Bird's Eye View of the Bible: Creation, Catastrophe and Patriarchs

The aim of this next blog series is to orientate you to an overview of the major themes and message of the Bible.  We will begin by noting the Old Testament’s value and contents, as well as its relationship to the New Testament.  It has been well said that the New testament in the Old is concealed, and the Old Testament in the New is revealed.  Both parts of the Bible find their focal point in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Before we can get into all those things, we first of all need to get into our minds, and hearts the 10 themes of the Old Testament.  These themes will help us to get our bearings as we approach the major sections of this vital part of the Bible.  Today's blog will focus upon the first three of those themes. 

Theme One: Beginnings

So where do we begin?  Thankfully, the Lord has given to us the book of Genesis.  In the Hebrew language the book of Genesis is called by the name “beroshith”, which simply means “beginning”.  One pastor friend of mine has noted that Genesis contains in seed form the beginning of every major doctrine and teaching that we will encounter in the scripture.  Genesis covers the beginning of the universe, our solar system, our planet, life, humanity, worship, sin, blood sacrifice, salvation, government, science, art, language, culture – all within the first 11 chapters!  This is but a sample of this first but critically important theme – Beginnings.

Theme Two: Catastrophe

More than one Bible scholar has noted that Scripture records three historical, global curses: The Fall, the Flood and Babel.  For the second theme then we will assign the name “catastrophe”.  The Fall of man into sin represents the greatest catastrophe, with the cross as the remedy.  The Fall had a particular fallout: Cain murdering Abel, and a Universal Fallout: death through all generations.

The second catastrophe, the Flood, represents the most global event recorded in the history of planet earth.  Over 500 cultures across the globe have a version of the flood epic that agrees, more or less, with the inspired and inerrant record of Genesis 6-9.  No other event, save the cross, had altered history like the flood.  As we will see, the flood as an event and as a theme is used to explain the flow of history in the Old Testament and to shed light upon major events in the New Testament.  The flood marks the major transitioning point between the pre-flood (antediluvian) world of Adam to Noah to the patriarchal period of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph in Genesis 12-50.

Then finally we see the third catastrophe, the Tower of Babel.  This event of rebellion and mankind’s unified attempt to live without God is responsible for the variety of cultures, languages and thousands of world religions in the world today.  Since Babel the battle has waged between Revealed Truth from God verses Religious Error inspired by the enemy.  In fact, all the so-called gods of Old Testament History and today are referred to in the Bible as demonic in origin (Deuteronomy 32:17; 1 Corinthians 10:20)

Theme Three: Patriarchs

On at least 9 occasions in the Old Testament we find God referring to Himself as the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”.  As we come into the New Testament, we find the phrase mentioned 5 additional times.  Why is it that God identified Himself with these men?  In the Ancient world, when any two people made a binding agreement (a covenant), they would take part of one another’s name and insert it in their own, signifying the permanence of their relationship.  Clearly God set His affection on these three men and Joseph.  Understanding the theme of patriarchs aids in our understanding of the remainder of the Old Testament from Exodus to Malachi.

Tomorrow we will explore more themes in our aim to get a bird's eye view of the Bible. 

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Answering Questions about Childhood and Salvation - p3

Note to reader: This is part three of a three part blog series on children and salvation.  If the reader would like to read the previous two blogs on this subject, they are invited to click on those blogs in this site.

4. WHY CHILDREN REACHING ACCOUNTABILITY AND ADULTS CAN ONLY BE SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

The fall into sin by our original parents, Adam and Eve, came from the soul.  Concerning God’s plan of salvation to save sinners, the pattern for innocent substitutes dying in the place of guilty people was set in Genesis 3:21, when God provided coats of skin for Adam and Eve.  The blood itself is the physical emblem of the soul.  In Leviticus 17:11 we read: The life of the flesh is in the blood…”  In the Hebrew text this can literally be rendered: “The soul of the flesh is in the blood”, indicating the physical connection between blood and the human soul.  When Christ came to die on the cross, He fulfilled his picture by shedding His own blood, which alone is the source of salvation and must be applied by faith in the lives of those so affected by the Grace of God (Ephesians 1:7). 

Children, like adults, need salvation.  Their souls have been drastically affected by the sin they have inherited from their parents.  In an interesting observation of Ephesians 2:1-3, Commentator Warren Wiersby notes that before the age of accountability, the child is characterized as a child of wrath.  Due to the fact they are descended from Adam, they are guilty by virtue of the fact they inherited and had imputed to them his sinful nature as a result of God’s curse on humanity (Romans 5:1-11).   Each child will differ in terms of what age and what stage of moral development they attain in their young lives.  However after the child comes to a self awareness of the difference between righteousness and unrighteousness, the child now is also a child of rebellion, making him susceptible to the penalties of judgment. 

