A revolutionary perspective!

In my last post, I considered some contrasts between Nimrod and the Lord Jesus. The root distinction was between two perspectives in life, the first (Nimrod) put self at the centre of his world, the second (Christ) put God, and others, at the centre of His world.

The contrast can be seen clearly between what Nimrod valued, and what the Lord instructed His disciples to pray for in His well known guidance for prayer in Matt 6.9-13.

To Nimrod, his own reputation and renown was all important. His name was to be revered and respected.  He became famous and his desire was mirrored by those who built Babel "let us make us a name" (Gen 11.4). However, the Lord instructed His disciples to pray to the Father, "Hallowed be THY Name" (Matt 6.9).

Also, in the case of Nimrod, we are introduced to his kingdom. "And the beginning of His kingdom was Babel ..." (Gen 10.10). The picture is painted of a proud and successful king, having an extensive realm over which he had authority. However, the Lord instructed His disciples to pray "THY Kingdom come" (Matt 6.10).

Nimrod was a rebel at heart, his very name stressing the importance he placed on his own will. His will was followed in defiance of the will of God (see Gen 11.1-9). However, the Lord instructed His disciples to pray "THY will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6.10)

Finally, Nimrod was self-sufficient and independent, a "mighty hunter". However, the Lord instructed His disciples to maintain a dependent spirit "Give us this day our daily bread ..." (Matt 6.11).

How different we are expected to be! It is a good idea from time to time to ask ourselves the following questions:

1. Is my life lived for God's glory or my own?
2. Do I seek first God's Kingdom, or my own?
3. Do I follow God's will, or my own?
4. Am I trusting God, or am I trusting myself? Am I dependent or independent?

Nimrod's hearts desire could be summarised: "MINE is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever"! For us, as disciples of the Lord Jesus it should be very different! May our lives be witnesses to the fact that our prayer, our hearts desire, is "THINE is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen" (Matt 6.13).

Christ the contrast to Nimrod

The detail given in Genesis 10, shows that God's intention to repopulate the world by means of Noah and his sons was carried out (Gen 9.1).

Amongst the names listed, there is one that stands out. "Nimrod ... began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar" (Gen 10.8-10). 

An examination of Nimrod yields the following characteristics:

1. Nimrod had a Reputation. He was a "mighty one in the earth ... wherefore it is said 'Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD'."

2. Nimrod was a Rebel. His name means "rebel", and as the founder of "Babel", he must have been heavily involved in the rebellion of that place (see Ch 11.1-9). 

3. Nimrod was Ruthless. He was a "mighty hunter". 

4. Nimrod had a Realm. The "beginning of his kingdom was Babel ..." 

Nimrod was a man's man. Being rebellious, successful, famous, self-assertive, and authoritative, he gained renown and respect in the world. We do not have to look far to see the difference between Nimrod and God's Man - the Lord Jesus Christ! In fact, the distinct character of the Lord Jesus is seen clearly in one New Testament passage, Philippians 2.5-8. 

Rather than seeking a reputation, the Lord "made Himself of no reputation" (Phil 2.7). When He came, it was not to seek a name for Himself. He could say categorically " I seek not mine own glory" (John 8.50). The prominence, and pre-eminence, that was His in heaven, was certainly not His experience upon earth!

Rather than rebel, He "became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil 2.8). His was a path of obedience from the start. "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me" (John 6.38). His path of obedience continued to the end, "even the death of the cross". He who was high, became humble. He who was rich became poor. 

Rather than being ruthless, we are instructed to "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil 2.5). What mindset marked Christ? That outlook which looked "not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Phil 2.4 ESV). It was His care for others, His concern for their welfare, that led Him to come from heaven. He is never described as a "hunter"! He is however described as a shepherd who went "after that which is lost until he find it" (Luke 15.4). 

Rather than having a physical realm, He "took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man He humbled himself" (Phil 2.7-8). Servant character and humility are not characteristics we associate with rulers over cities and nations in this world. The nature of Christ's rule presently is different however! He rules in the hearts of His people, and His rule is evident in the lives of those who manifest the same character as He did. 

Those who will, in the future, reign with Christ in the day of His manifest glory upon earth are characterised now by poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hunger for righteousness, purity of heart, a desire for peace, and are persecuted (see Matt 5.1-12). Hardly a list of characteristics we see in the rulers of this present world. 

What a glorious Lord we have! And, because of these delightful characteristics, God has "highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2.9-11). 

So, His Name will be remembered, and His Rule will be universal. What the Lord never sought after for His own glory, will all be His, "to the glory of God the Father". 

Christ as God's Image

In Genesis 9:6, a telling verse reveals that a new age had commenced and a new aspect of God's dealings with man had been inaugurated, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man".

In this verse we see man as resembling and representing God, for he is made in God's image. We also see him rebelling against God, for in shedding man's blood, in committing murder, he desecrates and destroys God's representative upon earth and thereby exhibits the deepest depravity of the human heart. Man also acts in righteous retribution for God, for in response to the deepest depravity, the most severe sentence is to be executed, "by man shall his blood be shed". Man acting as judge in taking the life of the murderer was not desecrating the image of God but upholding the value of that image in man by executing righteous retribution upon one who would commit such evil.

How does this speak of Christ? In the New Testament on two occasions the Greek word eikon is used of the Lord Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1:15). This word is rendered "image" and has a similar meaning to the Hebrew word used in Gen 9:6.

As the image of God, the Son of God represents the "invisible God". He also perfectly resembles God, being Himself God "manifest in flesh". He could say "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9) and it is recorded that "No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him" (John 1:18).

If I want to know what God is like I examine the Son and I find a full revelation of God's person and character for, "There is no thought in the mind of God but Christ is it's expression; there is no glory in God but Christ is it's manifestation" (William Lincoln).

How solemn this makes the rejection and murder of the Son of God! In the parable told by the Lord, the guilty tenants of the vineyard said "This is the heir, come let us kill him" (Matt 21:38). The apostles preached (Acts 3:14-15) and prayed (Acts 4:24-28) as if the ultimate crime against God had been committed at Calvary - and it had!

Everything that Jesus did, and everything that He said, perfectly revealed God to man. No excuse therefore can be made that God was poorly represented or incorrectly resembled by the Son. How did man treat this perfect "Image"? He spat in the face of his Creator, and set about to kill the "author of life" (Acts 3:15)! He gave to Christ the cross, the cruelest form of execution known to men, thus revealing the deep well of his depravity by his attitude to the Creator.

