here you have the Messiah speaking. The Messiah is anointed by God’s Spirit rather than with
only holy anointing oil. He has been anointed by God’s Spirit as the Preacher of Good News, the
Preacher of the Gospel. In Is. 42 you could go with the idea that the Messiah would be a new
Law giver. He is going to enact God’s Law and fulfill God’s Law. But the feature of the Messiah is
that he preaches not Law but Gospel.

What is the Gospel? The Gospel is that he pronounces God’s amnesty to Zion’s citizens. Which
means that anyone who is guilty of crime and is in prison is going to be set free. Debts are going
to be cancelled. Everything is going to be restored by him. And this restoration is accomplished
by the Word, the Gospel, the preaching of the Gospel and the preaching of the Spirit through
the Gospel, the giving of the Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel. He is filled with the
Spirit so he can preach the Gospel and then through the Gospel he brings the power of the
Spirit to free the people of God from their bondage and everything that inhibits them.

And the result of this is that people who were once complainers and lamenters will be turned
into praise singers who announce God’s splendor and reveal God’s splendor. So God’s glory will
be revealed through God’s praise singing people.

Zechariah Prophesies about the Priestly Role of the King

Next we have three very important passages in the book of Zechariah. The first one (Zech. 3:8-
10) has to do with the priestly role of the messiah.

Zech. 3
8 
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are
men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. 9 For behold, on the stone that
I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription,
declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10 In that
day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his
vine and under his fig tree.”

Now Joshua was the high priest of Israel after the temple had been rebuilt. He is the first new
high priest of the rebuilt temple. Notice his name is Joshua (Jesus). God says that he and his
fellow priests are omens or signs of what is to come, of the coming priest. Because of that then

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the prophet says that a stone is to be made for him to place on his turban. Remember that on
the turban of the high priest it said, Holiness belonging to Yahweh. But on this new priest there
would be a new jewel with seven eyes, which are seven facets.

And on those seven facets will be inscribed seven words and these seven (Hebrew) words are:
“And I will remove the iniquity of the land on a single day.” This was on the priest’s head
because who will remove the iniquity? And “land” can also be “earth.” “I will remove the
iniquity of the earth on a single day.” There will be a coming priest who on one day, on a great
Day of Atonement will not only forgive the iniquity, but actually remove the iniquity of the land,
of the earth on a single day. So there is a promise here of a coming priest who removes the sins
of the earth.

Zechariah Prophesies about the Priest-King as a Temple Builder

The prophecy of Zechariah is found in Zech. 6:9-15.
9 
And the word of the Lord came to me: 10 “Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah,
who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of
Zephaniah. 11 Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of
Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 And say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts,
“Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he
shall build the temple of the Lord. 13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall
bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his
throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ 14 And the crown shall be in
the temple of the Lord as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of
Zephaniah.

15 
“And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord. And you
shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will
diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

In vv. 9-12 the term for crown means dual crown. The kings of Egypt wore two crowns because
they ruled over two kingdoms, upper Egypt and lower Egypt. Here God told him to make a dual
crown. Now look for the unexpected. In the post-exilic period there was no king. God told
Zechariah to make a double crown and place it on the head of, not the descendant of David, but
on the head of the high priest, Joshua. Why a double crown? Because this is going to be a
symbol of one who is to come who is going to be both a king like Solomon rebuilding the
temple and also a priest. So it is a symbol of a priest/king who would build the temple of God.

David’s branch, David’s descendant (notice how this branch runs all the way through here) will
be a temple builder and he will build a new temple with the help of those who are far from the
Lord. In the OT, who are the people who are close to the Lord? Israel. Who are those who are

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far from the Lord? The Gentiles. So the Gentiles will work together with his priest/king to build
up the new temple of God. Paul has a lot to say about this in his mission to the Gentiles,
sanctifying them so that together with the Jews they become, with Jesus as their foundation
and cornerstone, God’s new living temple.

And this new king will reign as priest in the new temple. So you get a new kind of kingship, a
priestly kingship or a kingly priestship in the new temple of God. So what had been separated in
the history of the OT will come together in the coming priest/king. There will be a new kind of
rule and a new kind of kingdom, a liturgical rule.

Zechariah Prophesies about Zion’s Humble King

The third prophecy from Zechariah (Zech. 9:9-10) is the Advent 1 reading and the Palm Sunday
reading.
9 
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
    righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
    and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
    and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Righteous means that he is justified, vindicated by God. He is also having salvation, which
means that he is both saved and brings salvation. He is the saved Savior and the justified
Justifier. Here you have a king with a difference. God calls on Zion to welcome her afflicted,
humbled and yet victorious king. This king will disarm the nations by the proclamation of his
peace in an international kingdom. So peace will be brought, not with the sword, not with law,
not with power, but by the proclamation of peace. The kingdom of God is extended by this
humbled and yet exalted king.

Lastly don’t make too much about the apparent humility of this king riding in on a donkey. This
was normal for any Jewish king. Part of the protocol of coronation was that the king would
come riding through the main street of Jerusalem to the temple on a donkey. So riding on a
donkey is a royal sign. It indicates that he is a king.

Daniel Prophesies about the Eschatological Character of the Messiah

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We come to our last messianic prophecy. It is probably the least noted of the messianic
prophecies. It is Dan. 9:24-27.
24 
“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the
transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting
righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25 Know
therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem
to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two
weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the
sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of
the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a
flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a
strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to
sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate,
until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

Like much in Daniel, this is very, very difficult to unravel all the layers. But the most important
data is this. You will remember that Jeremiah had prophesied that there would be 70 years
before the temple and the city of Jerusalem would be restored. Daniel is reading the scroll of
Jeremiah and he is trying to make sense of it. In what sense is 70 being used? Is it a literal 70
years or are they 70 sabbatical years? What are 70 sabbatical years? 70 x 7 = 490 years. Or is it
some other sense? It is revealed to him that this is 70 sabbatical years.

The key part of this prophecy is in v. 24. “Seventy sevens are decreed for your people and your
holy city to finish transgression and to put an end to sin.” Remember that it said that in the
future God would not just forgive sins but he will remove sin. He would not only deal with
sinners but also with the cause of sinning. He will do this secondly by atoning for wickedness
and bringing in everlasting righteousness, justification. Thirdly, sealing up vision and prophecy.
Sealing means fulfilling prophecy. So God is going to judge sin; he is going to atone for sin;
forgive sin; he will fulfill all prophecy.

And lastly the time will come to anoint the most holy one. The most holy one could mean the
most holy place, the temple, or the most holy person, the messiah. That is probably a
deliberate ambiguity. So notice those two senses of most holy – the most holy place and the
most holy king. What is being touched on here is that there will be a king that will be a temple.
God’s anointing him as his most holy king will bring about the completion and complete
fulfillment of prophecy and the complete atonement for sin.

And this is connected then with the destruction of Jerusalem and its sanctuary after the death
of the messiah. The messiah will be killed and after that the city will be destroyed and God’s

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temple, the sanctuary will be destroyed. You can see how important that is for NT theology.
That is the last and probably most far-reaching of the all the messianic prophecies.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and THE GIFT OF KINGSHIP?

1. God promised kings to Israel long before Israel had kings when he made promises to the
patriarchs.
2. In paganism, kings were considered gods (idolatry) and were law-givers, but in Israel the kings
were God’s representatives (servants) who did not make law, but were under God’s law and
enforced God’s law.
3. The focus of God’s covenant with David is kingship. God promised David a dynasty/kingdom that
will last forever, which pointed forward to a future Messiah/King.
4. As the royal prince was a king’s right hand man, so the Israelite kings were God’s right hand
men, reigning with God. The role of the Israelite king was to administer God’s justice and
righteousness, to lead God’s armies, and to lead the congregation in worship.
5. As a liturgical leader the king was responsible for the maintenance and finance of the temple,
the organization of the priests and Levites, presenting offerings for the nation at the great
festivals, and leading the congregation and nations in prayer and praise through the Levitical
choir singing the Psalms.
6. David was a second cult-founder for Israel. He implemented God’s law for worship by designing
the temple, arranging the priesthood, instituting the singing of psalms during the burnt
offerings, and promoting the worship of the true God in the right way.
7. Solomon was the great temple-builder and the kings that followed him were responsible for the
care of the temple and the promotion of orthodox worship of the true God.
8. The prophets gave little glimpses of the promised Messiah/King. It begins with God’s covenant
with David in 1 Sam. where the Messiah will rule an eternal kingdom. Amos says the Messiah
will incorporate the nations into his kingdom. Micah speaks of the birth of the coming King.
9. Isaiah prophesies how the Messiah will be born to a virgin, will rule in peace, and will be
empowered by the Spirit.
10. Jeremiah says the King will come from the line of Jesse and yet be divine. He will bring salvation
and mediate God’s righteousness. He also says that the kingly and priestly roles will come
together in the Messiah.
11. Isaiah prophesies about the Messiah as God’s Servant. God presents the Servant as his deputy
who brings justice, righting what is wrong. Before he was born he was chosen by God to bring
light and salvation to the nations by teaching (torah). When he brings God’s Word to the
nations, he suffers greatly. He doesn’t defend himself, but relies on God for vindication. He
provides justice and salvation by sprinkling the nations, cleansing them and making them holy.
12. In Isaiah the people speak about their Messiah. The Servant acts as their priest, bearing their
iniquity, becoming a guilt offering for their desecration of God’s holiness. God accepts the

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 Servant who bears iniquity as a guilt offering and justifies the people. Through the sacrificial
death of his Servant, God reveals his power and victory.
13. In the last Servant psalm in Isaiah, the Messiah speaks about himself and his mission. He has
been anointed with God’s Spirit to preach Good News, to pronounce God’s amnesty to Zion’s
citizens. Through the Gospel the Spirit frees people from their bondage. And the people will be
turned into praise singers who declare God’s glory.
14. Zechariah prophesies that the Messiah will come as High Priest to remove the iniquity of the
earth on a great Day of Atonement. This Priest/King, with the help of the Gentiles, will build a
new living temple. This King/Priest will rule his kingdom not politically but liturgically.
15. Zechariah prophesies that the coming King will be saved and bring salvation, will be justified and
bring justification, will proclaim peace, and extend God’s kingdom.
16. Daniel speaks of the coming Messiah/Prince. The holy city and holy temple will be destroyed
and give way to an anointed one who will bring about the completion and fulfillment of all
prophecy and atonement for all sin.

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 c. JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
(Because of the lack of time left in the semester, Dr. Kleinig skipped over The Gift of Justice and
Righteousness. You will have to refer to the notes and overhead [see below] that Dr. Kleinig
provided.)

1. Justice as setting right what is wrong (Ps 72:1-4; 82:1-4).

 Deliverance from an enemy.
 Protection from oppression.
 Vindication in a court of law.
 Legislation for right behaviour and right worship.
2. Righteousness as that divine life-giving power and state of being which keeps people healthy
and well in a right relationship with God, other people, and the natural order.
 It is like the light of the sun or a stream of fresh water.
 It promotes what is good and produces shalom: prosperity, wellbeing and harmony.
 It delivers from evil, chaos, and death.
 It vindicates those who are righteous.
3. God as the lover and giver of justice (Deut 1:17; Ps 99:4).
 God's goal: establishment of justice and righteousness by his rule over the cosmos (Ps
96:10-13).
 God's execution of justice on earth through angels, judges, kings, and Israel.
 God's appointment of the kings to administer his justice and righteousness (Ps 72).
 God's protection of the disadvantaged in Israel by his law.
 God as the goel of those who had no human goel and who could appeal to him for help
(Exod 22:21-27).
 God's treatment of evil by visiting the iniquity of evildoers upon them.
 God's judgment of people by retribution through the unlimited positive results of their
goodness or limited negative consequences of their evil deeds:
+ In the life cycle of a person.
+ In the history of each family.
+ In the history of Israel.
 God's use of disaster and defeat by enemies to judge his people and lead them to
repentance.
 God's judgment of the world and all the nations in it (Ps 9:7-8).
 God's acts of judgment in human history prefigure his final day of cosmic judgment with
the condemnation of what is evil and the vindication of all that is righteous (Isa 24:21-22;
26:20-27:1).
4. God's exercise of justice through the divine service.
 The temple as the supreme court in Israel (1 Kgs 8:31-34).
 God's presence as a gracious judge in the divine service (I Kgs 8:59; Zeph 3:5).
 God's exercise of judgment at the temple by his acceptance of the righteous (Ps 15; 11:7)
and the exclusion of the wicked from his presence (Ps 5:4-6).
 Intercession by the high priest with his 'breast plate of justice' for justice from God for his
people (Exod 28:29-30).

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  Appeal to God in the laments for justice, vindication, and pardon.
 Announcement of God's judgment of the world by the choir in their songs of praise (Ps
98).
 Reception of righteousness as vindication from God at the temple (Ps 24:5).
 Provision of food for the poor from the offerings and tithes that belonged to God (Deut
14:28-29).
 Desecration of God's holiness and defilement of the temple by people with blood on their
hands because they were guilty of injustice (Isa 1:10-17; Jer 7: 1-15; Am 5:21-24).
 Connection between idolatry and injustice.
5. The Messiah as the mediator of God's justice and righteousness (Jer 23:5-6).
 Foundation of his rule on justice and righteousness (Isa 9:7).
 His vindication of the poor and condemnation of the wicked one by his word and the
breath/Spirit from his mouth (Isa 11:3-4).
 Establishment by him of God's justice/ just rule over the earth by his teaching (Isa 42:1-
4).
 His justification of sinners by his vicarious sacrifice (Isa 53:11).

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The Gift of Justice and Righteousness
1. Justice is Setting Right What is Wrong, Restoring Order

The terms shaphat and mishpat have a far broader range of reference in the Old Testament than 'judge'
and 'justice' in modern English. By them, we normally envisage the activity of a judge who passes a
sentence on a criminal in a court of law. By them, the Old Testament envisaged the activity of a leader
or king who used his authority to right a wrong and to restore the disturbed order of a community.

Whereas we tend to understand judging negatively as condemnation and punishment, the ancient world
saw it positively as an act of vindication and restoration. For them Injustice was linked with wickedness
and social chaos (Isa 59:1-15; Micah 7:1-6) and Justice had to do with righteousness and good social
order (Ps 72; Isa 58:6-12).

Originally these terms seem to have been used for the deliverance of oppressed people from their
oppressors, i.e. economic exploitation, slavery, foreign occupation and any other form of injustice. This
could be done in a number of ways by a leader or king.

• The judicial process in a court of law

• Personal intervention in a dispute or injust situation
• The proclamation of an edict as a law or a code of law
• The defeat of an oppressor in battle
The term mishpat (which has to do with justice) has a wide range of meaning in the Old Testament.

 An authoritative decision concerning a dispute or court case (Deut. 18:8-9; Isa 3:14)
 The verdict and sentence (judgment) in a court of law (Deut 16:18)
 The right or privilege of a person
 A legal ordinance, i.e. legal precedent, case law (Exod 21:31)
 A cultic ordinance which determines the way a rite is conducted (Lev 5:10; 9:16)
 The right way of acting
 The right arrangement of the world by God, i.e. natural order (Isa 28:26; 32:1; 40:14; Jer 8:7;
Amos 6:12)
 Custom or manner (Judg 13:12; 18:7; 1 Kgs 18:28; 2 Kgs 1:17; 17:33,34)

God is a Justice God

Justice belongs to God (Deut 1:17; 2 Chron 19:6; Prov 29:26; cf. Ps 72:1-2; Prov 16:33).

Deut. 1:17

17 You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike.
You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is
too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’

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 Prov. 29:26

26 Many seek the face of a ruler,

but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.

He is a God of justice (Is 30:18; Mal 2:17) who judges righteously (Ps 9:5; Jer 11:20), fairly (Ps 4:8; 67:4;
96:10; 98:9) and impartially (Deut 10:18; 2 Chron 19:7).

Is. 30:18

18 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you,

and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.

God loves justice (Ps 33:6; 37:28; 99:4; Is 61:8) and does not pervert it (Job 8:3; 34:12).

Ps. 37:28

28 Forthe LORD loves justice;

he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

God’s behaviour is always just (Deut 32:4; Ps 111:7).

Deut. 32:4

4 “The Rock, his work is perfect,

for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he.

God executes justice for the oppressed (Deut 10:18; Ps 9:16; 103:6; 140:13; 146:7; Micah 7:9).

Deut. 10:18

18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him
food and clothing.

Ps. 103:6

6 The LORD works righteousness

and justice for all who are oppressed.

God is the judge (shophet) of Israel (Ps 7:11; 50:6; Isa 33:22) and all the earth (Gen 18:25; Ps 94:2).

Ps. 7:11

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 11 God is
a righteous judge,
and a God who feels indignation every day

Gen. 18:25

25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the
wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the
Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

2. Righteousness as That Divine Life-giving Power and State of Being which

Keeps People Healthy and Well in a Right Relationship with God, Other People,
and the Natural Order.

Justice was closely related to righteousness. While justice and righteousness are often virtual synonyms
in the Old Testament, righteousness (tzedeqah) is also distinguished from it (eg. Ps 94:15). The term
tzedeq has to do with right order, what is in accord with God's will in the natural and social realm and so
promotes the well-being of his creation.

The term tzedeqah refers

• to any divine or human activity which establishes and maintains what is right in the natural
and social world
• to the state of people who are in right relationship with God, each other and the natural world
• to the right behaviour of people which stems from right relationships within the order of
creation.
Righteousness is Like the Light of the Sun Or a Stream of Fresh Water; It Sustains Life
As light from the sun and fresh water promote and enhance good life, so righteousness is defined as life-
sustaining world order, the principle of orderliness in the cosmos, God's ordering of his creation for
cosmic harmony. Judges and rulers are therefore called to administer righteous justice, i.e. justice which
is in harmony with the order of creation (Deut 16:18; Prov 8:16).

Both justice and righteousness are cosmic powers (Ps 36:5-6). They are the foundation for the Lord's
cosmic rule (Ps 89:14; 97:2).

Ps. 89:14

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

While injustice poisons the life of a community (Hos 10:6; Amos 5:7; 6:12), justice and righteousness are
life-giving and life-promoting, like the light of the sun (Ps 37:6; Isa 51:4; Hos 6:5; Micah 7:9; Zeph 3:5;

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Mal 4:2), or a stream of fresh water (Amos 5:24; cf. the image of righteousness as rain in Isa 45:8; Hos
10:12; Joel 2:23).

Ps. 37:5-6

5 Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

Amos 5:24

24 Butlet justice roll down like waters,

and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Is. 45:8

8 “Shower, O heavens, from above,

and let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout;
I the LORD have created it.

The understanding of divine justice as judicial equity (due process), or moral order, (social justice) or
natural law (natural justice), is subordinated to the belief in divine righteousness as a life-maintaining
power which is closely related to God's blessing (Ps 24:4-5), his kindness (chesed) (Ps 36:10; 103:17) and
his wisdom (Prov 8:15-21).

Ps. 24:4-5

4 Hewho has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully. 5
He will receive blessing from the LORD
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Ps. 36:10

10 Oh,continue your steadfast love to those who know you,

and your righteousness to the upright of heart!

Prov. 8:18 (Wisdom is speaking)

18 Riches
and honor are with me,
enduring wealth and righteousness.

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Righteousness Promotes What is Good and Produces Shalom: Prosperity, Wellbeing, and Harmony
Righteousness is a power for good on earth.

• It delivers people from death (Prov 10:2; 11:4,6; Ezek 33:12) and gives life to them (Prov 11:19; cf.
12:28; 21:21)

Prov. 10:2

2 Treasuresgained by wickedness do not profit,

but righteousness delivers from death.

Prov. 11:19

19 Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live,

but he who pursues evil will die.

• It produces peace, harmony and well-being (shalom) (Isa 32:17; cf. 35:27; Ps 72:3; 85:11) and
protects people from destruction (Prov 13:6)

Is. 32:17

17 Andthe effect of righteousness will be peace,

and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

Prov. 13:6

6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,

but sin overthrows the wicked.

• It creates a level path through life (Prov 11:5)

Prov. 11:5

5 The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight,

but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.

• It exalts a nation (Prov 14:34)

Prov. 14:34

34 Righteousness exalts a nation,

but sin is a reproach to any people.

Righteousness Delivers From Evil, Chaos, and Death

God's righteousness delivers people from the powers of evil and chaos and death.

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 Ps. 31:1

31:1 In
you, O LORD, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me!

Ps. 143:11
11
For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life!
In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!

Righteousness Vindicates Those Who are Righteous

Ps. 35:24

24
Vindicate me, O LORD, my God,
according to your righteousness,
and let them not rejoice over me!

3. God is the Lover and Giver of Justice

Ps. 99:4 (The Psalmist speaks about the Lord who reigns.)

4 The King in his might loves justice.

You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.

As we said above when the gift of justice was introduced (see above), justice belongs to God. He is a God
of justice who judges righteously, fairly, and impartially. He loves justice and does not pervert it. His
actions are always just. He executes justice for the oppressed.

God’s Goal: Establishment of Justice and Righteousness by His Rule Over the Cosmos
It is the Lord who reigns over the world and he judges the world with equity, righteousness, and
faithfulness.

Ps. 96:10-13

10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.” ...

13 before the LORD,for he comes,

for he comes to judge the earth.

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 He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.

