Welcome

to another lesson that shows how God worked with His Old

Testament people, the Jews.

 

When it comes to their spiritual and their mental nature, humans were

created in the image of God. In that, they are different from the animals.

 

     As God’s image, Adam and Eve were without fear in the presence of God.

They knew, that He had created them and that He was therefore much greater

then they in His mental and spiritual nature. Their spiritual image of God was

at first no problem. However, with it, they also had received some of God’s

characteristics. They could make decisions for themselves. The first indepen-

dent decision Eve made brought a disaster on the whole, newly created world

It was a wrong decision. Why? Her decision was not according to the will of

God. It was willful disobedience and therefore a sin.  Sin is the transgression

of the will or law of God. (Eph.2:1.2)

 

God loved His people the Israelites or Jews. But they hated Him and

showed their disdain by not doing His will, just like Eve had done. They

listened to His advice only for short periods. Even the few that He could use

remained only faithful until they got tired of His goals. Every prophet, whom

God sent to them, had to remind them about the wrath of God to come. But

their disobedience just got worse. (Isa. 1:1-20; Lev. 26:25)

 

The prophet Isaiah had to tell them, “The ox knows his master, the don-

key his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not under-

stand.” (Isa. 1:3)             “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord.

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they

are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be de-

voured by the sword.” (Isa. 1:18-20)

 

They had less sense than an ox or a donkey. Most people are no

 

Did God continue to love them in those days? Yes! Because His love is

agape love. He also wanted to fulfill the Covenant which He had made with 

Abraham.

 

From Genesis to Malachi, in the Old Testament, we find hints that per-

tain to the Mediator of the New Covenant. From the numerous texts that

found their fulfillment in Christ, I would like to cite just a few.

 

It starts with Gen. 3:15. We discussed this already in Thesis # 16. After

that time God promised Abraham, “..and through your offspring (seed) all

nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (Gen. 22:18).

And again, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff

from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience

of the nations is his” (49:10).

 

  Psalm, 22:1a “My God, my God,  why have you forsaken me.. (Mt.27: 46).

 

   Psalm, 34:21 “..he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.”

 

Isaiah, 2:4 “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes

for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their

spears into pruning hugs. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor

will they train for war anymore.”

 

        Isaiah, 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin

will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

(Mt. 1:23)

 

Isaiah, 9:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

 

Isaiah, 42:1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in

whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the

nations.” (See also Isaiah 53)

 

Zechariah, 3"8 “Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates sea-

ted before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring

my servant, the branch.”

 

Malachi, 3:1 “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way

before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple;

the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the Lord

Almighty.”

 

As you can easily see, these prophetical texts speak mostly about what

Jesus Christ would do for other nations, not for the Jewish nation alone. The

Covenant which He would initiate would include “many peoples”.

Most of the Jewish people then and now don’t understand that. They don’t

believe, that Jesus is the Messiah and therefore the fulfillment of the Old

Covenant or Law and its provisions for the Jews. If you, dear Reader are a

physical descendant of Abraham today, then you must realize, that only

if you accept the will of God through Jesus Christ, His Messiah, you will

have become a real Jew. Only then you will have become a part of God’s

goal for His Nation Israel. (Please read Eph. 2:11-22 and then consider

Gal. 3:26-29.) “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ

Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed

yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free,

male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to

Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the

promise.” (See also Thesis # 47 - # 48 - # 49 please.)

 

Only those in Christ have eternal life in heaven after they depart this

earth. All others, will get a new body for hells suffering. If you are not

in Christ you are not redeemed and have not yet become the new type of

human being God requires.  (see Thesis # 22 please). Your name is not

written in the Book of Life (Rev. 20:15; 21: 7.8; Thesis # 61).

 

Questions you are able to answer now:

 

- Why was Eve’s decision wrong_________________________________?