Old blog address

Some have come to this blog because on my old blog I posted that I changed to this blog provider. However, I prefer my old one having tried this one for a time, so I am going back to Wordpress for my blog. Here is the address: http://proclaiminghisexcellencies.wordpress.com/.

Thank you for your patience,
Charlie

Preaching Christ From the Old Testament-pt.2: Jesus and The Law of Moses.

When Jesus explained to the two men on the road to Emmaus about Himself from the Law of Moses, what exactly did He say? Is there any indication anywhere of what He might of said. If He spoke of Himself from Moses to these two men, did He ever, to any other audience speak of Himself? He did, on some occasions, refer to Himself as the "substance" (Colossians 2:17) of what was spoken in Moses. We will begin with those references found in the gospels and then examine a few from the epistles of Peter and Paul and possibly others.

The earliest reference that Christ used about Himself from the Law of Moses was the serpent on a pole from John 3:14-15. In the dialogue with Nicodemus, the issue was the kingdom of God (vv. 3,5). Entering into the kingdom of God was synonymous with gaining eternal life as well as being born again (cf. vv. 3,5,7,15). And, Jesus knew that He came to die and that it would be by crucifixion, which is the act of raising a person, who has been fixed by nails to wooden beams, up high for all to see as an act of shame toward the perpetrator. The perfect analogy for the act of something being raised for all to see is the serpent episode in Israel's history.

Numbers 21:5-9 narrates the event to which Jesus is referring. Israel has had a wonderful victory over the king of Arad, as a result of a little 'covenant' or agreement they made with God. God did what He said He would do and Israel did what they were supposed to do. Marching onward toward the goal of the land of Canaan (cf. Deuteronomy 2:8-15), the people had a change in their tone. They, being tired and hungry, began to complain about the journey (Numbers 21:5). They, I assume, thought they deserved better. So, it seems, that God reminded them of what they actually deserved-death (Genesis 2:17). Thus, He sent "fiery serpents" among the people and they began to bite them so that many began to die. What were these serpents? Hard to say. They may be fiery as that which describes their appearance. They may be fiery as that which describes the effect of their bite. The term used for "serpent" is that used of the serpent in the garden (Genesis 3:1) and is the normal term used for any snake or serpent. In 2 Kings 18:4, this incident is spoken of and we are told that Israel took this "relic" of the serpent that Moses was told to make and worshiped it. Interestingly, it is called a "bronze serpent" referring to its obvious color. It must have been brilliant and copper in color. So, it would seem that the term "fiery" refers to the brilliance of the snakes in color.

As the people were dying from the bite of the serpents, they cry out to Moses, for help (v.2). Moses, apparently, prays to God for help, on their behalf, and God says to put an image of one of the serpents on a pole so that it can be seen. Thus, when people are bitten, not before, they can simply look at the image on the pole and God would heal them. The correlation is  obvious. Jesus said, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”  Jesus, much like the bronze-colored serpent (the 'serpent', incidentally, is a cursed animal because of its use in the fall. Galatians 3:13 tells us that Christ became a curse on the tree, the curse that we incurred for ourselves. We were bitten, so to speak, and yet He healed us [1 Peter 2:24]), was placed upon a wooden support for all to see. In John 3:14-15, Jesus speaks of Himself as One who will be lifted up, presumably on a pole or some kind of object (cf. John 8:28; 12:34) and that, just like the Israelites, all who look to Him will gain eternal life. This assumes, of course, this look is the result of the repentance that comes with understanding that you were bitten by the serpent of sin, so to speak, and that you have no recourse. Your death is imminent. It is sure and there is no "second chance". Thus, to look to Jesus Christ is healing, not for our bodies but for our dead souls.