The scope of God’s justice is universal. The Lord delivers justice to the rebellious angels (Ps 82; cf. Isa
24:21; 27:1), the pagan gods (Exod 12:12; Num 33:4; Ps 97:7-8), the world and its peoples (Ps 9:7-8,19;
67:4; 75:2-8; 82:8; 94:2; 96:10,13; 98:9; Isa 51:4; Joel 4:12), the enemies of his people (Ps 7:6-8; 9:3-20),
and his people (Ps 50:3-6; 96:4; 103:6-7).

God Executes Justice on Earth through Angels, Judges, Kings, and Israel
In heaven God convenes and presides over the heavenly court. There he meets with the angels and
determines the course of history. A primary focus of his is the administration of justice on earth,
especially for the weak, fatherless, afflicted, and destitute.

Ps. 82:1-4
1 God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
2 “How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

God administers justice through the kings and leaders on earth.

Prov. 8:15-16

15 By me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
16 by me princes rule,
and nobles, all who govern justly.

God administers justice through judges in courts of law.

Deut. 1:16-17

16 And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brothers, and
judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him. 17 You
shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall
not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard
for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’

God administers justice through the kings of Israel. See below.

God Appoints Kings to Administer His Justice and Righteousness

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God administers justice and righteousness on earth and he does so by means of kings and governments.

1 Kings 72:1-2

72:1 Give
the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!

David and his descendants were chosen by God to administer his justice and righteousness in Israel.

1 Kings 10:9

9 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel!
Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and
righteousness.”

Solomon asked for and received a hearing heart from God, so that he could judge Israel and administer
God's justice.

1 Kings 3:9, 12, 28

9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may
discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so
that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

28 And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of
the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

As the supreme judge, the king of Israel was called to champion the rights of the under-privileged and
oppressed.

Ps. 72:4, 12-14

4
May he [the king of Israel] defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!

12 Forhe delivers the needy when he calls,

the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and precious is their blood in his sight.

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As a just warrior, the king was also appointed by the Lord to judge the nations and their kings.

Ps. 2:7-11

7I will tell of the decree:

The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11
Serve the LORD with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.

When the king administered God's justice rightly, the whole kingdom prospered from the vegetation to
animal and human life.

2 Sam. 23:3-4

3 The God of Israel has spoken;

the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men,
ruling in the fear of God,
4 he dawns on them like the morning light,
like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,
like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.

The Prophets Announced the Coming of a Just King from the Dynasty of David
With the failure of David and his successors to rule justly, the prophets announced the coming of a just
king from the dynasty of David.

(a) He would administer God's justice and righteousness so wisely that Israel, Judah and Jerusalem
would indeed be secure.

Jer. 23:5-6

5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous
Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness
in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the
name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

Jer. 33:15

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 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he
shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

(b) Since his government would be based on God's justice and righteousness, peace would prevail and
increase under his rule.

Is. 9:7

7
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

(c) Since he would possess the full measure of God's Spirit, he would truly vindicate the poor and
eradicate the wicked.

Is. 11:1-4

11:1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

(d) Through his teaching/law (torah) he would bring God's saving justice to the nations of the earth.

Is. 51:4-5

4
“Give attention to me, my people,
and give ear to me, my nation;
for a law will go out from me,
and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.
5 My righteousness draws near,

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 my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will judge the peoples;
the coastlands hope for me,
and for my arm they wait.

God Protects the Disadvantaged in Israel by His Law

God protects and provides for the disadvantaged and the poor in Israel through his law.

(a) He protects their rights generally through the second table of the decalogue.

(b) In the other codes of law he provides more specific protection for them.

• Protection of widows and orphans from exploitation.

Ex. 22:22-24

22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they
cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the
sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

• Protection of landless aliens from exploitation and oppression.

Ex. 22:21

21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of
Egypt.

• Protection of poor from creditors by amnesty every seventh year and the exclusion of cloak and
millstones from collateral to a loan or as payment of a debt.

Ex. 22:25-27

25 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a
moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. 26 If ever you take your
neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, 27 for that is
his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to
me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

Deut. 24:6

6 “No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in
pledge.

• Protection of Israelite 'slaves' by the limitation of service to seven years and definition of their status
as hired workers rather than as freehold property.

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 Ex. 21:2

2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out
free, for nothing.

Lev. 25:39-42

39 “If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him
serve as a slave: 40 he shall be with you as a hired worker and as a sojourner . He shall serve
with you until the year of the jubilee. 41 Then he shall go out from you, he and his children
with him, and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his fathers. 42 For they
are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves.

Deut. 15:12-13

12 “If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six
years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. 13 And when you let him go
free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed.

• Protection of socially disadvantaged from injustice in a court of law (Exod 23:6; Deut 24:17-18). Note
that anybody who deprives the poor of justice is said by Deut 27:19 to come under God's curse.

Ex. 23:6

6 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit.

Deut. 24:17-18

17 “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a
widow’s garment in pledge, 18 but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the
Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this.

Deut. 27:19

19 “‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the
widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

(c) In his law God also provides for the needs of the disadvantaged and poor in Israel.

• Provision of a daily wage for the hired labourer

Lev. 19:13

13 “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not
remain with you all night until the morning.

Deut. 24:14-15

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 14 “You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your
brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. 15 You shall give
him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he
cry against you to the Lord, and you be guilty of sin.

• Provision of gleanings from fields, vineyards and olive orchards for the poor and aliens.

Lev. 23:22

22 “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its
edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor
and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”

Deut. 24:19-22

19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go
back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your
God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall
not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When
you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the
sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 You shall remember that you were a slave in the
land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this.

• Provision of food for the poor from the field, vineyard and olive orchard every seventh year.

Ex. 23:10-11

10 “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, 11 but the seventh
year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what
they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard,
and with your olive orchard.

• Provision of heir for widow via levirate marriage.

Deut. 25:5-10

5 “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man
shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her
and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 And the first
son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be
blotted out of Israel. 7 And if the man does not wish to take his brother’s wife, then his
brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to
perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to
me.’ 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, ‘I
do not wish to take her,’ 9 then his brother’s wife shall go up to him in the presence of the

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 elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, ‘So
shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ 10 And the name of his
house shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.’

• Provision of interest-free loans to impoverished Israelites.

Lev. 25:35-38

35 “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support
him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. 36 Take no
interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. 37 You
shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. 38 I am the Lord
your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be
your God.

• Provision of charity for the poor according to their need.

Deut. 15:7-11

7 “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your
land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand
against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for
his need, whatever it may be. 9 Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and
you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your
poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty
of sin. 10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to
him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you
undertake. 11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you,
‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

• Provision of a three year tithe for Levites, aliens, fatherless children, and widows.

Deut. 26:12-13

12 “When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the
year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that
they may eat within your towns and be filled, 13 then you shall say before the Lord your God,
‘I have removed the sacred portion out of my house, and moreover, I have given it to the
Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, according to all your commandment that
you have commanded me. I have not transgressed any of your commandments, nor have I
forgotten them.

• Provision of food at God's table by inclusion in the sacrificial banquets of the well-to-do at the temple
in Jerusalem for slaves, Levites, and the poor and disadvantaged.

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 Deut. 12:12

12 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters,
your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since
he has no portion or inheritance with you.

Deut. 16:14

14 You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and
your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within
your towns.

In his law God protects his people from injustice in the courts of law by prohibiting false charges and
false witnesses, by requiring impartiality of justice for both the poor and the rich, and by prohibiting
bribery and by cursing those who accept a bribe to put an innocent person to death.

Ex. 23:7

7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit
the wicked.

Lev. 19:16

16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up
against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

Ex. 20:16

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Ex. 23:1-2

23:1 “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a
malicious witness. 2 You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in
a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice,

Lev. 19:15

15 “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great,
but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

Deut. 16:19

19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe,
for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.

Deut. 27:25

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 25 “‘Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say,
‘Amen.’

God is the Kinsman-Redeemer for Those Who have None; They can Appeal to Him for Help
Ex. 22:21-27

21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the
land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do
mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath
will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and
your children fatherless.
    25 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be
like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. 26 If ever you
take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes
down, 27 for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall
he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

God acts as the redeemer (goel) of those who are disadvantaged and oppressed (Prov 22:22-23; 23:10-
11).

Prov. 22:22-23

22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,

or crush the afflicted at the gate,
23 for the LORD will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them.

Prov. 23:10-11

10 Do not move an ancient landmark

or enter the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their Redeemer is strong;
he will plead their cause against you.

He cares for the victims of injustice, the widow and orphan, the landless alien, and the economically
exploited poor.

Ex. 22:21-24

21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the
land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do
mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath

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 will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and
your children fatherless.

Deut. 10:18

18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him
food and clothing.

He acts as the advocate for the victims of injustice.

Ps. 146:5-7

5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the LORD his God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;

He hears the prayers of the afflicted and helps them.

Ps. 9:12

12 For
he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

Ps. 9:18

18 Forthe needy shall not always be forgotten,

and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

Ps. 140:12

12 I
know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and will execute justice for the needy.

He hears the outcry of the oppressed to him and avenges them against their oppressors.

Ex. 22:21-24

21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the
land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do
mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath

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 will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and
your children fatherless.

He defends and avenges those who are unjustly condemned to death.

Ex. 23:7

7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit
the wicked.

Ps. 9:11-12

11 Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion!

Tell among the peoples his deeds!
12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

He identifies with the poor.

Prov 17:5

5 Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker;

he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

Prov. 19:17

17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD,

and he will repay him for his deed.

Since God is the advocate of the poor oppressed people who rely on him for their livelihood (‘anawim),
Israelites appeal for God's attention and help in the psalms by claiming to be poor.

Ps. 40:17

17 Asfor me, I am poor and needy,

but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!

Ps. 86:1

86:1 Incline
your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.

God Treats Evil by Visiting the Iniquity of Evildoers upon Them

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While the law courts were meant to administer God's justice, God also executed his justice on evildoers
by the process of retribution in the life-cycle of evildoers, in the history of an evil family, and in the
history of an evil society. Ezekiel annunciates the principle of personal culpability with the axiom: “the
soul that sins shall die” (18:4,20).

Evildoers can therefore escape the chain of evil by their repentance.

Eze. 18: 27-28

27 Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does
what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from
all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

The children of evildoers can also escape retribution by their obedience to the Lord.

Eze. 18:19

19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son
has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely
live.

It works the other way as well. Despite their heritage, righteous people and children of righteous people
will suffer retribution, if they commit iniquity.

God Judges People Based on Whether Their Deeds are Good or Evil
While the consequences of goodness were unlimited in scope, God limited the consequences of evil, so
that at the most, grandchildren and great-grandchildren would suffer from any evil done by a wicked
person.

Ex. 34:7

7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who
will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the
children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

God Uses Disaster and Defeat to Judge His People and Lead Them to Repentance
God executed his judgment on his people through their enemies.

2 Kings 17:20

20 And the Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel and afflicted them and gave them into
the hand of plunderers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

His purpose in allowing disaster and defeat was to lead them to repentance.

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 2 Kings 17:13

13 Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from
your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law
that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”

God is the Judge of the World and All Nations in It

Ps. 9:7-8

7 Butthe LORD sits enthroned forever;

he has established his throne for justice, 8
and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.

Gods’ Judgment in History Prefigures His Judgment on the Last Day with the Condemnation of
Evil and the Vindication of All that is Righteous
Beginning with Amos 5:18-20, the prophets announced the future universal day of the Lord. On that day
the Lord would judge the wicked on a cosmic scale and vindicate the righteous in Zion.

Amos 5:18-20

18 Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD!

Why would you have the day of the LORD?
It is darkness, and not light,
19 as if a man fled from a lion,
and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
20 Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?

Is. 26:20 – 27:1

20 Come, my people, enter your chambers,

and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the fury has passed by.
21 For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,
and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,
and will no more cover its slain.

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   27:1 In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish
Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the
dragon that is in the sea.

Is. 1:27

27 Zionshall be redeemed by justice,

and those in her who repent, by righteousness.

Just as the people of Israel were included in God's enemies (Isa 1:21-31), God's vindication applied to
the penitent gentiles as well as his penitent people.

Is. 45:22

22 “Turn to me and be saved,

all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.

Is. 1:27

20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,

to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.

All God's acts of judgment in human lives and world history were a prelude to that final day of
divine judgment.

Is. 26:20-21

20 Come, my people, enter your chambers,

and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the fury has passed by.
21 For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,
and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,
and will no more cover its slain.

4. God's exercise of justice through the divine service.

God Exercises Justice through the Divine Service. The Temple was the Supreme Court of Israel
1 Kings 8:31-34

31 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his
oath before your altar in this house, 32 then hear in heaven and act and judge your servants,

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 condemning the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous
by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
    33 “When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned
against you, and if they turn again to you and acknowledge your name and pray and plead
with you in this house, 34 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and
bring them again to the land that you gave to their fathers.

The temple in Jerusalem was envisaged as God's earthly palace where he administered his justice on
earth.

(a) There the priest on duty who wore the breastplate of justice, advocated the cause/right (mishpat) of
the people, and obtained justice (mishpat) for them from God.

Ex. 28:29-30

29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his
heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the
Lord. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and
they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the
judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly.

(b) At the temple God appeared to his people during the daily burnt offering to judge them (Ps 50) and
announced his judgment to them.

(c) At the temple the Levitical choir announced his advent to judge the world and praised him as judge.

Ps. 96:10-13

10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Ps. 9:7-8

7 Butthe LORD sits enthroned forever;

he has established his throne for justice,
8 and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.

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 Ps. 67:4

4 Letthe nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

Ps. 75:7

7 butit is God who executes judgment,

putting down one and lifting up another.

(d) From the temple in Jerusalem God defended his people against their enemies and executed his
judgments of the nations.

Ps. 76: 1-2, 8-9

76:1 InJudah God is known;

his name is great in Israel.
2 His abode has been established in Salem,
his dwelling place in Zion.

...

8 From the heavens you uttered judgment;

the earth feared and was still,
9 when God arose to establish judgment,
to save all the humble of the earth.

(e) At the temple the people could seek justice from God as the supreme judge in their worship.

Ps. 9:19

19 Arise,O LORD! Let not man prevail;

let the nations be judged before you!

Ps. 35:23-24
23
Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication,
for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me, O LORD, my God,
according to your righteousness,
and let them not rejoice over me!

(f) God had instituted Israel's worship as the channel for his 'justice' and 'righteousness' to his people.
[God, who is just and right, gives justice and righteousness to his people in the divine service, and
therefore expects his people will act justly and righteously.]

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 Amos 5:21-24

21 “I hate, I despise your feasts,

and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen. 24
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

(g) God therefore required the same benevolent justice from his people which they had received from
him.

Amos 5:15

15 Hate evil, and love good,

and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Micah 6:8

8 He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

(h) Those who were guilty of injustice, as defined by the decalogue, were excluded from his presence by
the entrance liturgies.

Ps. 24:3-4

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?

And who shall stand in his holy place? 4
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.

God was Present as a Gracious Judge in the Divine Service

The prayer and blessing of Solomon at the dedication of the temple in 1 Kgs 8:22-61 shows how closely
the sacrificial ritual was connected with God's justice. Through the daily ritual, the Lord maintained the
right/right order (mishpat) of the king and the nation.

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 1 Kings 8:59

59 Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the LORD, be near to the
LORD our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the
cause of his people Israel, as each day requires,

Zeph. 3:5

5 The LORD within her is righteous;

he does no injustice;
every morning he shows forth his justice;
each dawn he does not fail;
but the unjust knows no shame.

Remember that the Psalms were sung at the temple during the divine service when the burnt offering
was offered by the Levitical choir. So when Psalms like Ps. 50 were sung, God announced his judgment
on his people.

Ps. 50:7

7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak;

O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.

Ps. 82:2-4

2 “How long will you judge unjustly

and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

God Exercised His Judgment at the Temple by Accepting the Righteous and Excluding the Wicked
from His Presence
Ps. 15

15:1 O LORD,who shall sojourn in your tent?

Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,

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 but who honors those who fear the LORD;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

Ps. 5:4-6

4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;

evil may not dwell with you.
5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

The High Priest Interceded for Justice for the People with the Breast Plate of Justice
29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment
on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance
before the LORD. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the
Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus
Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD
regularly.

Appeals were Made to the Lord in Laments for Justice, Vindication, and Pardon
Ps. 9:19

19 Arise,O LORD! Let not man prevail;

let the nations be judged before you!

Ps. 43:1

43:1 Vindicate
me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people,
from the deceitful and unjust man
deliver me!

The Choir Announced God’s Judgment of the World in Their Songs of Praise
Ps. 98:7-9

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
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 9 before the LORD, for he comes
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.

At the Temple One Receives Righteousness from God as Vindication

Ps. 24:3-5

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?

And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the LORD
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

God Provided Food for the Poor From the Offerings and Tithes that Belonged to Him
Deut. 14:28-29

28 “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in
the same year and lay it up within your towns. 29 And the Levite, because he has no
portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow,
who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God
may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.

Food was provided for the poor, slaves, Levites, and disadvantaged when they shared in the sacrificial
banquets held at the temple in Jerusalem at the great pilgrim feasts.

Deut. 16:11

11 And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your
daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your
towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place
that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name dwell there.

When Those Who were Guilty of Injustice Came to God’s House, They Desecrated God’s Holiness
and Defiled the Temple
Is. 1:15-17

15 When you spread out your hands,

I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,

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 I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.

There is a Connection between Idolatry and Injustice

Eze. 8:17

17 Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it too light a thing for the
house of Judah to commit the abominations that they commit here, that they should
fill the land with violence and provoke me still further to anger? Behold, they put the
branch to their nose.

5. The Messiah will be the Mediator of God’s Justice and Righteousness

With the failure of David and his successors to rule justly, the prophets announced the coming of a just
king from the dynasty of David. He would administer God's justice and righteousness so wisely that
Israel, Judah and Jerusalem would indeed be secure

Jer. 23:5-6

5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a
righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice
and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell
securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our
righteousness.’

The Foundation of the Messiah’s Rule is Justice and Righteousness

Since his government would be based on God's justice and righteousness, peace would prevail and
increase under his rule.

Ps. 9:7

7 Ofthe increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

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 to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

The Messiah Vindicates the Poor and Condemns the Wicked One by His Word and the Breath/Spirit
from His Mouth
Since he would possess the full measure of God's Spirit, he would truly vindicate the poor and eradicate
the wicked.

Is. 11:1-4

11:1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

The Messiah Will Establish God’s Justice/Just Rule Over the Earth by His Teaching
Through his teaching/law (torah) he would bring God's saving justice to the nations of the earth.

Is. 49:6

6 he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

Is. 51:4-5

4 “Give attention to me, my people,

and give ear to me, my nation;
for a law will go out from me,
and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.

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 5 My righteousness draws near,
my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will judge the peoples;
the coastlands hope for me,
and for my arm they wait.

The Messiah Will Justify Sinners by His Vicarious Sacrifice

Is. 53:11

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he [the Servant] shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.

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 d. ZION AS THE CITY OF GOD
(Dr. Kleinig skipped Zion as the City of God section because of lack of time but I’ve added the
following notes based on the Class Overheads and the Class Notes provided by Dr. Kleinig.)

1. Sources for the Theology of Zion

 Psalms of Zion
 Prophetic history, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah
 Prophecies: Micah, Isaiah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zechariah
2. God's Choice of Zion
 Jerusalem as God's chosen place (Deut 12:4-7)
 Place for enthronement with the ark (Ps 132; cf. 2 Sam 6)
 Place for the altar for burnt offering (2 Sam 24:19; 1 Chr 22:1)
 Place for God's temple-palace (1 Kgs 6:11-13; 9:1-3)
* Sacrifice to God
* Life-giving blessing from God
* Audience with God for petition
 Praise of God's gracious presence
 God's love of Zion (Ps 78:68; 87:2)
3. The Eternity of Zion
 Eternal foundation by God (Ps 78:69; cf. 87:1)
 Eternal establishment by God ( Ps 48:8; cf. 76:2; 87:5)
 Eternal residence by God (Ps 68:16; 132:14)
 Eternal stability and endurance (Ps 125:1; cf. 46:5)
4. God's Purpose for Zion (Isa 2:1-4; 4:2-6)
 Location of God's temple for all nations in the last times
 Whole city as God's temple: God's glory
 All citizens as holy priests
 Centre of mission to the nations
 Pilgrimage of nations to Mt Zion
 God's teaching of his ways to the nations in Zion
 International peace by common submission to God
5. Fulfilment of God's Purposes for earthly Zion in heavenly Jerusalem
 Whole city as God's temple with God's glory (Isa 60:1-22)
 Creation of new Jerusalem in the new heavens and the new earth (Isa 65:17-19)
 Place for continual access and adoration of God by all humanity (Isa 66:18-23)
6. The church as the city of God
 Church as the city of light set on a hill (Matt 5:14-16)
 Church as free Jerusalem, the mother of the faithful (Gal 4:26)
 The church as the enduring city, built by God (Heb 11:10; 13:14)
 Access to heavenly Jerusalem in the divine service (Heb 12:22-24)
 Heavenly Jerusalem as the bride of Christ and God's dwelling place (Rev 21:1-22:5)

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ZION AS THE CITY OF GOD
(Dr. Kleinig skipped Zion as the City of God section because of lack of time but I’ve added the
following notes based on the Class Overheads and the Class Notes provided by Dr. Kleinig.)