5. Why the “Age of Accountability” teaching is crucial to Christianity

          As I close out this paper, my prayer is that this will aid the body of Christ in thinking through the issues surrounding children and the gospel.  Making the distinctions as outlined in this paper represents how the church has historically handled questions surrounding the Gospel and childhood evangelism.  Key doctrines of Christianity are impacted by what we believe about this area.  Below are some final thoughts as to why we uphold the biblical distinction on this matter:

a. God’s Goodness/Justice.  If God were to enact the penalty of suffering in hell on infants and young children, the justice and goodness of God would be seriously in question. 

b. The law and gospel.  If anything, teaching young children the law of God (the Ten Commandments) is foundational in their moral development.  The Law of God is designed to act as a school master, pointing them to Christ (Psalm 19:7; Galatians 4:1-4).  This is why the church for centuries always began teaching children about their accountability before God and His law, followed by a presentation of the Gospel. 

c. Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Somewhere along the way, when a child exhibits alarm over the fact that they are not right before God, or that they can’t be made right by being a good boy or girl, this could indicate they are being dealt with by the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-11).

d. Children need to hear the Gospel. Children still represent the largest segment of people who have responded by faith to Jesus Christ.  Moses (Deuteronomy 6); Solomon (Proverbs 1-7); Jesus (Matthew 18; Mark 10); Peter (Acts 2) and Paul (Ephesians 6) all make statements pertaining to the message of salvation needing to be communicated to children. 

There are other thoughts that we could mention, but the above should suffice to show that how we approach children in matters of salvation matters greatly in how we understand God the Father’s dealings with His people.  May we exercise discernment and biblical love as we consider those little ones God has placed in our lives. 

Answering Questions About Childhood and Salvation - p2

This Blog is a continuation from yesterday's, where we began to explore the nature of salvation and children.  The reader is encouraged to read yesterday's to pick-up the context of this current discussion.

3. The nature of the Human Soul – The center of Self Awareness

Man was created a living soul

          We know from Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2:7 that God had breathed into the nostrils of man and “he became a living soul”.  The word for soul in the Old Testament, nephesh, refers to a living being.   In the New Testament we see the word “psyche” used, from whence we derive our word “psychology”, literally meaning a study of the soul.  The soul in mankind has five areas, functions or faculties.  As we look at the account of mankind’s fall into sin in Genesis 3, we can discern all five faculties or functions of the soul in man.  These functions that we are about to consider were given to man at his creation, and each of them were affected in the fall. 

How the Mind functions in the life of a child

The first function we can note is the area of the mind.  This is the thinking faculty of the soul and is the first area Satan tempted Eve by when he said: “Yea, hath God said” (Genesis 3:1).   It is no wonder that the mind is of premier concern in discipleship, since it is the first area of the soul that was addressed by the enemy (compare Hebrews 12:2).   Children’s minds gravitate toward openness to all kinds of thoughts and curiosities, requiring supervision and authority to give boundaries for discerning good from evil.  Concerning the mind of a child Paul writes this in 1 Corinthians 13:11: “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”  When it comes to instructing children in the word of God, the mind is of utmost consideration, since only the right actions and moral decisions can derive from right thinking (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, 11:19, 31:13). 

The mind is the place where certain illuminations can occur in a child

It is in this area of a child’s soul that illumination can and does take place.  Scripture is clear that it is possible for heavenly illumination to touch the soul, but not the spirit (Hebrew 6:4).  The spirit is the area in man where God the Holy Spirit comes to reside in salvation (John 14:23; Romans 5:1-5; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 4:12).  Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:10 “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”  Though this passage is difficult to understand, we can say at bare minimum that there is some type of ministry of the angelic host going on in the lives of young little children.

Having four children of my own, I can testify how my own children have been able to know when they are in the presence of evil, have reacted to a sudden move of God in a church service, and have said profound statements beyond their capacity to understand.  Though they mentally cannot process all that God is working in their young lives, yet they do function in it in ways that we cannot even begin to comprehend.