This is the good news. Jesus Christ became a curse for us. Our sin was placed upon Him, and in exchange, for those who believe, His righteousness was placed upon us, i.e. to our account before God. Paul wrote: "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. ” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB95) . Isaiah wrote: “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. ” (Isaiah 53:4–5, NASB95).  Far more than carrying away sickness (Matthew 8:14-17), He carried away our sins (Psalm 103:11-12). God, the righteous Judge, has crushed His own Son our behalf that we might be declared righteous and then made righteous. Not by what we have done (Titus 3:5-6), but completely by His own economy and accomplishments. To this end, we need to constantly give all honor and praise that is due His holy and just name. 

Preaching Christ From The Old Testament-pt.1

If someone were to ask you, "Who is Jesus?", and all you had in your hand was a copy of the Old Testament, would you be able to show them? Would you be able to lead a person so salvation armed with only the Old Testament Scriptures? Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:14-15, "You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." The only writings that Timothy, who was half-Jew (Acts 16:1), would have been taught were those of the Old Testament, and that from his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5)! Those Scriptures were able to lead a person to faith in the Christ/Messiah. They truly were sufficient for all things leading to godliness.

However, my question still stands: could you explain Jesus Christ from the Old Testament Scriptures? This is an intriguing reality that Jesus Christ was preached in the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. This was a typical three-fold designation of the Old Testament. The following chart gives a basic outline of the division of the Old Testament according to traditional Hebrew categories*:

DIVISION	BOOK	THEME
Law	Genesis	Creation and Blessing
	Exodus	Slavery and Redemption
	Leviticus	Sacrifice and Sanctification
	Numbers	Wilderness Wandering
	Deuteronomy	Exposition of the Law
Prophets	Joshua	Conquest of Canaan
	Judges	Cycles of Disobedience
	1 Samuel	Davidic History
	2 Samuel	Davidic Covenant
	1 Kings	Royal National History
	2 Kings	Royal National History
	Isaiah	Salvation of God
	Jeremiah	The Word of God
	Ezekiel	The Glory of God
	Hosea	An Example of Forgiveness
	Joel	The Day of the Lord
	Amos	The Divine Lawsuit
	Obadiah	Judgment on Israel's Enemies
	Jonah	God's Compassion and Grace
	Micah	The Divine Lawsuit
	Nahum	Divine Judgment and Goodness
	Habakkuk	God's Justice With thte Nations
	Zephaniah	The Day of the Lord
	Haggai	Restoration and Ecouragement
	Zechariah	God's Imminent Presence and the Messianic King
	Malachi	Covenant Love and Loyalty
Writing/Psalms	Psalms	Prayer and Praise of the King of Kings
	Job	God's Justice with an Individual
	Proverbs	God's Wisdom
	Ruth	An Example of Faithfulness
	Song of Solomon	A Celebration of Marital Love
	Ecclesiastes	The Goodness of God and the Meaning of Life
	Lamentations	Unfaithfulness and Repentance
	Esther	The Sovereignty of God over Israel
	Daniel	The Sovereignty of God over the Nations
	Ezra	Restoration of Temple and Community
	Nehemiah	Restoration of Jerusalem and Covenant
	1 Chronicles	History of Covenant: Adam to Solomon
	2 Chronicles	History of Covenant: Solomon to Cyrus

*Taken from:  Dr. William D. Barrick, "Content of the Old Testament", (http://www.drbarrick.org/Website%20Files/OT%20Survey_Content%20of%20the%20OT%202.pdf accessed on 2/1/2011).

These divisions were commonly listed as Law, Prophets and the Writings (or Psalms). This is the same division that Jesus used in Luke 24:44. It was the traditional categorization that the Hebrews used to collect inspired writings together in order to gain the greatest understanding of God's truth. The teachings, themes and historical information are all to be studied for their own merit. They are to be comprehended as they were written in the historical context in which they existed. However, even within that, these Scriptures also testify of Jesus the Messiah (John 5:39; cf. Luke 24:47).

The ministries of the apostles were nothing more than the explication and exposition of truth about Christ from the Old Testament (that is not to say that there was no new teaching in the New Testament. For example, there are a number of mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven that were new to the church age and were not revealed in the Old Testament [see Romans 16:25-27]). They were constantly preaching and teaching from Old Testament (OT) Scriptures the Christ. Here are some examples:

Acts 10:43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

Acts 26:22 “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place;

Acts 28:23 “When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.”