[When the scriptures talk about Jerusalem, it is talking about the city as a whole, as a political entity. But
when the term Zion is used for Jerusalem, it is referring to the fact that God has his temple in Jerusalem.
So Zion is a theological term; Zion is the theological city. Jerusalem is the city of David. Zion is the city of
God. It is the same city looked at from two different points of view. It’s called Zion because the temple
was built on Mt. Zion. What’s important for us to remember is that the prophecies of Zion are fulfilled in
and through the church. So when you read Zion in the OT, think church in the NT.]

1. Sources for the Theology of Zion

[Already in the Song of Moses just after Israel’s escape through the Red Sea, there is a reference to the
Lord bringing Israel into the promised land and planting them on his “own mountain,” “the sanctuary”
(Ex. 15:17). This is a reference to Mt. Zion and the city of Jerusalem. That is the place where the
deliverance of his people would culminate. It was there that he would establish his temple. But that
would not occur until after Israel’s conquest of the land and after the period of the judges, when the
time of the kings began.

It was to king David that God would reveal the plans for his temple in Jerusalem and the administration
of the divine service at the temple and it was the job of king Solomon to build the temple and
inaugurate the divine service there. Therefore it was not until that time that we can really see the
theology of Zion.]

A Source of Zion Theology: Psalms of Zion

[King David was the great composer and singer of the Psalms. He initiated the Levites singing the psalms
in the divine service when the burnt offering was offered every morning and every evening. So the
theology of Zion begins with the book of Psalms. The Psalms are arranged into five books. And these
books reflect the history of Israel.

Books 1 and 2 consist of many of David’s psalms. David lived a troubled life to the point that multiple
times he nearly died. And so, many of his psalms are psalms of lament. David took his troubles to the
Lord, the One he trusted in. In this way David was a type of the promised Messiah, who would not only
suffer but also die.

Book 3 continues the history of Israel with the unfaithful kings, ending with the Assyrian and Babylonian
crises. During this time it seemed as if the wicked prospered and the faithful suffered. Many of these
psalms ask for reversal and are a plea for justice and express confidence in the Lord’s salvation and his
steadfast love. These psalms mourn the downfall of the Davidic dynasty and the destruction of the

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temple by the Babylonians. They look to God for deliverance from exile and a restoration of the Lord’s
holy name.

Book 4 addresses Israel in exile. With the Davidic kingship ending in failure and exile, the fourth book
redirects the focus of God’s exiled people from the Davidic kings to the great eternal King, the Lord. This
book shines a spotlight on the Lord as the King of the whole earth. Because of this, Israel and all nations
should humbly repent, joyfully praise him, take refuge in him, and look to him for relief from trouble and
disaster.

The theme for book 5 is praise. Israel is called upon to praise the Lord for his unfailing love and
faithfulness which brought them back from exile. In these psalms they celebrate and thank God for the
salvation he worked for them. The Psalms end with a call for all to praise the King who reigns from Zion.]

A Source of Zion Theology: Prophetic history, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah

[Chronicles, like Samuel and Kings, lays out the history of Israel but from a different point of view. The
history of Israel in Chronicles is told by observing how faithful or unfaithful Israel was in their worship of
the Lord. The Chronicler uses nearly half of his book to cover David and Solomon. In covering them, he
focuses much of his attention on the planning, building, and dedication of the temple in Jerusalem; how
they promoted true worship; how music became an important part of worship; and how only authorized
people officiated in the temple. The history of Israel is told from the point of view of Israel abandoning
the true worship of the true God for the false worship of false gods and their subsequent exile because
of it. The Chronicler encourages Israel, whom God is allowing to return to the promised land after exile,
to return to their worship of the Lord and to do it in the way that the Lord prescribes. Because this is the
focus of the Chronicler, he provides a wealth of information about the theology of worship of the Lord at
the temple on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem.

When the Israelites were carried off into exile, they lost their nation, their land, their temple, and their
kings. In Ezra and Nehemiah they are allowed to return to the land and rebuild their temple and the city
of Jerusalem and start back up the daily divine service. But they were not allowed to have kings. In terms
of divine service at the temple in Zion, this had enormous implications. 1 & 2 Kings show us the
responsibilities that the kings of Israel had toward worship. The kings built the temple, were responsible
for the maintenance of the temple, financed the whole temple operation, including the sacrifices, and
oversaw the divine service, making sure the priests carried out worship services as the Lord prescribed
in the Law. Who would take over these responsibilities now that Israel had no kings? Given the
circumstances, we see in Ezra and Nehemiah that the responsibility fell on the priests and people.

The kings also provided law and order. What would take the place of the kings in that regard? Since
there were no more kings to enforce God’s laws for worship and life, and since Israel had been sent into
exile for disregarding God’s laws concerning worship, obedience to the Law took on a greater
importance for the returnees. Determined never to go through this again, the lives of the returning
remnant centered on worshipping the one, true God at the temple and living their lives in the way that
God prescribed in the Law of Moses. Since the people remained scattered and they had no kings, and

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since they were no longer an independent nation, their identity as a people would no longer be a
political identity but a liturgical identity where the temple was the center of their existence.

Therefore in Ezra and Nehemiah, the Chronicler focuses on rebuilding of the temple and restarting the
daily divine service. The story begins with the return of a small remnant, the rebuilding of the altar, and
the resumption of the daily services. Then the temple is rebuilt and the Torah, the Law of Moses, is
established as the foundation for Israel’s worship and life. Finally, Nehemiah arrives and oversees the
rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem under some rather harrowing circumstances, and Ezra leads the
returnees to officially adopt the Law Moses as their constitution. With Ezra and Nehemiah relaying to us
the reestablishment of the altar, the daily services, the temple, and the city of Jerusalem, they have
much to say about the theology of Zion.]

A Source of Zion Theology: Prophecies of Micah, Isaiah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai,
Zechariah
[The information for this bullet point is a summary taken from The Big Picture of the OT.]

[The priests were charged with serving the Lord at the temple by performing the daily divine service in
the manner that the Lord prescribed and teaching the people the difference between clean and unclean
and holy and common. In terms of worship at the temple, the kings were charged with making sure the
priests carried out the divine service as God laid it out in the Law of Moses. When the kings or priests did
not do their job and performed or allowed unauthorized worship, the Lord called them out by sending
prophets to speak his word to them. We commonly call them the Latter Prophets (these include Isaiah,
Jeremiah/Lamentations, and Ezekiel) and the twelve Minor Prophets (these include Micah, Zephaniah,
Haggai, and Zechariah). The message of the prophets listed in the heading above focuses on the temple
and Jerusalem, the place where God dwells with his people.

Micah was one of the earlier prophets who came during the Assyrian period when there was the
Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom. He was a contemporary of Isaiah. He prophesied against
Samaria and Jerusalem. Micah announced three major events: (1) the fall of Samaria (722-721 BC), (2)
the devastation of Judah by the Assyrians (701 BC) and (3) the sack of Jerusalem and destruction of the
temple. King Hezekiah listened to Micah’s prophecy and he and the people repented and God delayed
the destruction of Jerusalem until later. Micah is one of the first prophets to make a prophecy of the
destruction of Jerusalem and Samaria. This is God’s judgment on them for their idolatry, the stealing of
God’s land by the rich from their poor countrymen, the exploitation of the people by the leaders, and
their obsession with money. God expects justice, mercy, and humility from his people. But because they
will refuse, he will send them to exile in Babylon. But he will not leave them there. He will rescue them
and redeem them from the hands of their enemies and bring a remnant back to Zion. And God also
promises to raise up a second David, who will shepherd and bring security to God’s people, who will act
in the name of the Lord and bring peace to the earth. This is the promised Savior.

Isaiah was a contemporary of Micah. The main subject of the book of Isaiah is God’s plan for Jerusalem
and Mt. Zion. Jerusalem is not only the royal city but also the holy city, the place where the temple was.
Every part of Isaiah focuses on Jerusalem and how God will use Jerusalem to benefit the whole world.

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Jerusalem would not be the center of a world empire; rather it would be the center of world-wide
worship of the Lord. Isaiah sees the nations of the world worshipping God together with the Jews in
Jerusalem. But before this can happen, there is a major obstacle that God must overcome. The nations,
including Israel and Judah, are rebellious. Therefore God will judge the nations in order to cause them to
repent. God would first bring judgment on his own people and then upon the Assyrians and
Babylonians. He would then use his deliverance of Jerusalem under Hezekiah and his deliverance of his
people from exile in Babylon as a prelude to his deliverance of all the nations of the earth from sin
through his Suffering Servant. God will draw people to himself at Jerusalem (the Church). Ultimately, all
the prophecies concerning Jerusalem being the place of world-wide worship will find their fulfillment in
the eternal heavenly Jerusalem. I think you can see the importance of Isaiah in the theology of Zion. In
Isaiah God lays out his plan and purpose for Jerusalem and how he will carry it out.

During the years between Isaiah and Zephaniah, Manasseh and Amon reigned and injustice, child-
sacrifice, and idolatry ran rampant. Zephaniah announces God’s universal judgment on all evil; it is
called the Day of the Lord. God’s judgment would also fall on the people of Judah and Jerusalem
because of their worship of false gods. The Day of the Lord will be a day of darkness and ruin for those
who do not repent. But the fire of God’s wrath that destroys also purifies. There is a remnant of people
from Judah and the nations who will be purified and humbly call on the name of Yahweh in Zion. So in
the end, God’s judgment serves his saving purposes. Jerusalem will be restored and there Yahweh will
live with his people whom he has gathered from Judah and the nations. So the theology laid out in
Zephaniah, echoes that of Isaiah.

Jeremiah was called by God to speak his word of judgment to Judah and Jerusalem. His message was,
“Stop your wickedness. Stop your idolatry. Return to the Lord.” But the people refused to listen and
repent. The leaders God sent were no better. The kings led the people into idolatry. The priests used
God’s word to excuse sin instead of exposing sin. The prophets preached prosperity instead of
repentance. Because of all this, the temple was destroyed. This hurt not only the people and leaders,
but also God himself. Jerusalem is the place where God’s eyes, ears, and heart are at. When Jerusalem
comes under attack, it pierces the heart of God and Jeremiah. When the people suffer, God and
Jeremiah suffer with them. God’s judgment will last 70 years. After that they will repent and God will
bring them back. After that God will raise up a new David, one who would lead God’s people and
establish righteousness (Jesus) and make a new covenant in which people would know him and he
would forgive sins. God promised a New Jerusalem in which the whole city would be the new temple. In
the New Jerusalem the Gentile nations will join with the Jews as one community to worship God. And so
the theology of Jeremiah is similar: repent, defiance, judgment, repentance, restoration, new David,
new covenant, world-wide worship of God in the new temple, which is the whole city of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel was deported to Babylon with the first batch of deportees in 597 BC and was called by God to be
a prophet in Babylon. Ezekiel’s main focus is Jerusalem and the temple. His prophecies explain why God
abandoned the temple and allowed it and Jerusalem to be destroyed and how God promised to create a
new temple in which his purified people would worship him alone. God called Ezekiel to be the
watchman of Judah. His task was to call them to repent of their idolatry, which defiled God’s holiness.
He communicated God’s message in multiple ways, but the people refused to listen. Because of this,

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God withdrew his presence from the temple, making the temple, Jerusalem, and the land just ordinary,
no longer holy. He then allowed the Babylonians to destroy the once holy city and temple. He allowed
the people to be taken into exile for the purpose of purifying them, burning away the dross of their sin.
Israel appeared to be dead, like a pile of dry bones. But amazingly God promised to resurrect the nation
through his Word and breathe life back into it through his Spirit. As a Shepherd, he would he would seek
out and gather his people that were scattered among the nations. He would raise up a new and faithful
shepherd from the line of David who would reign over them forever. He would restore his “marriage”
covenant to his people, as pictured as a new and perfect temple (the NT church).

Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 586 BC. In 536 BC the people started coming back to
Jerusalem and they rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation for the temple but then they stopped for
various political and economic reasons. In 520 BC God sent two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, and
their message was to rebuild the temple (Ezra 5:1-2). So in 520 BC, almost 20 years after they first
started rebuilding, they resumed the reconstruction of the temple. The rebuilding of the temple took 5
years. So they finished rebuilding it in 515 BC (Ezra 6:13-18). This is a very important event in Jewish
history. It begins what is called the second temple period.

The construction of the temple had stopped for almost 20 years because the people were more
concerned about their own homes than the temple. So God sent the prophet Haggai to them with the
message: The Lord says it is time to finish rebuilding the temple. Because they were more concerned
about their own homes, the Lord withdrew his blessings from them. The leaders and people responded
to Haggai by rebuilding the temple. In splendor and glory it fell far short of Solomon’s temple. But God
promised that the future glory of the rebuilt temple would surpass Solomon’s. This would occur when
the nations joined Israel in worship at the temple. God chose Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, to lead
his people in rebuilding the temple. Through him God communicated that this rebuilding project was the
beginning of a worldwide shake up in which God’s kingdom would take center stage.

The second prophet God sent to kick start the rebuilding of the temple was Zechariah. His message to
the Israelites that returned was to repent and return to the Lord. Zechariah saw a series of eight visions,
which begin with the whole earth and narrow down to the temple and then widen back out again to the
whole earth. The visions show that God is in control, is looking out for his people, would cause the
temple to be rebuilt and from them he will bring forth a Priest/King who will remove sin and provide
peace and safety. The second part of the book deals with God’s ultimate purposes for Zion, the holy city.
It looks forward to the messianic age. God will raise up a future King who will liberate God’s people and
be their Good Shepherd, delivering them from oppressive shepherds and gathering to the Lord his
scattered people. Unfortunately they will reject their Shepherd and kill him and God will hand them over
to a worthless shepherd and they will be scattered once more. Under these circumstances God will
refine his people and they will call upon his name. The Lord will rise up as King over the world and rule
from Zion, the holy city. A Day of the Lord will come when many will refuse his rule and die. But a
remnant of the nations will survive and will accept him and join Israel in joyously feasting.

2. God's Choice of Zion

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The angel of the YHWH told Gad the prophet to tell David where to build an altar to the Lord. The place
was on Mt. Zion at the threshing floor of Ornan (or Araunah) the Jebusite, the place where Jerusalem
was. This was the place that God chose for the temple to be built.

1 Chron. 21:18, 22; 22:1

18 Now the angel of the Lord had commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up
and raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ... 22 And David
said to Ornan, “Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the
Lord—give it to me at its full price—that the plague may be averted from the people.” ... 22:1
Then David said, “Here shall be the house of the Lord God and here the altar of burnt offering
for Israel.”

Jerusalem as God’s Chosen Dwelling Place

In Deuteronomy God commanded the Israelites to worship him at the place which he would choose in
the land of Israel. This place would be the dwelling place for his name.

Deut. 12:5

5 But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put
his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go,

The Israelites were to appear there in the Lord's presence on the three great pilgrim festivals.

Deut. 16:16

 16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that
he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of
Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.

They were to present their sacrifices only at this place.

Deut. 12:5-7

5 But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put
his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, 6 and there you shall bring your
burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your
vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 And
there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households,
in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.

After the ark's capture by the Philistines, David relocated it at Jerusalem.

2 Sam. 6:12, 17

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 12 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that
belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God
from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. ... 16 As the ark of the Lord
came into the city of David ... 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place,
inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings before the Lord.

God indicated his choice of Jerusalem by commanding David to build an altar there at the place where
the angel had appeared to David.

1 Chron. 21:18; 22:1

18 Now the angel of the Lord had commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up
and raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. ...  22:1 Then David
said, “Here shall be the house of the Lord God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

In fulfillment of God's promise to David in 2 Sam 7:13 the temple was built in Jerusalem as the place for
the Lord's name.

1 Kings 8:17-20

17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the
God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a
house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19 Nevertheless, you shall not build
the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ 20 Now
the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my
father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the
name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

God had told Solomon that he had fulfilled his promise to Israel in Deut 12:5 by placing his name there,
on the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem.

1 Kings 9:3

3 And the Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made
before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there
forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.

The Ark would Serve as God’s Place of Enthronement

The composers of the psalms believed that God had chosen Mt Zion as his residence and place of rest.

Ps. 132:13-14

13 For the LORD has chosen Zion;

he has desired it for his dwelling place:

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 14 “This is my resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

Ps. 9:11

11 Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion!

Tell among the peoples his deeds!

Ps. 99:1

99:1 The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!

He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!

Unlike the pagan temples, Israel’s holy of holies did not house a statue as the means by which the Lord
showed his face (panim) to his people. The Holy of Holies contained God’s throne, which consisted of
the cherubim, the mercy seat, and the ark. There the Lord sat enthroned upon the cherubim.

2 Sam. 6:2
2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring
up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits
enthroned on the cherubim.

God Commanded that the Altar for Burnt Offering be Built in Jerusalem
God indicated his choice of Jerusalem as the place where his name would dwell by commanding David
to build an altar there at the place where the angel appeared to David.

2 Sam. 24:18

18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to the LORD on the
threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

1 Chron. 22:1

  22:1 Then David said, “Here [at the threshing floor of Araunah/Ornan on Mt. Zion] shall be
the house of the LORD God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel. ”

Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem on Mt. Zion. At the dedication of the temple the Lord filled the
temple with his glory and sent fire from heaven to consume the burnt offering and sacrifices that were
on the altar.

2 Chron. 7:1-3

  7:1 As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the
burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 And the priests
could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s
house. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on

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 the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped
and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

God Commanded that His Temple Palace be Built in Jerusalem

The Lord confirmed to Solomon that the temple would be his place of residence. He promised that he
would dwell there among his people, provided that Solomon would fulfill his ritual commandments.

1 Kings 6:11-13

11 Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are
building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments
and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your
father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”

1 Kings 9:3

3 And the LORD said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made
before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there
forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.

The temple was built for the fulfillment of God's ritual commandments in the law of Moses.

1 kings 9:6-9

6 But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my
commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and
worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house
that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a
proverb and a byword among all peoples. 8 And this house will become a heap of ruins.
Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, ‘Why has
the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?’ 9 Then they will say, ‘Because they
abandoned the LORD their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid
hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore the LORD has brought all
this disaster on them.’”

1 Kings 8:61

61 Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and
keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

The temple was the dais (makon) for his enthronement (shebeth) on earth.

1 Kings 8:13

13 I have indeed built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.”

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It was the place for audience with the heavenly king where his people could petition him.

1 Kings 8:20-53 (selected verses)

22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of
Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, 23 and said, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is
no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing
steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart;  ... 28 Yet have
regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and
to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, ... 30 And listen to the plea of your
servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your
dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. ... 49 then hear in heaven your dwelling place
their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause ...

God’s Temple was a House of Sacrifice

The Lord appeared to Solomon after he had built the temple and confirmed his consecration of the
temple as a place of sacrifice and prayer. [Keeping God’s commandments, statutes, and rules included
the statutes God gave them concerning the sacrificial system.]

1 Kings 9:1-9 (selected verses)

 4 And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of
heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my
statutes and my rules, ... 9 Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the LORD their God
who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped
them and served them. Therefore the LORD has brought all this disaster on them.’”

2 Chron. 7:12

12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your
prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.

The Temple was a Place to Receive God’s Life-giving Blessing

Since God was enthroned as king in Zion (Ps 9;11; 68:16; 99:1-2; 132:14), his presence made it a special
place. There he granted blessing to his people. Those who ascend the holy hill with clean hands and a
pure heart receive blessing.

Ps. 24:5

5 He will receive blessing from the LORD

and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Since he blessed his people and provided for them there, they praised and blessed him there.

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 Ps. 65:4

4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,

to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!

Ps. 128:5

5 The LORD bless you from Zion!

May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!

The Temple was a Place Where God’s People Could Have an Audience with God
It was the place for audience with the heavenly king where his people could petition him.

1 Kings 8:20-53 (selected verses)

22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of
Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, 23 and said, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is
no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing
steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart;  ... 28 Yet have
regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and
to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, ... 30 And listen to the plea of your
servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your
dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. ... 49 then hear in heaven your dwelling place
their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause ...

Since he held audience there with his people and received their petitions, they prayed there.

Ps. 3:4

4 I cried aloud to the LORD,

and he answered me from his holy hill.

Ps. 9:11-12

11 Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion!

Tell among the peoples his deeds!12
For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

Ps. 18:6

6 In my distress I called upon the LORD;

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 to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.

The Temple was a Place to Seek God’s Gracious Presence

The choir announced God's gracious presence with his people and called on all people to seek the Lord
in petitionary prayer.

1 Chron. 16:8-35 (selected verses)

8 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;

make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
11 Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of Israel his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

...

23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth!

Tell of his salvation from day to day.

...

35 Say also:
“Save us, O God of our salvation,
and gather and deliver us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.36
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!”
Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD.

God’s Love of Zion

The psalmists identified the city with God himself.

Ps. 48:12-14

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,

number her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,

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 go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will guide us forever.

God loved Zion more than any other place on earth.

Ps. 78:68

68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,

Mount Zion, which he loves.

Ps. 87:2

2 the LORD lovesthe gates of Zion

more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

Ps. 132:13

13 Forthe LORD has chosen Zion;

he has desired it for his dwelling place:

3. The Eternity of Zion

Zion Eternally Founded by God

God chose Mt Zion as his sanctuary. He founded it forever.

