Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Genesis 22

GENESIS 22:1-19
Easter 2012

We are going to jump forward in Genesis because this weekend is Easter weekend, more accurately Resurrection Sunday
Traditionally the church remembers the crucifixion of Christ on the Friday before Easter, which has been called Good Friday.
The Bible does not say what day Jesus was crucified, it says He rose on the first day of the week, which we know is Sunday
Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
You cannot get three days and three nights from Friday afternoon to Sunday Morning
If He was crucified on Thursday then you can get 3 days and three nights
Thursday, Friday, Saturday is three days
Thursday night, Friday Night, and Saturday night is 3 nights
This does not matter much, but to make you aware how we should examine our traditions to make sure they are scriptural
There are a lot of traditions surrounding Easter
The name of Easter comes from the Ancient Egyptian name of their goddess of fertility Astarte
The pagan celebration of this goddess was replaced with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but the name Easter remained
This is why we see fertility symbols like eggs and rabbits on Easter, but they have nothing to do with The resurrection of Jesus
I believe it is quite insulting to God, to continue to associate these symbols with Resurrection Sunday
God had a plan for the crucifixion and resurrection from even before the foundation of the world, and he revealed His foreknowledge of these events ahead of time in the Old Testament
This week and next week I want to look closely at the God's foreknowledge of this
Gen 22:1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
Now this may cause some confusion because you may have heard this verse...
Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: as 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
This is not a contradiction because the Hebrew word for tempt here in Genesis 22:1 is better translated “Test”.....So whats the difference?
God allows trials and tests in our lives to strengthen our faith,
Satan, the world and our flesh tempt us in order to cause us to sin.
So here God is going to strengthen Abraham's faith.
We all face tests everyday, and when we do, we need to approach these tests with eyes of faith instead of eyes upon how unfair the test may seem.
When we pass these tests, we are blessed knowing that God is changing us from within

Gen 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
WO!!! God is telling Abraham to sacrifice his own son, this is against His own law:
Deu 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
Lev 18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
So is this a contradiction that God would command someone to do this
God would never command anyone to commit a sin, and He stopped Abraham from going through with the act
The fact is that God does call for human sacrifice
What Abraham did not understand was that the human being sacrificed must be sinless, without spot or blemish
Lev 1:3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
Therefore only Jesus Christ is qualified to be offered as a human sacrifice, because He is the only human ever to be sinless
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Gen 22:3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
Abraham in this account is a type of God the Father who sacrificed his only son
Isaac is a type of Jesus who went up the hill to be sacrificed
The two young men are a type of the Prophets and Apostles who witnessed and testified to the work of God
Gen 22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
The Third day. When God commanded Abraham to kill his son, Abraham already considered Isaac dead, he decided, and then three days later, Isaac would be resurrected in Abrahams heart, because God stopped it
Gen 22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
This should remind us of John 14...
Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
By the way we are not saved by saying the sinners prayer, we are saved by believing God
Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Joh 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. oh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Joh 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Gen 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
Joh 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
This place by the way is the exact place Abraham took Isaac
Tradition holds that the crucifixion of Jesus took place on Golgatha which is also known as Mt Moriah
777 Feet above sea level

Gen 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Gen 22:9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
Gen 22:10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
Gen 22:11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Gen 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
It was not that God did not Know if Abraham would commit to this act of faith, God knows everything
It was for Abraham's sake and ours. God was showing Abraham not only what He would do with His own son, but this also showed Abraham what God had done in His Abraham's heart.
We often doubt ourselves, and think we are faithless pieces of poop. But then God shows us how He is changing us from within, and it comforts us
This angel said this to Abraham to strengthen Abraham's faith and encourage him.
Tell story of when I saw Jesus in a cloud, then I doubted myself, then God showed me again.