Is it any wonder then that men will be punished eternally for this most heinous of crimes? Never let us forget that "He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him" (John 5:23). The Man whom they "slew and hanged on a tree" (Acts 5:30) has God's "authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man" (John 5:27). One day those who have stood in judgment upon the Saviour, and have rejected Him, will stand before Him and tremble as they recognise their Judge to be the One they despised and hated. They will receive righteous retribution for the ultimate crime, the damning sin of Christ-rejection. Their question then will not be "What shall I do with Jesus?" but "What will He do with me?"

"True Image of the Infinite
Whose essence is concealed,
Brightness of uncreated light
The heart of God revealed: 
Worthy O Lamb of God art Thou
That every knee to Thee should bow!" 

Christ the Pleasing Aroma

When Noah left the Ark, he "builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour ..." (Gen 8:20-21).

The words "sweet savour" mean a "pleasant smell" or a "soothing aroma" (NKJV). It could be translated as "an aroma of rest". Thus, linked with the offering made by Noah there was to the LORD a pleasant, satisfying, restful, soothing aroma.

Christ ... a sweet smelling savour

This offering illustrates (as do the vast majority of OT offerings) the offering of the Lord Jesus. In Eph 5:2 we read "Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour". 

When the Saviour "through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God" (Heb 9:14), He brought infinite pleasure, satisfaction, and rest to God's heart. Here was One upon earth who honoured God in everything, and who gave everything to God. This is more fully told out in the Burnt Offering of Leviticus 1.

We ... a sweet savour of Christ

A related truth is revealed by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16. In v15 he notes "we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved and in them that perish ...".

Paul speaks in the context of his service for God. He likens the forward march of Christ to the triumphal procession made by Roman Conquerors. In the victory parade of a triumphant Roman general, captives were led along and incense was burned, producing a sweet smell. Paul sees in his own service a number of parallels.

First, he is in the train of Christ, conquered by the mighty victor, a willing captive to grace. We sometimes speak of "surrendering to Christ", and it is those who submit to His authority and own Him as their Lord and Saviour who are eternally blessed.

Second, he is an incense bearer. The victory parade was all for the glory of the triumphant conqueror, and the incense declared this. To some this aroma was associated with humiliating defeat and death, to others it was the smell of triumph, joy and celebration. So we are "to God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved and in them that perish". As we spread the Gospel, we are fragrant to God with the very aroma of Christ.

Paul further explains "To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life ..." (2 Cor 2:16). How solemn this is, and yet how encouraging too! It means that, as Christ is magnified, there are results in both the salvation and damnation of souls. In our preaching of the Gospel we often measure success by the salvation of souls. There is a sense in which this is true, but only a limited sense. Our ultimate goal should be the glory of Christ and the pleasure of God. Let us take encouragement that, while we strive for the salvation of sinners, and God desires the salvation of "all men" (1 Tim 2:4), yet when people refuse to bow their wills and trust the Lord, Christ is still glorified, and God still receives pleasure from our service and Gospel proclamation.

May God help us to rejoice in what He appreciates of the person of Christ. And may the Lord enable us to be involved in spreading the Gospel with the assurance that God "through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of [Christ] everywhere" (2 Cor 2:14, ESV). 

As He is, so are we!

Noah's Ark reminds me of a sublime truth which is often not enjoyed/understood by believers. It relates to our identification with the Lord Jesus Christ. God views Christ as our representative and, as such, what He has experienced is reckoned to be true of the people He represents. The Ark serves to illustrate this:

The Ark passed through the waters of judgment once, and emerged triumphant to rest eventually on Ararat. Never again must the Ark take that journey through the flood waters. Noah and his family likewise passed through the waters (inside the Ark), and when they made their exit from the Ark, the waters of judgment were forever behind them.

The apostle John records that "[Christians] may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4.17). The meaning is that with respect to judgment, God views each believer as being in the same position as the Son of God, "as He is, so are we". This gives great confidence for the "day of judgment".

As far as the Son of God is concerned, judgment is forever behind Him. It happened once when, under the hand of God, "He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities" (Is 53.5). At Calvary, the "LORD laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Is 53.6), and the flood waters of divine wrath swept over Him. But He has emerged from those waters, and He will never enter them again. The Son of God, in a finite period of time, bore the infinite wrath of God against sin. It was a never-to-be-repeated event of history. He was "once offered to bear the sins of many", He "offered one sacrifice for sins for ever" (Heb 9.28, 10.12). We are sanctified "through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb 10.10).

So, for the risen Son of God all judgment is past. But the wonder is that, "as He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4.17)! In the reckoning of God our judgment is also past, and we stand now before God in all the acceptability of the risen Christ! Just as my judgment was borne by Christ, so my righteous status before God is "in Christ", for He is my representative. What boldness, what confidence this gives!

"Death and judgment are behind me,
Grace and glory are before;
All the billows rolled o'er Jesus,
There they spent their utmost power.

First-fruits of the resurrection,
He is risen from the tomb;
Now we stand in new creation,
Free, because beyond our doom."

(Mrs J A Trench 1843-1925)

"No condemnation O my soul
'Tis God that speaks the Word
Perfect in comeliness art thou
In Christ thy glorious Lord"

(R C Chapman 1803-1902)

Christ in the Ark

One of the most well known Old Testament pictures of the Lord Jesus is Noah's Ark. We will consider this briefly as follows:

The Ark was Salvation

The intent of God when he instructed Noah to build an Ark was to "keep ... alive" Noah, his family, and the animals (Gen 6.19). It was intended as the means of salvation from the coming "flood of water" which God had promised would "destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life" (6.17).

God provided the Ark in spite of the fact that no-one deserved His protection from the judgment for sin, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Gen 6.8).  In the Bible, the whole concept of "grace" is best described as God's kindness shown to those who are completely undeserving of it.

Now, while this was true in those days, it is most encouraging to see in the New Testament that "the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Titus 2.11). This "grace of God" appeared in the incarnation, perfect life, atoning sacrifice, and triumphant resurrection of the Son of God. The "Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world" (1 John 4.14), He did not send His Son into the world "to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3.17).

So just as the Ark was the salvation of Noah and his family, Christ is the salvation of every soul who trusts Him. A short time after His birth He was brought to the temple and, when Simeon saw Him, he said to God "mine eyes have seen Thy salvation" (Luke 2.30).

The Ark was Submerged

In order to provide the salvation that Noah needed, it was essential that the Ark be able to endure the storm of divine judgment. The "fountains of the great deep" would be "broken up, and the windows of heaven ... opened" (7.11). The flood-waters would "prevail" upon the earth (7.18, 19, 20, 24). The flood was the outpouring of divine justice upon a world that was filled with corruption, violence, immorality, and wickedness of every kind. The result of this devastating outpouring of God's righteous wrath is summed up "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land died" (7.22). To be the means of safety, the Ark must be able to withstand, and endure, the divine judgment in it's entirety.

