THE BODY OF CHRIST
THE BEGINNING -
LESSON 2.
The Body in Promise.
As we discussed in our last lesson; [The Called Out] was the eternal purpose of God. It was not a substitute for something else God intended to set up. The existence of [The Called Out] stands as the testimony of God's eternal wisdom and purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 3:10-11 “to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church [The Called Out] to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord”
In this lesson, as we look at the Body of Christ in promise, we need to go back to some of the points from our previous lesson.
First, that God revealed His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus (The Called Out – Church), in types, shadows, glimpses, and most importantly promises! The promises of God concerning this purposeful work were given for development and hope.
Second, this is why the New Testament writers referred to the revelation of these types, shadows, glimpses, and promises as the mystery being made known. Their revelation of all these notes of development and hope was in fact [The Called Out].
With this understanding, we want to look at the promises made for the purpose of development and hope.
First Promise: The first promise concerning the Body of Christ was made to the Patriarch, Abraham. As God called Abram out of the Ur of the Chaldeans, He made him some promises that would be fulfilled in his seed.
Genesis 12:1-3
“Now the LORD had said to
Abram:
“Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house,
To a land that I will show you.
2
I will make you a great
nation;
I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
3
I will bless those who bless
you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of
the earth shall be blessed.”
From this passage through the 22nd Chapter of Genesis, God would continue to develop this promise; from details concerning the nation that would come from Abraham (their going down to Egypt and becoming slaves, His judgment of Egypt and the land of Canaan using the descendants of Abraham as the tool – Chapter 15, the changing of Abram's name to Abraham and the promise of a son (Chapter 17), and a sign of this covenant promise to Abraham; circumcision (Chapter 17).
Throughout the development of this promise there would remain the constant three portions of the promise.
A great nation.
God promises Abraham a great nation to come from him. This nation would be as the sand of the sea and the stars in heaven in number (Genesis 15:5; 22:17). God would give them a land (Genesis 15:7; 18; 17:8).
A great name.
God promises Abraham a great name. Abram would have his name changed by God to Abraham (Abram – exalted father; Abraham – father of a multitude). This name would be enhanced and given to his grandson Jacob; as God changed his name from Jacob to Israel (Genesis 32:28). The name would reflect the continuation of the promise of God to Abraham through Jacob and his descendants as the tribes of Israel through his sons. For Jacob, the name defined him as [a prince of God]; to his children as [the people of God] (Israel).
All nations to be blessed.
The third portion of the promise is a description of the role of the first two portions. The great nation that was given the great name for the sake of Abraham, would literally be created and maintained for the sake of the final promise; the coming of a seed (singular), which would bless all mankind.
Galatians 3:16-18 “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”
These Three promises are not separate, but in fact the first two were necessary to bring about the last. By this we understand that the children of Israel and the Law of Moses were given for the maintenance and development of the people portion of the promise necessary to bring forth the Messiah of God.
By God's own testimony, when Israel became a harlot to the Lord by looking to the idols and idolaters around them, it was only for His own name's sake that He did not destroy them then (see: Isaiah 48:9-11). The significance of Israel is only found in the promise of God through them to bring forth the Messiah.
John the Baptist, who came as the one who would announce the coming of the Messiah, explained to the leaders of the Jews that the time had come when they could no longer count on this favor of God, because the Messiah was coming, note:
Matthew 3:7-9 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”
Jesus would also tell Nicodemus that he could no longer count on his birthright as a child of Abraham, but must be reborn from above in order to take advantage of the promise – John 3:3, 5.
With this understanding, let's take a look at four more Old Testament markers (promises), in the development of this first great promise.
- Deuteronomy 18:15-19 – Moses would prophesy of the coming of a Prophet like him (deliverer, law-giver, mediator, etc…), from among [them] (establishing their purpose as God's people for this reason), and Him you should hear (establishing that all they have been given for the purpose of keeping them as a people for the fulfillment of God's great promise would be abrogated, done away by power; in His appearance), also establishing the superiority of His words.
- 2 Samuel 7:12-17 – God would continue to develop the first great promise, by establishing this His great Messiah as not only a redeemer, law-giver, mediator like Moses, but as a King. Unlike the descendants of David, whom this promise is made, this seed of David would be the Son of God, and God would “establish the throne of His kingdom forever”. Solomon would sit upon Jehovah's throne (1 Chronicles 29:23); however, only in the since that it was God's will that Solomon succeeded his father David. The words absent in describing Solomon's reign, were the important term of “forever” and “established forever” (2 Samuel 7:13, 16). We know through History that Solomon's throne was not forever, and that God himself would split his kingdom because of his sin.
- Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7 – As the promise of God develops through the history of the people that He intended to bring this promise through, like He often did, He included a sign. This sign would be given with the back-drop of the evil reign of Ahaz king of Judah, and stand in contrast to all the evil kings that have been over God's people. The sign was to be a virgin birth of a Son, whose name was to be God with Us! This Child would be given the throne of David (tying Him to the promise made to David), and His kingdom would know judgment and justice forever!
- Jeremiah 31:31-34 – Since the days were coming for a true Deliverer, Law-Giver, Mediator, King, likewise it would be necessary for the coming of a new law! This law would not be written on stone tablets but on the hearts of men. It would not be given to an infant of eight days in age, but to those who could be taught before they entered into its covenant agreement. This new covenant with Israel and Judah (who were divided and judged by God in captivity when this was given), was a ray of future hope for them as the tool of the coming redemption of all men, by stating that God through this new covenant would truly forgive sin! The Hebrew writer shows that the complete abrogation of the Law of Moses was complete in the fulfillment of the coming of the new – see: Hebrews 8:7-13.
As we look at the great promise of God, we see the development of Israel (the great name) as a nation, for the single purpose of creating a link to the final promise of the Messiah of God. The Law of Moses then existed because of transgression till the coming of the Seed of promise (Galatians 3:19). It also acted as a school master to bring this people to Christ (Galatians 3:24). But now that the Messiah has come, the promise is fulfilled in Him for all those who come to God through Him.
Galatians 3:26-29 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
In the process of putting on Christ (the Seed – who is Christ), we are baptized into His body. The body is the eternal purpose of God in Christ (Ephesians 3:10-11). Thus you have the [Called Out] in fulfillment of promise!
Next: “The Body in Prophecy”