Hannah’s Son of Service – 1 Sam 1:1-28, 3:19-4:1a, 7:3ff, 7:15, 12:1-3 12:23, 16:13

So far, this advent season we looked at the promised child of Abraham and saw how God had promised Abraham one who would continue the family line.  How his promised son would be specially chosen by God to be the one to propagate the promises of blessing to the people.  We saw how that corresponds to Jesus Christ as the descendant of Abraham, the Seed to whom all God’s promises were made and how we can be inheritors of the promise by being in Christ, too.

Last week we explored John the Baptist’s promised birth to Zechariah ad Elizabeth, descendants of both Aaron the High Priest and Samuel the great prophet, priest and judge we are going to explore today. John came to preach repentance and to prepare a people ready for God to be built into a building and readied into an army.  But Jesus actually builds us into the Temple of God, his flesh and body in the world, and his army to proclaim peace between God and men to a dying world.

This week we are looking at Hannah’s son, Samuel. Although there is a striking difference between Samuel and the other promised children we are exploring this Advent season.  Abraham was promised a son, so was Elizabeth whom we studied last week, and Eve who we will study on Christmas day.  But Hannah was never promised a son by God, rather she promised her son to God.

This makes her story different than the other promised children, but powerful this Advent season nevertheless.  Let’s quickly move through the setting of the story, Elkanah has two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. “Etymologically, Hannah means something like “charming,” reflecting the fact that she was the loved one [which verse 5 tells us]; Peninnah may mean something like “prolific” or “fecund,” corresponding to her role as the wife who bore children [verse 4 – he would give portions of meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters].”[1]

So, every year these 3 characters and the rest of the family head out to Shiloh to worship, and inevitably the family dynamics kick up and life becomes difficult to unbearable for someone, it just so happens that Hannah always happens to be this someone. 1Sam. 1:7 tells us, “This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.”  So Hannah prays to God asking, begging God for a son.  Just one, give me a child, she pleads and if God will but answer this one prayer, then she vows, “…I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head” (1Sam. 1:11).

How many of us have heard the stories about the crisis prayers.  People facing death who beg God to get them out of this difficulty and I will worship you forever.  Or provide me the money to make all my bills God and I will give to the next person who asks me for help.  Or something else that is pleaded for and promised.  The only problem with these “deals” is that rarely do people follow through with them.  But not Hannah, she pleads the Word tells us, amidst tears and pain, promising something more difficult than most of us would ever consider.  She asks promises to give up the very thing she given, to hand him over to God to be a Son of Service in the House of the Lord.  Hannah’s child is promised to be a Son of Service.  And she follows through with her word. 

She raises him and weans him and then takes him to the Tabernacle at Shiloh and presents him to Eli the priest saying, ““As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he (Samuel) worshiped the Lord there.” (1 Sam 1:26-28).

This is where I want us to really start digging in.  What is the promised Son to do?  Who is this promised Son to be?  Let’s start with the second question first.  Who is this promised son to be? He is to be given to the Lord wholly and completely.  He is to be God’s child, the Lord’s possession.  He is to take his orders from the Lord and his direction from the Lord.  He is to be a servant of the Lord and to be used by the Lord as the Lord sees fit.  The closest analogy we get for a person being given to the Lord is in Leviticus 27.  In this chapter, Moses is telling the people what happens if vows are made.  In the first part, he is speaking specifically of “a special vow to dedicate persons to the Lord by giving equivalent values,” (Lev. 27:2).  So we can see that one given to the Lord is to be dedicated, single-mindedly set upon serving the Lord and his work.  That is who he is to be.  But then a few verses later we also learn that those things, which are vowed, are holy and cannot be exchanged.  To give something to God is a one-time decision without recourse to re-evaluation or change.  Listen to the words from Lev 27:9-10 “If what he vowed is an animal that is acceptable as an offering to the Lord, such an animal given to the Lord becomes holy. He must not exchange it or substitute a good one for a bad one, or a bad one for a good one; if he should substitute one animal for another, both it and the substitute become holy.”

So the promised Son, Samuel, is to be given to God, holy, single-mindedly centered on God’s will and God’s way.  He is to be a child of the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God.  His life is to be wrapped up in God’s life and God’s ways.  Therefore, he must be attentive to the voice of God.  This is who he is to be. 