The emotions are the wardrobe for the mind – especially in children

The second function of the soul is the emotional realm.  In Genesis 3:6, following Satan’s twisting of scripture and Eve’s giving into his temptation mentally, the Bible tells us how Eve then gave more ground emotionally: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise…”.   The emotions are the wardrobe for the mind.  Children are especially sensitive in the realm of their emotions.  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:20: “Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.”  In using this illustration to positively reinforce strong fellowship among the Corinthians, Paul is reminding us of how children are still developing emotionally.  Children, more than adults, will be won emotionally to a particular pattern of behavior.   In the first 7 chapters of Proverbs Solomon instructs his son to be led by the wisdom of God’s word, and not his emotions.  Emotions are reactionary, and must be led by the will informed by the mind.

The function of the will in the life of the child

The will then comprises the third function or faculty of the soul.  Again in turning to Genesis 3:6 we find Eve’s ongoing descent into temptation: “…she took of the fruit thereof, and gave also unto her husband with her…”  At this point Adam willfully rebels and does eat of the fruit.  The scripture is clear that Eve was deceived, but that Adam willfully rebelled.  He not only willfully chose his wife over God, but he consented to her listening to the serpent.  He failed to protect her and was complicit in his wife’s deception, thus making him the primary responsible party for the entry of sin into the world (Romans 5:1-11).  Children are commanded to obey their parents due to the fact that they inherited sin from their parents and ultimately from Adam (1 Peter 1:17-18).  It is the will that at birth is bound and bent to please the self rather than God (Psalm 51; Ephesians 2:1-2). 

How the conscience works in the life of a child

With the mind, emotions and will we come to the fourth area of the soul, the conscience.  The conscience acts as the “dashboard lights” for the soul, warning and reminding all people of God’s righteous standards (Romans 2:15).  It is in this area of the soul that issues surrounding the so-called “age of accountability” come into view.  I heard one pastor describe it this way: “Before the age of accountability, the child has knowledge of right and wrong.  It is when they willfully rebel against God that their responsibility before God’s law changes, for now they can discern between righteousness and unrighteousness.”  Many preachers have referred to the condition of young children before God as being “safe”, due to the fact that though they are guilty in terms of right and wrong, yet they are not subject to due penalty as it pertains to righteousness and unrighteousness.

         

The “affections” govern the motives and behavior of a child

American Theologian Jonathan Edwards, in his book “Concerning  The Religious Affections” also speaks of affections, which are another name for the motives and intents of the heart.  The affections act as the governors of the soul, providing the boundary lines by which people operate.  In Genesis 3:7 we could say that Adam and Eve had affections that led them to hide from God, rather than commune with God.  As Edwards points out, a person will never choose against their strongest affection or inclination.  Whatever their “bent” or “leaning” is, that is what they will choose.  Children by nature will choose what brings them the most comfort and protection.  As they develop, self preservation will come to dominate their primary motives for what they do.  James 4:1 describes the affections in sinful man: “From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?”

           These affections operate out of what the Bible calls “The Heart”.  Jesus notes in Mark 7:20-23 “And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.  ²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,  ²²Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  ²³All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” Proverbs 4:23 also reminds us: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.  In communicating the gospel to children, we should always address the heart first before the behavior, since the gospel addresses the change of heart, not just behavior modification.

Answering questions about childhood and salvation - Part One

Main Point of This Blog: To give an overview of what the scriptures have to say concerning the nature of children as it pertains to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The following concepts will aid us in this study: The Age of Accountability, How sin operates in the life of a child, The nature of the human soul, What the Bible teaches about children in salvation and why the teaching of “the age of accountability” is crucial to Christianity.

1. Understanding the Age of Accountability

Foundational Texts for Understanding the Age of Accountability

Being that a child is spiritually dead at birth, it is clear that the reason they sin is because they are sinners (Ephesians 2:1-5; Romans 3:10-21).  However, the Bible is also clear that for the first several years of life, until a child reaches the point where they can discern the consequences of their rebellion, they will not be subject to the penalties of the law, even though they are declared guilty by the law (Ten Commandments).  David in the Old Testament comments following the death of his infant son in 2 Samuel 12:23: “But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but He shall not return to me.”  Jesus comments in Mark 10:14 “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

2. How sin operates in the life of a child

Pastor and Bible Teacher John MacArthur remarks in a sermon on Mark 10: “Children in the age of innocence function in a special dimension of God’s grace.”  In other words, though children are guilty sinners before Holy God at birth, young children are not able to see their activities as somehow offending Holy God.   Young children, like adults, have the law of God written on their hearts (Romans 2:15).  However they are not developmentally or emotionally able to “connect-the-dots” between the commands of that law and the offense against God for its disregard. 

