Every time I study a book in the Old Testament I am struck by the contrast of it to the new testament. The other day I scribbled out a little illustration that followed my reflections. As we approach Good Friday I am amazed at how MUCH the cross changed things. Firstly, we must always have God at the center. N.T. or O.T. It all comes back to our creator, Father God. In the Old Testament, God is at the center and the Jews are on the outer circle. You might notice that I said *we in the diagram because I was thinking of believers today as being the same as believers in the O.T. but ultimately I would have been a gentile and one of the *others. Notice all the arrows go to the center. The culture of the Israelites was very "exclusive". Far from being inclusive, they had many rules to maintain their purity as a nation, including not intermarrying. In fact, some of the most disturbing parts of scripture, where the Jews are called to annihilate whole peoples as they took over the land, have something to do with this God-ordained purity. What was the point? Time and again foreign influence would lead them astray. The boundaries and the LAW that only the Jews observed were supposed to make them a beacon in a land of idol worship and moral degradation. Every aspect of their daily lives; the sacrifices, the worship, the feasts, were designed to point back to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Others who heard the power of "their" God were drawn like moths to the flame. Even foreign sinners such as Rahab the prostitute understood that the Jews served a living God, unlike any she had ever experienced of wood and stone. By putting her faith in Him she was saved during the destruction of her hometown. A city on a hill cannot be hidden and that is exactly what the nation of Isreal was. They were at times mighty, and other times captives and slaves, but God maintained the covenant bond between them. Everything about the nation of Israel focused in toward their God.
Then Jesus came and everything changed.
We know God himself does not change and that is a wonderful comfort because even in some of the more chaotic parts of the O.T. we see His love and grace shown over and over again to His chosen people. What does change though, is how he relates to the world. Suddenly, God sends His son right into the middle of our mess. The arrows from the inner circle of God go back and forth now to us on the outer circle through the blood of Christ. Us - once the *others outside of the old covenant circle now have an intercessor ,a mediator, that makes a way for us to God the Father. The most precious gift ever given can now be received and in the NEW covenant it is no longer about turning IN and shutting out, it is about turning OUT and sharing the righteousness we have been given with the whole world. The good news sends us out. God - Jesus - Us- The World!
Spiritual Blessings in Christ:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in heavenly realms. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Ephesians 1:3-10
No comments:
Post a Comment