All of this beautifully pictures Calvary. There, He who was the perfect Saviour, became the holy Sufferer. He was surrounded in, and submerged under, the flood of divine justice. The storm of God's wrath against sin fell upon Him. Prophetically He said, "I sink in deep mire where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters where the floods overflow me" (Ps 69.2). "All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me" (Ps 42.7). "Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves" (Ps 88.7). 

"On Him almighty vengeance fell
That would have sunk a world to hell
He bore it for a ruined race
And thus becomes my Hiding-Place"

While the Ark was for a period surrounded by the flood, it emerged triumphant and eventually "rested ... upon the mountains of Ararat" (8.4). The very day it rested (being the seventeenth day of the seventh month) equates to the day of the resurrection of Christ*. So Christ who suffered for sins, and was submerged under divine judgment, has emerged triumphant from the tomb! He not only "died for our sins according to the Scriptures", He "was buried" and "rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor 15.3-4).

The Ark was Secure

The security of all those who entered the Ark is confirmed in two ways.

First: Once Noah and his family took the step of faith and entered through the door into the Ark, they no longer needed to worry about their safety for "the LORD shut him in" (Gen 7.16). And, if the Lord shuts a door we can be assured that no-one is capable of opening it (Comp. Job 12.14; Rev 3.7)!

Second: All those who entered through the door into the Ark were, according to the divine record, kept safe from judgment, and landed safely on the dry land. Notice how explicitly this is stated "And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons wives with him" (8.18, Comp 7.13), and of the animals, "Every beast, every creeping thing ... every fowl ... whatsoever creepeth ... went forth out of the ark" (8.19).

We cannot help but see in this an illustration of the eternal security of all those who enter into Christ by faith. When a sinner comes to the Saviour, trusting Him as the only means of Salvation, they entrust their eternal preservation to Him, and they can rest assured in His ability to keep that which is entrusted to Him (comp 2 Tim 1.12). In a future day, the saying of the Son of God will be gloriously true "Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none" (John 18.9). "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8.1).

Safe in Christ the weakest child 

Stands in all God's favour

All in Christ are reconciled

Through that only Saviour

Safe in Christ; safe in Christ! 

He's their glory ever;

None can pluck them from His hand,

They shall perish never.

Once their sins on every side, 

Seemed to tower over them

Christ has stemmed the angry tide;

Been through death before them.

In His death they've crossed the sea,

Passed through condemnation;

Well may they triumphant be;

Saved through God's salvation.

Now by faith the justified

Know that God is for them;

To the world they're crucified,

Glory is before them. 

(Anon)

* This is one possible reckoning of the date. Remembering that the 7th month was changed to the 1st month by the LORD at the institution of the Passover.   

Christ in Noah (4)

Concluding our consideration of Noah, we intend to look at the Responsibility he had.

Noah and Responsibility 

Noah was entrusted with an exceedingly important work for God. His family was dependent upon the proper completion of his work, as was the survival of the animal population. God saw fit to place this responsibility upon one man.

The plan originated in the heart of God, but it was down to Noah to move in obedience and to embrace his responsibility. We see that he did this perfectly, for a repeated refrain in the record of Noah is "Thus did Noah, according to all that God commanded him, so did he" (see Gen 6.22, 7.5, 7.9, 7.16).

The Lord Jesus was also entrusted with a work, the magnitude of which cannot be fathomed. It was too great a work to be placed into the hand of any mere mortal, and no angel or arch-angel was sufficient! However, there was One equal to the task, and God instructs us "Behold My Servant" (Isaiah 42.1; 52.13).

The work involved providing salvation for the world, for "God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3.17), and the Father had perfect confidence that the Son could, and would, complete the task.

Not only could and would the Son of God do it, at Calvary He did do it, and the words written of Noah here could be written over the Saviour "according to all that God commanded Him, so did He" (Gen 6.22).

Noah built an ark according to the divine plan, and the moment came when, with the ark completed, deliverance was available. The Son of God has provided salvation by His death according to the divine plan, and with that work finished, salvation is now available.

"Oh wondrous grace that found a plan,
To rescue guilty fallen man,
And ease him of his load;
And found a ransom in the Son,
To save the sinner, lost, undone,
And meet the claims of God"

The responsibility entrusted to the Saviour was to provide salvation - and He has done it. The responsibility now rests upon the sinner to enter into the salvation provided. Only those who enter into salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus are safe from coming judgment. Noah's family were called, "Come ... into the Ark" (Gen 7.1), and by taking a step of obedience they entered into safety. So every sinner is called by the Lord, "Come unto Me", and those who respond in obedient faith, enter into eternal salvation. May you live up to that responsibility today.

"Only a step to Jesus, 
Then why not take it now!"

Christ in Noah (3)

Closely linked with the Righteousness of Noah, which we considered in our previous post, was his Reputation. Let us examine this briefly:

Noah and Reputation

Noah was "perfect in his generations" (Gen 6.9), and the meaning of this is likely that he was blameless among his contemporaries.

No-one could point the finger at Noah. He was no hypocrite. He was a "preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2.5), and, as we have seen, before he ever preached righteousness he practiced it! His life matched his lip; his walk and his words were in perfect harmony.

In this again we see the sinless Saviour. Luke, who wrote both the Gospel that bears his name and the Acts of the Apostles, draws our attention to "all that Jesus began both to do and to teach" (Acts 1.1). If there had been the hairs-breadth of a difference between His morals and His message, His enemies would have found it and exploited it to the full, but while they tried hard, they could not. It was in the certain consciousness of this that the Lord challenged His opponents "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" (John 8.46), and it was because of this "they sought false witness against Him" (Matt 26.59).

The life of Christ was lived out in the open, under the gaze of men, and there was none who could throw mud that would stick. The scrutiny was intense and unsympathetic. If the scribes or Pharisees caught the wiff of a possibility of double standards, they were onto it like a bloodhound (ignoring their own hypocrisy), but they could find nothing of the sort in Him. Pilate, that shrewd, calculating, experienced judge of men must acknowledge that "I, having examined Him ... have found no fault in this man ...".  No skeleton hidden in any dark corner or cupboard could be found, nor will it ever be, for as Peter notes "He did no sin" (1 Peter 2.22).

