The Old Testament's Converting Power

      Paul writes to his young protégé, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 3:15: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ.”  The Greek text of this verse is rich in Old Testament imagery.  It reveals quite literally, these texts “have the inherent ability to make me comprehend the wisdom of salvation” (author’s translation).

I remember one time hearing of theologian R.C Sproul’s testimony of how he was brought to Christ.[i]  It was of all passages Ecclesiastes 11:3: “If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.”  Sproul comments about how suddenly God showed him that he was that tree, dead, and lying on the ground, in need of salvation.  Sproul wryly points out that he is probably the only person in the history of the church that was saved as a result of that passage.

Clearly the mark of Divine Inspiration lies in the scripture’s ability to affect someone’s salvation.  The Old Testament has this quality.  In the famous passage John 3:16, John appeals to the holding up of the serpent in Numbers 21 to highlight the significance of Christ’s impending crucifixion that is recorded at the end of the Gospel of John. 

Perhaps the most dramatic example of the effectual (the ability to affect) nature of the Old Testament’s ability to bring about salvation is by noting the Apostle Peter’s Preaching on the day of Pentecost.  Peter quotes at length no less than 6 Old Testament passages in unfolding the promised coming of the Holy Spirit, Christ’s resurrection and the need for salvation.  3,000 people get saved, and the church is officially born.  Truly this demonstrates a sample of how effective the Old Testament can be in God calling men and women to Jesus Christ.

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[i] Dever Mark, J. Ligon Duncan III, R. Albert Mohler Jr., C.J. Mahaney: Preaching from the Cross.  Crossway Books.  Wheaton, Illinois.  2007

The Old Testament's Explanation of the Cross

Why did God the Father have to send God the Son to die on a cross?  Why did God the Son voluntarily do this?  Why was there no other option but this one?  The Old Testament gives us two reasons behind God’s plan of salvation: Consider the pattern and the prophecies. 

a.    God’s Pattern for salvation was set in the Old Testament

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 this 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). 

b.    God gave Old Testament prophecies detailing the event of the cross

No other chapters in the Old Testament predict the necessity and the event of the cross like Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53.  Psalm 22:1 describes the very words Jesus would utter at the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”  Verse 8 of the same Psalm also tells us what the scribes would say to Jesus as they passed by the cross.  In Psalm 22;14, we see reference to Jesus’ bones being out of joint, a common trauma associated with crucifixion.  In verse 18 we see how the soldiers would be casting lots for Jesus clothing. 

In Isaiah 53:5 we see prediction of the Messiah being wounded, bruised and receiving stripes on His back.  In 53:9 we are told he would be laid in the borrowed tomb of a rich man, fulfilled in Matthew 27:57. 

Remarkably, the torture described by these two chapters occurs centuries before the crucifixion (Psalm 22 occurs 1,000 years and Isaiah 53 occurs 700 years before the event).  Furthermore, crucifixion as a form of punishment was not to be invented until the Romans conquered Greece some 450 years after Isaiah’s time. 

Focusing on these Old Testament texts enables us to see that the cross was not an accident, but central to God’s plan for history. 

Practical uses for the Old Testament

      Practical usages of the Old Testament


      IN GRIEVING

Who has not heard Psalm 23 quoted or referenced at a funeral service?  What do you do when you or someone you know loses a child?  You turn to 2 Samuel 12:23 where David, in grief over the death of his son, states: “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.”  Most throughout church history have appealed to this text to conclude that a child who suddenly passes away before the age of accountability is ushered safely into the presence of God.  Jesus of course maintains this consistency of this truth by noting the unique grace that children have before ditinguishing between righteousness and unrighteousness (the age of accountability) in passages such as Matthew 18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that ^(J)their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven."


WHEN FACING ANXIETY

What happens when you are facing anxiety, or uncertainty?  Passages such as Zephaniah 3:17 reminds us that God rejoices over us with singing, and quiets us with His love.  Psalm 55:22 tells us: "Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."  In the New Testament, Peter mentions this antidote to worry - "casting one's cares upon the Lord", in 1 Peter 5:7. 

WHEN MAKING DECISIONS

How about guidance for making decisions or knowing God’s will on a given matter? Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding.  In all of your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”  Proverbs 24:6 tells us that: “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counselors there is safety.” 

Appealing to the wisdom of scripture in our decision making is re-echoed in passages such as Philippians 2:15-16 "so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain."  These are but a few examples of the Old (and New) Testament’s ability to capture the wide spectrum of human emotion responding to life situations. 

