Making and Maturing

Disciples of Jesus

recent posts

about

Ryan serves as the Lead Pastor of Green Pond Bible Chapel in Rockaway, New Jersey. He is married with four children.
  • On Reading Temple Building Narratives

    On Reading Temple Building Narratives

    Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.” Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

    -John 2:19-21

    In our previous two posts we’ve considered how to read genealogies and how to read the law—two of the toughest kinds of literature in the Bible. In this post we turn our attention to reading temple/tabernacle building narratives. This might seem like an odd sub-genre, but we find at least 26 chapters in the OT that relate the preparations and execution for building the tabernacle and temple, as well as setting up the Levitical system to run the temple. These sections tend to be larger chunks, anywhere from 2-6 chapters. So what’s the big deal about the temple? And what spiritual benefit should we derive from reading such passages?

    A Biblical Theology of Temple Building Narratives

    As you read the Bible it becomes clear that the temple is a big deal. The key to rightly valuing these portions of scripture is seeing why the temple is so central to the story of redemption. The basic idea of the temple is God dwelling with his people. As we read through the Bible we see this on display in the tabernacle/temple in Israel, Ezekiel’s visionary temple, Jesus’s relationship to the temple, and finally the New Jerusalem.

    The Tabernacle/Temple for Israel

    The tabernacle/temple was God’s designated dwelling place with the people of Israel. In Exodus 19 God explains that he rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt so they will be his possession “out of all the peoples,” his kingdom of priests. The tabernacle facilitated God dwelling with his people in spite of their sin. How? By making provision through sacrifices. In order for sinful people to dwell with the holy God of the universe he had to make provision for forgiveness. At the end of the day that’s what the temple is all about.

    So everything about God’s dwelling had to be especially dedicated to him; i.e., holy. The building had to be done a certain way. The materials couldn’t be common. Even the men who oversaw the building of the tabernacle, Bezalel and Oholiab, needed to be especially equipped by the Spirit of God for their task (Ex. 35:31-35). All the tools and furnishings in the temple had to be specially made and dedicated to the Lord’s use. This included the people who would serve at the temple: the Levites. Levites had to be set apart to serve the Lord, had to have special sacrifices made for their sins, and even their clothes had to be holy. All of this points to the holiness of God whose dwelling the tabernacle/temple was.

    The tabernacle was a portable temple designed to be setup and taken down as the Israelites traveled throughout the wilderness. Later David’s son Solomon would finally build a permanent temple in Jerusalem, the city God had chosen. That occasion is the subject of much attention in the OT because it was a tangible expression of God’s commitment to dwell with his people permanently. Of course Solomon’s temple was destroyed by the Babylonians as judgment for Israel’s sin. God had made provision for his people to dwell with him, but their persistent sin demanded judgment. God was holy, his people were not.

    Ezekiel’s Visionary Temple

    The later visionary temple of Ezekiel 40-48 is an idealized presentation of God dwelling eternally with his people. Remember that Ezekiel was the prophet who went into exile not long before Solomon’s temple was destroyed. In his second vision he related the tragic departure of God’s glory from the temple before its destruction (Ezek. 8-10). His prophetic book ends with a dramatic reversal: God dwelling with his people in a glorious new temple. What could bring victory from disaster? What change will make it possible for God to again dwell with his people? The Messiah. 

    Jesus Is the Better Temple

    Jesus’s ministry makes it possible for God to eternally dwell with his people because he permanently removes the problem of sin and makes sinners holy. This is why in John 2 when Jesus is cleansing the temple he told the temple leaders that if they destroyed the temple he would rebuild it in three days (Herod’s temple during Jesus’s first advent had take over 4 decades to build). John clarifies “But he was speaking about the temple of his body” (John 2:21). Jesus replaced the temple. How? John tells us that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh who “dwelt” among us (John 1:14). Commentators rightly note that the verb “to dwell” is used of pitching tents, like the tabernacle of the wilderness. Jesus is God dwelling with his people. But that’s not all, as we learn in Hebrews his death and resurrection provide eternal satisfaction for sin—no additional sacrifices needed.