So from this description of the character of one given to the Lord, we can return to our first question.  What is the promised Son to do?  The author of this book tells us, “He worshiped the Lord there.”  The promised Son given to God worships.  This is going to mean he sacrifices, he prays, he instructs, he sings, he thanks the Lord.  Every one of these activities is part of the life of worship, the life of one given over to the Lord.  For Samuel is to be a prophet, a spokesman for God.  His words are to ring true with God’s words.  He is to speak God’s word to the people as one devoted to the Lord.  And that is exactly what he does, beginning with his words to Eli concerning his wayward sons Phineas and Hophni and their immanent deaths and continuing throughout his life. 

1Sam. 3:19-4:1 tell us, “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.  4:1 And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.”    Thus the promised child was to be prophet, a voice of God to the people, telling them how to live and worship.  Directing their steps.

But he was also to do a priest’s job of facilitating worship, offering sacrifices and praying for nation.  This Samuel illustrates in the 7^th chapter where he calls Israel back from worshipping false gods, the prophetic side of his life, but which he goes beyond to offering a “suckling lamb…as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him” (1Sam. 7:9).

But the priest and the prophet also teach the people, which Samuel illustrates in his dealings with Saul, the errant king, in 1Sam. 12:23 “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.”  As a priest he also anoints the Leaders of the country, first Saul (1Sam. 10:1) Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance?”; then David, (1Sam. 16:13) So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.

But Samuel does one other task in his life as one devoted to God.  He leads the people of Israel honestly and fairly.  He began by leading them out of oppression to the Philistines in chapter 7, and the 15^th verse tells us, “Samuel continued as judge (leader) over Israel all the days of his life.”  He led them faithfully and delicately, honestly and fairly which the word attests in chapter 12:2-3f  “2 Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. 3 Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.”  And the people affirm that Samuel has done none of these things.  He has been a good leader, and while Samuel would shudder at this title, King.  I believe it is an appropriate designation.  Samuel was given over to the Lord and although God didn’t promise him nevertheless, as one promised to, dedicated to God he did the work of a prophet, a priest and a king or ruler.

Samuel is an excellent promised child of Hannah’s as we look forward to the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ – the Prophet, the Priest, and the King who surpasses Samuel’s character and function in every way. For Jesus not only spoke God’s word to the people, he was God’s Word.  John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14).  Where the prophet spoke God’s word, Jesus was the actual word speaking not on behalf of God, but speaking as God.  Where the old prophets said, “Thus sayeth the Lord…”, Jesus said, “You have heard it said, but I say to you…”

Jesus[2] is the great prophet; in fact he is greater than any prophet, for he was the Son. Hebrews 3:5-6 “Moses was faithful as a servant (Moses was a prophet, speaking God’s word to the people) in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house.” The parallel is to be prophet-son, servant-son.  Jesus is greater.

But Jesus is also the priest.  Not only did he offer sacrifice, but the sacrifice was himself, a perfect sacrifice Hebrews 10:4 tells us, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins…Heb. 4:14 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess…Heb. 10:12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy…Heb. 9:12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”  Jesus is our great high priest.

When the OT priests like Samuel entered into the holy place, the people could not go in with them, but now, the curtain has been torn in two, and we are ushered into his presence. Heb. 6:19-20 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus entered before us, as a forerunner, or first runner, so that we may follow him into God’s presence which is exactly what Heb10:19-20 tell us: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body…”

And where the old covenant priests could only pray for one person at a time and hear one person’s request from God at a time, Jesus as our priest can always intercede for us, continually praying for us, always making intercession for us as Hebrews 7:25 and Romans 8:34 affirm, Heb. 7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Rom. 8:34 …Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

And He is also the King, or ruler extraordinaire.  As a king, he exercises authority over God’s people, ruling the creation, building his church and ensuring that the gates of hell will not prevail:

Matt. 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Eph. 1:19-22 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

Phil. 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Rev. 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

He is the promised child of God, who exceeds anything that man can ever promise back to God.  So what are we to make of this promised child who is superior to Hannah’s son, Samuel?  We are to imitate him.  You heard me, we are to copy him and act in our feeble ways, under his power as the new prophets, priests and kings of this earth by evangelizing the world and thereby speaking the truth of God’s word to a dying world.  We are to disciple one another, thereby speaking the truth of God’s word to fellow believers for 2Tim. 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

We are to intercede for one another, for the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective, James 5:16 tells us.  We are to offer sacrifices of praise and sacrifices of good works as the priests we have been proclaimed according to Hebrews 13:15-16 and 1 Pt 2:5 and 2:9:

Heb. 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

1Pet. 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

We are to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship (Rom. 12:1).