Ps. 78:69

69 He builthis sanctuary like the high heavens,

like the earth, which he has founded forever.

Ps. 87:1

1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded;

Since he founded it as his dwelling place, his presence sanctifies it and makes it holy.

Ps. 43:3

3 Send out your light and your truth;

let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!

Ps. 48:1

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 1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
His holy mountain,

God Established Zion as His Eternal Dwelling Place

The Lord founded Mt. Zion in order that he might establish it as his eternal dwelling place and sanctuary
for his people.

Ps. 48:8

8 As we have heard, so have we seen

in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God will establish forever.

Ps. 76:2

2 Hisabode has been established in Salem,

his dwelling place in Zion.

The prophecies of Zion as God’s eternal city were fulfilled by Christ’s establishment of the church as an
eschatological community. The church is the heavenly Jerusalem. It is a city on a hill, the light of the
world. God founded it with Christ as its chief cornerstone and built it with those who have faith in Jesus.
He protects his church and gives it the victory over the powers of chaos. The heavenly Jerusalem is the
bride of Christ and the mother of the faithful. The heavenly Jerusalem comes from God and replaces the
temple in Jerusalem as the dwelling place of God with all his saints. It is the temple of the living God.
Each time the church gathers for worship here on earth, it enters the heavenly Jerusalem and serves
God with all the angels and saints.

God chose Mt. Zion to be his eternal dwelling place with his people. The city and temple were regarded
as the Lord’s mountain, the place where he was enthroned as king.

Ps. 68:16

16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,

at the mount that God desired for his abode,
yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?

Zech. 2:11

11 And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my
people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has
sent me to you.

Ps. 9:7-8

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 7 Butthe LORD sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,8
and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness

In glory the Lord dwelled in his temple.

Ps. 26:8

8 O LORD,I love the habitation of your house

and the place where your glory dwells.

In the temple God sat enthroned as the King of the whole world.

Ps. 9:7-8

7 Butthe LORD sits enthroned forever;

he has established his throne for justice,
8 and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.

Ps. 99:1-2

1 The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!

He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!2
The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.

The eternal city where God resides with his people is the church. Old Testament Zion looks forward to
the New Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem, where God lives in eternal bliss with his people.

Zion Would be Eternally Stable and Endure Forever

Zion was prophesied to be the eternal city. God had chosen it as the place where he would be with his
people forever.

Ps. 125:1

1 Thosewho trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,

which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

Ps. 46:5

5 Godis in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

Ps. 132:14

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 14 “Thisis my resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

4. God's Purpose for Zion

Is. 2:1-4 and 4:2-6 lays out God’s purpose for Zion. The city and mountain were regarded as the Lord’s
mountain. It was first understood this way in the Song of the Sea where it was used to teach his people
that their deliverance from Egypt would culminate in the establishment of God’s temple on Zion. Like
Mt. Sinai, Mt Zion would be a place where the Israelites had access to heaven on earth. (1) At Zion, God
would reside in the midst of his people. His holy presence was like fire in the city. It would destroy
sinners and cleanse the penitent, making them holy. The holy mountain was Israel’s rock. There the poor
could take refuge with the Lord. The Lord was Israel’s rock of deliverance and the rock of stumbling for
self-sufficient unbelievers. There God’s people could escape God’s wrath on the day of judgment.
Judgment came when Israel polluted their worship of the Lord. The purpose of God’s judgment was to
purify and restore Zion. Those who repented of their sin were cleansed and saved, while those who
refused would be destroyed. This was illustrated when God saved Jerusalem from the Assyrians when
they repented and when God rescued his people from exile in Babylon when they repented. When God
brought Israel back, he vindicated himself and his bride. From Zion God reached out to all people. (2)

In the last days, God would establish Zion (the Church) as an international place of worship. (3) It would
be a shrine for all nations where God would gather foreigners and they would join Israel in worship. God
would even make foreigners his priests. His temple would become a house of prayer for all nations.
There God would reveal his glory. There he would teach the nations his ways, establishing justice and
peace, and purify their speech. And there God would throw a great banquet for all nations. (4)
Ultimately Isaiah’s vision of Zion’s exaltation would be fulfilled in the new heaven and the new earth. (5)

Is. 2:1-4

2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;

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 nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.

Is. 4:2-6

2 In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land
shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. 3 And he who is left in Zion and remains
in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4 when
the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the
bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. 5
Then the LORD will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud
by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be
a canopy. 6 There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a
shelter from the storm and rain.

Zion Would be the Location of God’s Temple for All Nations in the Last Times
In the latter days the Lord would raise up Mt Zion as a shrine for all the nations. People from all nations
will go to the house of the Lord at Mt. Zion.

Is. 2:1-3a

1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob ...

Jer. 3:17

17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall
gather to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more
stubbornly follow their own evil heart.

God will make the temple a house of prayer for all nations. There he will gather people to himself.

Is. 56:6-8

6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,

to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,

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 and holds fast my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
8 The Lord GOD,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
“I will gather yet others to him
besides those already gathered.”

The Whole City Would be God’s Temple: God’s Glory

The whole of Mt. Zion became known as the house of God.

Is. 2:3

3 and many peoples shall come, and say:

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

All the Citizens of Zion will serve as Holy Priests

In the future God’s holy city will include Gentiles as well as Jews and the Lord will have both Jews and
Gentiles serve as priests and Levites.

Is. 66:18-21

 18 “For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all
nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, ... 21 And some of
them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD.

Zion will be the Center of the Mission to the Nations

Zion will be the center of God’s mission to include the Gentiles as his people. The nations will flock to his
holy presence at Mt. Zion.

Is. 2:1-3a

1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days

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 that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob ...

The Nations will Go on Pilgrimage to Mt. Zion

The nations who would be redeemed by the Lord, would go in pilgrimage to Zion with the people of
Israel and become God's holy people.

Is. 2:3

3 and many peoples shall come, and say:

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

In Zion God will Teach His Ways to the Nations

The Lord would teach the nations his ways and make peace between them through their worship of him.

Is. 2:3

3 and many peoples shall come, and say:

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

At Zion there will be International Peace by Common Submission to God

In the last days God would establish the temple mountain as a place for international worship and
peace.

Is. 2:4

4 He shall judge between the nations,

and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

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 and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.

The nations would go along with the Jews to seek the Lord's favour in Jerusalem.

Zech. 8:20-23

20 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many
cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat
the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.’ 22 Many peoples and
strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of
the LORD. 23 Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every
tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that
God is with you.’”

They would join Israel in bowing down and prostrating themselves before the Lord.

Is. 45:23

23 Bymyself I have sworn;

from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

Is. 66:23

23 From new moon to new moon,

and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
declares the LORD.

5. Fulfilment of God's Purposes for earthly Zion in heavenly Jerusalem

The Whole City would serve as God’s Temple with God’s Glory
Since God's temple palace was located in Jerusalem, it was the city of God.

Ps. 46:4

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

Ps. 48:1

48:1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised

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 in the city of our God!
His holy mountain,

The Lord is exalted in Zion, the capital city of his world empire.

Ps. 47:7-8

7 ForGod is the King of all the earth;

sing praises with a psalm!
8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.

Ps. 99:2

2 The LORD isgreat in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.

The Lord is great in Zion.

Ps. 48:1

48:1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised

in the city of our God!
His holy mountain,

Is. 12:6

6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

The city of Jerusalem was compared to a woman in the prophecies of Isaiah. She would be served by
kings and queens (Isa 49:33; 60:10) who would nourish her.

Is. 49:7, 23

7 Thus says the LORD,

the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

23 Kingsshall be your foster fathers,

and their queens your nursing mothers.
With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,

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 and lick the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am the LORD;
those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”

The city of Jerusalem on Mt. Zion is presented in the OT, and especially in Isaiah, as a wife of a king. This
distinguished theologically the Lord from Zion. As his wife, he makes her beautiful and glorifies her with
his presence.

Is. 52:1

52:1
Awake, awake,
put on your strength, O Zion;
put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city;
for there shall no more come into you
the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Is. 60:9

9 For the coastlands shall hope for me,

the ships of Tarshish first,
to bring your children from afar,
their silver and gold with them,
for the name of the LORD your God,
and for the Holy One of Israel,
because he has made you beautiful.

Is. 60:13

13 The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,

the cypress, the plane, and the pine,
to beautify the place of my sanctuary,
and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

Is. 60:19

19 The sun shall be no more

your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
give you light;
but the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.

Creation of the New Jerusalem in the New Heavens and the New Earth

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God would ultimately accomplish his purpose for Zion after his creation of a new heavens and earth (Isa
65:17-18).

Is. 65:17-18

17 “For behold, I create new heavens

and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.18
But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness.

In his new creation he would make Jerusalem a place of life and blessing, communion with him and
peace.

Is. 65:19

19 I
will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress.

Is. 65:24-25

24 Before they call I will answer;

while they are yet speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
and dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain,”says the LORD.

Is. 66:14

14 You shallsee, and your heart shall rejoice;

your bones shall flourish like the grass;
and the hand of the LORD shall be known to his servants,
and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.

It is evident in the arrangement of Isaiah, the structure of which indicates that the vision of Zion's
exaltation in Isaiah 2:1-4 would be fulfilled in heavenly Jerusalem after the creation of a new heaven and
new earth (Isa 65-66).

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The Heavenly Jerusalem would be a Place for Continual Access and Adoration of God by All
Humanity
Is. 66:18-23

18 “For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all
nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, 19 and I will set a
sign among them. …

23 From new moon to new moon,

and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come to worship before me,
declares the LORD.

He would send out missionaries to the nations from Zion, so that all their survivors would come
to see his glory and pay homage to him in Zion.

Is. 66:19-20

… And they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20 And they shall bring all your
brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD,  …

The Lord would choose some foreigners to be his priests and Levites.

Is. 66:21

21 And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the LORD.

In the new heaven and new earth, all of God’s people will have direct and continual access to God and
will continually worship and adore him (Is. 65-66).

6. The church as the city of God

These prophecies of Zion as an eternal city were fulfilled by Christ's establishment of the church as an
eschatological community.

Ps. 48:8

8 As we have heard, so have we seen

in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God will establish forever.

The church is heavenly Jerusalem. God has set the church as a city on a hill, a light to the world.

Heb. 11:16

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 13 These all died in faith, …16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a
heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has
prepared for them a city.

The Church as the City of Light Set on a Hill

God has set the church as a city on a hill, a light to the world.

Mt. 5:14-16

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do
people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in
the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see
your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

The Church, the Jerusalem Above, is the Mother of the Faithful

Gal. 4:26

26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

The Church is the Enduring City Built by God

The church is heavenly Jerusalem. God has founded it with Christ as its cornerstone.

Mark 12:10

10 Have you not read this Scripture:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;

Acts 4:11-12

11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become
the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Eph. 2:19-22

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.

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Christ built it on the faith of Peter and the apostles. And Christ protects it and gives it victory over the
powers of chaos.

Mt. 16:18

18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it.

The Church has Access to the Heavenly Jerusalem in the Divine Service
When the church gathers on earth for worship, it enters heavenly Jerusalem and serves God there
together with all the angels and saints.

Heb. 12:22-24

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23and to the assembly of
the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the
spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,
and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

The Heavenly Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ and God’s Dwelling Place
Heavenly Jerusalem is the bride of Christ.

Eph. 5:25-27

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for
her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with
the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot
or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Rev. 19:7-8

7Let us rejoice and exult

and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the
saints.

Rev. 21:2

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 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and THE GIFT OF ZION AS THE
CITY OF GOD?

1. Jerusalem is referred to as Zion because God had his temple built on Mt. Zion. Zion then is a
theological term that refers to the city of Jerusalem as the city of God. The full theology of Zion
cannot be seen until the temple is built and the divine service is administered there.
2. The theology of Zion can be found in several places. The Psalms were sung at the temple by the
Levitical choir, so they are a source of theology. The theology of Zion is also laid out in the post-
exilic history and prophets as the altar is rebuilt, the divine service is restarted, and the temple is
rebuilt. Lastly, the theology of Zion is found in the Major and Minor Prophets, as God called his
people to turn back to him and worship him alone at the temple in the divine service.
3. God chose Mt. Zion as the place where his temple should be built. It was there that God chose
to dwell with his people. There he would sit upon his throne, the Ark.
4. The temple was the place where God’s people offered sacrifices as God commanded, received
God’s life-giving blessing, addressed God with petitions and pleas, and could seek God’s gracious
presence.
5. God chose and founded Zion to be his eternal dwelling place and a sanctuary for his people. The
ultimate fulfillment of this will be the heavenly Jerusalem. So OT Zion looks forward to the NT
church and the New Jerusalem, which will endure forever.
6. God’s purpose for Zion was that it would be a place where God would live with his people and
reach out to all the people of the world. In the last days, Zion would be a place of international
worship. It would be a place where the nations would make pilgrimage and join Israel in worship
of the true God and justice and peace would be established. It would be a house of prayer for all
people.
7. Zion was the place where God’s temple palace was located. It was his capital city where he ruled
his world empire. Zion was pictured as a woman, as the wife of the Lord. He makes her beautiful
and glorifies her by his presence with her.
8. God would ultimately accomplish his purpose for Zion after his creation of a new heavens and
earth. In his new creation he would make Jerusalem a place of life and blessing, communion
with him and peace. In the new heaven and new earth, all of God’s people will have direct and
continual access to God and will continually worship and adore him.
9. These prophecies of Zion as an eternal city were fulfilled by Christ's establishment of the church
as an eschatological community. The church is the heavenly Jerusalem. God has set the church
as a city on a hill, a light to the world. The church is the mother of the faithful.

10. The Lord has founded the church, the New Jerusalem, with Christ as its cornerstone and has
built it up on the faith of the apostles. Christ protects it and gives it victory. When the church,

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the Bride of Christ, enacts the Divine Service, she enters the heavenly Jerusalem and serves God
there together with all the angels and saints.

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 e. THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
(Dr. Kleinig skipped The Gift of Prophecy section because of lack of time but I’ve added the
following notes based on the Class Overheads and the Class Notes provided by Dr. Kleinig.)

1. ROLE OF THE PROPHETS AS GOD'S MESSENGERS

 Messengers of God rather than foretellers or social critics
 Divine call and commission
 Admission to heavenly council: Amos 3:7
 Intercession and answer from God
 Inspiration by God's Spirit
 Proclamation of God's word
 Cleansing of lips: Isa 6:5-7
 God's mouthpiece: Jer 15:19
 Introduction of message with stock formulae
 Involvement in God's pain and suffering
2. PROCLAMATION WITH PERFORMATIVE UTTERANCES
 Oracles of judgment from heavenly court: Mic 3:5-12
 Accusation and indictment
 Reasons for indictment
 Divine sentence
 Oracles of salvation: Isa 41:8-16
 Direct address by God
 Divine self-disclosure
 Purpose or result of help
 Promise of help
 Performative word with divine speech acts: Jer 1:9-10
 Creation of history
 Use of prophetic perfect tense
 Association with symbolic enactments
 Subordination of prophecy to the law of Moses, the father of prophecy: Deut 18:15-16
3. TESTING OF PROPHECY
 Difference: prophecy and divination: Deut 13:1-5; 18:9-11
 Criteria for recognition of true prophets
 Fulfilment: Deut 18:19-22
 Call to repentance rather than unqualified promises of prosperity: Jer 28:8-9
 Worship of the Lord and obedience to his word: Deut 13:1-5
 Morality with justice and sex: Jer 5:25-31; 23:13-15
4. THE PROPHETS AND THE NATIONS
 International role of the prophets
 Jeremiah as the prophet to the nations: Jer 1:5
 Oracles against the nations by most prophets
 Presuppositions for these prophecies

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  Lord as the creator and ruler of all the nations
 God's rule with international justice
 The day of the Lord for all the earth
 Criteria for judgment
 Self divinisation: Isa 14:12-15
 Atrocities against other nations
 Cosmic disorder (Noah covenant): violence with sexual immorality, murder, and
involvement in the occult: Isa 24:4-6
 Mistreatment of Israel
 Judgment of the nations: prelude to final day of judgment
 Judgment of evildoers and eradication of evil: Isa 13:9-13
 Destruction of pagan gods and idols: Zeph 2:11
 Judgment of heavenly hosts and Leviathon: Isa 24:21-23; 27:1
 God's policy for the nations
 Zion as the place for international worship: Isa 2:1-4
 Conversion of the nations and their pilgrimage to Zion: Jer 16:19-21; Zech 8:20-23
 Performance of the divine service together with Israel: Zeph 3:8b-10
 Common confession of faith: Isa 45:22-25
 International role of the Messiah
 Administration of God's justice for the nations: Isa 42:1,4
 Bringer of God's light and salvation to the nations: Isa 42:6-7; 49:6
 Justification of many nations by sprinkling them with his blood: Isa 52:12; 53:11-12
 Proclamation of peace to the nations: Zech 9:10
 Fulfilment of all prophecy: Dan 9:24

1. ROLE OF THE PROPHETS AS GOD'S MESSENGERS

Prophets were Messengers of God Rather than Foretellers or Social Critics

The prophets were messengers of the Lord (Isa. 44:26; Hag. 1:13), heralds of the heavenly king.

Is. 44:26

26 who confirms the word of his servant

and fulfills the counsel of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’
and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,
and I will raise up their ruins’;

Hag. 1:3

13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD’s
message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.”

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As messengers of the Lord who spoke his word, the prophets were not social critics and reformers, but
rather proclaimed God's justice as demand or assurance, as a call to repentance or accusation, as a
sentence of condemnation or of vindication.

Prophets became Prophets by Divine Call and Commission

Prophets were chosen and commissioned (shalach) by God. God sent them at particular times and
places to speak his word to particular people.

Is. 6:8
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for
us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Is. 48:16
16 Draw near to me, hear this:
from the beginning I have not spoken in secret,
from the time it came to be I have been there.”
And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.

Jer. 1:7
7 But the LORD said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Eze. 2:3-4
3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of
rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed
against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send
you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord  GOD.’

Zech. 7:12
12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words
that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets . Therefore
great anger came from the LORD of hosts.

They did not decide to become prophets but were called by God himself.

1 Sam. 3:10-11a, 19-21

10 And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And
Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel,
“Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel ...
19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the
ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as

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 a prophet of the LORD. 21 And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, for
the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

Amos 7:14-15
14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son,
but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 But the LORD took me from
following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

Jer. 1:4-5
4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a
youth.” 7 But the LORD said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Eze. 2:1-7
2:1 And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with
you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I
heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people
of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers
have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent
and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the
Lord GOD.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house)
they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, be not
afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and
you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for
they are a rebellious house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they
hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

Their authority depended on their call. So, when Amos was challenged, he referred to his call as his
credentials to prophecy.

Amos 7:14-15
14 Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son,
but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 But the LORD took me from
following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’

In their call the Lord not only commissioned them but also summarised their message or task; he also
warned Isaiah (6:9-13), Jeremiah (1:17-19) and Ezekiel (2:3-7; 3:7-11) of the opposition to them and the
rejection of their message.

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 Jer. 1:17-19
17 But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command
you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I
make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole
land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the
land. 19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am
with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.”

Eze. 2:3-7
3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of
rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed
against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send
you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ 5 And whether they
hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet
has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of
their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not
afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious
house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear,
for they are a rebellious house.

Eze. 3:7
7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to
listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn
heart.

The Prophets were Admitted to the Heavenly Council

There is a council in heaven, made up of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as well as the angels, where
decisions are made that determine history. We have a glimpse of the council in Gen. 1:26 where God
made the decision to create human beings and to give them dominion over creation.

Gen. 1:26
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and
over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

The prophets were admitted to God's heavenly council (sod), so that they could both announce and
explain his royal decrees.

Amos 3:7

7 “For the Lord GOD does nothing

without revealing his secret
to his servants the prophets.

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 Jer. 23:18, 22 (Unlike true prophets, false prophets have not stood in the council of the Lord.)

18 For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD

to see and to hear his word,
or who has paid attention to his word and listened?

22 But if they had stood in my council,

then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
and they would have turned them from their evil way,
and from the evil of their deeds.

Isa. 6:1-2a, 8

6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and
lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the
seraphim. ...
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for
us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:
“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

Prophets Interceded to God for People and Received Answers from Him
People who needed help from God asked/sought (darash) the prophets to intercede for them so as to
secure a favourable word from God.

Jer. 37:3

3 King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son
of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray for us to the LORD our
God.”

1 Kings 14:4-5

 4 Jeroboam’s wife did so. She arose and went to Shiloh and came to the house of
Ahijah [the prophet]. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his
age. 5 And the LORD said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to
inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her.”
    When she came, she pretended to be another woman.

Prophets therefore functioned as intercessors in Israel (note the use of the verb answer in Jeremiah.

Jer. 23:37

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 37 Thus you shall say to the prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ or ‘What
has the LORD spoken?’

But when God finally decided to destroy Judah and Jerusalem because of their idolatry, God forbade
Jeremiah from interceding for them.

Jer. 7:16-18

16 “As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do
not intercede with me, for I will not hear you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing
in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the
fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of
heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger.

Prophets were Inspired by God’s Spirit

Like the judges, a prophet was ‘a man of the Spirit’ (Hos 9:7) who was inspired by God's Spirit to speak
God’s word.