    No Temple in the New Jerusalem?

    So what the tabernacle and earlier temples temporarily made possible Jesus makes permanent. What Ezekiel saw in his vision represents our eternal dwelling with God because of Jesus’s death and resurrection. This is why in Revelation 21:3, speaking of the New Jerusalem, God declares “Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them.” How? Later John says, “I did not see a tempe in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev. 21:22). Greg Beale would add that the temple in the New Jerusalem is the eternal fulfillment of the design in Eden: God dwelling with his people forever.

    Tips for Reading Temple Building Narratives

    The tough temple sections of Scripture are Exodus 25-30, 35-39, 1 Kings 6-7, 1 Chronicles 23-27, 2 Chronicles 3-5, and Ezekiel 40-44. In these passages you’ll find instructions for building the temple, setting up the priests, and accounts of the temple being built. These aren’t the only temple-related passages in the Bible, but they’re the long harder-to-read ones. Here are some tips as you read these sections.

    Read Complete Units

    When you come to temple building narratives in the OT I suggest reading the given section as a complete unit, even if it’s longer. For example, don’t read Exodus 25-30 over five days, read it fairly quickly in one sitting. Resist the temptation to over-interpret the significance of small details like measurements. The big picture significance of the temple in light of the whole of the Bible should drive our devotional application of these sections.

    Focus on God’s Holiness

    As you read through the temple building narratives remember the main driving force: God’s holiness. It’s easy to get lost in the trees of building measurements, utensils, priestly garments, and lists of priestly functions. All the literary real estate dedicated to these details is a result of the holiness of God, a doctrine we increasingly struggle to value as a culture. 

    Remember the Cross

    The temple system is necessary because of sin. Every component is designed to facilitate atoning sacrifices for God’s people. Therefore, we can say with the author of Hebrews that the whole of the temple points to Jesus. It is Jesus as our great High Priest, our Passover Lamb, and our better temple who makes it possible for God to dwell with us.

    It’s All about Relationship

    At the end of the day, the temple is all about God enabling sinners to live in relationship with him. This is why the church (the body of believers, not the building) is called a temple by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19. Because the Spirit of God dwells in us we now are holy, just like the OT temple. God has made the way for us to be made holy, and as you read these sections perhaps consider how you are designed and crafted to be dedicated to the Lord just like the temple furnishings, utensils, and priests. There’s a great opportunity here for repentance as we are convicted over areas of our lives that aren’t holy.

    Look Forward to Our Eternal Home

    As you read temple building narratives do so with one eye on our eternal home in the New Jerusalem. Consider brushing up on Revelation 21-22 beforehand. This will help you see the ultimate end game for the temple: sinners made saints, dwelling with God forever. 

    In our next post we’ll consider one final tough-to-read part of the Bible: tribal location lists. 

  • On Reading the Law

    On Reading the Law

    “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”

    -Matthew 5:17

    This is our second post in the “rescue your Bible reading” series. It’s no secret that some genres in the Bible are harder to read devotionally than others. We’re looking at genealogies (check out that post here), law, temple building narratives, and tribal location lists. In this post we’ll focus on the law—a massive chunk of biblical literature in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

    A Biblical Theology of Law

    Christians have a complicated relationship with the OT law. On the one hand, we know that it is inspired by God and in some way spiritually instructive for us. On the other hand, we know that Jesus has fulfilled the law for us and it is not legally binding for the church. So what should we think about the law as we read it? 