Furthermore, we are to exercise the authority of Christ over one another, serving one another, resisting the devil, stewarding our resources for God’s kingdom and God’s people.  Raising our families to know and love God above all other things in this world.  Advancing the reign of God in our employment, for our final destiny is to reign with God forever and ever.  Rev. 22:5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they (speaking of the church, the body of believers) will reign for ever and ever.

People of God, Christ is coming, greater than the child Hannah promised to serve in God’s presence.  He is the prophet, the priest and the King Almighty, so go out as little prophets, priests and kings in your own spheres, for the word promises,

Rev. 3:21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

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[1] WBC, 1 Samuel 1:1-3 Commentary section.

[2] The section on Jesus as prophet, priest and king and how we are called to the same 3 offices come from a lecture by Wayne Grudem at Scottsdale Bible in 2007.  The mp3’s are on my computer.

The Promised Child who prepares the way - Luke 1:5-17

It is the 3^rd Sunday of Advent, and in a few days we will be celebrating Christmas day, the birth of the Savior.  This advent season we are exploring some of the promised children of scripture.  We saw that Abraham was promised a son who would continue his line and continue the blessing.  And we saw how Christ is the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham, furthermore, we were encouraged, I hope by the fact that we are now heirs of those blessings.  We are descendants of Abraham, just as Isaac, Jacob, David and ultimately Jesus were. 

Today we will look at the promises God made to Zechariah and Elizabeth through the prophet Gabriel.  We will see how Christ is the fulfillment of these and how we too share in his glorious ministry to redeem humanity from the curse of sin and death.  Our story is found in the Gospel of Luke.  It is the only place where this particular part of the nativity story is told and Luke gives us a fair amount of detail about the setting before he moves onto the promises concerning the child to come.  Let’s look at it for a moment:

It is the time of Herod, Herod the Great who ruled over Palestine (which composed parts of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) from the mid-40’s BC to 4BC.  Herod was a pretty great king in the eyes of the ancient Roman world and he left his mark on much more than just the biblical narrative.  He was a staunch ally of Rome believing that nothing could be achieved without their aid and consent.  This belief caused him to use all his power to stay on Rome’s good side – he squashed rebels, fought against the Hasmonean’s (Jewish priestly movement to reclaim the royal throne), and even fought against Antony’s gladiators as the East and the West of Rome was being congealed under Octavius, a.k.a. Caesar Augustus.  Add to these political choices the fact that Herod was desperately jealous of his empire and ruthless to protect his rule and we have a man who drowned the High Priest at one point in his reign, killed his wife and 2 of his sons along with countless other “threats.”  On the positive side, Herod was a grand builder, not only at home building two cities and rebuilding and enlarging the Temple.  He also built all across the ancient world – buildings, temples, gymnasiums in Athens, Sparta, Rhodes, etc. 

This is the time frame and the political context of the day that we must understand when Luke says, In the time of Herod, king of Judea.  A Jewish people are being ruled by an Idumean (descendant of Esau) named Herod the Great, who is more allied to Rome than to Yahweh.  In this time a priest named Zechariah is married to Elizabeth.  We know a few interesting things about Zechariah and his wife.  First, they are both upright and blameless.  They are of the faithful, obedient to the revelation they have been given.  They are religious, not secularist.  Luke gets at this even more when he informs us that Zechariah is of the priestly division of Abijah and Elizabeth is a descendant of Aaron.

