Gods people, in Gods place, under Gods rule

What is the Bible all about? Wait, I'll tell you a little story first:

There is a Sunday school tale of the teacher who is quizzing the class. For one of the questions she asks "what is small, has a long fluffy tail, lives in the trees and eats nuts?". After a long silence, one of the children replies "It sure sounds like a squirrel, but I know the answer has to be Jesus!"

What is the Bible all about? I'd like to avoid a simplistic and unhelpful assertion, and think "well, the answer must be Jesus". It is true that the scriptures speak of him and point to him in the law, the prophets and the psalms… but that is not the only thing, and probably not the first thing we see when we read the scriptures, especially the Old Testament. One of the reasons we are given the Old Testament is as a warning to us - so that we can recognise bad behaviour in Gods people and avoid doing it ourselves (1 Cor 10v6)

This morning I would like to suggest to you that the Bible is about Salvation History. It is a record of God, working out his plans in this world, gradually revealing his plan of salvation in more and more detail. The better we understand this, the easier we will find it to read the scriptures intelligently, and understand Gods word to us today through them.

By salvation I don't just mean salvation from sin (although that is tremendous in itself!), but the complete work of redemption of God, planned from before the beginning of time. God has never been taken by surprise by events, never seen a plan fail and had to switch to "Plan B".

His intention from the very beginning was to have a perfect, redeemed people, living with him in a perfect place, under Christ Jesus. Eph 1v4 tells us that we were chosen before the creation of the world. 1 Cor 2v2 tells us that God destined us for glory before time began. 1 Tim 1v9 tells us that the grace that led to our salvation was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. Titus 1v2 tells us of Eternal life which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.

Because we don't have much time to got through the entire Bible, I'd like to generalise: Salvation history is about Gods people, in Gods place, under Gods rule. In the New Testament this is described as the "Kingdom of God". I'd like to use this as a framework to have a quick look through the main sections of the Bible, to help us see how God has steadily revealed more and more of his plan, until in Jesus we find the fullest and final revelation of it. (cf Heb 1v1-2)

Eden - the kingdom pattern established - & broken

In the garden of Eden we find a picture of the perfection which God ultimately intends. His people are Adam and Eve, the place is the garden paradise, and Gods rule is seen in the word of God - they were given very broad permission "to eat of any tree in the garden" and one prohibition "must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil".

Brand new, in a perfect environment, yet man couldn't get it right. We know about the fall, how Adams relationship with God died and they were cast out of the garden, into the earth which was cursed as a result of their actions. Not a good start.

Romans 5 contrasts the death which came into the world through Adams sin with Christ's act of righteousness. Adam's disobedience contrasted with Jesus' obedience.

Skipping over the evil and perversity of man in the following generations, it is with Abraham that we see the next stage of God intervening to move towards his kingdom plan.

Abraham - the kingdom promised

Abram is called by God (Gen 12), to leave his home and journey to a special land (Canaan). He is given some remarkable promises for a 75 year old (I will make you a great nation, I will bless you and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you). God confirms this promise with a covenant which he makes in Gen 15 & confirms in Gen 17. God makes solemn promises regarding Gods people (through Abram), and the land which they will occupy.
While being notable for his faith, Abram still suffered some lapses - which led to him lying about his relationship to Sarah in Egypt, and also the lack of trust in Gods promise of a son which led to him attempting to "hurry things along" by sleeping with Hagar the servant… and all the woes which that eventually produced.

Heb 11v9-10 tells us that Abraham complied in faith - made his home in the promised land like a stranger - because he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. John 8v56 tells us that Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing the day of Jesus, he saw it and was glad.

There is the promise of a people, the promise of a land, and Gods covenantal promise which Abram obeyed.