    The Law in the Past

    When it comes to a biblical theology of the law, we have to keep in mind that it was given to Israel under specific circumstances for a specific time. The law is the covenant agreement between God and the nation of Israel. It clarifies how God called them to live in distinction from the nations around them. It is this law that Jesus fulfilled for Jews (and Gentiles, more on that below). God never intended the church to observe the 613 commands in the OT law. Even though it is fulfilled, the law still carries spiritual relevance to all Christians. Think of approaching the law in light of two contrasting statements: OT laws do not apply to us; OT law instructs us. How? As a model and a promise.

    The Law as a Model

    In general, the law can be summarized by the two greatest commands—love God, love people—and by the Ten Commandments.  It’s no accident that the Ten Commandments can be divided nicely into the “love God” and “love people” categories. The civil law is largely concerned with how to love your neighbor, while the ritual law is concerned with how to relate to God in light of our sin. The ritual law also includes the lengthy commands for how the sacrificial and priestly system is designed to work. While certain aspects of the OT law are repeated in the NT and therefore binding for the church, most aren’t (primarily the civil and ritual laws). For example the Apostle Paul teaches us we have freedom to observe the Sabbath or not, or to observe a feast or not (Romans 14:5, Colossians 2:16).  

    Even though most OT laws are not in force for the church, they are still instructive for Christians because they show us examples of what it looks like to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbor as ourselves. A specific law often reveals a general principle that helps us love God or love people (for civil laws mostly the latter). Like Deuteronomy 22:8, “If you build a new house, make a railing around your roof, so that you don’t bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.” The specific here is build a railing around your roof as a protection for your neighbors. This is because in ancient Israelite homes the flat roof area often served as the hangout spot. This law shows us how to love others by ensuring our homes are safe for our neighbors. 

    One important caveat: as we read the law and see the model for loving God and others, we must not misread it as providing the basis for our justification. The law models faith-driven life; it is not a manual on what to do to earn forgiveness.

    The Law as a Promise

    When we read the law as a model it doesn’t take long to realize we don’t love God with all that we are and love others as much as ourselves. In a way, when the law exposes our sin it also promises restoration through the Messiah. It reveals God’s holiness and thus will expose ways that we fail to be righteous. In fact, this is the way the law is used by OT prophets. Therefore the law anticipates our need for forgiveness. 

    The law doesn’t just expose our need, it promises a rescuer specifically in the sacrificial system. The book of Hebrews makes clear that the entire temple system, including priesthood, priestly furnishing, and sacrificial laws all point forward to Jesus as the perfect law keeper on our behalf. Jesus is both our great High Priest and the Lamb of God who takes away our sin. Jesus fulfilling the law means that he perfectly lived as we were created to, satisfying God’s law for both Jews and Gentiles.

    Tips for Reading Law

    Identify the Category of Law 

    Ask is this a “love God” law or a “love people” kind of law? Most of the time civic laws are “love people” kinds of laws while ritual laws focus on God’s holiness and are “love God” kinds of laws. As you read you’ll find groups of civic laws and groups of ritual laws. Knowing the kind of law you’re reading will help you make appropriate application. Consider how the section of law you are reading encourages you to love God or love people.

    Read the Law at a Brisk Pace 

    Try not to get bogged down reading the law. Most groups of law are longer sections with a lot of details. If you slow down too much, you risk losing sight of the historical context. The OT law wasn’t given in one massive download, but incrementally throughout the wilderness wanderings. Keep an eye on the narrative framework.  

    Look for God’s Grace

    We don’t often associate God’s law with grace, but in fact you’ll find his grace is a blanket covering the entire law. Consider the food laws and laws regarding sickness. Don’t forget this law was given in pre-modern times; in most cases these laws prevented the spread of disease and encouraged safe consumption of food. Or consider the stipulations for sin offerings in Leviticus 5. In Lev. 5:6 we read if someone is guilty they are to offer a lamb or goat. But in Lev. 5:7 we read, “if he cannot afford an animal from the flock, then he may bring to the Lord two turtledoves or two young pigeons…” God graciously allows for a less expensive guilt offering for those who couldn’t afford the lamb or goat!