Luke 24:27  "Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures."

Luke 24:44 "Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

John 1:45 "Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Romans 3:21  "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets…"

Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Acts 8:32–35 "Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: 'He was led as a sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth. In humiliation His judgment was taken away; who will relate His generation? For His life is removed from the earth.' (Isaiah 54:7-8). The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?' Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him."

The basis of preaching Christ in the early church, and even in the ministry of Christ both before and after His resurrection, was the OT. The OT contained the predictions, promises, provisions and covenants concerning all that God would bring about via His Messiah, His Son, Jesus Christ. It is from the OT that we learn that we need a Savior (Genesis 3). It is from the OT that we learn that God is a saving God (Genesis 6-8). It is through the OT that we learn that God is gracious and compassionate (Exodus 34:5-7). It is through the OT that we learn that God has a plan for redemption of sinners (Genesis 12:3). It is through the OT that we learn that the Savior will reign as King (Psalm 110). It is from the OT that we learn that God will never forget His covenants of blessing upon the house of Abraham nor the world (Isaiah 2:1-4). It is also from the OT that we learn the ultimate plan of God for this earth is renewal (Isaiah 65:17-25). Beyond all of this, there is the promise of the location of Christ’s birth, the original of evil, the need for redemption, the pictures and teaching tools that aid our understanding of spiritual salvation as well as physical salvation (from the presence of sin). We have also the equipping tools of living life on this earth-the wisdom, discretion and knowledge that God gives to those who fear Him. We learn how to train up our children and how to love our wives. Women learn why they should love and respect their husbands and husbands why they should honor their wives. Workers learn the motive for your labor and the necessity of avoiding wicked acquaintances. We learn how to pray, give thanks, plead with God, stand silent before Him. We learn the order of the home, and the priority of worship. We learn of the nature of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We learn to help those in need and withhold help from those who would squander it. And there is more.

It is no wonder that Paul wrote: "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4

As the church, we are now as a scribe who discovers rich treasures in the Old Testament and declares them to all (see Matthew 13:57).

It is my desire to outline from the OT truths concerning the Christ so that when someone does ask you about the OT and the Messiah, you can smile and ask them to turn to ______ and begin from that verse and preach Christ to them.

What Are We Waiting For?

It seems to me that Christians have lost their hope. By that I mean, that we have forgotten what we are anxiously longing for that will change our current condition into a much better one. But, it is clear that we, as Christians, have an expectation that no one else has-the hope of the return of Jesus Christ for His people. Accompanying Israel’s hope in the return of YHWH for Israel and their longing for that promised day of rest, we too are hoping for the return of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 there is a wonderful reality that Paul was teaching the Corinthian church concerning what it is that the church is looking forward to. There were some in Corinth teaching an error that there is no future resurrection (v.12). That strand of error had infiltrated the church and Pastor Paul has to deal with it. Like the errors associated with the return of Christ for His church affected the present ministry of the Thessalonians, so also the error concerning issues related to bodily resurrection affected Corinth.

What Paul has to say here is magnificent. It is comprehensive and profound. It is our hope and the future of the entire world. It will consummate God’s plan for the ages and will transition all things into His purposes for eternity as well.

20     But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

21     For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

22     For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

23     But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,

24     then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.

25     For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

26     The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

27     For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.

28     When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was told in the Old Testament (OT). Psalm 16:10 states that David understood that God’s Holy One would not be held by death. How could He promise One from David to sit on the throne over Israel forever and be defeated by death? So, it would be impossible for death to keep David from resurrection, but even more so, it would be impossible to keep the Christ from resurrection, life from the dead. He had to be raised so that He would reign on this earth. Peter also refers to this in Acts 2:22-36. So the fact of His resurrection from the dead is clear. If a Christian is no longer in Adam but in Christ and Christ is no longer dead but alive, then clearly the Christian will also be made alive though he die. That is what Paul means in vv. 20-22. Those still in Adam when they die will remain dead, although resurrected from the grave they will remain dead for eternity while suffering in Hell. However, those in Christ will be raised from the dead unto life for eternity to enjoy the communion promised him by the Father.