 God withholds the penalty of the Divine law (punishment in hell) from young children.  Romans 1:20 tells us that: “The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”  Being that a child cannot fully link together the implications of rebellion against such understanding, nor can the young even exercise such understanding, we can only conclude that young children are exonerated from the due penalty of their inherited sin.

Why it is children can exhibit remarkable insights

Though a child is spiritually dead, we do know that children still possess the remarkable ability to produce spiritual insights.  Psalm 8:2 states: “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that though mightiest still the enemy and avenger”.   How do young children accomplish this?  It is in their unique function before the age of accountability that God illuminates them in the realm of their soul.  To better understand what the soul is and how a child’s spiritual condition operates in their soul will be the focus of the next blog. 

A Poem - The Trinity, the River of God

The Trinity, the River of God
What a sight for eyes to see
To behold God in Trinity
He is the River of Glory, infinite in length
Whose source is unending, whose mouth is infinite strength
The Father, unending, the First of the Three
Is the Hidden Springs of Deity
The Son, equal, visible and unending
Is the course of this River, infinite and unbending
He is Divine, but also man
He purchased the salvation of the Father's plan
When I behold the river, I see the Son
Equal to the Father, second to none
The blessed Holy Spirit, the third of the Three
Equally glorious in One God the Trinity
He is the mighty mouth which roars in a voice
Calling forth sinners to make a choice
Turn unto this River, have your sins washed in blood
Behold the Trinity, The River of God
 

Defeating Doubt, Worry and Fear when things appear Hopeless - Part Three

So when you woke up this morning, did life seem hopeless to you?  There is a great difference between something being hopeless and something “appearing” to be hopeless.  For the true believer in Jesus Christ, there will never be such a thing as a hopeless situation.  However, you and I often experience what are many times situations that “appear to be hopeless”. 

In Psalm 42 and 43 David is talking to himself, within his soul, to pull up out of its despair, and hope in God.  Both Psalms in the original Hebrew were most likely one Psalm, which is why their themes mesh so well.  The refrain “put your hope in God” further supports this observation.  In fact, in the original Hebrew text, Psalm 43 does not have a title, further indicating its connection with Psalm 42.

Psalm 42 begins with these words: “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you.”  You get the sense of dryness, heaviness and weariness in the Psalmist’s words.  I can remember as a boy growing up in Western Pennsylvania how the herds of deer would come off of the rugged Pennsylvania mountains, searching for water.  I would literally watch in the dead of winter as the condensation from their breaths billowed as white fluffy clouds from their parched mouths.  Those deer were literally “panting for water”, like a dog in the middle of summer. 

Clearly the Psalmist’s faith had grown dry, desperate and dark.  However in the midst he cried out the refrain that runs through the length of these two Psalms, recorded for us in 42:5, 11 and 43:5 – “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?  And why art thou disquieted in me?  Hope thou in God: For I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”

Why was this psalmist able to write such words?  Because testing and trial had galvanized Him in His relationship with God.  True saving faith always perseveres.  Why is it that He found such hope in God?  What did He discover regarding the benefits of hoping in God in defeating the doubt, worry and fear in His life?

1. The God of Hope can revive a dry faith 42:1-5

2. The God of Hope restores joy to a despairing faith 42:6-11

3. The God of hope can return light to a darkened faith 43:1-5

Each time the Psalmist would descend in the depths of dryness, in Psalm 42:1-5 He would look to the God of hope, the help of His countenance.  The phrase “cast down” found in 42:5, 11 and 43:5, comes from a Hebrew word that can be translated – “to dwindle, to sink down”.  Are you experiencing sinking, downward spirals in your Christian life?  Remember, only when you look to the God of Hope can you then be lifted out of your pit. 

The Psalmist in Psalm 42:6-11 had lost his joy.  Yet deep within the depths of his human spirit he could hear the voice of God, rumbling as a mighty waterfall, calling Him to be restored, revived, renewed.  Only the God of Hope would restore such joy. 

Then in Psalm 43:1-5 the Psalmist was facing many enemies who were oppressing him.  He cries out in 43:3 for God to “send his light and truth”.  Clearly no deliverance can take place apart from spending time in the scriptures.  Each time the Psalmist was threatened by darkness, He would turn to the God of Hope, who dispelled it all with His Light. 

