As the first half of the semester and our study in the Old Testament closed two weeks ago, I wanted to write a review to bring back to mind all that we have learned and hopefully tie up loose ends as we start this week with Dr. Peterman in the New Testament!
Just as a refresh, here's all we've talked about so far relating to our study "From the Beginning to the End. Seeing His hand in it all":
The Beginning in Genesis- Week 1
The Patriarch's Promise- Week 2
Priesthood- Week 4
The Prophets- Week 5
Kingship- Week 6
(For notes on the individual talks check out previous blog posts or ask us at SWF for a copy of the notes.)
As you can see even in just looking again at the topics of each week we have covered a lot and learned so much about God's plan for His people in Old Testament times. We started with the beginning of Creation in Genesis to the "Golden Age" of Israeli history with King David to the exile of the Jewish people, to their return, and discussed even their deep-seated hope of the coming Messiah. The Old Testament is the account of the grand story of the Jewish people as they learn to live with the consequences of their disobedience as well as with the lavish grace God bestows on them as He carries them along and sustains them even to the present day.
I hope, however, as you've been learning about the above topics over the last few weeks that you've picked up on the sense of things not being quite right with the way things were through the use of prophets and priests...the sense of longing of the Jewish people...the sense of longing that God felt for them to commune with Him and to fulfill the promise made to Abraham that all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). The Old Testament was a promise, a picture, intended to show us that greater things were to come.
Galatians 3:24:26 says, "So then, the Law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith."
As we jump into the New Testament this week and learn about Jesus and the New Covenant, keep in mind all that we have learned. The story of the New Testament relates directly and beautifully to that of the Old. Get ready this week to see how God's heart moved forward and how the Kingdom has come near in just the way God planned from the beginning: through faith in Christ, apart from the commandments of the Law.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Week 5...Short note on Priesthood with Dr. Zuber
"And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation..." (Exodus 19:6)
When God chose Israel, he intended that they would be an entire kingdom made of priests, an entire notion fully consecrated to Himself. In fact, the whole purpose of creation was for humanity to be a kingdom of priests, a people that would be about seeking God's presence.
However, as we all must surely, however painstakingly, realize is that our world, even Israel, is not a kingdom of priests the way God intended. From the starting line running through human history into the present day, we so often completely miss the point.
However, God in His forbearance and sovereign plan graciously called out from among the people of Israel a line, the descendants of Aaron that would be the priests, and the tribe of Levi, who would help the priests. The priests of the Old Testament had perhaps the hardest job as they had to follow exactly the letter of the Law doing the task of sacrifice, making sin offerings for the people and live the Law out in their own lives because God took His worship very seriously. (He still does, by the way.)
To see more on the duties, qualifications, and history of the priests, follow the link at the bottom of this page for a handy guide.
However, before concluding this post, I want to point out something that Dr. Zuber emphasized. He talked about what the point of knowing any of this was. If Christians are no longer under the Law of Moses, then what's the point? He taught us that when we come to the point in our Bible study reading plan where we're in Leviticus we shouldn't be asking questions to the effect of "How does this apply to my life?" because for all general purposes, it doesn't. However, what is critical when reading the Old Testament and especially the Torah is to ask "What does this teach me about God?" By the very fact that these books are included in our Bible's today, there is something to be gained from it, but perhaps in not the way we expect.
Theologian Millard Erickson writes, "The Law is a transcript of the heart and mind of God."
Read the Scriptures through this lens and be amazed as you learn about that God who is covenantally faithful through all generations.
-A
http://www.biblecharts.org/oldtestament/oldtestamentpriestsandpriesthood.pdf
When God chose Israel, he intended that they would be an entire kingdom made of priests, an entire notion fully consecrated to Himself. In fact, the whole purpose of creation was for humanity to be a kingdom of priests, a people that would be about seeking God's presence.
However, as we all must surely, however painstakingly, realize is that our world, even Israel, is not a kingdom of priests the way God intended. From the starting line running through human history into the present day, we so often completely miss the point.
However, God in His forbearance and sovereign plan graciously called out from among the people of Israel a line, the descendants of Aaron that would be the priests, and the tribe of Levi, who would help the priests. The priests of the Old Testament had perhaps the hardest job as they had to follow exactly the letter of the Law doing the task of sacrifice, making sin offerings for the people and live the Law out in their own lives because God took His worship very seriously. (He still does, by the way.)
To see more on the duties, qualifications, and history of the priests, follow the link at the bottom of this page for a handy guide.
However, before concluding this post, I want to point out something that Dr. Zuber emphasized. He talked about what the point of knowing any of this was. If Christians are no longer under the Law of Moses, then what's the point? He taught us that when we come to the point in our Bible study reading plan where we're in Leviticus we shouldn't be asking questions to the effect of "How does this apply to my life?" because for all general purposes, it doesn't. However, what is critical when reading the Old Testament and especially the Torah is to ask "What does this teach me about God?" By the very fact that these books are included in our Bible's today, there is something to be gained from it, but perhaps in not the way we expect.
Theologian Millard Erickson writes, "The Law is a transcript of the heart and mind of God."
Read the Scriptures through this lens and be amazed as you learn about that God who is covenantally faithful through all generations.
-A
http://www.biblecharts.org/oldtestament/oldtestamentpriestsandpriesthood.pdf
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)