    Keep the Cross in View

    If you are convicted of your owns in as you read, remember that Jesus has fulfilled law. In civic law, remember that Jesus died for our failure to love others and models what faith-driven obedience in this area looks like. In ritual law, remember that it points to Jesus’s function as our great High Priest, our atoning sacrifice, and the better temple.

    So far we’ve covered tips on reading genealogies and the OT law. Next time we’ll consider how to read the temple building narratives in the Bible.

  • On Reading Genealogies

    On Reading Genealogies

    “For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.”

    -Romans 15:4

    We’ve all been there. We were making great progress in our Bible reading plan until we stub our proverbial reading toe on the four nemeses of all Bible reading plans: genealogies, law, long temple building narratives, and tribal locations. If you’re trying to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation you’ll encounter many of these challenging passages early on, and as a result your reading plan progress can get derailed.

    Comfort, comfort, my people! There is hope for your Bible reading, and that hope comes from two key sources: a clear biblical theology and a genre sensitive reading strategy. The key to tackling these tough stretches of Bible reading is having a good grasp on how what your reading fits into the overall scheme of the Bible. How does it advance the story of redemption? With that question answered we can then consider some genre-specific reading tips to help us not lose sight of why these harder to read sections are in the Bible.

    In this series of four posts we’ll unpack the biblical theology of genealogies, law, temple building narratives, and tribal location descriptions. If you believe God’s Word is inspired and yet you struggle when coming to these passages in your Bible reading then this series is for you. Let’s get started with genealogies which are NOT the OT equivalent a phone book.

    A Biblical Theology of Genealogies

    Genealogies occur in specific literary contexts to show the faithfulness of God in keeping his promises in particular ways. They occur within OT narratives and the gospels to connect chronological dots. There are roughly 25 genealogies in the Bible, and they aren’t just for show. They advance a narrative through time, showing God’s purposes do not fail. Let’s consider a few examples.

    In Genesis 46:8-27 we find the list of Jacob’s family as they head down to Egypt during a famine. Listing the names of the family shows how God was faithful to provide for all 66 members of Jacob’s family upon their entry into Egypt. But it also is relevant in light of the later census in Numbers 1:1-46 as those 66 people had grown into over 600,000. Why? Because God was faithful to bless Israel while in Egypt.

    As another example, consider the genealogy of Moses & Aaron in Exodus 6:14-27. This genealogy focuses on the priestly legacy of Moses and Aaron. Somewhat familiar names stand out like Korah, Nadab and Abihu, Eliezar and Ithamar, and Phineas. These are all relevant to the priestly lineage whether in positive or negative terms. In this genealogy Moses and Aaron are presented with a focus on their faithful and not-so-faithful descendants. The main emphasis is on the former as the list ends with Phineas, a hero of sorts from Numbers 25:6-15.

    The most famous genealogies in the Bible are those of Jesus found in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-48. Matthew’s genealogy emphasizes Jesus’s identity as the Son of David and the Son of Abraham. Matthew’s genealogy highlights how God’s promises to Abraham and David are fulfilled in him. This genealogy also includes Gentiles and Gentile women, hinting at the reality that Jesus’s mission is not just to rescue ethnic Israel. Luke’s genealogy occurs between the description of Jesus’s baptism and the start of his earthly ministry in chapter 4. Luke traces Jesus’s human lineage back to Adam, emphasizing that Jesus is the Son of God. This genealogy establishes why Jesus is qualified to serve as the representative of all mankind, a crucial aspect of the gospel.

    Tips for Reading Genealogies

    Read Quickly

    One common mistake is to read genealogies like we read Romans or James, pouring over each clause looking for spiritual lessons. The key spiritual takeaway in a genealogy is the sum total, not in picking it apart. Don’t hesitate to read through a genealogy at a brisk pace.

    Don’t Just Dive In 

    Before reading a genealogy identify the starting and ending place—where does the genealogy “go”? If you have a study Bible read the description of the genealogy first, it will help orient you to how the genealogy is presented.  