Neh. 9:30

30 Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your
prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the
peoples of the lands.

Is. 48:16

16 Draw near to me, hear this:

from the beginning I have not spoken in secret,
from the time it came to be I have been there.”
And now the Lord GOD has sent me, and his Spirit.

Micah 3:8

8 But as for me, I am filled with power,

with the Spirit of the LORD,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression
and to Israel his sin.

Zech. 7:12

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 12 They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words
that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore
great anger came from the LORD of hosts.

Strangely, God’s use of the pagan prophet Balaam for his own purposes is a good example of how he
inspires a prophet through his Holy Spirit. Balaam received a message from God by the inspiration of
God's Spirit in the form of an audible vision.

Num. 24:2-3a

2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of
God came upon him, 3 and he took up his discourse and said,

Prophets Proclaimed God’s Word

God called prophets in order to proclaim his word. The Lord sent the prophet, gave him the words to
speak, and was with him to deliver him if they rejected him. And when God spoke his word to them,
they were compelled to speak it to its intended audience even though sometimes the prophets were
reluctant to do so.

Amos 3:8

8 The lion has roared;

who will not fear?
The Lord GOD has spoken;
who can but prophesy?”

Jer. 1:6-8

6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a
youth.” 7 But the LORD said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,declares the LORD.”

The prophets not only proclaimed God’s word verbally, but their whole lives were involved in the
proclamation of God's word.

 Hosea’s marriage to a prostitute paralleled God’s “marriage” to unfaithful Israel. As Hosea had
mercy on his unfaithful wife and redeemed her, he acted out what God was doing for his
unfaithful bride, Israel. In Hos. 3:1 God said to Hosea, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by
another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they
turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.”

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  Jeremiah’s message to Judah was Repent or face God’s judgment! His message was one of doom
and gloom and punishment. The leaders and people ignored God’s word spoken by Jeremiah.
Their treatment of Jeremiah mirrored their treatment of God. The suffering and agony that
Jeremiah went through represented the suffering that God experienced as his people rejected
him.
 The people of Israel were a stubborn and obstinate people who refused to hear God’s word.
Therefore God made up his mind to wipe out the nation. God had given them many chances to
repent, but they refused. Therefore once God decided to destroy them, there was no changing
his mind. Ezekiel was a prophet. Prophets speak God’s word. Yet Ezekiel was made dumb by
God. This signified that their time had run out. God would no longer give them a chance to
repent. Ezekiel was prevented from speaking God’s word to them. Also, the death of Ezekiel’s
delight, his wife, would also be a sign to Israel. As Ezekiel lost his beloved, so the delight of God’s
eyes, his temple and his people, would be profaned and destroyed.

God spoke parabolically through the prophets.

Hos. 12:10

10 I spoke to the prophets;

it was I who multiplied visions,
and through the prophets gave parables.

The Reception of God’s Word

Other prophets did not receive the word by seeing it but by hearing it. Prophets like Jeremiah heard the
word spoken to them.

Is. 1:4-8

4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do
not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the LORD said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,declares the LORD.”

God’s word was given to them in answer to prayer.

Jer. 23:35, 37

35 Thus shall you say, every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother, ‘What
has the LORD answered?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’

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 37 Thus you shall say to the prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ or ‘What
has the LORD spoken?’

They expressed this experience by the formula: “The word of the Lord came to me.” Since this occurred
while they were awake, Jeremiah was suspicious of prophets who received their message in dreams
God’s word.

Jer. 23:25-32

25 I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I
have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ 26 How long shall there be lies in the heart of the
prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart,  27 who
think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another,
even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? 28 Let the prophet who has a dream
tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has
straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. 29 Is not my word like fire, declares
the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 30 Therefore, behold, I
am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one
another. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who use their
tongues and declare, ‘declares the LORD.’ 32 Behold, I am against those who prophesy
lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by
their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do
not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.

While most classical prophets received their message in a sober state, some prophets such as Ezekiel
received their message in a state of heightened consciousness. The Spirit of God entered Exekiel, raised
him on his feet, lifted him from his place and brought him to another place.

Eze. 2:2

2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I
heard him speaking to me.

Eze. 8:3

3 He put out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head, and the Spirit lifted
me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to
the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of
the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.

Eze. 11:1

  11:1 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of
the LORD, which faces east. And behold, at the entrance of the gateway there were

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 twenty-five men. And I saw among them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the
son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

Eze. 11:24

24 And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into
Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from me.

The behaviour of such prophets led people to consider that they were insane.

Hos. 9:7

7 The days of punishment have come;

the days of recompense have come;
Israel shall know it.
The prophet is a fool;
the man of the spirit is mad,
because of your great iniquity
and great hatred.

Jer. 29:26

26 ‘The LORD has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, to have charge in the
house of the LORD over every madman who prophesies, to put him in the stocks and
neck irons.

A True Prophet Spoke God’s Word

If a prophet spoke God’s word, he was truly a prophet. But if he spoke his own word he was a false
prophet. How could one be sure the prophet was a true prophet and not a false prophet? If a part or all
of the prophecy was fulfilled, then the prophet had spoken God's word.

Deut. 18:19-22

19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself
will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name
that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods,
that same prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the
word that the LORD has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of
the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that
the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be
afraid of him.

Eze. 33:33

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 33 When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been
among them.”

Prophets Served as the Lord’s Mouth

Prophets served as the Lord’s mouth and therefore their lips and mouths had to be cleansed so they
could speak God’s holy word.

Is. 6:5-7

5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in
the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of
hosts!”
    6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he
had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold,
this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

The prophets served as the Lord's mouth. They spoke God’s word.

Jer. 15:19

19 Therefore thus says the LORD:

“If you return, I will restore you,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
but you shall not turn to them.

Isaiah's lips and mouths were cleansed, so that he could speak God's holy word.

Is. 6:5-7

5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in
the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of
hosts!”     6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal
that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said:
“Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Ezekiel was given God's words as a scroll to eat (Ezek 1:8 - 3:11) and received them in his heart.

Eze. 3:1-4, 10-11

3:1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go,
speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to

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 eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you
and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.
    4 And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my
words to them.
...
10 Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you
receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. 11 And go to the exiles, to your people,
and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,’ whether they hear or
refuse to hear.”

God put his words in Jeremiah's mouth, so that he spoke from God's mouth.

Jer. 1:9

9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me,
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

Jer. 23:16

16 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who
prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds,
not from the mouth of the LORD.

The Prophets Message was Introduced by a Stock Formulae

The prophets spoke the word of the Lord (debar YHWH) as is indicated by the stock formulae for the
presentation of their message.
 “Thus says the Lord.”
 “The word of the Lord came to me.”
 “Says the Lord (RSV) or “declares the Lord” (NIV): (literally whisper of the Lord).

The Prophets were Involved in God’s Pain and Suffering

The prophets were called to suffer with God as well as with his people. By marrying Gomer, Hosea
experienced something of God's agony at Israel's rejection of Him.

Hos. 1:2-3

2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to

yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits
great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.” 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter
of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

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 The names of Hosea’s children indicate God’s sorrow for his wayward people: Jezreel
(God will scatter his seed [people] among the nations), No Mercy (God will no longer
have mercy on his people), and Not My People (God will no longer consider Israel his
people) because they have abandoned him for other gods.

Just as God identified with his people and suffered with them in his judgment of them, so Jeremiah
personally experienced the grief of God over his people as well as their suffering under God's judgment.

Jer 4:19-22

19
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!
Oh the walls of my heart!
My heart is beating wildly;
I cannot keep silent,
for I hear the sound of the trumpet,
the alarm of war.
20 Crash follows hard on crash;
the whole land is laid waste.
Suddenly my tents are laid waste,
my curtains in a moment.
21 How long must I see the standard
and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “For my people are foolish;
they know me not;
they are stupid children;
they have no understanding.
They are ‘wise’—in doing evil!
But how to do good they know not.”

Ezekiel bore the guilt of the people in his charade on the siege of Jerusalem and felt something of God's
pain at the destruction of Jerusalem by the death of his own wife.

Eze. 4:4-8

 4 “Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment of the house of Israel upon it.
For the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their punishment.  5 For I
assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of the years of their
punishment. So long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel. 6 And when
you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side,
and bear the punishment of the house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each
year. 7 And you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm
bared, and you shall prophesy against the city. 8 And behold, I will place cords upon
you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the
days of your siege.

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 Eze. 24:15-21

15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the

delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor
shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead.
Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat
the bread of men.” 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife
died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.
    19 And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us,
that you are acting thus?” 20 Then I said to them, “The word of the LORD came to
me: 21 ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will profane my
sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your
soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.

2. PROCLAMATION WITH PERFORMATIVE UTTERANCES

God’s Word Makes Things Happen

By his prophetic word, God did not just predict what he would do but actually made it happen.

Is. 55:10-11

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Jer. 1:9-10

9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me,
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

Eze. 37:7-10

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 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and
behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and
behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had
covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to
the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD:
Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may
live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and
they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

He also spoke to show what he was doing and what he would do in Israel's history.

Is. 41:25

25 I stirred up one from the north, and he has come,

from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name;
he shall trample on rulers as on mortar,
as the potter treads clay.

Apart from his word, Israel could not understand what he was doing in her history (e.g. The exile in
Babylon). His words of judgment and salvation (law and gospel) were therefore both performative and
informative.

God’s word is powerful. Just speaking God’s word causes things to happen. The precedent for this was
set in the beginning when God created the universe.

Ps. 33:6-9

6
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.7
He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.
8
Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!9
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

God’s Word Created and Upholds the Universe

Note the series of performative utterances in Gen 1:1 - 2:3.
• Creative decree for the light (1:3), the firmament (1:6a), and the heavenly bodies (1:14). See
also the divine mandate in 1:6 and 1:14-15.
• Regulative decrees to the chaotic waters and dry land (1:9)

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 • Productive (evolutionary?) command to the land (1:11,24) and the seas (1:20)
• Imperative benediction to the fish and birds (1:22)
• Collective decision for human creation in the heavenly council (1:26)
• Imperative benediction to human kind (1:28). See the repetition of this to Noah (Gen 9:1) and
Jacob (Gen 35:11)
• Permissive bestowal of plants as food to people and the animals (1:29-30)

These utterances not only create and regulate the world but also empower and make provision for
nourishment of living creatures. They establish a precedent for God's operation through his word with
human beings and Israel. The whole of the universe is therefore created and upheld by God's word (cf
Heb 1:3). See also the Jewish notion of the pre-existent torah.

Heb. 1:3

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he
upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he
sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

The Message of the Prophets Enacted What It Proclaimed

The message of the prophets was a performative utterance that enacted what it proclaimed (Isa 55:10-
11). For more on this see below: ‘When a Prophet Proclaimed God’s Word, It Shaped History.’

God’s Word Enacted What was Symbolized in the Prophet’s Life

The performative character of prophecy is evident from its connection with symbolic enactments.
• Ahijah's tearing of his new cloak into twelve pieces (1 Kgs 11:30)
• Hosea's marriage (1-3)
• Isaiah's names for his children (8:1-10) and the charade of the prisoner of war (20:1-6)
• Jeremiah: avoidance of mourning and feasting (16:5-9), the waist cloth (13:1- 11), celibacy
(16:1-13), smashing of clay pot (19:1-5), wearing of yokes (27:1 - 28:17), purchase of land (32:1-
44), offer of wine to the Rechabites (35:1-19), laying of stones in Egypt for Nebuchadrezzar's
throne (43:8-13), casting of scroll in Euphrates (51:59-64)
• Ezekiel: dumbness (3:24-27; cf 24:26-27; 33:21-22), charade of siege (4-5), charade of prisoner
of war (12:1-20), charade of Babylonian king at the crossroads (21:18-27), lack of mourning for
wife (24:15-27).

Israel’s History was Shaped by the Prophetic Word

The history of Israel in Canaan was shaped by the prophetic word from the choice of Saul and David to
the exile in Babylon and the building of the second temple.

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 (1) By speaking God's word into human history the prophets made history not only in the land of
Israel, but also on the international stage (Jer 1:9-10).
(2) Isaiah therefore compares the prophetic word to the performative word of God in creation
(Isa 44:24-28; 51:16; cf. 55:10-11). Hence, when God ceases to speak his word, Israel
experiences a drought which devastates it totally (Amos 8:11-14).
(3) The connection between prophecy and history is expressed by the ambiguity of dabar in
Hebrew which means both word and event (Deut 18:22).
(4) The Deuteronomic history from Joshua to 2 Kings is therefore regarded as prophecy in the
Hebrew Bible.
(5) Since prophecy makes history, it must be understood in the light of its historical setting (eg.
Isa 1:1), just as it in turn reveals and explains God's work in history (Amos 3:6-7).
(6) Since the word of the prophets came from God and belonged to him, the Old Testament is
not interested in the experiences of the prophets unless the stories about them explained the
role of the prophets, as is the case with Elijah and Elisha, or else clarified their message, as with
Hosea and Jeremiah.
(7) The messages of some prophets were recorded, because their word was addressed to a
national or international audience and so continued to shape the history of Israel and the
destiny of the nations (see the postscript in Hos 14:9 and Zech 1:2-6).

Prophets Announced God’s Judgment

God’s prophets announced God’s judgment on Israel and Judah.

Micah 3:8, 12

8But as for me, I am filled with power,

with the Spirit of the LORD,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression
and to Israel his sin.

12 Therefore because of you

Zion shall be plowed as a field;
Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

Jeremiah delivered oracles of judgment against Jerusalem.

• God's call to Zion to cleanse herself from wickedness and so escape invasion by an enemy
army (Jer 4:11-18)
• God's warning to maiden Zion about her futile attempts to seduce her murderers (Jer 4:29-31)
• God's refusal to pardon Zion, because her people had forsaken him and had refused to repent
(Jer 5:7-9; cf. 5:1-3)

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 • God's command to Jeremiah to prune the vineyard of Zion (Jer 5:10-11; 6:9)
• God's call for the people of Benjamin to leave Jerusalem before he besieged and destroyed it
for its violence and oppression (Jer 6:1-8)
• God's call on maiden Zion to mourn the coming death of her citizens (Jer 6:22-26)
• God's warning to adulteress Zion of her imminent ‘rape' by her enemies (Jer 13:13-27)
• God's decision to bring about Zion's destruction (Jer 15:5-9; 19; 21:3-10; 22:8-9; 25:29; 34:1-
3,22; 37:6-8; 38:17-23).

The prophets also prophesied to the nations. Most of the prophecies to the nations were oracles of
judgment. They presupposed God's government of the whole world and the operation of divine justice
on an international scale. They condemned specific nations for two main reasons:
• For arrogance against God (Isa 2:12-17; 10:12-14; 16:6; 23:6-12; Jer 48:28-33; Ezek 31:1 –
32:15) and for regarding themselves and their leaders as divine (Isa 14:13-14; 47:7-8, 10; Ezek
28:1-19; Obad 2-4; Zeph 2:15).
• For atrocities committed against other nations (Amos 1:3 - 2:3) and their mistreatment of
Israel (Ezek 25; Joel 3:1-8, 19-21; Obad 10-16; Zeph 2:8-10).

The nations would eventually be treated as they had treated other nations (Joel 3:7; Obad 15; Jer 25:12-
14; Hab 2:8).

Obad. 1:15

15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations.

As you have done, it shall be done to you;
your deeds shall return on your own head.

Jer. 25:14

14 For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will
recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”

Hab. 2:8

8 Because you have plundered many nations,

all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you,
for the blood of man and violence to the earth,
to cities and all who dwell in them.

Prophets Declared God’s Accusations against People

They often delivered the accusation and sentence of the heavenly king.

Micah 3:8

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 8 But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the LORD,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression
and to Israel his sin.

We understand these oracles of judgment as a sentence because they are presented in the forms and
vocabulary of the Israelite courts.

Prophets Gave the Reason for God’s Indictment and Sentenced Them
In its simplest form God’s judgment consists of an indictment or formal accusation (eg. Amos 3:9-10),
followed by a sentence of judgment (eg. Amos 3:11; see the use of therefore).

Amos 3:9-10

9 Proclaim to the strongholds in Ashdod

and to the strongholds in the land of Egypt,
and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria,
and see the great tumults within her,
and the oppressed in her midst.”
10 “They do not know how to do right,” declares the LORD,
“those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”

Amos 3:11

11 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:

“An adversary shall surround the land
and bring down your defenses from you,
and your strongholds shall be plundered.”

Therefore the prophets were not social critics and reformers, but rather they proclaimed God's justice as
demand or assurance, as a call to repentance or accusation, as a sentence of condemnation or of
vindication.

Prophets Also Proclaimed Oracles of Salvation

The prophets also proclaimed oracles of salvation. They were modeled on priestly oracles given in
response to individual or national laments. These had four main elements which are found in Isa 41:8-
20:

1. Direct address of the people by God (8-9, 14a).

Is. 41:8-9

8 But you, Israel, my servant,

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Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off”;

Is. 41:14

14 Fear not, you worm Jacob,

you men of Israel!
I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel

2. The self-disclosure of the Lord (10, 13, 14, 17).

Is. 41:10

10 fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Is. 41:13-14

13 For I, the LORD your God,

hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I am the one who helps you.”
14 Fear not, you worm Jacob,
you men of Israel!
I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Is. 41:17

17 When the poor and needy seek water,

and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the LORD will answer them;
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

3. The purpose (16b, 20) and result (11-12, 17b) of God's help.

Is. 41:16, 20 – The purpose of God’s help

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 16 you shall winnow them, and the wind shall carry them away,
and the tempest shall scatter them.
And you shall rejoice in the LORD;
in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

20 that they may see and know,

may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Is. 41:12, 17 – The result of God’s help

12 You shall seek those who contend with you,

but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
shall be as nothing at all.

17 When the poor and needy seek water,

and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the LORD will answer them;
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

4. The promise of help often introduced by: "Fear not" (10, 13, 14).

Is. 41:10, 13, 14

10 fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

13 For I, the LORD your God,

hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I am the one who helps you.”

14 Fear not, you worm Jacob,

you men of Israel!
I am the one who helps you, declares the LORD;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

God’s Word is a Performative Word

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When a prophet speaks God’s word, that word performs what it says or sets in motion the events that
God says will occur. God’s word is powerful. As an example, the word that God gave Jeremiah to speak
affects and determines the history of nations and kingdoms.

9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me,
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.10
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

And as Isaiah says, God’s word always accomplishes God’s purposes. It is not passive. It actually does
something. The message of the prophets was a performative utterance that enacted what it proclaimed.

Is. 55:11

11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

When a Prophet Proclaimed God’s Word, It Shaped History

1. The prophets enacted God's will at a point in Israel's history by speaking God's effectual word of
judgment (Hos 6:5) or salvation (Isa 44:24-28).

Hos. 6:5

5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;

I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
and my judgment goes forth as the light.

Is. 44:26

26 who confirms the word of his servant

and fulfills the counsel of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited,’
and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,
and I will raise up their ruins’;

2. When they spoke of the future, they did not just predict what God would do but actually set in
train what was about to happen.

1 Kings 17:14-16

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 14 For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and
the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the
earth.’” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate
for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become
empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.

3. These prophecies of God's future deeds were usually couched in the prophetic perfect, since
what God had spoken was certain to occur and so in a sense had occurred once it was spoken
(Isa 1:20; 40:5; 58:14).

Is. 40:5

5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,

and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Is. 58:14

14 then you shall take delight in the LORD,

and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

4. God's word was conceived as a power or an agent that was sent by him (Isa 9:8), performed its
mission (Isa 55:11) and remained for ever (Isa 40:8). It was like a fire with wood (Jer 5:14; 23:29;
cf 20:9), or a hammer with rock (Jer 23:29).

[For more detail on this see “Proclamation of God’s Word” above.]

5. In Ezekiel's vision of the valley with the bones , the Lord's Spirit which resurrects and revives
Israel, is bestowed by the word of the prophet (Ezek 37:1-14).

Eze. 37:14

14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your
own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it,
declares the LORD.”

God’s Word Created Israel’s History

The history of Israel in Canaan was shaped by the prophetic word. [For more detail on this see “Israel’s
History was Shaped by the Prophetic Word” above.]

The Use of the Prophetic Perfect Tense Guaranteed It would Happen

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These prophecies of God's future deeds were usually couched in the prophetic perfect, since what God
had spoken was certain to occur and so in a sense had occurred once it was spoken (Isa 1:20; 40:5;
58:14).

Is. 1:20

20 but if you refuse and rebel,

you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Is. 40:5

5
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

The Performative Word Carries out Symbolic Enactments

The performative character of prophecy is evident from its connection with symbolic enactments. [For
more on this see “God’s Word Enacted What was Symbolized in the Prophet’s Life” above.]

Prophecy was Defined and Understood in Terms of the Law

The role of the prophet was established by God at Mt Sinai (Deut 18:15-16).

Deut. 18:15-16

15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from
your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the LORD your
God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the
voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’

At Mt. Sinai God had spoken directly to Moses in their presence so that they would put their trust in him
and the prophets that God raised up like Moses after him (Exod 19:9; Deut 18:15-16).

Ex. 19:9

9 And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the
people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”
    When Moses told the words of the people to the LORD,

Deut. 18:15-16

15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from
your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the LORD your

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 God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the
voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’

Since the Israelites could not bear to hear God speaking directly to them, they asked Moses to act as his
spokesman (Exod 20:18-19) and God approved of their request (Deut 5:23-33).