Sadly, down through the centuries the cause of Christ has been hindered by the hypocrisy of Christians. It was Mahatma Ghandi who said "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ". Now, while Ghandi was far from an authority on the person of the Lord Jesus, and His understanding of Christ was fundamentally flawed, we can still apply the spirit of his criticism. Sadly as Christians we often are not as Christ-like as we should be. May the Lord help us to ensure that our lives have the same transparency and honesty as His did. 

"Give me a faithful heart, likeness to Thee.

That each departing day henceforth may see
Some work of love begun, some deed of kindness done,
Some wanderer sought and won, something for Thee"

(Saviour Thy Dying Love.  Sylvanus D Phelps)

Christ in Noah (2)

In our previous post we mentioned that Noah means "rest", and we considered the rest that can be found in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In this post we contemplate Noah and his Righteousness, and we see in this a faint preview of the perfect moral righteousness of Christ.

Noah and Righteousness

That Noah's life was in stark contrast with the world in which he lived is evident in a cursory reading of Genesis 6. Having stated that "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (6.5), the description given of Noah is a welcome relief: "Noah was a just man" (6.9). 

The word "just" means righteous, honest, and upright. Of course, when applied to Noah, it is either used in a relative sense (that is in contrast to others upon earth), or it is used in a reckoning sense (that is, God has accounted him so on the basis of faith, see Gen 15.6), for the sad condition of the human race is that, in an absolute moral sense, "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom 3.10). 

However, there can be found one exception to this rule. The Lord Jesus was not merely righteous in a relative sense, as compared with other men; nor was He merely righteous as being reckoned so by God - He was absolutely, inherently, perfectly, and personally righteous. 

Of the Lord it is said, by the very Centurion responsible to oversee His crucifixion, "Certainly this was a righteous man" (Luke 23.47). Now the Lord had been crucified. He was hanging between thieves enduring the death-sentence of a criminal - yet the Centurion could not fail to see that He was "righteous". 

It is a marvellous truth to mull over. Upon earth there was a Man who was perfectly upright, honest, and sincere. His life was transparent. No matter how far back into His past a person may look, and no matter how deep down into His heart a person might probe - there was nothing shady to be discovered! He was trustworthy. No mis-step ever needed retraced, and no half-truth ever needed to be repented of. He always spoke the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. As a boy growing up He did not cheat, and He did not lie to defend Himself. As a young man He was never dishonest - there was no dodgy dealing in that carpenter's shop! No pressure would cause Him to relax His principles, for He "loved righteousness and hated iniquity" (Heb 1.9) and every choice He ever made was for good. At every stage of His life, in every circumstance of life, He walked in perfect obedience to every moral duty enshrined in the Scriptures. In doing so, He pleased the Father.

It is well that this was so! Peter emphasised just how important when he declared, "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3.18). It was essential that He who would stand as a substitute for the sinner be perfectly sinless Himself.  Christ suffered as the righteous for the unrighteous, the holy for the unholy, the perfect for the imperfect, the sinless Son of God for sinful men. Thank God, He suffered for my sins.

"Wounded for me, wounded for me, 
There on the Cross He was wounded for me.
Gone my transgressions, and now I am free,
All because Jesus was wounded for me"

Christ in Noah (1)

It was Thomas Carlyle who said that "The history of the world is but the biography of great men". Certainly, in the Biblical record, the early history of man is told out in the biography of a few individuals. We have considered Adam, Abel, and Enoch, now we want to take a look at Noah and see how he may illustrate for us the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I want to suggest four titles for this consideration as follows:

1. Noah and Rest
2. Noah and Righteousness
3. Noah and Reputation
4. Noah and Responsibility

Noah and Rest 

The name "Noah" means rest, and, in the closing verses of Genesis 5, we have some explanation given as to why Noah received that name. Lamech called the name of his son Noah "saying 'This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed'." (5.29).

So the name Noah was given with the hope that he would give rest from "work and toil" and provide comfort in the midst of a cursed world. This subject of rest is enlarged upon in Genesis Ch 8.

In the New Testament, rest is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider:

1. The Rest of the Saviour

The life of the Lord Jesus was certainly not a life of rest and ease. He had no rest as an infant for His life was sought after by Herod! Joseph, under instruction from the angel of the Lord, took his responsibility seriously and fled into Egypt, "and was there until the death of Herod" (Matt 2.15). He had no rest as a servant, for when a would-be disciple said "Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest", the answer of the Lord to him was "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Luke 9.57-58)! It is little wonder we read of His weariness (John 4.6) and of His snatching sleep on the boat (Mark 4.38). 

When did He truly rest? The answer is found in the crucifixion record: "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost" (John 19.30). The words rendered "bowed His head" refer to a purposeful action of the Saviour, "Not the helpless dropping of the head after death, but the deliberate putting of His head into a position of rest" (W E Vine). 

So the Lord Jesus rested when His work was accomplished, and nothing more needed to be done. Just as God rested when His work of Creation was completed (Genesis 2.2), so the Lord rested when His work of Salvation was fully done (John 19.30).

2. The Rest of the Sinner

It is upon the basis of this work that the Lord offers rest to man. While the Lord did not take rest in His life, He did delight to offer rest. In Matt 11 He made an appeal to individuals: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (v28).

This rest is the gift of the Lord Jesus and is enjoyed by the sinner who comes trustingly to Christ for salvation.

Perhaps one is labouring, seeking to merit salvation by their own efforts, and they discover that it is Christ who has done all the work necessary for their salvation, He has cried "It is finished" (john 19.30), and they rest there! Perhaps another is heavy laden with a burden of sin and guilt, and they discover that Christ Himself was burdened  at Calvary, when the "LORD ... laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53.6). Realising that He is able to remove the load, they rest there! For those who know this rest, there is nothing comparable in the world.

If some labouring and burdened sinner should read these lines, my appeal is that you would "Come" to the Saviour. Leave your self-efforts behind, allow Him to lift your burden. He has promised that He will "give you rest".

3. The Rest of the Servant 

The Lord continued in Matt 11, "Take my yoke upon you and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (v29-30).

This rest is found in the acceptance, by the believer, of service. When an ox was placed in a yoke, it was in order that his energy be harnessed for the service of another. Thus, to willingly take a "yoke" upon us, is to voluntarily submit to the will of another. The Lord here instructs that we submit to His will, and follow in His way, to "learn of" Him. Thankfully, the Lord not only gives instruction, He is the embodiment of His teaching. The way He wants us to serve is according to His own example: "I am meek and lowly in heart" (v29).

Meekness and lowliness describe the character of the Perfect Servant, and these qualities should be characteristic of every person who seeks to serve God. Such "will find rest unto their souls". This is the "rest that one experiences in the service of Christ when he stops trying to be great" (MacDonald). 