Let’s look at Zechariah first.  According to 1 Chronicles 6:28 as the text is listing off the descendents of Levi, whom the priests and the Levites are to come from, we run across the name of Elkanah in verse 26 who has a son named Samuel.  This is the same Samuel we will explore next week.  But what is pertinent to us right now is that Samuel has 2 sons: Joel the firstborn and Abijah the second son.  Now this doesn’t necessarily mean that Zechariah is a direct descendent of Samuel, for the Israelite people were carried into exile and of the 24 priestly division David established, only 4 returned with Ezra (2:36-39) but the book of Nehemiah implies that out of these 4 divisions who returned, the 24 divisions were reconstituted (12:1-7).  Luke is telling us that there is a connection being drawn between Zechariah and the last great Judge – Samuel, specifically that a descendant of Samuel is coming.

Elizabeth is a descendant of Aaron, who was the first High Priest and Moses brother.  Furthermore, she also carries the name of the Aaron’s wife, the only other Elizabeth in the Scriptures. Ex. 6:23 Aaron married Elisheba… I believe that Luke inspired by God is trying to make a statement to the church, and to the Jewish people.  A very profound statement as a matter of fact.  Where the prophets have been silent for more than 400 years, I am raising up a prophet who descends from one of the great prophets; where the modern day priests are failing to direct the people to God, I am going to be raising up a new descendent of the High Priest to point people to the Lord; where your king has allied himself to Rome and secular expediency, I will be raising up a leader allied to God Almighty.

Thus the angel of the Lord comes while Zechariah is performing his priestly duty of burning incense and says, “You will have a son, name him John – Yahweh has given grace[1].  He is going to be a joy, a double joy (delight) and others will have joy because of his birth.”  For a great priest, prophet and judge is coming into the world.  But this is where it gets good. “He will be great in the sight of the Lord.  He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.  Many people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.  And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, another wonderful prophet who fearlessly proclaimed the word of God to the people.  He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 

This sounds like the opposite of everything that Herod has exemplified and everything that the priesthood has been doing.  God is raising up a leader, a prophetic, priestly leader to point the people back to their Lord, to prepare the people to be ready for battle, to be built into the house of God.  The very last phrase, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord carries all these implications.  For the only other things in scripture that are prepared are buildings and soldiers.[2]  The son that is promised to Zechariah is going to get people ready for the master builder to come; he is going to train them so that their General of the Army can command them.

Those two themes make a lot of sense out of the Gabriel’s proclamation concerning John.  For if he is going to ready the people for being built into the true and living temple of God, the body of Christ, then he needs the empowerment of the Spirit, which is promised even from birth.  From the very beginning of his days, God will be leading him and guiding him.  If he is going to ready the army of God to take orders from their supreme commander then he needs first of all to turn people back to God from their wayward wanderings, their flirtatious experiments with Rome, their dependence upon dead religion instead of upon living faith and repentance. 

And it all begins in getting the adults to become like children, and the disobedient, not to become obedient, but to become wise.  Zechariah’s son is going to turn the fathers’ hearts to childlike faith.  At least that is how I understand the parallels,

Luke 1:17 to turn the hearts of parents             to             [their] children,

and the disobedient                         to             the wisdom of the righteous,

to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

When the disobedient parents become like the wise child, or maybe said another way, when rebellious humanity gains childlike faith, trust and acceptance then they are becoming a people fit for God’s use.  In fact isn’t that what Jesus himself says in Matt. 18:3 “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

But how are we supposed to become like little children?  How are we to gain the wisdom of the righteous, salvation by faith apart from works? How are we to be built into a people, in to a temple?  The rest of scripture tells us John the Baptist came preaching a baptism of repentance, John the Baptist came calling people to turn from their wickedness and to recognize their sin and flee from it.  This is the first step in gaining the wisdom of the righteous. 

But this kind of repentance without the assurance of forgiveness and the knowledge of salvation is less than a message to rejoice in.  That is why John prepares the way for the Lord, but Jesus is the way of the Lord.  John’s disciples were awaiting the full message of salvation, as Acts 19:4-5 illustrates (Paul said,) “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus. On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus, and the text goes on to say they received the Holy Spirit. 

So do we have work to do?  Does this story have bearing on our life? On our world?

You bet, we live in a world where many of our leaders aren’t that different from Herod.  They are making names for themselves.  They are building monuments to their greatness[3].  Many of our leaders are more interested in compromise and building their own names than they are on pursuing wisdom, discernment, and servanthood.  Yes we have a call to preach repentance and faith in God.

