Exegesis and Theology

The Blog of Brian Collins

Readers Hebrew Bible

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Today I received my Readers Hebrew Bible. As I was looking through it I was struck that my home contains not only multiple Bibles (I have a Bible I use for church, a Bible I use for devotions, Bibles I use at work, and a Bible I use for chapel), and not only multiple translations of God’s Word, but also multiple copies of Scripture in the original languages.

Surely many Christians in the western world have contemplated this blessing many times. It is a blessing worth thinking about, and blessing worth thanking the Lord for.

The Bronze Altar

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The Tabernacle proper and the furniture described in Exodus 25 symbolize the presence of God among his people. The curtains in chapter 26 indicate the restricted access to God’s presence. They set up barriers to the symbols of God’s presence, and later laws would restrict who could pass those barriers and at what times.

The bronze altar (27:1-8) sat in the tabernacle courtyard. It demonstrated to the people that there could be no access to God without a substitutionary sacrifice.

The Tabernacle and the Presence and Distance of God

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If Exodus 25 spotlights Tabernacle furniture that symbolized God’s presence, chapter 26, with its description of curtains and frames, highlights God’s distance from his people. The furniture was to be hidden away under curtains. And the curtains that would most clearly indicate the presence of God—those with the cherubim—were to be hidden under other curtains.

The Tabernacle was forward movement in the plan of redemption. God was coming to dwell with his people. But it was also a sign that more needed to be done for God’s people to be restored to full fellowship with him.

Watson on holiness

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Question: In what do the godly reveal their holiness?

Answer:

1. in hating ‘the garment spotted by the flesh’ (Jude 23). The godly set themselves against evil, both in purpose and in practice. They are fearful of that which looks like sin (1 Thess. 5:22). The appearance of evil may prejudice a weak Christian. If it does not defile a man’s own conscience, it may offend his brother’s conscience; and to sin against him is to sin against Christ (1 Cor. 8:12). A godly man will not go as far as he may, lest he go further than he should.

Thomas Watson, The Godly Man’s Picture, (1666; rpt. BoT, 1992), 33.

Two new books from Bob Jones University Seminary

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BJU Press announced today the release of two new books from professors at BJU’s seminary.

Upright Downtime: Making Wise Choices About Entertainment
Upright Downtime: Making Wise Choices About Entertainment
by Brian Hand
Price: $9.95
ISBN: 978-1-59166-856-5
Publisher: BJU Press, 2008
Length: 116 pp.
Format: softbound

See the table of contents and first chapter here.

Christian and Drinking, The: A Biblical Perspective
Christian and Drinking, The: A Biblical Perspective
by Randy Jaeggli
Price: $9.95
ISBN: 978-1-59166-919-7
Publisher: BJU Press, 2008
Length: 80 pp.
Format: softbound

See the table of contents and first chapter here.

John Frame on Enjoying God Forever – Part 5

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So our life with God is in the deepest sense an enjoyment of him…. In the end, one cannot glorify God without enjoying him. The goal expressed by WSC, 1, is, in the most profound sense, not twofold, but one. God desires to share his glory with his people, his image, his sons and daughters, his bride. He is not like Molech (Lev. 18:21), the false god who demanded human sacrifice. Rather, our God delights in the fulfillment of human potential.

Grudging obedience is not what he desires of us. It may be better than no obedience at all, but it is seriously defective. We should seek, not only to obey him, but also to delight in obedience. That delight comes from prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, through immersion in the words of Scripture and the hearts of the great saints of redemptive history, and through fellowship of the church in Word and sacrament.

John Frame, The Doctrine of the Christian Life, 306.

John Frame on Enjoying God Forever – Part 4

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Scripture does condemn selfishness and preoccupation with our own comfort and pleasure (Matt. 6:24-34; 1 Cor. 6:13; Phil. 3:19; 1 Tim. 5:6; James 5:5). It demands self-sacrifice, even enduring hardship (Matt. 24:13; Mark 10:29-30; 2 Tim 2:3; 4:5; Heb. 12:7; James 1:12; 1 Peter 2:19), and persecution (Matt. 5:10-12, 44; 10
:23; 13:21; John 15:20; Rom. 8:35; 12:14; 1 Cor. 4:12; 2 Cor. 12:10; 2 Thess. 1:4; 2 Tim. 3:12). But some of the passages that describe most graphically the rigors and difficulties of the Christians life also emphasize its rewards. [Frame notes Matthew 5:10-12; James 1:12; Mark 10:29-30; 2 Corinthians 12:10.] Evidently, then, the biblical principle is that the pleasures of serving God are not primarily short-term, but long term, though of course God gives us many short-term blessings as well. Note the ‘little while’ by which Peter describes the length of our hardship: [here Frame cites 1 Peter 3:1-9]. Compare with this Paul’s reference to his ‘slight momentary affliction’ that is ‘preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison’ (2 Cor. 4:17; cf. Rom. 8:18-25, 35-39). Although our suffering in the present may seem sometimes to outweigh the blessing of God, in eternity those troubles will seem tiny. And through God’s Word we are able to view the present time in the light of eternity, recognizing the true proportions of things. In that light, those like Paul are able to say, even in the midst of terrible suffering [see 2 Cor. 11:24-33], that it is light and momentary.

