The Promises made to Abraham and Israel

Because the Bible speaks extensively and clearly on this topic we believe it's important to look mainly at scripture with some limited comments in the beginning.

 

So without delay, let's begin.

 

·   The promises God did and did not make to Abram (later renamed Abraham).

Gen 12:3 "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

This short verse is often understood to mean and support the idea that whoever does not bless the nation of Israel will be cursed by God Himself. And whoever blesses the nation of Israel will receive a special blessing from God. 

However, on closer examination this verse does not say, I will bless those who bless national Israel, and him who dishonors national Israel I will curse, and in Israel, all the families of the earth shall be blessed." That is simply assumed and "read into" the text by those who assert this, but is not in the actual text. Yet this is the common explanation. Read it again, slowly. This promise has to do with how people treated Abram and not the nation of Israel. 

The actual extended blessing promised is "...in you (Abram) all nations will be blessed." This certainly doesn't exclude Israel, but includes them, it's just not exclusive to them as is often assumed. The promise and blessing mentioned above is clearly for all nations.

Yes, God tells Abram he will make from him a great nation in vs 2 "... And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing..." but the reference to a nation being blessed is to all nations - which again includes Israel-i.e. "...in you (Abraham) all the families of the earth shall be blessed..." not just one nation! 

Israel was a recipient of this promised blessing later and the exclusive means through which this promise was carried out, but it wasn't where this blessing exclusively landed. God’s focus and goal from the beginning was salvation coming to all nations (repeated several times in Gen 17:1-5; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4 and 28:14) through Abraham (Abram at the time of the original promise). If there is any blessing passed on to anyone through Abraham, it is to those spiritual decedents i.e. Abraham's children by faith, whether Jew or Gentile i.e. believers in Christ, Abraham's spiritual children, not his physical/natural children. 

If you are hearing this for the first time you may wish to stop and examine all the scripture references above in their context. 

If this sounds odd, keep reading below. Several passages mentioned later will bear this out even more clearly. This promise is inclusive of all peoples within and without Israel. To say this promise to Abraham applies to only Israel actually limits what God says in several places throughout scripture (review the passages cited immediately above), both Old and New Testament. The Apostle Paul confirms this in several of his letters (Rom 4:13-18; Gal 3:6; Gal 3:23,29; Eph 2: 11-22; Rom 2:28-29; Rom 9:6-8; Gal 6:15,16).  So this is clearly covered in both the Old and New Covenant (Testament). 

·    What about the promise of protection in Num 24:9 

"He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you."

Is this proof that those who bless or curse the nation of Israel today will be blessed or cursed accordingly? 

Unlike the promise to Abram which had to do with his being called out of his homeland and the unique and all-encompassing promise made regarding Abram's future, this incident in Numbers was a very specific situation regarding a thwarted attack on Israel by Moab after their Exodus from Egypt. The following is the context.

Num 24:8  God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows.

Num 24:9  He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you."

Num 24:10  And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times.

When the children of Israel pitched their tents in the plains of Moab, the Moabites entered into some sort of an alliance with the Midianites. At the instigation of Balak, king of the Moabites, elders of the two nations were sent to the prophet Balaam to induce him to pronounce a curse on the advancing hosts of the Israelites. But, in compliance with God's command, Balaam refused. God not only permitted Balaam to go with the men, but he actually commanded him to do so, cautioning him, however, to act according to further instructions. While on his way to Balak, this injunction was strongly impressed on the mind of Balaam by the strange behavior of his donkey (if you ever heard someone mention God once spoke through a donkey, this is the story they are referring to) and by his encounter with the Angel of the Lord.

Accompanied by Balak, Balaam came to Kiriath-huzoth. On the next morning he was brought up “into the high places of Baal” providing a partial view of the camp of the Israelites. But instead of a curse he pronounced a blessing shown in the above passage. This fully convinced Balak that all further endeavors to persuade the seer to comply with his wishes would be in vain, and the two parted.

This incident addressed a specific event unique to Israel at the time. There is no indication from the context that this promise of Balaam went beyond the event and has anything to do with Israel today. 

Because this particular promise with similar verbiage was to the nation of Israel it is assumed that the original promise in Genesis to Abram was as well. 

·     Did God ever work with and include Gentiles in the Old Testament promises/blessings?

It is important to point out that those Gentiles who chose to participate in the covenant of Israel and live among them were not forbidden but welcomed to participate in the blessings and all significant facets of life within Israel. Yet we rarely, if ever, hear this mentioned in dispensational churches that promote this teaching about Abraham. 

Exo 12:48  If a stranger^H1616 shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.

Exo 12:49 There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger^H1616 who sojourns among you."

Lev 19:34  You shall treat the stranger^H1616who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Num 9:14  And if a stranger^H1616 sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner^H1616 and for the native."

Deu 1:16  And I charged your judges at that time, 'Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien^H1616 who is with him.

Deu 26:11  And you shall rejoice in all the good that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner^H1616 who is among you.

Deu 31:12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner^H1616within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law,

2Ch 2:17  Then Solomon counted all the resident aliens^H1616 who were in the land of Israel, after the census of them that David his father had taken, and there were found 153,600. 2Ch 2:18  Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work.