Furthermore, a vast number of our religious leaders aren’t turning people toward God; rather they are turning people toward popular psychology, self-help and self-improvement.  They are mixing the gospel with other religious teachings.  Our spiritual leaders have become enamored with religion that leaves people bereft of any hope of change while placating the sinful tendencies of society and baptizing them as Christian.   Our churches have become bastions for popular social experimentation both on our children and our families.  Prayer has almost vanished. Did you know the typical Christian only prays 3-5 minutes a day and most of that for himself? 

Yet God intended that the church would be a house of prayer.  God desired a people wholly devoted to his name, calling on the Lord day and night, giving thanks for everything, seeking his glory and his kingdom, praying for the formation of the spiritual community.

We desperately need the message John was called to preach, but we need to ensure the message goes with the truth of the incarnation so that people have hope.  People desperately need to be awakened to the desires of God.  We need to proclaim that the Lord is building a house and calling a people to resistance against all that the world offers up as normal and standard and acceptable.  Jesus wants you.  Jesus wants me.  Jesus wants everyone of us to be equipped and empowered for works of service and for being united with his Spirit so that we can transform this dead and dying world into a living, breathing picture of his Kingdom full of love and obedience.  And every bit of it begins in acknowledging that there is a God whose being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth are infinite, eternal and unchangeable (Westminster Shorter Q4).  This is second step in gaining the wisdom of the righteous.  First is to acknowledge our sin, second is to acknowledge God’s righteous character.

And this means that my natural ways of living are more often than not going to be an affront to God for I am not the possessor of infinite, eternal and unchangeable wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness or truth.  So I need to repent and turn to his Son who alone fulfilled the righteous commands of the Lord, who alone can bring me forgiveness.  He alone can enable me to serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness (Luke 1:74-75). And I would venture to guess that you would agree with all of these same statements about yourself.

And so we wait, liturgically a few more days, but in reality knowing that the birth of the one who can redeem us from all our sins and release us into the newness of life has already come.  This we must proclaim for all the goodness of the kingdom is available to whoever will believe. God has granted us a great privilege and responsibility - We are the ones who prepare this world for the Lord!

This is the story of Advent. Where John could tell people about their need, Jesus meets the need and we proclaim him.  Where John could tell people their hearts were corrupt and to admit it, Jesus gives a new heart and we proclaim him.  Where John could tell people to serve God and acknowledge God as God, Jesus gives us his spirit so that we can utter both the word and be empowered to do the deeds and we proclaim him.  Where John prepared the building site and brought the stones together, Jesus builds the temple, first in his flesh and then in his body, the church and we proclaim him.  For we are (1Pet. 2:9-10) a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

John got things ready, but Jesus did the work.  John went before the Lord Jesus as a prophet denouncing sin and calling people to repentance, but Jesus gave his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins just as Zechariah prophesied in Luke 1:76.  This is what Advent is all about, it is about the atonement beginning, and it’s about God visiting his people and empowering them to remain his people.

And we get to participate in it.  Jesus calls us his mothers and brothers and sisters in Mark 3:34-35 and he calls us his friends saying (John 15:15) I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  We are partners with Jesus.  In one sense we are like John, people sent by God to proclaim repentance, in another we are greater than John, for we know the whole truth about Christ and Christ himself indwells us.

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[1] Translation of John from Brown’s The Birth of the Messiah, pg. 261

[2] 1Mac. 10:21 So Jonathan put on the sacred vestments in the seventh month of the one hundred sixtieth year, at the festival of booths, and he recruited troops and equipped them with arms in abundance. 1Mac. 15:3 Whereas certain scoundrels have gained control of the kingdom of our ancestors, and I intend to lay claim to the kingdom so that I may restore it as it formerly was, and have recruited a host of mercenary troops and have equipped warships, Heb. 3:3 Yet Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. Heb. 3:4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)

Heb. 9:2 For a tent was constructed, the first one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence; this is called the Holy Place. Heb. 11:7 By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.

