The Contemporary Church is L – Lost
- 17 December 2023
We completed the previous thesis with Ps 19:7-11. The challenge was to consider whether the psalmist’s description of his heart response to daily Bible reading matches our own. Our contention is that progressive knowledge of Scripture ought to be so invigorating that we may easily endorse the psalmist’s judgement – i.e. more to be desired are they (Scriptures) than gold, yea much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (v10). But, if we’re honest, it’s not so is it. Why not? Because the contemporary Church is LOST. It is in desperate need of a road map by which it might truly learn where it is in God’s redemptive plan. Knowing our time/place in history would provide us with a moral compass. This in turn would restore our confidence that God really does have a good reason for all that He providentially purposes.
I want therefore to attempt to rehearse the Big Picture as we encounter it in the Bible. How does Genesis relate to Ephesians? How do the Books of Esther & Ruth fit in? And what about the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes and Onesimus in Philemon? In short, ‘How does it all hang together?’ What is the primary message and how am I supposed to relate to it? I learnt years ago that only when we comprehend the Big Picture does any of the detail make sense. I confess I got bogged down thinking about why Alfred the Great burnt the cakes instead of asking what it was that made him ‘great!’ In Hebrews 11:13, we are told that ‘these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.’ Alas, the contemporary Church has switched its focus to heaven above – away from earth and interpret verse 16 accordingly: ‘But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.’ In doing so, evangelicals end up reading the map upside down! Our pilgrimage is not from one location to another; rather, it is THROUGH TIME from one epoch in history to its final climax when the earth will filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Num 14:21; Hab 2:14).
Let us see if we can trace out the key developments along the way. If this paradigm is true, all parts of Scripture will comport with it. What we are seeking to comprehend is a single, unifying syllabus of faith that connects Genesis 1:1 to Rev 22:21 plus everything in between. Knowing this truth (Jn 8:32) is so exhilarating to the mind and so liberating to our souls we shall thereafter sing the psalms afresh, perceiving in them the same overall story. What we fail to cover here under L = Lost, we shall resume under R = Roadmap. Let’s get going:
- From Moses we learn that (i) God is our Maker – not evolution! (ii) man was commissioned to furnish the Earth with godly families who collectively would build civilisation to the glory of God; that (iii) sin entered the world which immediately introduced enmity between God’s kingdom (the Seed of the woman) and Satan’s hostile subversion (Gen 3:15). That enmity would continue to play out down through time. God’s recovery (redemption) plan would be disclosed progressively over generations. It would involve serious judgement of creaturely rebellion (e.g. Babel dispersion & the Great Flood) and proceed three steps forward, two steps backward until all opposition to Christ’s rightful rule of the nations is brought to an end (Ps 110) with death itself the final enemy to be defeated (1Cor 15:26).
- Crucially, God would effect victory via covenant. His covenant people (i.e. the Church) would begin as a mustard seed (Matt 13: 31-32) with the tribal clans of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to whom offspring were promised who would fill the Earth (Gen 22:17);
- The Covenant itself embraced both redemptive and vocational aspects. The former was restorative (ceremonial) and anticipated the incarnation, death & resurrection of Christ through various types and shadows (e.g. sacrifice, priesthood, festivals, offerings, etc). The latter was morally instructive supplying various laws governing how individuals and the corporate State should live in exemplary holiness (Lev 19:2).
- Redemptive history would thereafter proceed according to the terms of God’s covenant. God established great promises of blessing to His people (and their future progeny) who, in turn, pledged to Him worship and obedience (Josh 1; Deut 28). From the Exodus throughout 40 years of wilderness wanderings God would instruct His Church and equip them to conquer Canaan where they would find salvific rest (Ps 95; Heb 2-4). Within the land, over the course of many generations (Judges à 2Chronicles), the nation of Israel would experience successive victory and defeat dependent upon national fidelity to their covenantal obligations. God’s mercy and forbearance towards a stubborn/rebellious people was compared often to a husband’s patience towards the infidelity of his bride.
- Through valiant kings (especially David) God signalled that He would ultimately establish a righteous king (Jesus) who would rule and sanctify His people down through time (Ps 110) and by whom all the nations of the earth would finally yield their allegiance (Ps 2). The greater part of OT history is given over to illustrate how (i) that victory over all opposition would be secured (see Is 9:7) – i.e. via covenantal obedience/faithfulness and (ii) defeat by tyrants & kingdom enemies would suspend temporarily the increase of Christ’s government and peace (Ezra à Esther).
- Christ’s humiliation & exaltation was prefigured by Joseph; His latter-day reign of righteousness (Is 65) was foreshadowed by Solomon; the subjugation of all foreign kings was signalled by the visit of the Queen of Sheba (see also Psalms 48 & 87).
- Isaiah foretells the (i) appearance of Christ (Ch’s 7 & 9), to overthrow all competing kingdoms (Ch’s 10, 13-24, 34), (ii) the establishment of Messiah’s reign throughout the Earth (Ch’s 11, 32, 35, 42, 49), (iii) the incarnation/passion of Christ (Ch 53). The closing chapters of Isaiah again generally anticipate the future glory of the NT Church and the final establishment of peace & salvation throughout the Earth.
- The Minor prophets provide further divine commentary upon God’s providential dealings with His covenantal people – Israel & Judah.
- The Babylonian captivity under Nebuchadnezzar represented a low-point from which only a remnant would either (i) be redeemed and joined covenantally with Gentiles to form a NT Church which was destined to subjugate the Earth (i.e. return to Zion) fulfilling the Great Commission (Matt 28:18) or else (ii) be finally overthrown in the great judgement of AD70 – the Destruction of Jerusalem.
Jesus said, “Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” (Matt 16:3)