Gen 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
Gen 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
This was the point of this whole test, to show us that God will do something here
Literally Jehovahjireh means 'The Lord will see to it” or the Lord will do it.
God's point here to Abraham and us, was that on that very spot God was going to do something so great, that the entire Human race will look to this event (Psalm 22:27) which we will get into next week

Gen 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
Gen 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Isaac was Abrahams life, his most cherished pocession, but He was willing to give him unto the Lord
Is that our heart, think of the most important thing in your life, would you be able to give it up to God, if He asked. If you answered yes and meant it, then God is your greatest treasure, and He will bless you
If not, then you are worshiping an idol

Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Here is a clue that God gave us, the offspring of Abraham will bless all the nations of the earth. Abraham was the father of the Jews, but more specifically Jesus, and it is Jesus who would be the reason for this blessing and the subject of this prophecy

Gen 22:19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
Notice Isaac is not mentioned as returning to the two young men
The assumption is that he did, Abraham did not leave him tied up on the mountain
Isaac is not mentioned because there is another prophetic picture being painted here
The next time Isaac appears in the Biblical account is when he is coming for his bride, Just like Jesus when He comes for His bride
Gen 24:63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. Gen 24:64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
What is interesting is the name Rebekah means “A quarrel apeased” Or it could mean a debt paid. Jesus paid our debt and Rebekah is a type of the church.

Psalm 22

PSALM 22
Easter 2012

This chapter is my favorite chapter in the Bible
When I first heard a teaching on this chapter after I got saved, I said why didn't anyone ever tell me about this chapter before I was saved
David wrote this Psalm which means it was written around 1000 BC, long before Jesus died on the cross
However when reading this chapter it sounds as if Jesus was writing this from the cross
The details described in this chapter sound as if the writer was indeed being crucified
David was never crucified, in fact crucifixion did not even exist when David wrote this
In Reality David was writing about what he was going through and used metaphors to describe what he was going through
The Holy Spirit of God inspired David to write this psalm PROBABLY unknowingly in a way that it would serve as a prophecy of what God was going to do
This is a lot like what we talked about last week in Genesis 22

Psa 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Mar 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
So the Psalm begins with the first thing Jesus said on the cross
The question is why did Jesus say this?
2 reasons that I know of
#1, He at that time had the sin of the world poured upon Him, which gave his Human side the sense that He had been seperated from God, this was the first time He had ever sensed this.
I know as a Christian, when I sin, I feel seperated from God, yet my heart is numb enough that it hurts, but not like it would have shocked Jesus
We cannot say whether or not God actually left Jesus at that point, or that was just the perception Jesus had because of the sins being poured upon him
I know when I sin, God does not leave me, He still dwells within me, but I have a perception in my spirit of seperation.
So if you feel God is not present in your life, or you feel seperated from Him, check yourself... are you in sin?
#2, Jesus was literally quoting chapter and verse. He was pointing people around him and us specifically to this Psalm and showing how prophecy was being fulfilled right before their eyes.

Psa 22:2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
Psa 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
So David is saying, just because my situation is not getting any better, and it seems as if I am not being delivered from my trial, he still offers worship to God saying He is Holy.
David was being persecuted by Saul the king of Israel at the time
Psa 22:4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
Though deliverence has not come, dont lose your faith, He will deliver His own one way or another
Jesus was not delivered until after He died, in His resurrection

Psa 22:5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
Psa 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
The word for worm here in Hebrew is Tolawth
This is a crimson grub from which the Jews would use the red dye from this bug to dye their clothes, which speaks to how our garments are washed in the blood of Jesus
When this worm is about to give birth, it fastens itself to a tree and literally dies giving birth. Its remains turn white
This speaks of how Jesus would be fastened to a tree and die to give life to others, and our red sinful garments become white as snow
Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
He was despised, and still is today by most
Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Jesus proclaimed the uncompramised truth, which can be politically incorrect. It can offend and anger.
The reaction a person has to the truth directly reflects the condition of that person's relationship with God through Christ.
If the words of the Bible anger you, you are not of God, you are in your sin.
If you reject the words of God, you reject Christ, and you reject God