Ex. 20:18-19

18 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the
sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and
trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will
listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”

Deut. 5:27, 28, 30

27 Go near and hear all that the LORD our God will say, and speak to us all that
the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.’

28 “And the LORD heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to
me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are
right in all that they have spoken.

30 Go and say to them, Return to your tents. 31 But you, stand here by me, and I will
tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach
them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’

The Deuteronomic tradition understood the function of the prophets in the light of the law. Moses was
regarded as the first and the greatest of the prophets (Deut 34:10-12).

Deut. 34:10-12

10 And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the  LORD knew
face to face, 11 none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the  LORD sent him
to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land,  12 and
for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of
all Israel.

There was a succession of prophets after him who were raised up by God to speak in his name (Deut
18:15-22).

Deut. 18:15-22

15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from
your brothers—it is to him you shall listen ...  21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How

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 may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks
in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a
word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You
need not be afraid of him.

They were regarded as preachers of repentance and champions of orthodox worship as instituted by
Moses (2 Kgs 17:13).

2 Kings 17:13

13 Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying,
“Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in
accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by
my servants the prophets.”

Their teaching (torah) was therefore subject to the law of Moses and had to be consistent with it (cf. 2
Kgs 22:15-20).

3. TESTING OF PROPHECY

Pagan and False Prophets

Prophets were just as common in paganism as in Israel (cf. the prophets of Baal in 1 Kgs 18:2-40; 19:1; 2
Kgs 10:19). They spoke in the name of their gods. They practiced divination (Isa 2:6; Zech 10:2).

While pagan prophets were easy to identify, since they counselled apostasy (Deut 13:1-5), false
prophets were less easy to spot as they spoke in the Lord's name. The problem of false prophecy
emerged in the late monarchy and came to a head at the time of Jeremiah (Isa 28:7-8; 29:9-10; Micah
3:5-8; Jer 2:8,26-28; 5:11-13,30-31; 6:13-15; 8:10-12; 14:13-18; 23:9-40; 27-29; Ezek 13:1 – 14:11;
22:28).

Spotting False Prophets

False prophets prophesied peace and prosperity to sinners (Micah 3:5; Jer 6:13-15; 8:10-12; Ezek
13:10).

Jer. 6:13-15

13 “For from the least to the greatest of them,

everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
14 They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
when there is no peace.

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They condemned the righteous and justified sinners (Ezek 13:19,22; Jer 23:13-14; cf. Jer 5:30-31).

Eze. 13:19

19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of
bread, putting to death souls who should not die and keeping alive souls who should
not live, by your lying to my people, who listen to lies.

Eze. 13:22

22 Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved
him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way
to save his life,

They denied God's judgment on Israel's rebellion (Jer 5:12; 23:17).

Jer. 5:12

12 They have spoken falsely of the LORD

and have said, ‘He will do nothing;
no disaster will come upon us,
nor shall we see sword or famine.

Jer. 23:17

17 They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, ‘It shall be well
with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No
disaster shall come upon you.’”

Instead of standing in the breach as intercessors (Ezek 13:5; 22:30), they whitewashed sin and rebellion
against God (Ezek 13:10-16; 22:28-29).

Eze. 22:28-29

28 And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and
divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord  GOD,’ when the LORD has not
spoken. 29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery.
They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner
without justice.

The Difference between Prophecy and Divination

Prophets were just as common in paganism as in Israel (cf. the prophets of Baal in 1 Kgs 18:2-40;
19:1; 2 Kgs 10:19). They spoke in the name of their gods. They practiced divination (Isa 2:6; Zech 10:2).

Zech. 10:2

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 2 For the household gods utter nonsense,
and the diviners see lies;
they tell false dreams
and give empty consolation.
Therefore the people wander like sheep;
they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

Since they were empowered by ‘unclean spirits’ they exercised supernatural power (Zech 13:2; cf. Hos
4:12).

Zech. 13:2

2 “And on that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols
from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from
the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness.

They could descry future events by augury, divination and necromancy (Deut 18:10-11).

Deut. 18:10-11

10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as
an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a
sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the
dead,

The Israelites were forbidden to practise such forms of prophecy (Deut 18:9-14; cf. Exod 22:18; Lev
19:26-28,31; 20:6,27). Since the living God had made his word available to them, they had no need to
approach pagan prophets (cf. 1 Kgs 1:3,16 in 1:2-16) and to consult the spirits of the dead on behalf of
the living (Isa 8:19; cf. 1 Sam 25).

While pagan prophets were easy to identify, since they counselled apostasy (Deut 13:1-5), false
prophets were less easy to spot as they spoke in the Lord's name.
(a) Even the Lord's prophets could be misled to say what people wanted to hear (1 Kgs 22:5-28; cf. Mic
3:5-7).
(b) The problem of false prophecy emerged in the late monarchy and came to a head at the time of
Jeremiah (Isa 28:7-8; 29:9-10; Micah 3:5-8; Jer 2:8,26-28; 5:11-13,30-31; 6:13-15; 8:10-12; 14:13-18;
23:9-40; 27-29; Ezek 13:1 – 14:11; 22:28).
(1) They prophesied peace and prosperity to sinners (Micah 3:5; Jer 6:13-15; 8:10-12; Ezek
13:10).
(2) They condemned the righteous and justified sinners (Ezek 13:19,22; Jer 23:13-14; cf. Jer 5:30-
31).
(3) They denied God's judgment on Israel's rebellion (Jer 5:12; 23:17).

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 (4) Instead of standing in the breach as intercessors (Ezek 13:5; 22:30), they whitewashed sin
and rebellion against God (Ezek 13:10-16; 22:28-29).
Three Criteria for Distinguishing True from False Prophecy
Three criteria seem to have been employed to distinguish between true and false prophecy:
practical, liturgical, moral.

(a) If a part or all of the prophecy was fulfilled, then the prophet had spoken God's word (Deut 18:19-22;
Ezek 33:33).

Deut. 18:19-22

19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself
will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name
that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods,
that same prophet shall die.’21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the
word that the LORD has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of
theLORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that
the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be
afraid of him.

Eze.33:33

33 When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been
among them.”

The test of fulfilment applied especially to prophecies of prosperity (Jer 28:5-9), since these were
popular and paid well (Micah 3:5-7,11; Jer 6:13-14; 8:10-11).

Jer. 28:8-9

8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war,
famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the
prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it
will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet.”

Mic. 3:11

11 Its heads give judgment for a bribe;

its priests teach for a price;
its prophets practice divination for money;
yet they lean on the LORD and say,
“Is not the LORD in the midst of us?
No disaster shall come upon us.”

Jer. 6:13-14

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 13 “For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
14 They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
when there is no peace.

Since the prophecies of Isaiah had to do with the remote future, he wrote them down for his disciples,
so that they would recognise the fulfilment of them (Isa. 8:16-18).

Is. 8:16-18

16 Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples. 17 I will wait for
the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in
him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are signs and
portents in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.

(b) False prophets led people away from the worship of the Lord as commanded in the law of Moses
(Deut 13:1-5; cf. Jer 2:26-28).

Deut. 13:1-5

13:1 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a
wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let
us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’  3 you shall
not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your
God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and
keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to
him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he
has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of
Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in
which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from
your midst.

(c) False prophets were inclined to practice and condone adultery (Jer 23:13-15; cf 29:21-23) and
injustice (Jer 5:25-31; Ezek 22:27-30), whereas true prophets turned people from their sins (Jer 23:22) by
preaching repentance.

Jer. 23:13-14

13 In the prophets of Samaria

I saw an unsavory thing:

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 they prophesied by Baal
and led my people Israel astray.
14 But in the prophets of Jerusalem
I have seen a horrible thing:
they commit adultery and walk in lies;
they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
so that no one turns from his evil;
all of them have become like Sodom to me,
and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”

Eze. 22:27-30

27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood,
destroying lives to get dishonest gain. 28 And her prophets have smeared whitewash
for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the
Lord GOD,’ when the LORD has not spoken.29 The people of the land have practiced
extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have
extorted from the sojourner without justice. 30 And I sought for a man among them
who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I
should not destroy it, but I found none.

Jer. 23:22

22 But if they had stood in my council,

then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
and they would have turned them from their evil way,
and from the evil of their deeds.

It was a True Prophecy If the Prophecy Came True

If a part or all of the prophecy was fulfilled, then the prophet had spoken God's word (Deut 18:19-22;
Ezek 33:33).

Deut. 18:21-22

 21And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the  LORD has not
spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not
come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet
has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

The test of fulfilment applied especially to prophecies of prosperity (Jer 28:5-9), since these were
popular and paid well (Micah 3:5-7,11; Jer 6:13-14; 8:10-11).

Since the prophecies of Isaiah had to do with the remote future, he wrote them down for his disciples,
so that they would recognise the fulfilment of them (Isa. 8:16-18).

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True Prophecy If Call to Repentance Rather than Unqualified Promises of Prosperity
The false prophets prophesied peace and prosperity to sinners (Micah 3:5; Jer 6:13-15; 8:10-12;
Ezek 13:10). True prophets were not social critics and reformers, but rather proclaimed God's justice as
demand or assurance, as a call to repentance or accusation, as a sentence of condemnation or of
vindication.

False prophets were inclined to practice and condone adultery (Jer 23:13-15; cf 29:21-23) and injustice
(Jer 5:25-31; Ezek 22:27-30), whereas true prophets turned people from their sins (Jer 23:22) by
preaching repentance.

Jer. 23:22

22 But if they had stood in my council,

then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,
and they would have turned them from their evil way,
and from the evil of their deeds.

Jeremiah condemned the people for their refusal to heed the call for repentance from the prophets (Jer
7:13-15; 8:4-7).

Jer. 7:13-15

13 And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and when I
spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not
answer, 14 therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which
you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to
Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the
offspring of Ephraim.

False prophets promote evil.

Jer. 5:14 (The description of the false prophets)

14 But in the prophets of Jerusalem

I have seen a horrible thing:
they commit adultery and walk in lies;
they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
so that no one turns from his evil;
all of them have become like Sodom to me,
and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”

4. THE PROPHETS AND THE NATIONS

Prophets Played an International Role

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By speaking God's word into human history the prophets made history not only in the land of Israel, but
also on the international stage (Jer 1:9-10).

Jer. 1:9-10

9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me,
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.10
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

The messages of some prophets were recorded, because their word was addressed to a national or
international audience and so continued to shape the history of Israel and the destiny of the nations
(see the postscript in Hos 14:9 and Zech 1:2-6).

The prophecies addressed to the nations presuppose that the Lord is at work in international history for
the benefit of all nations on the earth.

(a) Just as he brought Israel from Egypt, so he brought the Philistines from Crete and the Syrians
from Kir (Amos 9:7).

(b) He appointed the Assyrians as his rod (Isa. 10:5) and axe (Isa 10:15) to execute his judgments on
Israel (Isa 5:26-30).

(c) He appointed Nebuchadnezzar as his servant to destroy Judah and Jerusalem (Jer 25:9-11) and
gave him the wealth of Egypt, because he attacked Tyre for the Lord (Ezek 29:17-20).

(d) He raised up Cyrus as his messiah to perform his purpose by destroying the Babylonians (Isa
48:14; cf. 46:9-11), and to act as the shepherd of Israel (Isa 44:28). The Lord who ruled over all the
earth and its rulers (Isa 40:2-23), made Cyrus victorious over the nations and their kings (Isa 41:2-4).

Most of the prophecies to the nations were oracles of judgment. They presupposed God's government
of the whole world and the operation of divine justice on an international scale.

Jeremiah, the Prophet to the Nations

God called some prophets and sent them with a message to Judah or Israel. But some prophets he called
with a message to the nations. One such prophet was Jeremiah.

Jer. 1:5

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Oracles Against the Nations by Most of the Prophets

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All the classical prophets announced God's judgments. While Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum and Habukkuk
proclaimed God's judgments against pagan nations for their evil doing, the other prophets also
proclaimed God's judgments on his own people.

Whereas only Jeremiah was appointed by the Lord as a prophet to the nations (Jer. 1:5), all the
classical prophets also served as the Lord's messengers to them. Even the pagan prophet Balaam not
only uttered oracles about Israel (Num 23-24) but also announced Israel's defeat of the Moabites and
Edomites (Num 24:15-19), the destruction of the Amalekites and Kenites (Num 24:20-22), and the attack
on the Assyrians by the Philistines (Num 24:23-24).

Num. 24:

7 I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead of Moab
and break down all the sons of Sheth.
18 Edom shall be dispossessed;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.
Israel is doing valiantly.

Num. 20:20-22

20 Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said,

“Amalek was the first among the nations,
but its end is utter destruction.”
    21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,
“Enduring is your dwelling place,
and your nest is set in the rock.
22 Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned
when Asshur takes you away captive.”

Num. 24:23-24

23 And he took up his discourse and said,

“Alas, who shall live when God does this?
24 But ships shall come from Kittim
and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;
and he too shall come to utter destruction.”

Most of the prophecies to the nations were oracles of judgment. They presupposed God's government
of the whole world and the operation of divine justice on an international scale. They condemned
specific nations for two main reasons:

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 • For arrogance against God (Isa 2:12-17; 10:12-14; 16:6; 23:6-12; Jer 48:28-33; Ezek 31:1 –
32:15) and for regarding themselves and their leaders as divine (Isa 14:13-14; 47:7-8, 10; Ezek
28:1-19; Obad 2-4; Zeph 2:15).
• For atrocities committed against other nations (Amos 1:3 - 2:3) and their mistreatment of
Israel (Ezek 25; Joel 3:1-8, 19-21; Obad 10-16; Zeph 2:8-10).

The nations would eventually be treated as they had treated other nations (Joel 3:7; Obad 15; Jer 25:12-
14; Hab 2:8).

Joel 3:7

7 Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will
return your payment on your own head.

Obad. 1:15

15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations.

As you have done, it shall be done to you;
your deeds shall return on your own head.

The books of the prophets contain many oracles concerning the nations.

(a) The message of some prophets deals almost exclusively with the fate of pagan nations.
• Obadiah prophesied against the Edomites for helping the Babylonians sack Jerusalem
• Nabum announced the destruction of Nineveh
• Habukkuk announced the destruction of the Assyrians by the Babylonians, followed by their
destruction

(b) The books of other prophets contain some oracles for the nations.
• Amos 1:3 – 2:3: Syrians, Philistines, Phoenicians, Edomites, Ammonites, and Moabites
• Joel 3:4-8: Phoenicians and Philistines
• Isaiah 13−23: Babylonians, Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, Egyptians, Arabians, and Phoenicians
• Jeremiah 46−51: Egyptians, Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Kedarites, Elamites,
and Babylonians
• Zepheniah 2:4-15: Philistines, Moabites, Ethiopians, and Assyrians
• Ezekiel 25−32: Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, Philistines, Tyrians, and Egyptians
• Zechariah 9:1-8: Syrians, Phoenicians, and Philistines

Each Day of Judgment Served as a Warning for the Final Day of Judgment

301
Each day of judgment upon a particular nation was a warning of the final day of the Lord with judgment
and salvation on a cosmic scale (Isa 13:2-16; Jer 25:30-32; Joel 1:15; 2:1-2, 10-11, 20 – 3:21; Zeph 1:2 -
2:3; 3:8; Zech 14:1-21; Mal 3:1-5, 17-18; 4:1-5).

(a) The judgment of the Northern Kingdom by the Assyrians prefigured the Lord's judgment of Judah and
Jerusalem (Hos 4:15; 5:5; 8:14; Amos 2:4-5; 6:1).

Hos. 4:15

15 Though you play the whore, O Israel,

let not Judah become guilty.
Enter not into Gilgal,
nor go up to Beth-aven,
and swear not, “As the LORD lives.”

Hos. 5:5

5 The pride of Israel testifies to his face;

Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt;
Judah also shall stumble with them.

(b) Just as the day of the locust plague in Joel prefigured the judgment and deliverance of Jerusalem
from the Assyrians and Babylonians, so that day prefigured the judgment of the nations and the
deliverance of the penitent in Zion (Joel 2:30 – 3:21).

Joel 3:1-3, 16

 3:1 “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah
and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of
Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people
and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and
have divided up my land, 3 and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy
for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.
...
16 The LORD roars from Zion,
and utters his voice from Jerusalem,
and the heavens and the earth quake.
But the LORD is a refuge to his people,
a stronghold to the people of Israel.

(c) According to Isaiah, the Lord's judgment of Babylon and the nations (Isa 13:17 – 23:18) prefigured his
judgment of the whole earth (Isa 13:1-16) and all evil cosmic powers (Isa. 14-17).

Is. 13:11

11 I will punish the world for its evil,

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 and the wicked for their iniquity;
I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,
and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.

(d) In Zephaniah the Lord's judgment of particular nations (Zeph 2:4-15) was meant to teach the people
of Judah to seek the Lord before his great final day (Zeph 1:1 –2:3; 3:1-13).

Zeph. 1:2

2 “I will utterly sweep away everything

from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.

Zeph. 3:12-13

12 But I will leave in your midst

a people humble and lowly.
They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD,
13 those who are left in Israel;
they shall do no injustice
and speak no lies,
nor shall there be found in their mouth
a deceitful tongue.
For they shall graze and lie down,
and none shall make them afraid.”

(e) According to Jeremiah 25, God's judgment of Judah and Jerusalem was the beginning of his judgment
of all the kingdoms of the world.

Jer. 25:28-31

 28 “And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to
them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: You must drink! 29 For behold, I begin to work
disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not
go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,
declares the LORD of hosts.’
    30 “You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them:
“‘The LORD will roar from on high,
and from his holy habitation utter his voice;
he will roar mightily against his fold,
and shout, like those who tread grapes,
against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the LORD has an indictment against the nations;
he is entering into judgment with all flesh,
and the wicked he will put to the sword,declares the LORD.’

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Presuppositions for International Prophecies
Most of the prophecies to the nations were oracles of judgment. They presupposed God's government
of the whole world and the operation of divine justice on an international scale for the benefit of all
nations on the earth.

The Lord is the Creator and Ruler of All the Nations

Prophecy in general testifies that God is the creator of the nations and the world. In the prophets we
see:
• God as creator of heaven and earth: Isa 37:16; 40:12-26; 42:5; 44:24; 45:7-8,12,18; 48:13;
51:13b,16b; Jer 10:12-16; 27:5; 31:35-37; 32:17; 33:19,25; Amos 9:6.
• God as creator of an ordered world: Isa 40:28; Jer 5:21-25; 14:22; 33:2; Amos 4:13; 5:8; cf. Jer
4:23-28.
• God as creator of humanity: Isa 17:7; 49:5; 54:16; Mal 2:10.
• God as creator of heaven, earth and humanity: Zech 12:1.

The prophecies addressed to the nations presuppose that the Lord is at work in international history for
the benefit of all nations on the earth.

(a) Just as he brought Israel from Egypt, so he brought the Philistines from Crete and the Syrians from Kir
(Amos 9:7).

Amos 9:7

7 “Are you not like the Cushites to me,

O people of Israel?” declares the LORD.
“Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt,
and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Syrians from Kir?

(b) He appointed the Assyrians as his rod (Isa. 10:5) and axe (Isa 10:15) to execute his judgments on
Israel (Isa 5:26-30).

Is. 10:5, 15

5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger;

the staff in their hands is my fury!

15 Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it,
or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?
As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,
or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!

Is. 5:26

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 26 He will raise a signal for nations far away,
and whistle for them from the ends of the earth;
and behold, quickly, speedily they come!

(c) He appointed Nebuchadnezzar as his servant to destroy Judah and Jerusalem (Jer 25:9-11) and gave
him the wealth of Egypt, because he attacked Tyre for the Lord (Ezek 29:17-20).

Jer. 25:9

9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this
land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them
to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.

Eze. 29:17-20

17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the
word of the LORD came to me: 18 “Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made
his army labor hard against Tyre. Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was
rubbed bare, yet neither he nor his army got anything from Tyre to pay for the labor
that he had performed against her. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will
give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall carry off its
wealth and despoil it and plunder it; and it shall be the wages for his army. 20 I have
given him the land of Egypt as his payment for which he labored, because they worked
for me, declares the Lord GOD.

(d) He raised up Cyrus as his messiah to perform his purpose by destroying the Babylonians (Isa 48:14;
cf. 46:9-11), and to act as the shepherd of Israel (Isa 44:28). The Lord who ruled over all the earth and its
rulers (Isa 40:2-23), made Cyrus victorious over the nations and their kings (Isa 41:2-4).

Is. 48:14

14 “Assemble, all of you, and listen!

Who among them has declared these things?
The LORD loves him;
he [Cyrus] shall perform his purpose on Babylon,
and his arm shall be against the Chaldeans.

Is. 44:28

28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,

and he shall fulfill all my purpose’;
saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’
and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’”

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 Is. 40:12, 15

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand

and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?

15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,

and are accounted as the dust on the scales;
behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.

Is. 41:2

2 Who stirred up one from the east

whom victory meets at every step?
He gives up nations before him,
so that he tramples kings underfoot;
he makes them like dust with his sword,
like driven stubble with his bow.

The Messianic King would implement God's plan for the nations. He would establish God's just rule on
earth (Isa 42:1-4).