As believers in the Lord Jesus, these verses encourage us to submit our will to His, to follow the example that He has left, to emulate the Perfect Servant, our Lord Jesus Christ.

The rest of salvation is found in appreciating the Work of Christ, and responding to His invitation to come to Him. The rest of service is found in the Will of Christ, when we realise His way is best and follow Him, no matter the cost. For those who do, we will find that His "yoke is easy", it fits well; and His "burden is light", for it is a burden shared by Him.

So, in this cursed earth, there is rest and comfort in Christ. Lamech, the father of Noah, desired rest and comfort in the midst of a world that was grievous to God, and about to be judged (Gen 6.5-7). Thank God, for us, in similar circumstances, there is perfect rest in Christ.

"On Thy pierced and bleeding breast
Thou dost bid the weary rest;
Rest there from the world’s false ways,
Rest there from its vanities.

Rest in pardon and relief,
From the load of guilt and grief,
Rest in Thy redeeming blood,
Rest in perfect peace with God.

Sin-atoning Sacrifice,
Thou art precious in mine eyes;
Thou alone my rest shall be,
Now and through eternity"

(Crowned with thorns upon the Tree; H Grattan Guinness).

Christ in Enoch (2)

Having commenced a brief consideration of Enoch, we noted that his name means "dedicated" and in this he illustrates for us the Lord Jesus who is the only fully dedicated Man who ever lived.

Looking in some more detail at the record of Enoch we discover that he is mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 5, Luke 3, Hebrews 11, and Jude.

In Genesis 5.21-24 we read that Enoch "lived sixty and five years and begat Methuselah: and Enoch walked with God ... and he was not; for God took him". In Luke 3, Enoch is mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. Hebrews 11.5 records "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God". And, finally, in Jude v14 we read that " Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied ...".

Enoch was Different

Throughout Genesis 5, it is repeatedly stated that a person "lived" so many years, and then "he died". While the record of Enoch begins with the expression "Enoch lived sixty and five years" (5.21) there is a sudden and suggestive change in the next verse. There it states "And Enoch walked with God" (v22) and this is repeated "Enoch walked with God" (v24).

What marked Enoch out as different was his life. He walked in communion with God, he lived life in  companionship with God. This of necessity meant that he lived in conformity to God's character.

To whatever degree this was true in the life of Enoch, it was much more true in the life of the Lord Jesus. As to communion with God the Lord's ear was ever opened to hear "as the instructed" (Isaiah 50.4). He was also confident that the Father's ear was ever opened to Him, "And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always ..." (John 11.41-42).   

The prophet Amos wrote "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3.3) and the reason for the closeness in communion, and the perfect companionship of the Father and the Son, is that they are ever, eternally, and perfectly in agreement. There could never be so much as the suggestion of any moral difference between the will of God and the will of Christ for this would be to suggest that the will of one or the other was less than perfect!

Enoch was Delightful 

Hebrews 11 records that Enoch "pleased God". This was a result of his trust in God, for "without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Heb 11.5-6).

And what of the delight that the Son of God gave to the Father? At His baptism, the heavens were rent apart, and the word of the Father was heard "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt 3.17). The Lord Himself, speaking with the insight of deity, states "I do always those things that please Him" (John 8.29).

Never was the Lord more delightful to the Father than when He hung in shame upon the Cross. There He "hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour" (Eph 5.2). The sweet savour of the devotion of Christ, fully manifested in His whole-hearted offering of Himself to God at Calvary, was tremendously pleasing to God. May we enter into God's assessment of His Son!

Enoch was Delivered

A contrast that marks Enoch out from all others in this chapter of death is that he "was not; for God took him" (Gen 5.24). The writer to the Hebrews expands, stating that Enoch was "translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him" (Heb 11.5). 

Enoch was a dependent, distinct, delightful, dedicated man, and God, in grace, delivered him from death, taking him immediately into His presence. And Enoch is the prototype, for the promise of 1 Corinthians 15.51 is that "we shall not all sleep [i.e. die]". For all Christians there is a hope that we shall not see death. The "Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout", and for those who are "alive and remain" we will be "caught up ... to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess 4.16-17).

The Lord Jesus possessed all of these commendable features in perfect measure, added to which He was the sinless Son of God, but He was not delivered! Oh the mighty wonder of this! Jesus, the perfectly sinless, fully consecrated, impeccably holy, completely delightful, Son of God - died! The reason for this has been discussed in previous posts (see here). May we just be thankful that He did die! For, if Christ had not died then there would be no hope of salvation, no hope of forgiveness, and no hope of heaven for us.

"Jesus death upon the tree
Means eternal life to me
Means that grace o'er sin had sway
Means that love has had it's way

Yes Jesus loves me,
He died upon the tree". 

Christ in Enoch (1)

In our last post we noted that Genesis 5 is the chapter of death. And yet, within the confines of this chapter we read of a man who did not die. There are only two such persons in the Old Testament, Enoch and Elijah, and both are most instructive.

We intend to see in the life of Enoch the following truths:

1. Enoch was Dedicated
2. Enoch was Different
3. Enoch was Delightful
4. Enoch was Delivered

In this post we will consider the fact that:

Enoch was Dedicated

The name "Enoch" means dedicated, and we want to see in him an illustration of the Lord Jesus Christ in His dedication to God.

There are two men named Enoch in the book of Genesis. In Ch 4 we read of the son of Cain who is called Enoch (4.17-18). This Enoch represents dedication also, but not to God. He was, as representative of all Cain's posterity, dedicated to the world, and his own self-promotion. In Ch 5 however, the Enoch whom we are considering was certainly dedicated to God, in this way he is a delightful reminder of the dedication and devotion of Christ.

Unrestricted dedication, and unfettered devotion, consecration, and commitment, was seen in every step of the Saviour. When asked by a scribe "Which is the first commandment of all?" He answered "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment..." (Mark 12.28-30). 

This commandment, while being the divine requirement, was only ever obeyed fully in the life of the perfect Man, the "man approved of God" (Acts 2.22), our Lord Jesus Christ.  To "love" in the way intended in the command involves placing priority upon the will of God, and fulfilling every desire of God. Only "Jesus, the Son of God" did this. He was dedicated:

Volitionally: "all thy heart". The "heart" in scripture is often considered the seat of the will, the core of the whole person. This necessarily precedes all other aspects of dedication. If my will is not aligned to God's will, if I cannot say "Not my will but thine be done" (Luke 22.42), I am not dedicated to God. 