But Paul states something very interesting in the remainder of the passage. I only want to give some observations so that we can think about what this means.

He states in v.23, that the resurrection from the dead will each happen in a particular order. Christ, as if first fruits of a harvest, has been raised first. It is done and accomplished. His soul and body are united and He, in bodily form, is at the right hand of the Father for now (Psalm 110). Secondarily, those who belong to Christ will be raised after Christ. At this point, I have not seen any resurrection on this planet. I am not resurrected and I believe in Christ. Thus, this resurrection is still future. When? Paul writes, “at His coming.” What coming? When? Well, there are 2 comings to choose from: first, there is the coming described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and the coming referred to in Matthew 25 whose description is much different than 1 Thessalonians. Matthew 25 indicates a coming that has Jesus, in glory and with His angels, coming to earth and sitting on His glorious throne (v.31). Afterward there is judgment and rewards. Paul taught of a coming of Christ which is described as Him being visible in the air with the trumpet of God and then the dead in Christ will be raised from the dead and will go up into the air to meet Him and will be with Him forever from that point (vv.16-17). The passage in Matthew does not indicate a resurrection, but rather a judgment of the nations existing on the earth at that time (vv. 32-46). It is not until another time that the dead will be raised from the dead in order to be judged forever in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15). The prior resurrection spoken of by John in Revelation 20:4 occurs at a time when Jesus is already upon the earth (Revelation 19:11-19). So, Paul is speaking of a resurrection that occurs at the coming of Christ and this coming must be different than the coming described of by John in Revelation 19. So, those who are Christ’s will be resurrected “at His coming” (1 Corinthians 15:23). As a side-note, those saints who are raised in Revelation 20:4 are those who have been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus (Revelation 6:9) and because of the Word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image (Revelation 13:12-15), and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand (Revelation 13:16). These are not the descriptions of the saints of this age. These are all referring to the saints who die during the Tribulation. So, this resurrection that Paul is speaking of is distinct and different.

After the coming of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:23, Paul writes that the end will come. What end? The end when Christ hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, further described by the clause “when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.” (v.24). So, the end will come when Christ has abolished all rule, authority and power. After having abolished all competing forces in the world, He, Jesus Christ, will hand the kingdom over to the Father. This time period is further described in v.25 as that time when He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. After He has put all His enemies under His feet, i.e. He has taken away their power and subdued them under His power or lordship, then He will hand over to the Father the kingdom. This limits the time period to only one time spoken of in Scripture. Some observations here need to be made in order to summarize what Paul is teaching.

The prophets spoke of a time when God’s Messiah will reign upon this physical earth. Daniel wrote that a kingdom will be given “One like a Son of Man” (Daniel 7:13), that is He is a Man. It is further explained as that kingdom that will come as a result of abolishing the kingdom of the little horn (Daniel 7:15-26). After that kingdom He will come with the saints and the Son of Man and will subdue the entire earth as evidenced by v.27, “Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One.” (emphasis mine). So, this is not a ‘spiritual’ kingdom in that it takes place in heaven. This is a kingdom which occurs on this earth and is worldwide. Further, it is a monarchical form of government and the single authority will be the Son of Man (cf. v.14; Is. 9:6). Haggai speaks of this time (Haggai 2:20-23) as well as Micah (Micah 5), Zechariah (Zechariah 12:6-10), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 23:1-8) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 20:39-44), just to name a few. So, there is a kingdom coming in which the Savior will establish Himself as rightful Ruler of this earth and all the nations will bow to Him and confess Him as Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). Then, when all the rebels are judged and sin is subdued and all that causes death is destroyed and even death itself is judged (1 Corinthians 15:26), then He will take that earthly kingdom that He established and submit it to the Father. Then, the Son Himself will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him (Christ). In this way, God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) will be all in all.

