The Next Chapter - God's Big Picture, Ch 4

The Partial Kingdom


A long chapter and a long posting today. But, a great overview of the big picture so far. 

The kingdom of God is comprised of 4 elements, all of them revealed in the 1000 year period starting with Abraham through the time of Solomon. They are; God's people, God's rule and blessing, God's place/land and God's king. Each of these elements are revealed via supernatural/miraculous means. 

Abraham becomes the father of nations (God's people) through a barren wife, in spite of his stumbling and weaknesses. Clearly, people become God's chosen ones through His miraculous intervention, not by any quality or capability in them. The choice of Jacob, a scoundrel by any measure, over Esau to continue the lineage is another example of God's sovereign choice that has nothing to do with merit or value. We see God's miraculous intervention in a long series of significant events; Jacob becoming Israel, the story of Joseph, the subsequent migration and captivity of the Hebrews, the Passover (salvation by substitution, another pattern), the deliverance out of Egypt, the giving of the law and the arrival on the borders of the Promised Land. All of these events are impossible without God's divine intervention and enabling. Meanwhile, the children of God fail to be faithful at nearly every turn. They are clearly made His people by grace (Ex 19:4). Why? Because God is Who He is. He is "I am" (Ex 3:14).

We've already seen one profound but simple biblical principal in the Garden. When God's people obey Him, they receive blessing. In order to frame their obedience, they are given guidelines. The very first guideline is simple, "Don't eat from the trees." The guideline is given in order to be a blessing, not a hindrance. So it is with the Law (God's rule and blessing), not intended to be a way to gain favor but a guideline for blessing and peace. The Israelites are already God's people by grace (Ex 20:2). The Law insures God's blessing.

The people of God are redeemed and delivered out of bondage prior to receiving the Law, not by conforming to it. Their status of being God's people is not dependent on their obedience. But, their obedience is required to walk in His fullest blessing (Ex 19:5). 

The Law sets God's people apart, establishing them as a holy nation, all the while revealing their need for God to further purify them. If they are truly God's people, they should live lives that reflect His character and nature. The Law is there to show them where they need His help and presence to do that. Just like becoming God's people required supernatural intervention, becoming holy, living by the Law, requires the same. Their entire history shows that man is incapable of obeying the Law perfectly. In order to remain in relationship with God, they have no alternative other than to depend on God's grace. With this in mind, their desire for obedience becomes a measure of how thankful they are for that grace. 

The goal of all this is relationship with God, exemplified by His presence among His people as they travel to the Promised Land. The Tabernacle is the evidence of His presence. All the trappings and features of the Tabernacle point to Christ. The Sacrifice is further evidence that reveals the shedding of blood for the remission of sins. It is an imperfect sacrifice but it establishes another crucial biblical principle - a death is necessary for remission of sin. 

Once God's people are established (through Abraham) and His rule/blessing is made evident (at Sinai), He takes them to Canaan (God's place/land).  They grumble, groan and disobey along the way, delaying their arrival, delaying their blessing. This is all meant to teach us about God and our relationship with Him (1 Cor 10:6). Our failure to obey never disqualifies us from being chosen, but it can hinder our blessing. The Hebrews get to the border of the Promised Land and God pronounces incredible blessing if they obey and terrible hardship if the don't (Dt 28). In spite of their shortcomings and knowing they will continue to have them, God gives them the land. 

As they move into the Promised Land, Joshua is commanded, by God, to eliminate all the people living there. This is not an act of genocide. It is an act of cleansing, to remove evil and the influence of evil. It is a bloody process. The people of the land are wicked people and pay for their wickedness. 

Once settled in the Promised Land, judges are established. We witness a long series of sins, committed by His people, and grace, exhibited by God, another biblical pattern. The judges are, by and large, a motley lot, not really suitable leaders or representative of the people. So, God gives His people a king, first, the one they ask for (Saul), then the one He wants them to have (David, God's king). This too, happens miraculously. It sets another divine pattern, the king as representative of the people. 

David stumbles but remains king, by God's grace and mercy. We see in David, yet another pattern...a man who is aware of his sin and repents, truly repents, with a contrite heart. God honors David's heart and desire for holiness in spite of his occasional stumbles. But there are earthly consequences for his sometimes ungodly behavior. David's son, Solomon becomes king, building the Temple, a permanent home for God. 

By Solomon's time, God's people are in God's place, under God's rule and blessing, led by God's king, all of it happening by God's sovereign power and authority. We see the mighty hand of God moving among His people and in the surrounding nations as well. But this is not the perfect plan of God, not yet. These events are only the shadow of what is to come.    

Meanwhile, God is constantly revealing His character and nature, constantly revealing more about His plan for redemption. God is teaching His people about...Himself, moving them toward complete and eternal restoration. 


Here's a great article by D.A. Carson, of the Gospel Coalition, on  reading the Bible theologically.