[3] whether they be actual statues like Lenin, Stalin, and Saddam Hussein built or legislative wonders like FDR or Ted Kennedy wrote, or inconsequential pet projects like the Alaskan bridge to nowhere, or tattoo removal in Mission Hills, CA

The Promised Child of Abraham - Genesis 17:19

We are into Advent, the second week of four when the church has historical focused on the incarnation of Christ.  This year we are going to explore a few of the promised children in the Scriptures.  We will begin with the promised child to Abraham, and then move to the promised child to Hannah.  Right before Christmas we will look at the promised child to Elizabeth and on Christmas day, we will recall the promised child to Eve and Mary – the Christ who crushes the head of the serpent.

In Genesis 12:1-3 God calls Abraham saying, “Leave…and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  In this call of God the seeds of a promised child were sown.  How else will Abraham be a great nation unless he receives a child?  How could all the peoples of the earth be blessed through him unless Abraham has a child who can continue the line, continue the family line and interact with all the earth?  He must have a child, a promised child.

So Abraham’s heir will be of the line of greatness, of the line of blessing.  But in Gen 15:1 God also tells Abraham, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” 4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars — if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

Abraham’s child will be from his own loins, he will be of Abraham’s seed, of his stock.  His child will be of the line that is blessed by God.  And if that isn’t enough, the promised child of Abraham has even greater blessings to come, listen to Gen. 17:7 “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”  The promised child will have God as his God.  What exactly does that mean?  To have God be your God and the God of your child?  It is a promise death will not defeat you, but life will reign in your mortal body.  Listen to Jesus in Matt. 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”  Jesus ties being someone’s God to eternal life, and this means that the descendants who have the living God as their God will also have the living Word of God to instruct them and guide them in life.

But are all Abraham’s children included in these outstanding gifts – to continue the line, to be blessed and bless, to be his own stock, to have eternal life, and guides guidance in their life?  Do all of Abraham’s children live under this promise?  No, not all of them do, Gen. 17:19  “Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”  Isaac, not Ishmael is the bearer of these promises.  And Isaac is born in Gen 21, the Son of the promise.

Now obviously there are thousands upon thousands of people who would love to trace themselves to Isaac’s lineage.  There are countless numbers of people who would give up everything in order to inherit the same things promised to Abraham’s heir.  So how does one Rom. 4:13 “receive the promise that he or she will be heir of the world?”  That he or she will be a beneficiary of all that God promised to Abraham? It comes “through the righteousness that comes by faith.”  It comes to someone when they trust that Christ is truly Abraham’s seed. Gal. 3:16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.  The promises weren’t for us as individuals, they were for Christ, but when we have faith in Christ we are baptized into Christ and consequently clothed in Christ and so we belong to Christ, Galatians 3:26-29 tells us.  And all this means that as Christ’s own possession, or using his words, as his body, we can gain access to every spiritual blessing, which God promised, to Abraham and his heir.  It comes by faith, that the Son of Man, Abraham’s descendant, Jesus Christ, which the gospels so painstakingly record in the “he begats”, that this Son alone is righteous and pleasing to God.  When we accept this, every believer in Christ is deemed a descendant of promise.  Gal 4:28 “Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.”  This is Paul’s entire argument in Galatians.

We are the promised Children of Abraham through faith in the righteousness of Christ. 

• This faith makes us believers who have peace with God (Rom 5:1).
• This faith makes us the heirs of God - Rom. 8:17 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ...” 
• This faith causes our adoption as his sons and daughters, all because we belong to Christ. Gal. 3:29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  
• All the beauty, all the benefits God proclaimed to Abraham’s promised child are ours, in Christ. 

We are the inheritors of the promises to continue the line. We are the inheritors of the promises to know God personally and be instructed by him, which as believers occurs through Word and Spirit.  We are to inherit the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:16ff).  We are the inheritors of life eternal.  We are God’s chosen people, Col. 3:12 “holy and dearly loved, clothe[d]…with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bearing with each other and forgiving whatever grievances you may have against one another.” 

We are God’s chosen people to “Forgive as the Lord forgave you…[to] put on love...to Let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as we sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts to God.”   We are God’s chosen people who as a result of all our blessing, who as a result of being the children of promise can (Col. 3:17) “whether in word or deed, do [everything] in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” 

This is our inheritance in Christ; this is what it means to be the promised child of Abraham.  This is why we rejoice at the incarnation.