So, when Paul writes that we will be raised from the dead at His coming, he is referring to a different coming than that is spoken of at His Second Coming as evidenced by the fact that His saints will be with Him when He comes at His Second Coming-He does not come alone as in 1 Thessalonians 4. The coming that we look forward to is the Rapture of the church into His presence. After the church is raptured, then comes the end. But this is only a statement of sequence and not timing. That is, the abolishing of the authorities of this world occurs after the coming of Christ, but it does not here indicate how long after. From the book of Revelation we know that after the church is taken to be with Christ, the whole earth will undergo the time of Jacob’s distress, a time when Israel in particular is punished for the years of breaking the covenant (Mosaic Covenant). After that intense time described as a day “that…is great, [and] there is none like it” (Jeremiah 30:7), Jacob, i.e. national, ethnic Israel, will be completely delivered from their physical oppressors as well as their spiritual oppressor, sin. That is, Israel will finally enter into their land for eternal rest from their enemies, and the necessary repentance that God demanded from them will be granted to them and thus they will see the permanent fulfillment of Abraham’s covenant inaugurated (see Jeremiah 30; cf. Leviticus 26:40-45). And so, all Israel will be saved in that day (Romans 11:25-27). This will necessarily impact the entire world (Isaiah 2:1-4; 11:1-10; Zechariah 14:9-21). Thus, when Paul writes that Jesus is the Christ about whom the prophets wrote, and whom he preaches, this is what he is referring to. The first things above all of this, of course, are His death and resurrection (Romans 1:1-5; 16:25-27; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

So, as Christians, we are hoping for an actual resurrection that will occur prior to that day of purging of Israel and the judgment of the nations. When Jesus comes back after that time period of wrath, we will come with Him, and enter the Temple that will exist in Jerusalem (i.e. Ezekiel 40-48), and we will reign with Him as He rules over all the earth, subduing all kings and nations (even angels as well since they are part of the authorities that need to be subdued-1 Corinthians 6:2-3; cf. Ephesians 1:18-23). After that time, once all authority is subdued, including final judgment (John 5:22; Acts 17:30-31; Revelation 19:11-15), the entire earth will be created anew and God’s children will dwell with Him and His Son forever, serving Him day and night (Revelation 22:3-4) in a kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17; cf. Romans 8:18-25). This is what we wait for with anticipation and eagerness all the while being faithful while it is still called night as the day is coming (cf. Romans 13:11-14).

The Creation of Man and Woman (Part 5)

We have been looking at the realities indicated in Genesis 1-3. We have been considering that God created the universe, as well as the man and woman, with specific purposes which ultimately were to radiate His glory. The fact that mankind does not radiate that glory is the very definition of sin itself (Romans 3:23). However, it is also sets the stage for One who would bear His image perfectly and thus radiate His glory, His own Son Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus Christ, His eternal Son, would fulfill the purposes for which He, the Father, created the universe and all that it contains. 

Now, we who are in Christ by the grace of God through faith, bear His (Christ’s) image (2 Corinthians 3:18) and we do so by faith. This image is the same image of the Father, but since we cannot attain to it having fallen from it, we have to rely upon another to accomplish that and He did (Romans 8:3). So, that is why we simply can only believe in Him and His Words. Through that faith, we are sanctified, so that little by little we might be able to bear that image we could never do otherwise (John 17:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:4; 10:17). This issue of image-bearing is crucial to a proper understanding of Jesus Christ and God’s plans for history. 

However, although this truth is profound and magnificent, my question is what does it matter in the day to day? That is, how is this truth implemented in my heart and thus my life? That is a fair question and one that we should ask ourselves. 