Israel - the kingdom forshadowed

At the appointed time Israel, Gods people, are rescued from Egypt (a great act of salvation) and set on the path to the promised land. God confirms the covenant with them in more detail at Mount Sinai - the ten commandments and all the associated rules and laws which we can read about in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

Whether under the judges or the kings of Israel, we see once more a people who continually fail to maintain the covenant which God has made with them. The covenant stipulated blessings for conformance and cursings for disobedience, and Israel experienced both, again and again. It was a characteristic of the time that the king represented the nation - when the king was good, the nation was good. When the king was bad… well…

Eventually the disobedience became so great, their ignoring of the warnings which God sent so blatant, that they lost their land: Israel was dispersed by Assyria, and then Judah were taken off into exile by Babylon, all under Gods hand.

Exile - the kingdom forshadowed

Within the period of exile (and after the return), the scriptures talk in terms of the faithful remnant. Those Israelites who still (in their heart) followed God. The focus on Gods place become more specific, as the prophets speak at this time of a restored land, and a rebuilt temple in reoccupied Jerusalem. We also see in Jer 31v31-34 talk of a "new covenant", one written on men's hearts and nobody will need to teach each other about the LORD because they will all just know him.

Yet when they return from exile, and start to rebuilt the city and the temple, the glories that were prophesied don't seem to have arrived. This is why many of the minor prophets are still directing peoples attention ahead, to the future, when the final fulfilment of these issues of Gods people in Gods place under Gods rule will come to pass.

Jesus Christ - the kingdom at hand

It is in Jesus that all these threads draw together. Jesus is the perfect representation of the people of God. Adams disobedience led to sin and death, Jesus' obedience led to righteousness. Adam was tempted in the best of circumstances and failed. Jesus was tempted in the worst of circumstances and held firm. His temptation in the wilderness is also parallel to the temptation which Israel faced in the wilderness… faced and failed at.

Up until Jesus, every people of God had failed to live under Gods rule as it was revealed to them; with Jesus Christ, the son of God it is different. John 8v28 (amongst others) shows us that he was in perfect accord with the Father.

Jesus himself is now the focus of Gods presence, the "place" where worship of God is rooted.
Jesus announced at the outset of his ministry that the kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1v15)

The Church - awaiting the consummation

And now? The people of God are those who are "in Christ", those whose lives have been sealed to him by the Holy Spirit, who love and serve Jesus as Saviour and Lord. There is a new Covenant which has been made in Jesus' blood (Luke 22v20, Heb 9v15). There is a new centre for the worship of God, not Jerusalem but as Heb 12v22 reminds us "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God". There is also a new temple (the place where God dwells) not a building of stone but the body of each believer. Rom 8v9-10 tells us that Christ is in each believer, 1 Cor 6 tells us that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Are we completely distinct from the revelation in the Old Testament? No! By faith we are sons of Abraham (Gal 3v7). We gentiles are "grafted in" to the promises God made to Israel (Rom 11). Those who are "in Christ" stand in the historic line of Gods people - not by blood, but by faith in Jesus.

We live in an in-between time, when the final kingdom of God - Gods people in Gods place under Gods rule has been inaugurated, but not completed.

Now, we look forward to the second advent, when Christ will return to rule and reign in glory, when God will unveil the new heavens and new earth, when we will be transformed, and we will be with Jesus forever, Then the path of Salvation History will have come to its end, its fulfilment, its final glory

Summary and Conclusion

In the light of 2 Tim 3v16 which says that All scripture is useful for training, teaching, correcting and reproof, or 1 Cor 10v6 which tells us that Old Testament narratives are warnings to us, not to behave in the way that the Israelites did, what should we do?

Read the Old Testament alongside the New. Don't just read it as stories, or looking for promises in isolation. Bear in mind this framework, remember that you are reading about Gods plans for His people, in His place and under His rule and it will become much easier to see the connection between what we read and ourselves.

Ask yourself what aspect of salvation is at issue, how the responses of Gods people compares or contrasts with Jesus, what we learn of Gods character.

Alex White