Emotionally: "all thy soul". The "soul" in scripture often refers to the seat of the emotions. If the will is first submitted to God, the emotions will soon follow - not vice-versa. The feelings of the Lord Jesus were always in complete alignment with that of His God: He hated what God hated and loved what God loved.

Intellectually: "all thy mind". The "mind" refers to the intellect. So, as the boy of 12, the Lord Jesus was to be found in the temple, with the doctors "both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers" (Luke 2.46-47). While it is true that the Lord Jesus was omniscient (being God, He could not be anything else), yet in Luke's Gospel He is presented to us as the perfect Man, and thus His knowledge here is that which was learned when with open ear, in the presence of His God he was taught as "the instructed" One (Isaiah 50.4 JND). 

Physically: "all thy strength". This refers to the physical energy expended in patient, devoted service. The Gospel of Mark stresses this. He "came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" (Mark 10.45), and His strength was used ever in the pursuance of the will of God, and in accomplishing the work of His God. Consider the delightful view of the Saviour in John 4 "being wearied with his journey, [He] sat thus on the well..." (John 4.6). 

He has left us "an example that ye should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2.21), and incorporated in this example is His dedication to the will of God. What about our will, our emotions, our intellect, and our physical strength? Is it all for God? May it be so!

Our next post will be a continued consideration of Enoch who is marked out as different from others, and delightful to God, and delivered from death. All of this, either by comparison or contrast, illumines for us the perfect life of the Saviour.

A perfect path of purest grace,

Unblemished and complete,

Was Thine, Thou spotless Nazarite,

Pure, even to the feet.

Thy stainless life, Thy lovely walk,

In every aspect true,

From the defilement all around,

No taint of evil drew.

No broken service, Lord was Thine,

No change was in Thy way;

Unsullied in Thy holiness,

Thy strength knew no decay.

The vow was on Thee—Thou didst come,

To yield Thyself to death;

And consecration marked Thy path,

And spoke in every breath.

Morning by morning Thou didst wake,

Amidst this poisoned air;

Yet no contagion touched Thy soul,

No sin disturbed Thy prayer.

Thus, Lord we love to trace Thy course,

To mark where Thou hast trod,

And follow Thee with loving eye,

Up to the throne of God.

(Wylie Macleod)

Christ and the Wages of Sin

Reading Genesis 5 is like walking through a graveyard looking at the headstones. The chapter gives very little narrative about the persons it names, but the repeated refrain of the chapter (recorded 8 times) is "and he died" (5.5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31).

In contrast to this common experience is the record of Enoch who "walked with God: and he was not, for God took him" (5.24). The name Enoch means "dedicated".

From Genesis 5, we want to view Christ in the following ways:

1. Christ in His Death
2. Christ in His Dedication

This post will concentrate on:

Christ in His Death

In the early chapters of Genesis, death is considered from a variety of standpoints. In Ch 2 it is the certain result of sin; in Ch 3 it is God's method to provide a covering for the sinner; in Ch 4 it is both the acceptable means of approach to God, and the measure of the depravity of man; in Ch 5 (as we shall see) it is the (almost) universal experience of humanity.

Death takes on various emphases in Scripture, depending upon the context. There is spiritual death "dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph 2.1), there is physical death "It is appointed unto men once to die" (Heb 9.27), and there is eternal death "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death" (Rev 20.14). The core meaning of "death" is separation. In spiritual death, the person is separated from the life of God in time; in physical death the person is separated from the present sphere of life in this world; in eternal death the person is separated from God eternally and irrecoverably. 

In Genesis 2, the prohibition given by God to Adam was "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (2.17). The death in view here was first spiritual death, Adam upon sinning, was immediately "alienated from the life of God" (Eph 4.18), and this in turn would lead to his physical death.

The certainty of death as a result of sin is stressed, "thou shalt surely die" (2.17). However, in Ch 3, in the temptation of Eve, the serpent responded by denying this fact "Ye shall not surely die" (3.4). The devil's deception was that disobedience is not dangerous, that sin has no consequences.

Ch 5 is the confirmation that it is God who was truthful! While Adam died spiritually in the very act of disobedience, he also died physically some time later, and this fact cannot be denied. The New Testament states that "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom 5.12). This is a universal reality. "It is appointed unto men once to die" (Heb 9.27), "in Adam all die" (1 Cor 15.27).

Physical death is the universal experience of humanity and is the direct result of sin. While not original to the human condition as created by God, the disobedience of Adam has brought physical death upon all his posterity. There is an unbreakable link between sin and death.

There was however One Person who was born into this world without the inherited sin of the human family. He was not linked with Adam, being virgin-born "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God" (Luke 1.35 ESV). Neither did He commit any sin in His life. The eyes of the apostle Peter saw many actions of the Lord Jesus, and his ears heard many words, yet he confirms that He "did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2.22). 

Here was a sinless Man. Free from a sinful nature, pure from all sinful practice, positively holy and good: the perfect, impeccable Son of God! Yet He died. 

Why did Christ die? If sin and death are so inseparably linked, then the reason for the death of Christ must be sin also! However, He "did no sin" (1 Peter 2.22), and "in Him is no sin" (1 John 3.5). The reason that Christ died is the very core of the marvellous message of the Gospel! Summarised by the apostle Paul, the Gospel message is that "Christ died for our sins" (1 Cor 15.3). 

In Genesis 5 all the men listed were linked with Adam. Some experienced death, and one escaped death. However, the Lord Jesus Christ was not linked with Adam, death therefore had no claim upon Him. His was the voluntary death of:

1. The Divine Son: "No man taketh [my life] from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 10.18)
2. The Obedient Servant: "Who, being in the form of God ... took upon him the form of a servant ... humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippian 2.6-8).
3. The Dependant Man: "I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly ... and thou hast brought me into the dust of death" (Psalm 22.10, 15).
4. The Loving Saviour: "Christ died for our sins ... was buried ... rose again the third day ... was seen" (1 Corinthians 15.3-5).

So, relating the death of Christ to the early chapters of Genesis, we learn that Christ died: (a) To deal with the results of sin. (b) To provide a covering for the sinner. (c) To become the one means of approach to God. (d) To witness to the guilt and depravity of man. (e) To provide salvation for the human family.

"He died that we might be forgiven;
He died to do us good;
That we might go at last to heaven,
Cleansed by His precious blood!"

Christ in Abel (3)

Christ is the Shepherd, and Christ is the Sacrifice - this much we have learned from the life of Abel so far. What can we learn from his death? It is the first incidence of violent death in the Bible, and serves to illustrate much concerning the death of Christ. 

The Slaughter 

"Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand" (Gen 4.8-11 ESV).