As we close, let me encourage you with this thought from Romans 15:13 – “Now the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Defeating the Doubt, worry and fear in your heart - Part Two

In this series of blogs that we began yesterday, we defined the triple weaponry of the enemy as doubt, worry and fear - and how we can defeat them with the Bible.  We also noted that all three are attitudes of unbelief towards who God is and what he has said.  Doubt is when I have belief about what God has said to me in the past, worry is unbelief about who He is to me in the present and fear is unbelief about what He will do or say in the future.  Will God come through?  That’s the question of fear.  Is God still with me?  That’s the question of worry.  Did God really say that? That’s the question of doubt. 

In today's blog we will be concerned about the place where these three issues arise - the heart.  David wrote Psalm 39, explaining all of the doubt, worries and fears he was grappling with in his situation.  You and I can’t tell what he is dealing with in this Psalm, however all of the emotions and stresses He is articulating are well known.  For instance He states in Psalm 39:3 – “My heart was hot within me; while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue.”  This certainly describes how I have felt lately.  How about you?  Do you ever feel like you’re going to explode?  The Hebrew phrase for “the fire burned” carries with it the meaning of feeling like we’re going to explode. 

What do you do when doubt about what God said, worry about the present or fear of whether or not He’ll come through threatens the very fabric of your faith?  In other words – How do you deal with doubt, worry and fear in your heart?  Let’s follow the Psalmist’s thoughts in this Psalm and into the next Psalm.  If you are going to defeat doubt, worry and fear in your heart, you need to….

1. Hand your self-sufficiency to God 39:1-6

At first David thought it would be best to keep his mouth shut.  In 39:1-2 he attempted to “bridle his tongue” and “be dumb with silence”.  Very often the reason why you and I choose not to tell those close to us our deepest struggles is because of our self-sufficiency.  We believe it is best to deal with it on our own.  However, God has a way of breaking that down.  Our own self-perceived strength is our greatest enemy.  God is trying to remind you as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “His strength is made perfect in weakness”. 

David could no longer hold it in.  He cried out to God, asking God to give him an eternal perspective on his own frailty.  As painful as it was, he asked God to show him in verse 4: “make me know my end.”  As a desperate patient pleading with the surgeon: “Doc, do whatever you need to do to rid me of this disease”, so David appealed to the Great Physician.  David realized that his life truly is but the width of a man’s hand (verse 5) and that men at their very best are but vanity (also verse 5).  Self had to die.  Self-sufficiency is but a mirage in the life of the creature.  Only when we stop clinching our fists, hanging onto what is most dear – ourselves, and only when we open our hands towards heaven to that which is most precious – God alone – will we find true sufficiency. 

2. Hasten to see God as your sole desire 39:7-11

Psalm 39:7 indicates a major shift in this Psalm, note what it says: “And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.”  David shifts from reflecting on how bad things were to how hopeful He is now.  Did his circumstance change?  Not yet.  However his perspective did change.  How?  Having lost all hope in himself, He found all his hope in God.  I so identify with what he is writing here.  In the verse following the struggle is still taking place.  Clearly his inability to explain what He is going through is God’s doing (37:9).

 In fact, God illuminates to David that it is He who is testing David.  David actually refers to God as a moth who consumes whatever is beautiful in his life in 39:11.  It sounds so cruel at first- why would God take away what is “beautiful and desirable” in my life?”  The only answer is that God must be the object of my affections and desire above all things.  He alone endures.  All other goods and beauties deteriorate and fail after the passage of time, however, God is the fixed constant, the true Good, never changing nor varying (Malachi 3:6). All goods and beautiful things are given so that through them we can see God who is Good and beautiful.  It is all a matter of keeping everything in its proper order.  Only when God becomes the sole focus can we see the ability to overcome the doubt, worry and fear.  Thus…

3. Have confidence that God is hearing you 39:12-40:5

As we close this blog today, let’s see whether or not God came through for David.   In reading Psalm 39 and 40, it is my conviction that both Psalms are being written about the same event.  After all the struggle and tears of Psalm 39, we need to know: Did God show up for David?  Psalm 40:1 answers – “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”  In fact the remaining verses detail David’s testimony of how God had indeed came through for Him. 

As an added bonus, David will write a prophecy Psalm 40 about the coming of Christ into this world, as spoken by the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:4-5.  It truly was worth it.  Christ was seen more clearly in the end than at the beginning.  So what about you?  Are you and I going to make it?  Is God going to come through?  Have confidence, dear friend.  If you truly know Christ as Savior, Lord and Treasure, place you hand in His, for His other hand is connected to God the Father (1 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:20).  Know this:  God hears the cries of his saints.   He is greater than your doubt, worry and fear.