First of all, nothing of this sort can be done outside of Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ, the Father is glorified as we bear fruit for Him. God works in us and prunes us so that we might bear more fruit. If we abide in Christ, He will sanctify us and thus cause us to bear fruit, i.e. works of righteousness. The result of abiding in Christ, which is described as obedience to His Word is joy-eternal joy hear and now (John 15:1-11; Ezekiel 36:27; Ephesians 5:18; Philippians 2:13). 

Second, bearing the image of God and thus obeying His original mandate and purposes for creating us, is only done with diligence and effort. By that I mean, the results of effort and toil as it relates to obedience to the Scripture will produce in us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comprehension as a result of our toil in the things of God (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). Jesus said that in keeping His Word we will abide in His love. It is not true for us to think that we can simply go along in our own ways and efforts and plans and dreams, which oftentimes contradict Scripture, and think that God loves us and everything is alright. Simply put, unless we persist in the Word of God in our hearts, minds, and behavior, we are outside of the love of God to that degree. Jude wrote, “But you, beloved, while building yourselves up on your most holy faith, while praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, while waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” (my translation; Jude 20-21). The main mandate here is to “keep yourselves in the love of God” and the path to doing that is threefold: be in His truth, be in prayer, and be in constant expectation of Christ’s return (which refers to accountability and joy). 

It is the first aspect, “building ourselves up on our most holy faith”, that I want to refer to now as it relates to Genesis 1-3. The issues involved in this passage are easy to consider as simply interesting information and facts of creation. However, as we will see, they are much more than that. As propositional truth, they are the bedrock for our faith, as faith comes from hearing the Word of God. All Scripture is meant to expose wrong thinking in us and replace it with correct thinking that God then uses to transform us into His image (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Thus, our minds are renewed which, simply put, renews God’s glory in everything we do. For example, if a husband began to grow in his love for his wife how would that transform their marriage and homelife? If he loved her with the love that God expressed in Christ to the world, would that have any kind of effect on her heart towards him as well as the children’s heart towards him? Absolutely! Therefore, the key to that relationship, then, is not magical formulas and ‘projects’ that seek to demonstrate externally his love for her. The key to the relationship is the man’s heart being transformed to actually love his wife with the love of Christ! There is no substitute for that.

Let’s look at Genesis 1-2 with all of that as backdrop. The main theme that interests me here is the realities of the rulership of man over God’s creation as that relates to a man’s home. 

There is an expectation by God toward Adam to manage well the things God has given him (1 Timothy 3:4). Defining ‘well’ refers to managing according to the original intention which is identified as managing things the way God would manage them were He a man. Another way to understand this is, for a man to understand his leadership as an expression of God’s leadership in the home. When our wives and children see us, they should see the Lord, so to speak, in the way we behave and think. Our hearts should resonate with the truth s of Scripture so that we walk with God in the ‘cool of the day’. Our children should see in us a man who walks with God and keeps himself in the love of God. And this is nowhere else evident than it is in the way that we use authority. The way a man wields authority will tell everyone what that man thinks of God. 

In order to keep this post from becoming a book, there are a few simple principles that I would like to bring out along these lines.

-Authority/ruling is the governing and defining reality in the home.