1. The Brother of Abel

Cain was religious, we learn that from the fact that he "offered" alongside Abel. But his religion consisted of the works of his hands, presented to God, with the intention that he would be accepted on that basis.

In the  New Testament, however, we learn much about Cain's true character and conduct. He "was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3.12). 

So, Cain had a veneer of external religion, and yet within he was corrupt. This cannot help but turn our mind to the society in which the Lord Jesus lived. The Lord was the most gracious of men, but he denounced some in His day in the strongest possible terms: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matt 23.27-28). 

Cain's true character was manifested in his treatment of Abel. He "slew his brother", and the reason was that his own "works were evil, and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3.12). 

External religion does not remove internal corruption, and the true character of the religious leaders in the days of the Lord was likewise manifested in their attitude to Him. The Lord stated "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin" (John 15.22). The idea is that, the life of the Lord Jesus among the people, and the subsequent rejection of Him by the religious leaders, exposed their true character. They no longer had a covering for the corruption of their heart. They "hated me" He could say "without a cause" (John 15.15).

Peter faced the nation with their guilt when calling them to repentance: "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs ... ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2.22-23) "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses" (Acts 3.13-15). 

Down through the centuries false religion and religious hypocrisy have unitedly  caused rivers of blood to flow! This began with the slaughter of Abel, and reached it zenith in the crucifixion of the Son of God. It continues to this day. 

2. The Blood of Abel 

The "blood" of Abel is mentioned twice in Genesis 4, and three times in the New Testament. 

According to Gen 4, the blood of Abel "crieth unto" God from the ground, for judgment. The Lord Jesus picks up this lesson in his teaching in Matthew 23, as He warned the leaders of Israel of coming judgment: "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation" (Matt 23.34-36). 

Thus, linked with the "blood of righteous Abel" is a cry that calls to God to judge the criminal, it is a cry for justice. It is a call to punish those who have committed the crime, and have shed that blood.

However, when we come to Hebrews 12 we read that the blood of Christ "speaketh better things than that of Abel" (Heb 12.24). The meaning is that, the shed blood of the Lord Jesus also cries, but not for punishment! His blood cries for pardon for those who trust Him. 

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ does not demand that justice BE satisfied, it rather declares that justice HAS BEEN satisfied. It is this fact that enables God to be "just, and the justifier of him which believeth on Jesus" (Rom 3.26). Grace can flow out to all, because God's justice has been satisfied.

In our meditations we have viewed Christ in Abel's shepherding, sacrifice, and slaughter! May our hearts rejoice that His blood avails for all who trust Him. God's justice is forever satisfied, and, as the hymn puts it:

"Grace is flowing like a river

Millions there have been supplied;

Still it flows, as fresh as ever

From the Saviour's wounded side!

None need perish, All may live, 
For Christ has died" 

Christ in Abel (2)

In our last post we considered Abel's shepherding and reminded ourselves of the "good shepherd", our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today I would like to consider Abel's sacrifice, and see how it is a preview of the sacrifice of Christ.

The Sacrifice

Abel "brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering" (Gen 4.4)

Abel brought an offering to God which was acceptable to Him, and accepted by Him. On the other hand, "unto Cain and to his offering, [God] had not respect" (Gen 4.5). What made the difference? Why was Abel's offering acceptable, and Cain's unacceptable? Consider two facts:

1. Abel offered what God Demanded

The writer to the Hebrews confirms that it was "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain ..." (Heb 11.4).

Faith in scripture is a believing response to a God's self-revelation. It is trust in God's word. Thus Abel, in his offering, acted in response to a prior revelation of God.

It seems evident that Adam and Eve would have rehearsed in the ears of their family the events of Eden. They would have instructed Cain and Abel that disobedience is punishable by death (Gen 2.17) and that the sinner requires a substitutionary sacrifice (Gen 3.21). Abel responded to these truths trustingly - he believed God, and his offering manifested the faith that he had.

Abel sacrificed his little lamb, acknowledging God's demand that his sin be punished, and appreciating that an innocent substitute could, and would (in symbol) bear that punishment for him!

Is this not the faith that brings acceptance with God still? A person who acknowledges that they are sinful and worthy only of divine judgment, and accepts the sacrifice of Christ as sufficient payment for their sins, is accepted with God. Upon trusting Christ as their Saviour, they take Christ as their Substitute, and are thereby safe from judgment.

On the other hand, Cain ignored God's word. He did not accept that his sin was punishable by death, and he therefore did not see the need for a substitutionary sacrifice! He reasoned that what he produced would be sufficient for God to accept him. Sadly there are many who think the same today, and they will suffer the same dreadful disappointment as Cain.

It would be healthy for all of us to ask ourselves the question "Why should God allow me into heaven?". If my answer to that question is "Because of what I have done", then I am like Cain, and God will not accept me. If, however my answer is "Because of what Christ has done for me", then I am like Abel and God will accept me because my faith rests in Christ and His sacrifice alone.

2. Abel offered what God Deserved

It is also worthy of note that Abel offered "the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof". This describes the best of the animals at Abel's disposal. Abel came as a worshipper, and he offered the best to God.

In bringing the best, Abel was bringing (in symbol) what God deserves from His creatures, but never gets. Here was recognition on Abel's part, not only of God's righteous requirements in respect of sin, but also of God's glorious person.

Praise God, in the death of His Son at Calvary, God received what He demanded for man - a sufficient substitutionary sacrifice, full payment in respect of sin. However, he also received what He desired from man - complete whole-hearted devotion to Himself.

Ultimately there was only One sacrifice acceptable to God. Every Old Testament sacrifice looked forward to the "offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all" (Hebrews 10.10). And every Christian looks back with joy to the fact that "this man ... offered one sacrifice for sins forever" (Heb 10.12). This once-for-all sacrifice has been offered and accepted!

May we rejoice that the one who is the "good Shepherd" (John 10.11) is also the "Lamb of God" (John 1.29)! And for all those who trust Him alone, there is security: both in His shepherd care, and in His substitutionary sacrifice.

Christ in Abel (1)

Genesis Ch 4 tells the story of the first family. It is a sad story of disobedience, deception, death, and discipline. Cain and Abel were the first brothers, but their relationship is certainly not the template to follow! Cain was "of that wicked one, and slew his brother" (1 John 3.12). 

However, alongside the hatred and murder, the rebellion and judgment of Cain, the character of Abel shines brightly, and we cannot help but see that he illustrates some of the features of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will consider three subjects as follows:

1. Abel's Shepherding

2. Abel's Sacrifice

3. Abel's Slaughter 

In this post, the first of these will be considered. 