Psa 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
Again, another prophecy fulfilled at the cross
Luk 23:35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. Luk 23:36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, Luk 23:37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
Today the mockery continues, I read some commentary by a handful of random people who simply mocked the truth of God, saying blasphemous things

Psa 22:8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
This again is a prophecy of the crucifixion, as that verse I just read in Luke said that those crucifying Jesus said for Him to save Himself
Remember Psalm 22 was written 1000 years before the crucifixion
God did say that He delighted in Jesus, at his Baptism, He said “this is my son in whom I am well pleased.”
God would deliver Jesus, but not from the cross, He delivered Him after He died.

Psa 22:9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
Psa 22:10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
Again, another scripture that rebukes abortion, life begins in the womb
Remember also that John the Baptist when he was in his mother's womb, lept for joy when he came near to Mary who had Jesus in her womb.
Luk 1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

Psa 22:11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Psa 22:12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
The analogy of bulls is used here to speak of the pharisees.
The bulls of Bashan, is a reference to this land of Bashan (East of the Jordan), which was a very fruitful land and the bulls were fattened. This speaks of the Pharisees and how they were fattened off of the power they had, even the power to influence an unwilling Roman leader (Pontius Pilate)to concede to their will.
 Deu 32:13 He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; Deu 32:14 Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.
 Blood of the grape speaks of the communion
Deu 32:15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.
Have we lightly esteemed the Rock of our salvation?
Deu 32:16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger. Deu 32:17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.
Do you provoke God to jealousy with strange gods,...drugs, sex, money, pocessions, power, hate, etc...

Psa 22:13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
This a prophecy of the spirit of satan working in these pharisees
1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Psa 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
Now the spirit of God begins to predict the physical conditions the Messiah would endure, which speaks of crucifixion before crucifxion was invented
In crucifixion the persons joints are stretched and literally pulled out of joint
Such physical torment in the scourging and the crucifxion would have cause great trauma to the heart

Psa 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
He would have been devestatingly weak after this physical trauma, and dehydrated

Psa 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
This is the telling verse. David never had his hands and feet pierced
David who wrote this was speaking metaphorically of how he was trapped by his enemies
However the Holy Spirit caused him to word it this was to literally predict crucifxion
This along with all the other predictive details go way beyond coincedence

Psa 22:17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
Again a testimony to the nature of crucifixion, of how he was stretched out and beaten to a bloody and grusome condition.
Isa 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Isa 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

Psa 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
Here again a detailed prophecy that would be exactly fulfilled 1000 years later at the cross
Mat 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

Psa 22:19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
Psa 22:20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
Psa 22:21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
Again this is prophetic imagery of being impaled to a wild beast, that beast represents the sin Jesus took on the cross
Psa 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
Psa 22:23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
Psa 22:24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
Psa 22:25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
Jesus will make a promise to those who truly fear God, or have an awesome reverance for God through faith.
The great congregation is a reference to the church
This implies the resurrection, because verse 15 even says He is brought to the dust of death, but after death He will appear in the midst of the congregation
Joh 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
The was the first Resurrection Sunday

Psa 22:26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
This is a prophetic principle Jesus taught
Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Psa 22:27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
All the ends of the world shall remember what?
They shall remember what this Psalm is describing, the crucifixion of Jesus and the resurrection
Remembering this work that is the Gospel will cause people from all nations to worship Jesus, which is exactly what has happened

Psa 22:28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.
Psa 22:29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
Psa 22:30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
Psa 22:31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
The “They” being described here are those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The Apostles who wrote the New Testament and all missionaries and disciples after to this day that bring the Gospel to those who have not heard
The Hebrew words used to finish this Psalm that are translated He hath done this, in Greek or Aramaic mean the same thing as Jesus' final statement on the cross
Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

So in conclusion this Psalm written 1000 years before Jesus begins with the first words Jesus said on the cross, and ended with His final words on the cross, and it speaks of everything He went through on the cross physically and why He did it.