    Note the Faithfulness of God

    Don’t try to find a hidden spiritual message as you read. Instead, look for how God’s faithfulness is on display in the narrative context of the genealogy. Keep the forest in view as you quickly read through the trees.

    Look for Familiar Names

    As you read make a mental note any familiar names (or names that you think might be significant in other place in the Bible). Don’t work too hard at pronouncing names correctly if you’re reading out loud. Also note any extra descriptions which may add emphasis (these are rare). 

    So don’t let tough genealogies discourage you in your Bible reading. God has gifted them to his church to show particular ways he is faithful. He designed them so that we might love and trust him more after reading them. Let’s prepare to read them, learn from them, and forge ahead in our reading of God’s Word. In the next post we’ll consider how to read the Law.

    Bonus Devotional Thoughts from Lists of Names in 1 Chronicles

    1 Chronicles 1-8 is eight solid chapters of genealogy. Since Chronicles records the history of Israel as a nation, the authors begin by noting Israel’s history all the way back to Adam. But this isn’t just record keeping. In 1 Chronicles 9 the authors list those from each tribe who returned to the land from exile. God’s faithfulness to Israel is in focus up to and through exile, culminating in God keeping his promise to restore Israel to the land. What seems like just a list of names actually shows the glory of God as rescued Israel from exile.

    In that same vein we find a list of temple officials and workers as well as military and civic officials in 1 Chronicles 23-27. This list occurs at the end of David’s reign, and focuses on the fact that God blessed David’s reign and thus the nation was in good working order upon his death. The centrality of the temple is clear from the amount of literary real estate given to it. This section of 1 Chronicles anticipates greater blessings to come through God’s promises to the line of David.

  • What Makes a Merry Christmas?

    What Makes a Merry Christmas?

    “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!”

    -Luke 2:14

    Merry Christmas! We are all well-aquatinted with the angels’ song of praise from Luke 2:14. Most of us can even quote it in Latin (if you can sing the chorus of Angels We Have Heard on High). This worship proclamation has suffered a bit in translation throughout the years, so it’s worth revisiting as its message is just as important today as it was 2,000 years ago.

    In English Bible translations for many years the angelic worship proclamation was thought to have three parts: Glory to God in heaven, peace on earth, and goodwill to mankind. Even William Tyndale took it this way: “Glory to God in heaven and peace on the earth: and unto men rejoicing” (with updated spelling, you’re welcome).

    In contrast, most modern English translations rightly translate the proclamation in two parts: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors. The two-part structure is important because the relationship between the two is what makes this a song of joy. Let’s unpack the two parts.

    Glory to God in Heaven

    First the angels sing of God’s heavenly glory—his greatness that is uniquely seen in his heavenly abode. Here “highest heaven” is likely in contrast to the “lowly earth” of part two. The angels are telling the shepherds that God’s heavenly greatness was on display in a special way that night in the incarnation.

    Don’t run past that fact too quickly. We celebrate the Word becoming flesh because in an unparalleled way Jesus reveals the glory of God. As John explained,

    “We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

    -John 1:14

    God is glorified in the incarnation. As we take time to think about the fact that Jesus was born, let’s remember that the incarnation reveals the greatness of God. That he would take on flesh and dwell with us puts on display the glory of God. Why? We need to listen to the rest of the angel’s song.

    Peace on Earth to People He Favors

    The angels go on to sing of peace on earth. Peace being on earth contrasts nicely with God’s heavenly glory. The incarnation wasn’t only a display of God’s glory, it also brought about what we need most: peace. The honest truth about celebrating Christmas is that for many of us (and if we live long enough all of us) Christmas is hard. We remember loved ones lost. Perhaps our families are broken. Perhaps we can’t have the picture perfect celebration we see on others’ Instagram feeds. Perhaps conflict has left us mourning rather than celebrating. All of this hardness is a result of sin.