Principles to effective application of the Old Testament

1. Every New Testament Doctrine has an Old Testament Testament Example. 

As you grow more familiar with the contents of the Bible in your study and reading, you will begin to see how the Old Testament gives concrete illustrations of truth that becomes fully developed in the New Testament.  For instance, I know that the life of Abraham gives a concrete illustration of the walk of faith which is fully unfolded in the New Testament book of Romans (especially Romans chapter 4).

2. Whenever you are studying anywhere in the Old Testament, find the connection to Christ

Though I may not find Christ in every verse of scripture, yet from every verse of scripture I can find my way to Jesus Christ.  The aim of the Old Testament is to point us to the One it anticipated.  As in the study of the New Testament, the Old Testament carries that same quality of being used by the Spirit of God to bring us to a meeting point with Jesus Christ.  (Please compare John 5:39).

3. Be aware of the distinctions between the Old Testament and New Testament

As much as I advocate the unity of all scripture, there are some differences that you as a Bible student need to keep in mind when determining how to apply Od Testament truth.  First, is the concept repeated or reinforced in the New Testament?  Animal sacrifices for instance ceased in the New Testament because of Christ's work on the cross.  Though they can be valuable in illustrating what He's done, yet it would be quite inappropriate for the Christian to perform them.

Second, be sure that your application of Old Testament truth does not conflict with explicit New Testament teaching.  Understanding that the nature of God's revelation of His truth is progressive in the Bible, I need to make sure that when using an Old Testament text, that I have connected it to a New Testament verse that speaks on the same subject.

More points could be brought out, but I hope this aids you, dear Christian, in your walk with the Lord. 

Knowing Christ in the Old Testament

I can’t think of any more important reason for studying the Old Testament than in the fact that Christ Himself is known through its pages.  For instance, Luke 24:44-45 records these words of Jesus to His disciples following His resurrection:  “And he said unto them, ‘These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me.’  (45) Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.” 

Though I might not be able to find Christ in every verse of scripture, yet from every verse of scripture I can find my way to Christ.  It is no wonder that throughout Christ’s ministry He did everything in fulfillment of the Old Testament.  When He was born, nearly 100 Old Testament passages were fulfilled.  In the course of His ministry the Four Gospels allude or reference over 600 Old Testament scriptures.   Jesus tells us this in John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” 

We learn from Genesis 3:15 that as the “Seed of Eve” He would become involved in a cosmic battle with Satan, and accomplish victory.  We know from Proverbs 30:5 and Psalm 110 that God the Son has been eternally by the Father’s side.  According to Isaiah 6 and John 12:41, this “Son” is as much God as the Father is God.  Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7 tells us that in being God, somehow He would become a man by being virgin born and someday ruling on the Throne of David in Jerusalem.  In Isaiah 55:1 He makes a passionate plea for all those who thirst and are hungry to be filled.  If for nothing else, getting to know Christ through the study of the Old Testament is strong enough reason to survey its contents. 

The Awe of the tremors of God's Holy presence

Have you ever experienced an earthquake?
Earlier this week the news had reported an earthquake occuring in the middle of Virginia.  My sister-in-law, who lives near Philadelphia, several hours away from the epi-center, told my wife that things on her wall were shaking.  I can recall my own experience of an earthquake when we had lived in a town North of Tulsa.  There had been a confirmed magnitude 4.3 earth tremor with its epicenter in Norman Oklahoma, several hours from where we had lived.  At the time I working in a church building, when suddenly the books on the shelves "rubbed" against one another.  Even though this event was small in comparison to many earthquakes we hear about, still it was enough to cause excitement and wonder.

What happens when God is on the moveIn Amos 1:1 we read these words: "¹The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake." Notice the underlined words?  Amos, a shepherd, was beginning his ministry in a time where there had been a great earthquake in Israel.  Other prophets, such a Zechariah, speak of this same earth quake in Zechariah 14:5.  What was going on that made this earthquake occur?  In the simplest terms: God was on the move. 


A king's wrong move
According to commentators and ancient Jewish Historians such as Josephus, a King, Uzziah (who we read about in 2 Chronicles 26), had entered into the holy place of the temple grounds.  Now though he was King, he was in a place where he should not had been.  According to history and 2 Chronicles 26, when Uzziah made this fatal mistake, God struck him with leprosy.  Apparently at the exact same moment a huge earthquake struck Jerusalem, causing a major crack to open up the roof in the temple, letting light in, where then Uzziah was struck with leprosy.  It was in that same year that Uzziah would die.  Isaiah 6:1 records these words: "¹In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." 


How often we ignore the tremors of His Holy Presence
When my own "earth shaking experience" occured that morning near Tulsa, I thought of how many times does God move in our midst? How many people miss the "tremors" and "seismic shifts" that occurs when He moves?  Some people I had talked to at that time had not even realized there had been an earth quake.  However by the end of the day, everyone knew, due to news reports and media outlets.

