Oh Lord, Our Lord – Marty Goetz, “O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth” Psalm 8:1.
The following article discusses the promises that God made to the Jewish people more than two thousand years ago, as it relates to their eternal presence with God. We will take a brief “time and scripture” journey as we look at some of the things that are key to God’s fulfilling those promises through the Messiah/Christ.
The Abrahamic Covenant
Genesis 12:1-3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) (The HCSB timeline shows that Abraham lived from 2166-1991 B.C.)
The Covenant of God with Israel, which He made through His call to Abram, will be fulfilled through the bloodline of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (God gave Jacob the name of Israel in Gen 32:28-29 and 35:9-10). The covenant with Israel relates to the “seed,” the “land,” and the “blessing,” through which Israel will be blessed, and non-Jews can also be blessed.
1 The Lord said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt,
and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
Genesis 15:18-20 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your offspring, from the brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River: 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim,
The Sabbath And The Law.
The Scofield Study Bible shows 1491 B.C. as being the year that the Jews began their exodus from Egypt, as they were on their way to the land that God had promised to them in the Abrahamic Covenant. It was during that year that God enacted the Sabbath and the Law with the Jews. At that time, there were other people, whom were non-Jews, whom were living on the far east Pacific coast of Asia; other non-Jews were also living in North and South America. Those people knew nothing about the Sabbath or the Law. Only the children of Israel were fleeing the armies of Egypt. Only the children of Israel were recipients of God’s gifts of the Sabbath and the Law. The children of Israel stayed within their own borders, except when they were dispersed by gentiles in 722 B.C., 586 B.C., and 70 A.D. The Jews were not directed by God to go to foreign lands to proselytize.
The Sabbath
Exodus 16:22-36
While the Jews were in the wilderness, after having fled Egypt, they observed the first Sabbath, “ever;” No one else had ever observed the Sabbath. God chose the Jews, and only the Jews, to observe this first Sabbath, and the ones to follow (The Scofield Study Bible shows this date as 1491 B.C.).
Exodus 16:23, 29 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
23 then he said to them, “This is what the Lord meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.”
29 See, the Lord has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
Exodus 31:12-16 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Sabbath is a sign between God and the Jews (13), and only the Jews. The Jews are to observe the Sabbath (16). Only Jews were present during this conversation between God and Moses. (The Scofield Study Bible shows the date of this passage as 1491 B.C., which occurred approximately 2513 years after the time that Adam and Eve were evicted by God from the Garden of Eden.).
The Sign Of The Sabbath
12 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. 14 Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death. 16 So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.’
The Law
Exodus 19-20 – Mt. Sinai – The Law . The Law, and its requirements, are seen throughout Exodus through Deuteronomy. There are a total of 613 Commandments http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm
On Mount Sinai, the conversation about the Law is between God and Moses, about God and the Jews, and has nothing to do with any other people group, including the church. National laws have been made, based on the Law, but only the Jews were directed by God to follow the Law. There are national laws of the USA that are based on the Law that God gave to the Jews. However, there is no such national law of the USA that makes stoning a form of punishment. Two particular laws of the USA, that find their origin in the Mosaic Law, are murder and robbery.
Exodus 19:3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
3 Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:
Exodus 20:1-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
God gives the ten commandments to Moses, for the Children of Israel to keep. God reminds the Jews that it was He who brought them out of slavery in Egypt.
The Ten Commandments
1 Then God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
Consider the beginning and ending words of the book of Leviticus; they deal with the Law that God gave to Moses for the Jews to keep. Read Leviticus for an enlarged view of the Law.
More Of The Law Revealed
Leviticus 1:1-3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
The Law of Burnt Offerings
1 Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. 3 If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord.
The Law For The Jews
Leviticus 27:34 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
34 These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses for the sons of Israel at Mount Sinai.
God’s Promise To The Children Of Israel.
Deuteronomy 7:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) (The HCSB timeline shows the lifespan of Moses being from 1526-1406 B.C.) (The Scofield Study Bible shows this verse being 1451 B.C.)
The children of Israel had fled from Egypt, and were living in the wilderness, on their way to the land that God had promised to them. The promised land extends from the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates River in Iraq. The total land mass will be realized by the Jews during the Kingdom Age/Millennium.
6 For you are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.
The Messiah
The Jews were promised a Messiah.
The Messiah – God With Us – Prophesied 742 B.C.