Is. 42:4

4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged

till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.

The righteous Branch will rule the earth with justice and righteousness.

Is. 11:3-4

3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hear,4
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

God Rules with International Justice

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Both justice and righteousness are cosmic powers (Ps 36:5-6). They are the foundation for the Lord's
cosmic rule (Ps 89:14; 97:2). They presuppose God's government of the whole world and the operation
of divine justice on an international scale.

Ps. 89:14

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

God promised that in the latter days he would establish international justice through worship in
Jerusalem (Isa 2:1-4). The nations would join Israel in worshipping the Lord in Zion. God would raise up a
just king from David’s dynasty and by the teaching of his word in worship, the Lord would establish
justice and peace on earth.

Is. 2:1-4

2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.

The scope of God's justice is universal. It includes the world and its peoples.

Ps. 9:7-8

7 But the LORD sits enthroned forever;

he has established his throne for justice,
8 and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.

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The Day of the Lord for All the Earth
Many prophets proclaimed 'the day of the Lord'. The term seems to have been commonly used in the
theology of divine warfare as celebrated on the Feast of Tabernacles. On his day the Lord would defeat
his enemies in battle, vindicate Israel as his righteous people, and restore justice to the world. Beginning
with Amos (5:18-20), the prophets included Israel and Judah among the enemies under divine judgment
(Amos 2:4-8; 3:1-2; Isa 1:24-25) on the Lord's day (Isa 2:12-22).

Amos 5:18-20

18 Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD!

Why would you have the day of the LORD?
It is darkness, and not light,
19 as if a man fled from a lion,
and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
20 Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?

Each day of judgment upon a particular nation was a warning of the final day of the Lord with judgment
and salvation on a cosmic scale (Isa 13:2-16; Jer 25:30-32; Joel 1:15; 2:1-2, 10-11, 20– 3:21; Zeph 1:2 -
2:3; 3:8; Zech 14:1-21; Mal 3:1-5, 17-18; 4:1-5).

(a) The judgment of the Northern Kingdom by the Assyrians prefigured the Lord's judgment of Judah and
Jerusalem (Hos 4:15; 5:5; 8:14; Amos 2:4-5; 6:1).

(b) Just as the day of the locust plague in Joel prefigured the judgment and deliverance of Jerusalem
from the Assyrians and Babylonians, so that day prefigured the judgment of the nations and the
deliverance of the penitent in Zion (Joel 2:30 – 3:21).

(c) According to Isaiah, the Lord's judgment of Babylon and the nations (Isa 13:17 – 23:18) prefigured his
judgment of the whole earth (Isa 13:1-16) and all evil cosmic powers (Isa. 14-17).

(d) In Zephaniah the Lord's judgment of particular nations (Zeph 2:4-15) was meant to teach the people
of Judah to seek the Lord before his great final day (Zeph 1:1 –2:3; 3:1-13).

(e) According to Jeremiah 25, God's judgment of Judah and Jerusalem was the beginning of his judgment
of all the kingdoms of the world.

The Day of the Lord at the End of the Age

While most prophecies in the Old Testament seem to refer either to their own time or the events in the
near future, some prophecies refer rather to a remarkable change of circumstances in the remote future
as indicated by the following terms:
1. “Behold the days are coming”: Jer 7:32; 9:25; 16:14; 19:6; 23:5,7; 30:3; 31:27; 31, 38, 33:14;
48:12; 49:2; 51:47, 52; Am 8:11; 9:13.

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 2. “In the latter days”: Isa 2:2; Jer 23:20; 30:24; 49:39; Ezek 38:8, 16; Hos 3:5; Micah 4:1; Dan
10:14.

In the post-exilic period many of these prophecies were understood eschatologically under the influence
of two factors:

1. They had not yet been fulfilled or, at the best, been only partially fulfilled.
2. They were reinterpreted in the light of apocalyptic theology with its belief in a cataclysmic cosmic day
of the Lord and an end of time as found in Habakkuk and Daniel (Hab 2:3; Dan 8:17, 19; 9:26; 11:27, 35,
40, 45; 12:4, 6, 9, 13; see the use of "in the latter days" in this sense in Dan 10:14).

Dan. 8:17,19

17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my
face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of
the end.”

19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the
indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.

Many prophecies not only spoke into their contemporary situation but also proclaimed the day of the
Lord and the advent of God's kingdom at the close of the age (Acts 3:17-24). They proclaimed what was
about to happen to Israel as was the case with the announcement of the Lord's day by Amos which
brought about the Assyrian exile (Amos 5:18 - 6:14). But that day of the Lord also prefigured the Lord's
day of judgment on Judah by the Assyrians in 701 BC and by the Babylonians in 586 BC. All these events
were taken by Isaiah and Joel as precursors for the final day of universal judgment.

Acts 3:17-21

17 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your
rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ
would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may
be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must
receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth
of his holy prophets long ago.

While there was no hope for the nation as a whole (Amos 8:2; 9:8-10; Isa 10:23), the prophets declared
that the Lord would save a remnant (she’ar/she’rith) of survivors (pelitah) from the day of judgment. On
the final day of the Lord the remnant of people who took refuge in the Lord on Zion would be delivered
(Joel 2:32; cf. Obad 17).

Joel 2:32

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 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be
saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as
the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.

Criteria for Judgment: Self Divinization

The prophets condemned the nations for arrogance against God (Isa 2:12-17; 10:12-14; 16:6;
23:6-12; Jer 48:28-33; Ezek 31:1 – 32:15) and for regarding themselves and their leaders as divine
(Isa 14:13-14; 47:7-8, 10; Ezek 28:1-19; Obad 2-4; Zeph 2:15).

Is. 47:10-11 (As an example, words addressed to Babylon)

10 You felt secure in your wickedness;

you said, “No one sees me”;
your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,
and you said in your heart,
“I am, and there is no one besides me.”
11 But evil shall come upon you,
which you will not know how to charm away;
disaster shall fall upon you,
for which you will not be able to atone;
and ruin shall come upon you suddenly,
of which you know nothing.

Criteria for Judgment: Atrocities Against Other Nations

They also condemned the nations for atrocities committed against other nations (Amos 1:3 - 2:3)
and their mistreatment of Israel (Ezek 25; Joel 3:1-8, 19-21; Obad 10-16; Zeph 2:8-10).

Amos 1:3-4 (An example of this is Syria for how they treated Gilead.)

3 Thus says the LORD:

“For three transgressions of Damascus,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because they have threshed Gilead
with threshing sledges of iron.
4 So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.

Criteria for Judgment: Cosmic Disorder (Breaking the Covenant with Noah)
Is. 24:1, 4-6 (Violence with sexual immorality, murder, and the occult)

24:1 Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate,

and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
...

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 4 The earth mourns and withers;
the world languishes and withers;
the highest people of the earth languish.
5 The earth lies defiled
under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed the laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,
and few men are left.

Criteria for Judgment: Mistreatment of Israel

Another reason the nations received prophecies of judgment was because of their mistreatment of
Israel (Ezek 25; Joel 3:1-8, 19-21; Obad 10-16; Zeph 2:8-10).

Zeph. 2:8-10 (As an example, the Moabites and Ammonites.)

8
“I have heard the taunts of Moab
and the revilings of the Ammonites,
how they have taunted my people
and made boasts against their territory.
9 Therefore, as I live,” declares the LORD of hosts,
the God of Israel,
“Moab shall become like Sodom,
and the Ammonites like Gomorrah,
a land possessed by nettles and salt pits,
and a waste forever.
The remnant of my people shall plunder them,
and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”
10 This shall be their lot in return for their pride,
because they taunted and boasted
against the people of the LORD of hosts.

Judgment of the Nations: Prelude to the Final Day of Judgment

All God's acts of judgment in human lives and world history were a prelude to that final day of divine
judgment (Isa 24:21-23; 26:20-27:1).

Is. 26:20 – 27:1

20 Come, my people, enter your chambers,

311
 and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the fury has passed by.
21 For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,
and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,
and will no more cover its slain.The Redemption of Israel
  27:1 In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish
Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the
dragon that is in the sea.

Each day of judgment upon a particular nation was a warning of the final day of the Lord with judgment
and salvation on a cosmic scale (Isa 13:2-16; Jer 25:30-32; Joel 1:15; 2:1-2, 10-11, 20– 3:21; Zeph 1:2 -
2:3; 3:8; Zech 14:1-21; Mal 3:1-5, 17-18; 4:1-5).

According to Isaiah, the Lord's judgment of Babylon and the nations (Isa 13:17 – 23:18) prefigured his
judgment of the whole earth (Isa 13:1-16) and all evil cosmic powers (Isa. 14-17).

Is. 13:1, 4b-6, 11

  13:1 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.
...
4 ... The LORD of hosts is mustering
a host for battle.
5 They come from a distant land,
from the end of the heavens,
the LORD and the weapons of his indignation,
to destroy the whole land.
6 Wail, for the day of the LORD is near;
as destruction from the Almighty it will come!
...
11 I will punish the world for its evil,
and the wicked for their iniquity;
I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,
and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.

According to Jeremiah 25, God's judgment of Judah and Jerusalem was the beginning of his judgment of
all the kingdoms of the world.

Jer. 25:1, 8-9, 29

25:1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth
year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon),
...

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 8 “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my
words, 9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this
land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them
to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
...
29 For behold, I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall
you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against
all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of hosts.’
...
31 The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the LORD has an indictment against the nations;
he is entering into judgment with all flesh,
and the wicked he will put to the sword,declares the LORD.’

The Last Day: Judgment of Evildoers and Eradication of Evil

On the Day of the Lord, the Lord will judge the whole earth, punishing it for its evil and iniquity.

Is. 13:9, 11

9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes,

cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,
to make the land a desolation
and to destroy its sinners from it.
...
11 I will punish the world for its evil,
and the wicked for their iniquity;
I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,
and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless.

The Last Day: The Destruction of Pagan gods and Idols

On the Last Day the Lord will destroy all of the false gods.

Zeph. 2:11

11 The LORD will be awesome against them;

for he will famish all the gods of the earth,
and to him shall bow down,
each in its place,
all the lands of the nations.

The Last Day: Judgment of the Heavenly Hosts and Leviathon

On the Last Day God will bring judgment on the evil angels and their leader the devil.

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 Is. 24:21

21 On that day the LORD will punish

the host of heaven, in heaven,
and the kings of the earth, on the earth.

Is. 27:1

27:1 In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish
Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the
dragon that is in the sea.

God’s Policy for the Nations

Through the prophet Isaiah and his successors, the Lord revealed his policy (‘etzah) for the nations.
(1) The Lord would reveal his glory to all people on Mt Zion (Isa 40:5; 60:1-3; 66:18;
cf. 4:5; 11:10).
• The whole city could be God's temple (Isa 4:5-6; 60:1-3,19; cf. Jer 3:17).
• The people of Zion would proclaim God's presence with them to the nations in a song
of praise (Isa 12:4-6).
(2) The Lord would teach the nations his ways and make peace between them through their
worship of him (Isa 2:2-3).
(3) The Lord would gather foreigners as well as his people, bring them to Zion, and accept their
sacrifices at the temple, which would become a house of prayer for all nations (Isa 56:6-8; 60:5-
7; cf. Mark 11:15-17).
(4) The Lord would purify the speech of foreigners, so that they could invoke and serve him
(Zeph 3:9).
(5) The Lord would prepare a sacrificial banquet for the nations on Mt Zion to celebrate the
death of death (Isa 25:6-8; cf. 55:3-9).
(6) The Lord would choose some foreigners to be his priests and levites (Isa 66:21; cf. 56:6).

God’s Policy for the Nations: Zion will be the Place for International Worship
In the latter days the Lord would raise up Mt Zion as a shrine for all the nations (Isa 2:1-4; Micah 4:1-4;
cf. Jer 3:17).

Is. 2:1-4

2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the LORD
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

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 and shall be lifted up above the hills;
and all the nations shall flow to it,
3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.

God’s Policy for the Nations: The Conversion of the Nations and Their Pilgrimage to Zion
Jer. 16:19-21

19 O LORD, my strength and my stronghold,

my refuge in the day of trouble,
to you shall the nations come
from the ends of the earth and say:
“Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies,
worthless things in which there is no profit.
20Can man make for himself gods?
Such are not gods!”
    21 “Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my
power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the LORD.”

Zech. 8:20-22

20 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many
cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to
entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am
going.’ 22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in
Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. 23 Thus says the LORD of hosts: In
those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a
Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”

The nations, who would be redeemed by the Lord, would go in pilgrimage to Zion with the people of
Israel and become God's holy people (Isa 2:3; 62:10-12).

Is. 2:3

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 3 and many peoples shall come, and say:
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Is. 62:10

10 Go through, go through the gates;

prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones;
lift up a signal over the peoples.

• They would go along with the Jews to seek the Lord's favour in Jerusalem (Zech 8:20-23) and
join his people, since he was in the midst of them (Zech 2:11; 8:23).
• They would come to Zion and acknowledge the presence of God there (Isa 45:14; 49:23).
• They would bring the people of Israel back with them as their offerings to the Lord on Zion (Isa
60:8-9; 66:20; cf. 49:22-23).
• They would celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with the Israelites in Jerusalem (Zech 14:14-19).
• They would pay tribute to the Lord and bring offerings to the Lord in Zion (Isa 18:7; 23:18).
• They would join Israel in bowing down and prostrating themselves before the Lord (Isa 45:23;
66:23; Zeph 2:11).
• They would join Israel in praising the Lord to all the earth (Isa 25:3-5; 42:10-13; 66:19).
• All nations who survived the Lord's judgment would therefore be called from their idols to
turn to the Lord and acknowledge him as the source

God’s Policy for the Nations: They would Perform the Divine Service Together with Israel
The Lord would purify the speech of foreigners, so that they could invoke and serve him (Zeph 3:9).

Zeph. 3:9

9 “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples

to a pure speech,
that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD
and serve him with one accord.

God’s Policy for the Nations: There will be One Common Confession of Faith

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Just as the people of Israel were included in God's enemies (Isa 1:21-31), God's vindication applied to
the penitent gentiles (Isa 45:22-24; 51:4-6; 55:5-9; 62:10-12) as well as his penitent people (Isa 1:27:
59:20).

They would join Israel in bowing down and prostrating themselves before the Lord (Isa 45:23; 66:23;
Zeph 2:11).

Is. 45:23

23 By myself I have sworn;

from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

All nations who survived the Lord's judgment would therefore be called from their idols to turn to the
Lord and acknowledge him as the source of their salvation and justification (Isa 45:20-24; cf. 55:5-7; Jer
12:14-17).

Is. 45: 20-22

20 “Assemble yourselves and come;

draw near together,
you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge
who carry about their wooden idols,
and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.
21 Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the LORD?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.

The International Role of the Messiah

The Messianic King would implement God's plan for the nations. The Lord would raise him up as an
ensign for amnesty (Isa. 11:10) and a light to the nations (Isa 42:6; 49:6).

Is. 11:10

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 10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal (ensign-KJV) for the
peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

Is. 42:6 (God speaking to the Servant)

6 “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness;

I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,

Is. 49:6 (God speaking to the Servant)

6 he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

The Messiah will Administer God’s Justice for the Nations

The Messianic King would implement God's plan for the nations by teaching the nations, he would
establish God's just rule on earth (Isa 42:1-4).

Is. 42:1, 4

42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.

4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged

till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.

The Messiah will Bring God’s Light and Salvation to the Nations
He would not only restore the survivors of Israel but would also deliver the nations from darkness (Isa
49:6; cf. 42:6-7).

Is. 42:6-7

6 “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness;

I will take you by the hand and keep you;

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 I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,7
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness

Is. 49:6

6 he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

The Messiah will Bring About the Justification of Many Nations by Sprinkling Them with His Blood
He would offer his life as a guilt offering for all people (Isa 53:11-12) and act as their priest by sprinkling
them with his own blood (Isa 52:14-15a).

Is. 53:11-12

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Is. 52:14-15a

14 As many were astonished at you—

his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.

The Messiah will Proclaim Peace to the Nations

He would establish international peace by disarming the nations in his dominion (Zech 9:9-10; cf. Micah
5:4-5a).

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 Zech. 9:10 (The Coming King of Zion)

10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Micah 5:4-5a

4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace.

The Messiah will Fulfill All Prophecy

When the people did not understand his prophecies and refused to respond to them, Jeremiah declared
that people would understand them after their fulfilment in the latter days (Jer 23:20; 30:24).

Jer. 23:20

20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back

until he has executed and accomplished
the intents of his heart.
In the latter days you will understand it clearly.

When many of the prophecies were not obviously fulfilled and the people became sceptical about their
validity for them, Ezekiel announced that every vision would find its fulfilment in the near future (Ezek
12:21-28).

Eze. 21:26-28

26 And the word of the LORD came to me: 27 “Son of man, behold, they of the house
of Israel say, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of
times far off.’ 28 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: None of my words
will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the
Lord GOD.”

Habakkuk was told that the vision of divine judgment on the wicked and the vindication of the righteous
would occur at the end of the present era (Hab 2:2-5).

Hab. 2:3

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 3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay.

According to Daniel 9:24-27, all visionary prophecy would be fulfilled and the end would occur at the
coming of the Messiah to Jerusalem.
• Then the exile would be over and Jerusalem would be restored.
• Then the rebellion of Israel would end and their sin would be atoned for.
• Then the people would receive everlasting vindication/righteousness and prophecy would
cease.
• Then the Holy of Holies/Most Holy One would be anointed.

Dan. 9:24

24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the
transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting
righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.

This understanding of prophecy seems to be presupposed by the editors of the prophets. It determined
their arrangement of the prophetic oracles. It is evident in the arrangement of Isaiah, the structure of
which indicates that the vision of Zion's exaltation in Isaiah 2:1-4 would be fulfilled in heavenly
Jerusalem after the creation of a new heaven and new earth (Isa 65-66).

The New Testament understands all prophecy in this eschatological fashion (Acts 3:18-24; Rom 16:25-
26; 1 Cor 10:11; 1 Pet 1:10-12).

Acts 3:18-24

18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would
suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be
blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and
that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive
until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his
holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet
like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it
shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from
the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who
came after him, also proclaimed these days.

Rom. 16:25-26

25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept

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 secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings
has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to
bring about the obedience of faith—

1 Cor. 10:11

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.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and THE GIFT OF PROPHECY?

1. Prophets were chosen and commissioned by God. God sent them at particular times and places
to speak his word to particular people. Because God called them they had the authority to
speak. God gave them the message to speak and warned them of the opposition and rejection
of their message.
2. Prophets were admitted to the heavenly Council where decisions are made that determine
history. Prophets interceded to God for people and received answers from him. Prophets were
inspired by God’s Spirit to speak God’s Word.
3. God’s Word came to the prophets either visually or audibly. They expressed this experience by
the formula: “The word of the Lord came to me.” Some prophets such as Ezekiel received their
message in a state of heightened consciousness.
4. God identified with his people by suffering with them in his judgment of them. The prophets
also experienced the grief and suffering that God and the people felt.
5. By his prophetic word, God did not just predict what he would do but actually made it happen.
His Word also explained what God was doing or would do in Israel’s history. So God’s Word was
both performative and informative.
6. God’s Word is powerful. Speaking God’s Word causes things to happen. With his Word God
created and upholds the universe. The message of the prophets (God’s Word) was a
performative utterance that enacted what it proclaimed. Therefore with his Word God shaped
Israel’s history.
7. Prophets announced God’s judgment on Israel and Judah. Prophets also prophesied to the
nations, presupposing God’s government of the whole world. They also delivered God’s
accusations against individuals. In announcing God’s judgment, the prophets gave the formal
accusation followed by a sentence. They also proclaimed oracles of salvation and vindication.
8. The proclamation of God’s word effected judgment or salvation and set into motion what was
about to happen. God sent his Word as an agent or power which performed its mission. And
since what God spoke was certain to happen, it was usually proclaimed in the prophetic perfect:
“the Lord has spoken.”
9. The role of the prophet was established by God at Mt Sinai where God used Moses as his
spokesman to speak his word to the people. He was the first prophet. Through Moses the torah

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 (teaching/law) was given and it was the job of the prophets to turn people back to the torah,
which promoted true worship and holy living.
10. False prophets arose during the monarchy. Sometimes they were difficult to spot because they
claimed to speak in God’s name. They told the people what they wanted to hear. They
proclaimed peace and prosperity to sinners. They condemned the righteous and justified
sinners. They denied God’s judgment on Israel’s rebellion.
11. Three criteria were used to distinguish between true and false prophecy: practical, liturgical, and
moral. If the prophet truly spoke God’s Word then it would be fulfilled. True prophets turned
the people to worship of the Lord as laid out in the Law of Moses. False prophets condoned
injustice while true prophets preached repentance.
12. God’s Word spoken by the prophets shaped not only Israel’s history but also the destiny of the
nations. It is presupposed that the Lord is at work in international history for the benefit of all
nations on earth. He governs the world and rules with divine justice.
13. Each day of judgment, whether it be against Israel or the nations, served as a warning of the
final Day of the Lord with judgment and salvation on a cosmic scale. For instance, according to
Isaiah, the Lord's judgment of Babylon and the nations prefigured his judgment of the whole
earth and all evil cosmic powers. On the Last Day evildoers and evil will be eradicated, pagan
gods and idols will be destroyed, the evil angels and devil will be punished.
14. Prophecies of judgment against the nations came for multiple reasons: regarding themselves
and their leaders as divine, atrocities against other nations and Israel, cosmic disorder because
of immorality, and mistreatment of Israel.
15. Through prophecy God revealed his plan for the nations. The nations would be converted and
redeemed and make their pilgrimage to Zion (the Church) where they would turn from their
idols, acknowledge the Lord as the source of their salvation, and worship the Lord together with
Israel, making a common confession of faith in the one, true God.
16. God would carry out his plan for the nations by raising up a Messiah King. He would be a light
for the nations, delivering them from the darkness of sin. He would offer his life as a guilt
offering for all people and cleanse people with his blood. He will proclaim peace to the nations.
All prophecies will be fulfilled when the Messiah comes. This is the way the NT understands
prophecy.

