Key Points in God’s Eternal Plan for Man
His elect.
Regardless of man’s idea of God and his creation and the relationship of man and him self, God has always been in complete charge and has maintained complete control. The plan has always been his and it was perfectly ironed out with out error or controversy on his part.
Although it all began before the world was formed, there are those who can not accept this truth from the beginning of our study, but it does not change the story that follows.
In the beginning after God created our world and in seven days set it in motion as we know it today, he told Adam that everything was legal and free except that tree he was forbidden to partake of. This was the only rule and rules are made to be broken, my pun; but true. Now you have to see this picture; the tree, the location, the beauty, its allure, and the dare to touch it in the human mind when told not to. You just have to have a sense of humor to see God putting this forbidden tree right in the middle of the garden and when ever Adam went anywhere it was there and he had to go around it, day in and day out. Then when Eve came along it was like the Mall she just had to go there and shop. Day after day every morning they woke up to the shadow of that tree. No wonder when Eve was window shopping Satin came along, the great salesman, and he sold her a bill of goods and she took the bait whole line and sinker.
Was God surprised? Did he not have the answer? He is the one who put the tree there and he created Satin as well as Eve and Adam. When Eve died and killed Adam it was no surprise to God, and the LORD played with them as they were hiding, said, where are you? The answer is so perfect as they didn’t have too much time to come up with a good story and said the truth, “they were naked! We are all naked before God in our sins. Anyway, God killed the lamb and clothed them in its covering, Jesus righteousness, the Lamb of God. This is the first type of Christ.
Noah and the ark are next. They were saved but sin was still with them and was transported through the flood. Can you picture building that ark for over a year in the middle of the desert when it had never rained must have brought the ridicule from his neighbors? Then they were in the ark for a year before they landed on Mt Ararat and how they survived that long with all those animals in it. Then there are those that do not believe there was a flood.
Next is Moses who glowed when he came down off the mount and the rule that if anything approached it they should be killed even cattle with arrows so the men would not be consumed. The Law was only one way and no one could approach God or the mount through the law it was final and no one could keep it. The law was a looking glass that reflected the sinful man that looked into it and one does not clean his face with the mirror it only shows where the dirt is (sin). One after seeing the sin confesses, but it takes the blood of Christ to cleanse it just as it takes soap and water to remove dirt not the law. He witnessed the burning bush, however, was shielded by the hand of the LORD. The arguable parting of the Red Sea dumbfounds the world to this day. What about the parting of the Jordan more than once.
The Passover is the first stumbling block for the neo-modern churches of our day. The main element Wine is not acceptable to them and I will consider this later in the saga of the church.
I will jump to the little known lesson on the Kinsman Redeemer and the Book of Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite an alien to the promises of Israel. In the second Chapter of Ephesians it includes us Gentiles as with out hope in the world, but now reconciled by the blood that paid our debts. Ruth had no hope and could never ask for help or she would loose any hope of adoption under the law. This is a great lesson of grace with out works and one can not demand salvation because of their faith and decision, but grace alone. Anyway Boaz paid all her debts first and then he could adopt her into his family and then he proposed and later married her; the great picture of our LORD in our redemption. The rod of Jessie; David the Type of Christ and King of the Jews through adoption and subject to all the rights and privileges under the covenant to Israel because of God’s Grace and Adoption.
In John 1:11, “He came unto his own and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believed on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.” Today we are quicken by the Holy Spirit and God gives us a new heart and hearing the gospel we now have the ability to believe and receive him “for by grace are ye save through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast”. Eph 2:8.
Now we are in the New Testament and Jesus Gives the Keys to the Kingdom to his church Matt 16:18, 19. The church is the Government of the Kingdom and it binds and looses who will be in the government. All who are saved are in the family of God through adoption as Jesus paid our sin debt and then adopted us into his family and the rights of the covenant God made to his people and we become joint-heirs with Christ. Rom 8:16.
Following this Jesus observed the last Passover with his disciples, The Church in the upper room prepared for him. As was the tradition from the first Passover coming out of Egypt, the room was cleaned of all leaven and the table set. The lamb had been slain and prepared according to the law. This was also a picture of Christ. Now here is where the confounding of the modern church shows up; the elements were the unleavened bread and wine (strong wine used for the purpose of sanctifying the offering. It had to be this to meet and obey the law). No sacrifice could be offered except by wine or it would be an abomination to the LORD.
I said it was the last Passover, because up to this time the hidden loaf ( wafer in the linen pouch) and the cup of redemption (cup of red strong wine) had never been eaten or drunk and before the ceremony was over after midnight, they sent the youngest out to see if the visitor had arrived at the door. He had never arrived until this night in that upper room. That night after Judas left the visitor was already there and took the bread and broke it and gave it to them and said it was his body. This had never happened before, but he was the Passover. Then he took the cup that had never been drunk and said this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many. I imagine they were shocked, but had met the savior and the lamb of the Passover. Those that are still observing the Passover miss Jesus and do it in vain. The supper is still observed correctly as a memorial in his churches as he commanded them to continue till he drinks it new with them (his church) in the kingdom.
The Lord is coming again and he will take his church the government of the kingdom home to the house is preparing for them where he will consummate the marriage of the Lamb. The church was already established and given orders and on the Day of Pentecost was empowered by the comforter that would guide the church in all knowledge and remembrance of all that Jesus had taught them. We gentiles do not understand what this means, but when Jesus drank that cup with them the church became his bride and the promises was sealed by that cup of redemption and promises. That is how the promises was made to the bride and then the groom would go and prepare a place for here and when his father said the place was ready he would send the groom at night to fetch his bride and bring her to the marriage feast (supper). While they were celebrating the marriage of the Lamb, he in is the marriage chamber consummating the marriage by drinking the cup new with his bride in heaven. This is all according to the traditions of Israel and the way it happened between Ruth and Boaz the type of the real thing that has begun with his church and will be completed when he calls us home. This is a beautiful love story of our faithful Lord as he has promised we look foreword to his coming.
The rest of the saved will be at the marriage supper and will enjoy the family calibration, but he will return with his bride the government of the kingdom and rule and reign with them on earth for a thousand years, what a honeymoon. The old wife (Israel) will enlarge her tents to make room for the bride and there will be one big happy family, the old government and the new in one place.
Dave Gustafson, Modesto 6/06