Isaiah 7:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
14 Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.
The Messiah – Mighty God – Eternal Father – Prophesied 740 B.C.
Isaiah 9:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders.
He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
The Birthplace Of The Messiah – Prophesied 710 B.C.
Micah 5:2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Jews were told of the birth place of the Messiah, which would be in Bethlehem, in Judah, as opposed to Bethlehem in Zebulun (Joshua 19:15).
2 Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.
Messiah Prophecy Fulfilled –
Matthew 1:18-25 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The promise of the birth of the Messiah (Immanuel, Isaiah 7:14) is repeated to Joseph (Immanuel Matt 1:23). Mary would remain a virgin until after the birth of Christ (Matt 1:24). The HCSB shows the birth of Christ as being in the winter of 5 B.C.
The Nativity Of The Messiah
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.
The Law – Unable to be kept – There is no temple – Read the book of Leviticus – The Message Of the New Covenant is, “Christ And Him Crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
There are people who think that they are observing the law today, by observing the ten commandments, but they are not keeping all of the Law’s 613 commandments. Read Exodus through Deuteronomy for a look at the Law, beyond the Ten Commandments. Consider the requirements for Sabbath keeping, which is only for Jews. As you read through all of the Law, you might determine that it is impossible for anyone to keep the Law. You may also determine that there is no salvation in the law.
Those attempting to keep the Law should refer to the words of James 2:10 (NASB).
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
Christ, The Fulfillment Of The Law.
Matthew 5:17 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Christ Fulfilled the Law (The Scofield Study Bible shows the date of this verse as 31 A.D.).
17 “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill
Now that we have learned that Christ fulfilled the Law, “what’s next?”
The purpose of Christ is very clear.
Luke 19:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Christ made his mission known to the Jews, “His own,” but he was rejected by much of the nation of Israel. However, Christ didn’t give up on His mission to save His own people.
John 1:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
Christ fulfilling the Law. A message to born-again Jews.
The following verses tell of Christ being the fulfillment of the Law. Everything of the covenant that God made with Abraham, and the Law that was given by God to Moses, find fulfillment through Christ, per the following verses.
Hebrews 8:6 New American Standard Bible (NASB) “He,” relates to Christ (Ryrie Study Bible).
6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.
As you read these verses from the book of Hebrews, it will be obvious that the Book of Hebrews is vastly different from other New Testament books. Consider the emphasis that is placed on Old Testament history. These Jewish believers in Christ (maybe some are not believers) are now receiving credible scripture that explains how Christ has fulfilled every aspect of the Law, with its total fulfillment being realized during the time of the Kingdom Age/Millennium. An immediate result for Gentiles is that they have been grafted into the spiritual benefits of the Abrahamic promises. (Romans 11:17-24; 2 Corinthians 3:6). The “grafting in” process is achieved by the new birth (John 3:3).
Recipients Of The Book Of Hebrews (Taken from KJV Study Bible). The headings in the oldest extant manuscripts of this epistle read: “To Hebrews.” The exhortations and warnings of Hebrews indicate that the recipients were Jewish Christians who were in danger of returning to Judaism. By returning, these early Christians could avoid persecution. Judaism was sanctioned and protected by Roman law; Christianity was not. Many of the recipients had undergone persecution and were growing weary (10:32).
The following verses explain the details of the “New Covenant,” which come through Christ, per Jeremiah 31:31, “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,”
Hebrews 8:7-13 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
A New Covenant
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says,
“Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; 9 Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day when I took them by the hand To lead them out of the land of Egypt; For they did not continue in My covenant, And I did not care for them, says the Lord. 10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. 11 “And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen, And everyone his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ For all will know Me, From the least to the greatest of them. 12 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.”
13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.
A time of instruction has come and gone. I trust that you have been blessed by God’s Word, as it has been shown in this article. But, now, let’s move to a time of worship; the music of Marty Goetz is very worshipful. In the following video, Marty is accompanied by his daughter, who is holding her son. As I watched the video, I thought, “how quickly time flies.” Being a father, and grandfather, I have seen the hands of my clock turning, “much too fast,” and the pages of my calendar flipping to the next month, “all too soon.” I am very thankful for Marty and Jennifer Goetz for being such Godly and responsible parents to their daughter, Misha. May the message of responsible parenting be spread throughout all families.
We Being Many – Marty Goetz and Misha at Harvest Christian Fellowship
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