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 f. [THE GIFT OF WISDOM]
[In an earlier session questions came up about wisdom and Dr. Kleinig gave a short summary.
This was not part of the regular course.]

Wisdom Assumes There is Order in the World

Wisdom is not the same as knowledge. What we lack in our modern world is wisdom. Wisdom
is not theoretical knowledge. It is practical knowledge. It is common sense in living a godly life,
as a husband, as a father, as a citizen, as a Christian, etc. It is very closely connected with
modern ideas of ecology because the presupposition for wisdom is that there is an order, a
divinely given order to reality. But that order is a hidden order. It is unlike modern science
which has some theories that “explain everything” at the expense of explaining away most
things. Notice the modern tack is that you have a theory that is suppose to explain everything
but it explains away most things that are important to us because they don’t fit the theory.

Wisdom doesn’t give a comprehensive philosophy to life. It doesn’t give you theory of
everything. But it is based on the conviction that there is an order in everything and that things
make sense. If you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you can make sense, not from outside by
looking at the world, but you can make sense of things from the inside as part of your
experience. You have to learn from your experience the lessons of experience.

Wisdom Uses Its Ears and Eyes

And the two most important organs in wisdom are your ears – that you listen. A fool is a person
who doesn’t listen. A fool is a person who only listens to people who agree with him and not to
people who disagree. You can learn the most from your critics, people who disagree with you.
But if you only learn from listening, you will still remain a fool. Because what you hear, you
need to test with your eyes against your own experience and against the common experience.
So you need to use both your ears and your eyes.

There is a lovely proverb which goes like this: The hearing ear, the seeing eye, the Lord has
made them both or paired them together. So we don’t just have ears so that we just blindly
follow what everybody says or what the dominant voice says, but we use both our ears and
eyes and we use both ears and both eyes. That in essence is what wisdom is about. It’s about
learning by common sense, learning from our experiences. It is learning to decipher your own
life and the way that God is at work in all the details of life. And what is most important in
wisdom is not the extra-ordinary things, but how God is involved in ordinary, everyday,
mundane things that we overlook.

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There is another proverb that Dr. Kleinig likes: The eyes of the fool are at the edge of the world.
They are always looking at the horizon or over the horizon. Can you figure what the point of
that proverb is? You always look somewhere out there, but what don’t you notice? The things
right in front of your face. And that is where the most extra-ordinary things happen – in the
ordinary. That is what wisdom is. It is making sense of ordinary things. For instance, it is always
noticing your wife, instead of looking at other women. It’s looking at your own experiences
rather than envying other people for their experiences. It is seeing the things that God has
given you rather than seeing things he’s given to other people. That is basically wisdom.

Wisdom has as its presupposition a doctrine of creation and God’s ordering of the world. And it
doesn’t go down a philosophical way, but it goes down that practical way. It doesn’t go down
an outside view of things to try and get a theory or explanation of everything. God hasn’t given
us that point of view. To have that point of view, we would have to be gods. Instead we are
creatures and all that we see is what is around us. And wisdom is making sense of what is
around us, of our own experience.

Using Wisdom to Understand Invisible Realities

And wisdom is a term used in the OT for both the order of creation and the order of
redemption. So there is earthly wisdom, which is just common sense that any person, whether
they believe in God or not, has from learning from experience. But then there is also heavenly
wisdom, which is the wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit. So we learn to see and
understand not just the visible things, but we learn to see and understand the invisible realities,
which are real realities. So we then see the interdependencies of the order of creation and the
order of redemption.

There are deeper realties that are unseen. Take for instance your marriage. Your marriage
doesn’t just involve you and your wife and your families. It involves the Holy Spirit. It involves
the Triune God. It mirrors the relationship between Christ and the Church. Christ comes to you
through your spouse. The most important teacher of wisdom that you will ever have is your
spouse. And if you are going to be a fool you won’t listen to your spouse, you won’t pay any
attention to your spouse.

So, wisdom is very closely related to sexuality and the significant people of the opposite sex
that we are involved with. So there are two figures of wisdom in Proverbs. There is Woman
Wisdom, Dame Wisdom, the embodiment of wisdom. And then you have Miss Folly. The one
that is most attractive because she entices with her beauty and is very seductive is Miss Folly.
But then Woman Wisdom is most significant. She comes through your mother and your mother
figures in your life and through your wife. The book of Proverbs ends most remarkably with an

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acrostic poem in praise of a wife of substance as the source of wisdom. That is a very brief
overview of wisdom, just to wet your appetite.

(A student says an excellent source that follows everything that Dr. Kleinig has said is his most
recent book Grace Upon Grace. It contains much of what we have just been talking about and it
is highly recommended.)

The Spirit Teaches Wisdom in the Law and the Gospel

To put wisdom in Lutheran terms, there is the wisdom of the Law within the order of creation,
which is accessible to everyone, and then there is the wisdom of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit is
involved in both, in the world and the Church, and in different ways. The Spirit of God is the
creative Spirit. He works through God’s Law and through the order of redemption, through the
Gospel. And the basic picture is that the whole of our life, the whole of the world is a school.
And God is the Teacher and he teaches us in the university of life or the school of hard knocks.
That is because the most difficult experiences are the ones that we can only learn very painfully
through discipline. Discipline is a very important part of wisdom. God teaches us by disciplining
us in the school of life.

Wisdom Shapes Us
Wisdom is different from knowledge. Knowledge has to do with information out there. Wisdom
is not about additional information, but it has to do with your mentality and your character. So
wisdom involves the shaping of your mind, the shaping of your emotions, the shaping of your
character. This is because there are certain things that you only have access to if you have the
mind for it.

Let me explain it like this. If I am color blind, I can’t see color. If I have no imagination, I cannot
make sense and understand people when they communicate imaginatively through a poem or a
picture. If I am a cold fish and lack emotion and have no emotional intelligence, then I cannot
understand emotions and the way people feel and the expression of emotions. If I don’t have
the mind of God, the mind of Christ, then I cannot understand the things of God. So wisdom has
to do with the shaping of a person’s heart, the core of his being, his character, his mentality.
You might say it has to with spiritual intelligence, moral intelligence, imaginative intelligence,
emotional intelligence, personal intelligence. So it has more to do with intelligence, not in the
narrow sense of IQ, but in the sense of disposition, mentality.

Ultimately wisdom has to do with the character of a person. So for example, if I am an evil
person, what will I not be able to make sense of? Good. This is because I will understand good
in evil terms. If I am an unclean person with an unclean mind, I won’t be able to make sense of
purity. If I am unholy, I won’t be able to make sense of God’s holiness. The wisdom tradition is

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very much interested not in the thought, but the thinker. Not feelings, but the feeler. Not what
is imagined, but the imagination. Not morality as a code of ethics, but of moral sense,
conscience.

There is a lot to this and the whole topic is not touched on much in the modern world, but was
common place until the time of the Enlightenment. You won’t understand much about
traditional philosophy and thought unless you see that that is its basic concern. So for example,
up until the Enlightenment, philosophers weren’t so much interested in a code of ethics, but in
the shaping of moral sensibilities, to sensitize people so that they can use their own judgment
and evaluate and understand and discern what is moral and immoral and what is ethical and
unethical.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and [THE GIFT OF WISDOM]?

1. The presupposition for wisdom is that there is an order, a divinely given order, to reality.
If you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you can make sense of this order from your
experiences.
2. The essence of wisdom is learning by common sense. It is learning to decipher your own
life and the way that God is at work in all the details of life. What is most important in
wisdom is not the extra-ordinary things, but how God is involved in ordinary, everyday,
mundane things that we overlook.
3. Besides earthly wisdom learned by experience in the order of creation, there is heavenly
wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit in the order of redemption. There are invisible
realities that are taught to us by the Spirit through the Word. God is the teacher of
wisdom in both realms.
4. God uses wisdom to shape our minds, emotions, and character. The wisdom tradition is
very much interested not in the thought, but the thinker. Not feelings, but the feeler.
Not what is imagined, but the imagination. Not morality as a code of ethics, but of moral
sense, conscience.

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 F. OUR LEGACY FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Paul’s List of What Christians Inherit from Israel through Christ

We will now summarize the theology of the OT and the relevance of the OT for us Christians.
Actually rather than me summarizing it, we will go to Paul because he has done a pretty good
job of it. Let’s look at Rom. 9:1-5. And in verses 4 and 5 we have an amazing little didactic
poem, which was used to instruct people in the early church. We will be looking closely at it.

9 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the
Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish
that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen
according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the
covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the
patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all,
blessed forever. Amen.

Notice here that we have an intricate list. Lists were used in the ancient world like we use
Power Point today, as didactic devices. They were used to teach from and to memorize. So
what you have here is a summary that was used by a teacher to teach from and a summary for
students to learn. And it is a poem; there is intricate rhyming and a pattern. Dr. Kleing gave his
translation of the Greek for Rom. 9:4-5. It is slightly different.

They are the Israelites, the giving of sonship and the glory and the covenants and the giving of
the law and the service and the promises and the fathers. And from them the Christ ...

If you look at it in Greek, there are a number of devices. (See below.) It is a list of seven things.
If you have a list of seven, it usually tells you the full story of something, the completion of it.
And notice that the seven culminates in an eighth, which is the Christ. You have seven plus one
and the one is the fulfillment of the seven. In the list of seven the accent is on the fathers who
were given the list of gifts. And what was given to the fathers culminates in number eight, the
Christ.

And within the seven there are certain rhyming schemes. There is a connection between the
giving of sonship and the giving of the law. There is a connection between the glory and the
service. There is a connection between the covenants and the promises. So the first three form
a trio that is parallel to the second trio.

Eight Part Legacy of Divine Gifts Received:

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1. Sonship
2. Glory
3. Covenants

4. Law
5. Services
6. Promises

7. Fathers

8. Christ

Eight Part Legacy of Divine Gifts Received through Christ:

#1 The Sonship – Adoption as God’s Firstborn Sons
See Acts 13:32-34; Gal 3:26-29.

The first gift is sonship. Remember that Israel was God’s firstborn son whom he called out of
Egypt. Also remember that the king, first of all Solomon and then the Messiah, was to be the
son of God. Solomon was the adopted son. The Messiah was the only begotten Son.

The first great gift that we have from Israel was the adoption as sons of God, the royal Father.
So we are royalty. We are royal sons of God. We’ve been adopted as God’s firstborn sons,
together with Israel through Jesus, God’s only begotten Son. And if we are God’s royal sons,
then we share in the inheritance of the firstborn son, which is the kingdom of God. And we do
the work of the Son. We work together with the royal Son in administering God’s kingdom and
our status is royal status. We are kings and queens who reign together with Christ.

Normally speaking in the ancient world, the firstborn son gets the bulk of the inheritance. But
here we all have the status of firstborn sons. So everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to us.
That is the first gift, the gift of sonship.

Eight Part Legacy of Divine Gifts Received through Christ:

#2 The Glory – God’s Presence in Christ
See John 1:14; 17:24.

The second great gift is the glory. Remember God’s glory manifested in the glory cloud, which
filled the tabernacle and temple? This is the same glory that was revealed in the divine service
in the column of smoke every morning and every evening. Now in John 1:14 John says, The
Word became flesh and tabernacled among us and we beheld his (God’s) glory, the glory as of
the one and only Son of God. The glory of God temporally resided on top of Mt. Sinai and then
in the tabernacle and then in the temple. And before the temple was destroyed the glory left

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the temple (Ezekiel’s great vision). That glory now resides in the body of Jesus and the
resurrected body of Jesus is the temple of God, the place of God’s glory where you can see God.
It is the place of theophany. We received that from Israel. There is continuity between the
tabernacle/temple/divine service in the OT and Jesus/Divine Service in the NT.

And notice in the diagram above that there is a parallel between glory and service because that
is where we have access to the glory.

Eight Part Legacy of Divine Gifts Received through Christ:

#3 The Covenants – Heirs with Christ to God’s Covenants with Abraham, Israel, and David
See Acts 3:25.

Thirdly, we have the covenants. Which are the main covenants from the OT? God’s covenant
with Abraham, God’s covenant with Israel, and most importantly God’s covenant with David.
On the face of it, those covenants belong not to us but to Israel. But because we are adopted as
sons, we are honorary Jews in Jesus the Son, and those covenants belong to us. And the
promises of those covenants are promises that apply to us. Hence we can read the OT, not just
as referring to Jewish people, but as referring to us in the new covenant.

So those covenants with Abraham, Israel, and David are fulfilled by the New David and so we
are now heirs of all of God’s covenants in the OT.

Eight Part Legacy of Divine Gifts Received through Christ:

#4 The Lawgiving – God’s Law Given to Israel Was Fulfilled by Christ
See Matt 5:17-20; Luke 16:17.

Fourthly, there is the giving of the law. The giving of the law is parallel to the giving of sonship.
To whom is the law given? To the sons of God. That law was received through Israel and that
law does not have to be fulfilled by us because it is fulfilled by Christ. He fulfills not just the
moral law, but the ceremonial law, the civil law, the whole law of God is fulfilled by Christ and it
is fulfilled for us in Christ, through him and his Holy Spirit. So there is the giving of the law and
the fulfillment of the law in Christ. And there is our fulfilling of the law in Christ, through faith in
Christ.

Notice that Jesus gives us the law back in the Sermon on the Mount. Don’t fall into the trap that
Jesus is only a preacher of the Gospel. He preaches both Law and Gospel. And he takes the law
to a greater extreme than Moses did. But he preaches God’s law in a new way. And he gives us
God’s law in a new way. The best way to understand this is in the Lutheran teaching of the
three uses of the law. Particularly the second and third use of the law – the law which exposes
and diagnoses our spiritual condition and exposes what we need to have done to us through

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Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And the third use of the law uses the law in a new way, as
encouragement rather than as condemnation and accusation. Encouragement in that it shows
us what pleases God. How do I know what pleases God? I look at the Ten Commandments. A
God-pleasing life is very simple, it is given to us in the law.

Eight Part Legacy of Divine Gifts Received through Christ:

#5 The Service – Divinely Instituted Worship with Jesus as High Priest
See Heb. 8:1-4.

The next one is the divine service. Now, this is most radical because for the last two hundred
years we’ve had the story that Jesus came to abolish the worship of Israel, to put an end to the
temple and its worship and to establish a new way of worshipping God. That is a bunch of
baloney. Jesus did not come to establish a new divine service but to fulfill the service of the OT.

There is continuity between what we do in church on Sunday and what was done by Israel at
the tabernacle and the temple. Every time you go to church you are receiving your part of the
heritage from Israel. You are receiving the heritage of the divine service from Israel in the OT.
What Paul says radically contradicts most modern theology since the enlightenment. The story
from the enlightenment is basically that Jesus came to abolish the law and to abolish the
ceremonial law. And that means to abolish the temple and the divine service. Jesus doesn’t
come to abolish the temple but to fulfill the temple. Jesus doesn’t come to abolish the
priesthood but to fulfill the priesthood. And most importantly here, he does not come to
abolish the divine service but to fulfill the divine service. The focus of the Divine Service is Holy
Communion, that wonderful meal is the fulfillment of everything done in the temple in the OT.

Eight Part Legacy of Divine Gifts Received through Christ:

#6 The Promises – Heirs of All God’s Promises to Israel through Union with Christ
See Eph. 3:6.

Next there is the promises of God. Notice that these are parallel to the covenants. Notice then
the emphasis then is not on the covenants as covenants of law, but the covenants as covenants
of promise. Now this is astonishing because theoretically speaking the promises in the OT
should only apply to the Jews. But because we are united with Jesus the Messiah, we are
honorary Jews, so therefore those promises made to the Jews are promises applied to us. Now
that is very important for your preaching and teaching of the OT, to make that link.

Eight Part Legacy of Divine Gifts Received through Christ:

#7 The Patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are Our Spiritual Fathers in Christ
See Rom. 4:13-25.

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Lastly, who are our spiritual fathers and mothers? Our spiritual father is not Luther or Augustine
or even Paul, but our spiritual father is Abraham. Our spiritual mother is Sarah. We are
honorary children of Abraham and Sarah. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are our founding fathers.
We have received the legacy of faith from them. We are the stars in the sky, the grains of sand
of descendants promised to Abraham.

Eight Part Legacy of Divine Gifts Received through Christ:

#8 The Christ – Jesus is the Promised Messiah who Occupies the Throne of David and Rules Over
Us in God’s Kingdom
See Luke 1:31-33.

All seven of these things are only ours how? Through the death and resurrection and anointing
of Jesus as the Messiah. All of this is only ours through Christ. (1) Through Christ we are sons of
God and have the status of sonship. (2) Through Christ we have access to God’s glory. (3)
Through Christ we are beneficiaries of the covenants of the OT. (4) Through Christ the law that
God gave to Israel becomes God’s law for us. (5) Through Christ we participate together with
Jewish people in the Divine Service. (6) Through Christ we become heirs of all the promises of
God. (7) Through Christ the fathers and mothers of Israel are our spiritual fathers and mothers.

These all lead to number eight. They lead to Christ who Paul says is God, blessed forever. So
Jesus Christ is God. This is one of the passages (Lk. 1:31-33) that teaches the divinity of Christ,
as the one who is the giver and bringer of all divine blessings.

Luther’s Take on the OT

So we have a great legacy from the Israelites. We have received far more than we ever realized.
Luther puts in very simply. He says really the whole NT is a simple sermon saying that
everything that God spoke about, everything that God promised in the OT is fulfilled in Christ.
So the NT is God’s Amen to the OT.

And then another time Luther went on to say, the Scriptures proper are not the NT or the
gospels. (Many today only view the NT as important.) But the Scriptures proper are the OT. The
NT is really Gospel preaching, saying that all of this is ours through Jesus the Christ.

OT Illiteracy
One of the things that has happened in the Church is that people’s knowledge of the OT has
diminished and is diminishing rapidly. Some pastors rarely preach on the OT. And worse than
that some Lutheran churches don’t even read the OT. This is tragic. We have a whole
generation of uncatechized, biblically illiterate people who are terribly vulnerable spiritually. If
you are going to meet the challenge of your generation to re-catechize and re-evangelize this

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coming generation, you won’t be able to do it just from the NT, but you will also need the OT as
well.

A Picture of the OT
One final picture, the way I see it is you can read the whole NT and you can get the basic
message of the NT. But what you get is the picture in black and white and consisting of still
pictures. What does the OT do? It turns the black and white into color and with it you can see
the riches and splendor of the NT only if you read it in the light of the OT. Likewise, you can only
see the full riches and color of the OT if you read it in the light of the NT.

Just two things I’d like to communicate to you and that is how rich the OT is and how relevant
the OT is. Bless you all.

Since this is about the theology of the OT, what do we learn about God and OUR LEGACY FROM THE
OLD TESTAMENT?

1. The theology of the OT is summarized by Paul in Rom. 9:4-5. In it he gives a list of seven
things which culminates in an eighth. The eighth thing (Christ) fulfills the seven. To Israel
God gave the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the law, the services, the promises, and
the fathers. All these gifts are fulfilled in Christ.
2. Jesus was God’s firstborn son. Together with Israel, we are adopted as God’s firstborn
sons through Jesus. As the firstborn son, our inheritance is the kingdom of God and we
work as the royal son administering God’s kingdom.
3. The glory of God, present in the tabernacle/temple with his people, now resides in
Jesus’ resurrected body. Jesus is the new temple where God is present with his people.
4. Because we are adopted as sons, God’s covenants with Israel (Abrahamic, Sinaitic, and
Davidic) are also ours and they find their fulfillment in Jesus, the new David.
5. The law was given to the sons of God but they and we could not keep it. As the Son of
God, Jesus kept all aspects of the law perfectly for us.
6. God gave the divine service to his people. Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT divine
service. In the NT Divine Service God meets with, purifies, sanctifies, and blesses his
people.
7. In the OT God made many wonderful promises to his people. Having been adopted into
God’s family, those promises are for us also and those promises are fulfilled in Christ.
8. As Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were the founding fathers of Israel, so they are our
spiritual fathers. From them we have received the legacy of faith. Like Abraham, our
faith in Jesus is credited to us as righteousness.

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9. All of these gifts are ours in and through Christ. He is the bringer and giver of all divine
blessings.
10. Everything that God spoke about and promised in the OT is fulfilled in Christ and given in
Christ.
11. The OT is important but today people’s knowledge of it is decreasing rapidly. By itself,
the NT is like a black and white picture. But the OT turns the NT into a color picture by
which you can see its full riches and splendor of God’s grace.

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