John Frame, Doctrine of the Christian Life, 306.

The Threefold Office of Christ – Part 14

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Jesus did not remain dead. The gospel hangs on the fact of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

Peter connected the resurrection and ascension of Jesus with his enthronement on the Davidic throne (Acts 2:29-36). In Acts 2:30-32 Peter said that David prophesied the resurrection in Psalm 16 because he knew God’s oath to place a Davidic descendant on the Davidic throne (Ps. 132:11)—thus connecting the resurrection and the ascension to the throne. Peter also connected the resurrection to the enthronement of the Davidic Messiah predicted in Psalm 110. The connections between Psalm 2 and Psalm 110 indicate that Peter has in view the Davidic enthronement and not some other enthronement.

Peter concludes on the basis of these passages that at the resurrection/ascension God “made [this Jesus] both Lord and Christ” (2:36). In what way was Jesus made Lord and Christ? “Lord” probably refers back to Peter’s quotation of Psalm 110:1. He was made Lord at the enthronement. He was also made Christ or Messiah. In the context, this indicates that Jesus was enthroned as Messiah.

Paul likewise testified that Jesus was the Davidic king, enthroned through his resurrection (Acts 13:22-23, 32-39). Paul’s argument was similar to Peter’s, but he appealed to Psalm 2:7 rather than to Psalm 110:1 for his enthronement text. Paul said the declaration, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you” was fulfilled in the resurrection (Acts 13:33). In the context of Psalm 2, this is the declaration of enthronement. Some object that since Psalm 2 teaches the Messianic king will be enthroned on Zion, Jesus cannot be reigning as the Davidic king from heaven. This ignores that prophecies are often fulfilled in stages. Jesus will one day rule from Zion as the Davidic king, but his enthronement has commenced from heaven.

On the basis of Jesus’ enthronement as the Davidic king, the apostles and elders determined that the Gentiles could participate in the church without the rituals required of Jewish proselytizes (Acts 15:14-19). As the apostles and elders wrestled over the relation between Jews and Gentiles in the church, Amos 9:12, with its promise of parity between Israel and the nations, provided insight in how to proceed. Niehaus notes that “the implication of the present statement is that the nations will not simply come under Israelite hegemony (as before), but that they will actually become one with God’s people” (492).

The timing of this promise is significant. The apostles were not at liberty to decide that since one day God will treat Jews and Gentiles equally, they may do so at any time. James was careful to quote the time frame for this promise. This promise is connected to the reestablishment of the Davidic dynasty.

The preaching of the early church also declared Jesus to be the fulfillment of the prophetic and priestly offices. Peter taught explicitly that Jesus was the Prophet like Moses (Acts 3:22), and Stephen’s martyr sermon climaxed by implying that Jesus was the messianic Prophet (Acts 7:52-53).

Philip declared to the Ethiopian eunuch that Jesus was guilt offering for sin (Acts 8:32-35). Thus the preaching of the early church as recorded in Acts affirms that Jesus is the King, Prophet, and Priest that Israel had been expecting.

Sources

Bock, Darrell L. “Covenants in Progressive Dispensationalism.” In Three Central Issues in Contemporary Dispensationalism. Edited by Herbert W. Bateman IV. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1999. See especially 159f., 199f.

Gibson, Aaron J. “Until His Enemies become His Footstool: A Biblical Theology of the Davidic Covenant in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts.” Ph.D. diss., Bob Jones University, 2003. See chapter 7 of this dissertation for detailed argumentation in favor of the position outlined above.

Niehaus, Jeff.  “Amos.” The Minor Prophets. Volume 1. Edited by Thomas McComiskey. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992.

Things I don’t get

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I don’t get the common evangelical impulse to find whatever good can be salvaged from the wrecks of popular culture. The most recent example I’ve stumbled across is in the September issue of CT [print edition, p. 93].

Craig Finn, lead singer and songwriter for Brooklyn’s the Hold Steady, writes about drug addiction, casual sex, and Jesus. There’s lots of debauchery as well as religious iconography in most of these songs. . . . Stay Positive is a gritty, supremely uncomfortable masterpiece, a Christ-haunted work that finds glimmers of glory even in the gutter.

Of course good can be found in many depraved people and activities. The doctrine of total depravity does not teach that all men are as bad as possible. Thus it seems as though asking "is there anything good that can be found in this?" is the wrong question to ask of popular culture. If that is the question, the answer will always be yes.

John Frame on Enjoying God Forever – Part 3

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Even God’s law, which we often regard as a stern taskmaster, is a delight to the redeemed heart (Pss. 1:2; 119:97; Rom. 7:22), a gift of God’s grace (Ps. 119:29). It is our way of life, not in the sense that it brings us eternal life apart from grace, but in the sense that it brings fullness of  blessing to those who are saved by grace and walk in God’s ways (Lev. 18:5; Deut. 5:33; 8:3; 11:13-15; 28:1-4; 30:11-20). God has given the law for our good (Deut. 10:12-13; 4:40; 12:28).

John Frame, Doctrine of the Christian Life, 304.