The Child Promised to Abraham - Genesis 17:19

We are into Advent, the second week of four when the church has historical focused on the incarnation of Christ.  This year we are going to explore a few of the promised children in the Scriptures.  We will begin with the promised child to Abraham, and then move to the promised child to Hannah.  Right before Christmas we will look at the promised child to Elizabeth and on Christmas day, we will recall the promised child to Eve and Mary – the Christ who crushes the head of the serpent.

In Genesis 12:1-3 God calls Abraham saying, “Leave…and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  In this call of God the seeds of a promised child were sown.  How else will Abraham be a great nation unless he receives a child?  How could all the peoples of the earth be blessed through him unless Abraham has a child who can continue the line, continue the family line and interact with all the earth?  He must have a child, a promised child.

So Abraham’s heir will be of the line of greatness, of the line of blessing.  But in Gen 15:1 God also tells Abraham, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” 4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars — if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

Abraham’s child will be from his own loins, he will be of Abraham’s seed, of his stock.  His child will be of the line that is blessed by God.  And if that isn’t enough, the promised child of Abraham has even greater blessings to come, listen to Gen. 17:7 “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”  The promised child will have God as his God.  What exactly does that mean?  To have God be your God and the God of your child?  It is a promise death will not defeat you, but life will reign in your mortal body.  Listen to Jesus in Matt. 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”  Jesus ties being someone’s God to eternal life, and this means that the descendants who have the living God as their God will also have the living Word of God to instruct them and guide them in life.

But are all Abraham’s children included in these outstanding gifts – to continue the line, to be blessed and bless, to be his own stock, to have eternal life, and guides guidance in their life?  Do all of Abraham’s children live under this promise?  No, not all of them do, Gen. 17:19  “Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”  Isaac, not Ishmael is the bearer of these promises.  And Isaac is born in Gen 21, the Son of the promise.

Now obviously there are thousands upon thousands of people who would love to trace themselves to Isaac’s lineage.  There are countless numbers of people who would give up everything in order to inherit the same things promised to Abraham’s heir.  So how does one Rom. 4:13 “receive the promise that he or she will be heir of the world?”  That he or she will be a beneficiary of all that God promised to Abraham? It comes “through the righteousness that comes by faith.”  It comes to someone when they trust that Christ is truly Abraham’s seed. Gal. 3:16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.  The promises weren’t for us as individuals, they were for Christ, but when we have faith in Christ we are baptized into Christ and consequently clothed in Christ and so we belong to Christ, Galatians 3:26-29 tells us.  And all this means that as Christ’s own possession, or using his words, as his body, we can gain access to every spiritual blessing, which God promised, to Abraham and his heir.  It comes by faith, that the Son of Man, Abraham’s descendant, Jesus Christ, which the gospels so painstakingly record in the “he begats”, that this Son alone is righteous and pleasing to God.  When we accept this, every believer in Christ is deemed a descendant of promise.  Gal 4:28 “Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.”  This is Paul’s entire argument in Galatians.

We are the promised Children of Abraham through faith in the righteousness of Christ. 

• This faith makes us believers who have peace with God (Rom 5:1).
• This faith makes us the heirs of God - Rom. 8:17 “Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ...” 
• This faith causes our adoption as his sons and daughters, all because we belong to Christ. Gal. 3:29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  
• All the beauty, all the benefits God proclaimed to Abraham’s promised child are ours, in Christ. 

We are the inheritors of the promises to continue the line. We are the inheritors of the promises to know God personally and be instructed by him, which as believers occurs through Word and Spirit.  We are to inherit the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:16ff).  We are the inheritors of life eternal.  We are God’s chosen people, Col. 3:12 “holy and dearly loved, clothe[d]…with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bearing with each other and forgiving whatever grievances you may have against one another.” 

We are God’s chosen people to “Forgive as the Lord forgave you…[to] put on love...to Let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as we sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts to God.”   We are God’s chosen people who as a result of all our blessing, who as a result of being the children of promise can (Col. 3:17) “whether in word or deed, do [everything] in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” 

This is our inheritance in Christ; this is what it means to be the promised child of Abraham.  This is why we rejoice at the incarnation.