Lets never lose the awe of God
Now I suppose by next week, the earthquake in Virginia will begin to fade into memory.  But I would bid the reader not to treat God in that same fashion.  Rumblings are taking place.  In some ways it is disturbing what is going on in our churches, our lives and our cities.  However, three prophets, Amos, Isaiah and Zechariah, were called by God to report all they saw and heard.  Holy God is desiring sole allegiance and covenant unity with His people.  May we never lose the awe and fear of our Holy God. 

Praise the Triune Creator

Today we want to consider the work of the Trinity with respect to creation.  When we think of what the Bible has to say about the Triune God's creation of the universe, we can note the following distinctions:

1. The Father Sanctioned Creation

-Psalm 33:6  ⁶By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

-Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the Hevaens and the Earth

Clearly the created order was already in the mind of the Father.  It was by His decree that all things visible and invisible came into being.  The Heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1).  Why is the universe so big?  Because it takes an entire universe to approximate for our limited understanding what a glimpse of the Father's eternal glory must be like. 

2. The Son Structured Creation

-John 1:3 ³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

-Colossians 1:17  ¹⁷And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

-1 Corinthians 8:6 ⁶But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Christ is called in John 1 "The Word".  In Jewish thought and Greek thought, "The Word" (or the Logos) was what was believed to structure and hold together the entire universe.  The New Testament especially tells us that the Logos is not just a principle, but The Person of Jesus Christ.  Anywhere we see God speaking forth, we can accurately say that it is God the Son in conjunction with the Father, whose life and nature He shares.

3. The Spirit Sows life into the creation

-Psalm 104:30  ³⁰Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

-Genesis 1:2 ²And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

-Ezekiel 37:6 ⁶And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

It is the Holy Spirit who animates all of creation.  He not only is the origin of physical life, but also spiritual life (John 3:1-5; 1 Peter 1:23).  God, the Living God is the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17). 

Let us therefore give praise to the Triune Creator.  For from Him, and through Him and to Him are all things! (Romans 11:36)

How to Adore the Trinity

The Trinity is meant to be adored

Paul's last words to the church at Corinth are found in 2 Corinthians 13:14 - "¹⁴The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." This final statement was very important to Paul, since throughout His letters to the church at Corinth he was dealing with issues that threatened their fellowship and intimacy with God.  He wanted the Christians at Corinth to have direct interraction and empowerment from the Triune God. 

So who is the God of the Bible?  Passages such as Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us that He is One God whom were are to love with all of our hearts, souls and strength.  Furthermore, the Bible tells us that in being one God in His existence, He is Three-fold in His identity.  Passages such as the one above and Matthew 28:18-20 tell us that the God of scripture is identified as The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit.  The Father, the Son and Holy Spirit have co-existed with one another for all eternity.  Each one is His own center of personality while having in common the same undivided eternal inward life.

A recommendation when contemplating the Trinity

More could be said about how this One God can exist as three, co-eternal, co-equal persons, however I think it is helpful when contemplating the Triune God to begin with His works, followed by His names and then finally arrive at a point where we can adore His very nature.    

1. God's work
When we say His works, we speak of the activities of the Triune God in relationship to His creation in general, and His people in particular.  In the above passage, we see three distinct areas of God's overall work of relating to His people - grace, love and communion.  All three are one great work, with three incredible properties.  This work of the Triune God, in anchoring the Christian, is a loving, gracious communion.  Thus the work of God here points us back to it's author - who being One in existence, acts within that existence as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

2. God's names
The names of God point to His character.  Scripture mentions hundreds of them. In this passage, we see When we speak of His names, His names help us identify various features of His character.  It is not enough just to know the works of God, but as Psalm 103:7 states, there is that deeper level of know God, namely His ways.  I have found the names of God to be helpful, since He often revealed His names in contexts where He was revealing His character.  In this text we see three: Jesus Christ, God the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Thus God is One in character, and three in identity.  No conflict exists within God.

3. Adoring God's nature means knowing Him, not comprehending Him
After we have begun with God's works, and proceeded to note His names, we can finally begin to know God.  When we do this, we realize that our goal of comprehending God will never be met, since God's glory is beyond comprehension.  We can legitimately know God, but never comprehend Him.  I can for instance know how a light works when I enter a room - simply flick the switch.  However I may not fully comprehend all the laws of physics, mechanics and engineering that it takes to make the switch work.  In a much more profound way it is the same when it comes to developing a deeper appreciation for the Trinity.  The only proper response is worship and adoration (Psalm 100).