    You see, the purpose of the incarnation is to bring peace to our troubled world. Jesus took on flesh to die and rise. Why? So we could be forgiven and have peace with God, and so ultimately we will experience peace on earth forever. There is no lasting peace outside of Christ.

    The last part of the angels’ song is the aspect that’s been often misunderstood. Literally the text reads “and peace on earth to men of goodwill.” What exactly are “men of goodwill?” Believe it or not the Dead Sea Scrolls shed light on this phrase. It refers to “people on whom God’s favor rests.” Traditionally this was thought to be all people, but the point here is actually that God’s favor only rests on a subset of humanity. Namely, those who find refuge in the Savior born that night.

    Thus the angels declare that the incarnation simultaneously brings glory to God in heaven and peace on earth. How? By God showering his undeserved grace on people through faith in Jesus. It’s all about grace. As we celebrate this year, let’s remember that Jesus’s birth is inseparably linked to God’s grace for sinners. We could never demand it, but God’s grace abounds regardless.

    Why Do You Celebrate?

    The angelic announcement to the shepherds was intended to help them interpret what they would be witnessing. Why celebrate this birth? Because this was no normal newborn. What about you? Why will you celebrate Jesus’s birth this year? Let the angels guide you: celebrate because the incarnation shows the glory of God bringing peace to earth by showing grace to sinners. The intersection of God’s glory and grace are what make Christmas merry.

  • You Are Related to Jesus

    You Are Related to Jesus

    “As he began his ministry, Jesus was about thirty years old and was thought to be the son of Joseph, son of Heli…son of Adam, son of God.”

    -Luke 3:23, 38

    You probably don’t have many Christmas memories of gathering with your family to read Luke’s genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:23-28). That’s because somehow a list of 77 names just doesn’t feel very Christmas-y. In my opinion genealogies get a bad wrap, so let’s get Luke 3:23-38 back into the Christmas rotation. 

    Luke includes his genealogy of Jesus between Jesus’s baptism and his temptation, right at the beginning of his ministry. This might seem like an odd place, but Luke has important reasons for putting it there.  The key takeaways from Luke’s genealogy are seen in its placement and uniqueness.

    1. Luke winks at the virgin birth of Jesus in his wording in verse 23, “[Jesus] was thought to be the son of Joseph…” Luke acknowledges that people thought Joseph was Jesus’s father, but the reader already knows he was not (see, it is Christmas-y). The genealogy is therefore a legal lineage, not physical.

    2. Luke’s genealogy runs backward from Jesus, though David and Abraham, all the way to Adam. This emphasizes Jesus’s connection to all of humanity. In other words, Jesus is related to all of us. Luke wants to show that Jesus is qualified to be our representative. We might feel far from Jesus, especially when we focus on our sin or our pain, but don’t forget that he is related to every person. He truly is God with us.

    3. Jesus represents all of humanity as our savior. Luke’s genealogy shows us that Jesus fulfills the promises of God to David and Abraham for the sake of all of humanity. Jesus is not the savior merely of Israel, but of the Gentiles as well. Yes, he is the promised Davidic king, and yes, he is the seed of Abraham. But he is the Messiah for every tribe, tongue, and nation. Here we find a reminder of the global significance of Jesus’s birth.

    4. Luke’s genealogy uniquely uses the phrase “son of God” when describing Adam. This is no mistake. Luke refers to Adam as the son of God, but just one verse before the genealogy in Luke 3:22 the Father calls Jesus his beloved Son. Luke here connects Jesus with Adam much in the way Paul does in Romans 5:12-21: Jesus is the better Adam. This is made clear in the next few verses after the genealogy where Jesus goes to be tempted in the wilderness. Where Adam, the first son of God failed, Jesus the Son of God succeeds. The Second Adam is our sure hope for forgiveness and restoration, and that’s one more reason to celebrate his birth, far as the curse is found!