Abel's Shepherding 

Abel was a shepherd, a "keeper of sheep" (Gen 4.2). This occupation was shared by many of the great Old Testament worthies: Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and David to name but a few. 

The shepherd must guide his sheep, guard his sheep and graze his sheep. Abel directed his sheep according what was best for them, he protected them in what had become a hostile environment, and he provided the necessary diet for them.

The title "shepherd" is lifted to sublime heights by King David who wrote the well known words of Psalm 23: "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want". In that Psalm he shows how he was guided by the LORD, "He leadeth me beside still waters ... He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake"; guarded by the LORD, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me"; and how he grazed upon the LORD's provision, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ...He restoreth my soul ... Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies: thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over". With such care and attention lavished upon him by the LORD, David concludes "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" (Psalm 23.1-6)

In the New Testament, this Shepherd is revealed to be none other than the Lord Jesus Himself! While, as we noted, many Old Testament saints were shepherds, the One for whom the title "good shepherd" was reserved was the Lord Jesus. In John Ch 10 He states, "I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (v11) and, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine" (v14).  

Being the good shepherd, the Lord demonstrated sacrificial love for His sheep, being willing to give His life for them (v11). He also has intimate knowledge of His sheep, and they know Him (v14).

Truly blessed are those who can say honestly, as David did in Psalm 23.1, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want". To own Jesus as Lord, and to trust Him as Saviour, is to be assured of His shepherd care through life. Is He your Shepherd? If so, you can trust Him for the plan of your life, you can rest in His protection, and delight in His provision. He has promised that every one of His sheep are eternally secure in His hand (John 10.27-30)

 

"The King of Love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never;

I nothing lack if I am His,

And He is mine forever."

(Henry W Baker. 1821-77)

Christ in the Fall (4)

In our previous posts on Genesis 3, we have traced out the Lord Jesus as contrasted with Adam and Eve, as calling to Adam and Eve, and as conquering for Adam and Eve. Today, we see Him typified in the covering provided by the LORD God for Adam and Eve. 

The Covering 

The immediate result of the fall was that "the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked" (v7). 

From the moment when they became conscious of "good and evil" in the broadest moral sense, they knew that nakedness was unsuitable for the presence of God. A covering was required, "and they sowed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" (v7). 

This covering showed some awareness of need, but did not properly assess God's righteousness. It did not cover them as God intended them to be covered. God intervened and "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them" (v21).

Thinly veiled under historical detail is a symbolic meaning which is expanded upon through Scripture. 

The Covering of Works

Adam and Eve were exposed before God, and they knew it. So "all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Heb 4.13). With the backdrop of their disobedience, they were conscious that they were unfit for His presence. 

Thus they endeavoured to solve the problem by the application of initiative, ingenuity, and industry. They "sowed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons" (v7). However, even with this covering they were aware that they remained unfit for God's presence, for when they "heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day ... Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden". 

All of their efforts did not give peace to the conscience or assurance of acceptance. Is this not, in embryo, the problem of man-centred religion which has been perpetuated down through the centuries?  Adam and his wife must learn that nothing of man, no work or endeavour, will satisfy God's demands, or give peace to the troubled conscience. 

The Covering of Grace

However, on the principle of grace alone, another covering was soon provided. Consider:

The Source: This covering was provided by God Himself! "Unto Adam ... did the LORD God make coats of skin, and clothed them". This is most important because it was God before whom they were exposed, and His covering would meet His own requirements! It was not man's ingenuity, but God's idea. It was God's plan and not mans. 

The Sacrifice: The fact that "coats of skin" were used is the first record of the sacrifice of an animal. God had previously stated that sin would bring death (Gen 2.17), and here the death of an innocent victim, for the purpose of making the man acceptable before God, clearly indicates the inflexible character of God's righteousness. 

The Symbolism: Once again, the spiritual import of these historical details is evident. The covering required for acceptance with God is provided by God, and obtained through sacrifice. At the very dawn of humanity's existence God provided an object lesson on His intended means of salvation. 

The Son of God, sent by the Father, would come to provide salvation for the world (John 3.17). To do so He must die, suffering the punishment for our sins, dying the death we deserve. His life would voluntarily be given. He would offer "one sacrifice for sins" (Heb 10.12). More than that, His personal acceptance before God would become the acceptance of those who trust Him. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5.21). Upon believing, a person is placed "in Christ", and therefore declared righteous, treated as righteous, and accepted with the same acceptance that is Christ's before God! 

"Behold a spotless Victim dies,

My surety on the tree;

The Lamb of God, the Sacrifice,

He gave Himself for me"

(Anonymous)

"So dear, so very dear to God,

More dear I cannot be;

The love wherewith He loves the Son;

Such is His love for me!"

(Catesby Paget).

Christ in the Fall (3)

In our previous two posts we noted that Genesis 3 presents the Lord to our view in at least four aspects. He is:

1. The Contrast

2. The Caller

3. The Conqueror

4. The Covering

We have considered Him as the Contrast to Adam and Eve, and as the Caller of Adam and Eve already. Now we view Him as:

The Conqueror

The first direct prophecy of the coming of the Saviour is given in this passage. Sin has barely entered the world, and God in grace announces the Proto-evangelium*. During His judicial statement concerning the serpent, He declares: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (v15). 

This is a promise of victory for the "Seed" of the woman. The poetic justice of this is evident. The devil used a woman (Eve) to influence the first man, Adam, to bring sin into the world, and to gain a "victory" for himself.  God will use another woman (Mary) to bring into this world the "second Man, the Lord from heaven" to put away sin, and to gain the ultimate victory over the devil. 

Notice the promise of continual warfare and opposition between the Serpent and the Woman, and between their offspring. Notice also that it is the woman's seed. This is enlarged upon in the prophecy of Isaiah 7.14 "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel". 

The eternal God became flesh, by means of the virgin birth, for the purpose of defeating the greatest foe of man and God. "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery" (Heb 2.14-15 ESV).  

At Calvary the death-blow was struck. Just as David cut off the head of Goliath with his own sword, so the Lord Jesus destroyed satan with his own formidable weapon - death. 

"And now, the mighty deed is done

On the Cross!

The battle fought, the victory won

On the Cross!

To heaven He turns victorious eyes,

'Tis finished now, the Conqueror cries,

Then bows His sacred head and dies

On the Cross."

(Joseph Hoskins) 

We enjoy the benefits of a victory already won, we reap the spoils of a battle already fought. May God enable us to take sides with the Mighty Conqueror, and to sing His praises! 

*Proto-evangelium: i.e the first messianic prophecy in the Old Testament, the first glimmer of the divine purpose in respect of the Gospel