• Ruling defines a marriage-1 Corinthians 7:4; 11:3-9; Ephesians 5:23-24.
  • If we understand authority as the expression of God’s own kind of authority, which of necessity, is defined as good, loving and holy, then we have no problem with the fact that a man has authority over his wife. This kind of authority is indisputable and welcome by the woman of God as well as the children. Just as Christ was a deliverer to the church and just as He sought to cleanse her in order to present her to Himself as holy, free from defilement, so also the husband bears this responsibility in his relationship to his wife. For example, what kind of movies would a husband and wife watch? Is it something that Christ would display in front of His church, whom He loves (and love seeks purity-1 Corinthians 13:5-6)?
  • Or, what kind of friends does a husband and wife have? Do these friends promote godliness and holiness?
  • Or, does a man refuse to ‘rule’, i.e. bear the responsibility of rulership, by failing to provide leadership, provision and decision-making with God’s intentions in mind?
  • Does the wife demonstrate submission to this man’s authority with joy? Is it her pleasure to seek to submit to God’s authority given to him? Or, does she seek to take from him the exercise of that leadership assuming she can do it better?
• Ruling defines parenting:
  • Parents are accountable to God for the condition of their children. That is, the training of the children is to be according to God’s purposes and means which are revealed in Scripture.
  • Children are accountable to God for their obedience to their parents. That is, children are to be obedient to their parents in every way, in the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-3).
  • The training relationship of parents to children extends up to the point when the son leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife (Genesis 2:24). And, to the point that a young man receives a young lady from her parents and cleaves to her. Up to that point, the child is progressing toward a greater and greater level of responsibility and maturity which ultimately is demonstrated in his own home-life. For example, I would not expect my 3-year-old to be able to change a tire, but I would expect my 15-year-old to. I would not expect my 3-year-old to be able to discern between good and evil to the degree that my 15-year-old would. Further, I would not expect my 15-year-old to be as discerning and wise as I am at 39 years old. Nor do I have the level of wisdom that a 60-year-old man would who has been walking with Christ all his life.
• Ruling defines the condition of the home as the expression of rulership-that of function and glory.
  • Just like Eden was Adam and Eve’s home, so we too have homes provided by God. It may be an apartment, a rental, or a million-dollar mansion. Whatever it is, it is from God and for our good. However, primarily a home is not the location but the people in it. God’s household is made up of saints (1 Timothy 3:15). So too, our households are made up of people as well. Understanding the organization of responsibility is crucial to the relationships within the home. Rebellion is understood as rejecting or fighting against authority. Thus, a home in rebellion is that which is fighting against God’s authority exercised by the Word of God.
  • There should be a clear understanding of authority in the home and who has it. This is why one of the commandments to Israel was to “honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12). This kind of honor includes respect, obedience and love. It is no honor to parents if a child does what his parents say, but does not love them (incidentally, their lack of love for their parents, because of their sin-nature, could be used of the Lord to demonstrate to them that they are a sinner and need the righteousness of Jesus Christ).
  • Within the home, a home in which Jesus Christ is Lord and His Word governs all the functions of it, is peace and pleasure and purpose. This does not mean that there is no sin to be rooted out, or problems to deal with or even extreme pressure at times that forces parents to cry out to God for help. However, what it does mean is the overall direction of the home, including asking for forgiveness for sins done to one another, is toward Christ and His glory. In fact, redemption is the act of taking one out of slavery to sin and submitting oneself to the lordship of Christ. That is in fact to be happening all the time in the home. James writes it this way, “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” -James 5:19-20. When a wife, or child or husband strays from the truth, the work of the others in the family is to bring him back by working with his heart through patience, kindness, goodness and prayer. This is the wisdom that James was talking about in chapter 3:17-18. The seed of peace is sown by those who make peace, i.e. making peace sows the seed, and the result (fruit) is righteousness.
• Ruling defines the relationship of the home to the rest of the world-that of glory to God.
  • Jesus taught, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). Jesus Christ is the light of the glory of the gospel and that light thus shines in the life of the one who believes Him (2 Corinthians 4:6). Therefore, when others see the works that one does and they praise the man for his works, they are, in actuality, praising God, who performed those works in the person (John 3:21).
  • Thus, the home then becomes a ‘bright-spot’ on an otherwise dark planet. The light of the knowledge of Jesus Christ is evident in the home of the believer because He is there, He is working and His Word fills the place.
  • All of this is the fruit of recognizing the proper authority structures that exist in the home. The supreme Lord over it all, of course, is Jesus Christ. 

-None of this, however, is accomplished apart from faith in Jesus Christ which is demonstrated in obedience to His Word.

• This presupposes we love Jesus Christ.
• This presupposes we know His Word.
• This presupposes we want to honor Him in our homes.
• This presupposes we see to glorify Him in all that we do (1 Corinthians 10:31).