As a humorous illustration, when a Gentile moved in among them, they were not allowed to think "There goes the neighborhood." 😉

·     Stranger, alien or sojourner

(Strongs) H1616   גּיר    גּר    gêr  gêyr - gare, gare

From H1481; properly a guest; by implication a foreigner: - alien, sojourner, stranger.

(Browns-Driver-Briggs) BDB Definition:

1) sojourner

1a) a temporary inhabitant, a newcomer lacking inherited rights

1b) of foreigners in Israel, though conceded rights

The Genealogy of Christ

In fact, there are also several Gentiles in the genealogy of Christ. This may be shocking to those who think purity of bloodline or race was important for Israel. The point of keeping Israel separate from other nations was to avoid spiritual contamination not genetic mixing. This is a common misunderstanding among many today who confuse the physical with the spiritual such as an earthly kingdom being inaugurated at Christ's first coming when he actually came to establish a spiritual one or the Messiah being a national or political savior and not a spiritual one or worship of God requiring a physical location or nation verses a spiritual disposition. Even his disciples didn't get this until after he returned to His Father. 

John 4:21  Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. John 4:22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. John 4:23  But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. John 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

This idea of Abraham’s offspring being spiritual is laid out further in key passages below... Highlights added.

Rom 4:13-18 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. 16  That is why it (righteousness) depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring--not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17  as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"--in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he (Abraham) believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So (in the manner I just described) shall your offspring be." i.e. his offspring will be justified by faith just as he was.  

The offspring God promised Abraham was referring not ultimately to national Israel (though it includes them) but to Christ and therefore to ALL nations as the following verses will further bear out. God ultimately had all nations in view from the outset, not just Israel.

Gal 3:6-29 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." 12 But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." 13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"-- 14  so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. 15  To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ…28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

God's promise to Abraham was ultimately to all nations, not just Israel. Israel was chosen by God to bring us His Son, the promised Messiah, which He did.  As a nation, Israel rejected his Son, (and still does as a nation today). Israel's role in God's plan is completed and fulfilled. Now He's working through all who believe in Christ -- His church -- whether Jew or Gentile, not any one particular nation either now or in the future.

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make(1) you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make(2) your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

·    Were God's promises to Abram conditional or unconditional?

Gen 17:1  When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2  that (kai = and, also, even, so, then) I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly." 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.

Gen 17:2  "I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly."

Gen 17:3  Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying,

Gen 17:4  "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.

Gen 17:5  "No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

Gen 17:6  "I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.

Gen 17:7  "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.

Gen 17:8  "I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

Gen 17:9  God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

Gen 17:10  "This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.

Gen 17:11  "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.

·    Were God's promises to Israel conditional or unconditional?

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel."

Deuteronomy 8:1 "The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers…

·    What was the predicted consequence if the conditions were not met?

Deuteronomy 8:19 And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. 20 Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.

Blessings - Lev 26:1-13 , Deut 28:1-14

Curses - Lev 26:14-39,  Deut 28:15-68

Deuteronomy 28:58-64 "If you are not careful to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, the LORD your God, 59 then the LORD will bring on you and your offspring extraordinary afflictions, afflictions severe and lasting, and sicknesses grievous and lasting. 60 And he will bring upon you again all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61Every sickness also and every affliction that is not recorded in the book of this law, the LORD will bring upon you, until you are destroyed. 62 Whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, you shall be left few in number, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God. 63 And as the LORD took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the LORD will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you. And you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it.  64"And the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known.

Neh 1:8  Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples,

Jer 9:13-16  And the LORD says: "Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, 14  but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. 15 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink. 16 I will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them."

Eze 5:10 Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds.

1Ki 14:15,16 the LORD will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water, and root up Israel out of this good land that he gave to their fathers and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherim,  Provoking the LORD to anger. 16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and made Israel to sin."

Joshua 23:15-16 But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the LORD your God has given you, 16 if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you."

Eze 12:13-15 And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there. 14 And I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. 15 And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among the countries.

·    Did Israel ever break these conditions and experience these warnings of God? If so, How?

2Ki 24:1-3   In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him. 2  And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans and bands of the Syrians and bands of the Moabites and bands of the Ammonites, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servants the prophets. 3 Surely this came upon Judah at the command of the LORD, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done,

Eze 23:9-10 Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. 10 These uncovered her nakedness; they seized her sons and her daughters; and as for her, they killed her with the sword; and she became a byword among women, when judgment had been executed on her.

·  Does the N.T. give us any hint of a final destruction of Israel and fulfillment of the curses laid out in the OT?

Mat 21:40-45 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons." 42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.

Mat 22:6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

Luk 21:20,21 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.21  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it…

Mat 23:33-39 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34  Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35  so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

·  Does the bible hint in the Old Testament of a progression in how God will operate?

Jer 31:31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people" later quoted in Heb 8 and 10. 

·    The New Testament?

Joh 4:20-23 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." 21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

Heb 12:25-29 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27 This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken--that is, things that have been made--in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

Heb 8:13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

·  Did the final destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of Israel ever occur as warned/promised and by whom?

Luk 21:20,21  “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.21  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it…

Mar 13:14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Mat 24:15,16  “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Reference to Judea is a further indication this was a local event, not a global one.

See all of Mat 23 and especially the following.

Mat 23:32-24:2,32-35  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34  Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35  so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. Mat 24:1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down…

32 Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches become tender and it produces leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that he is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will not disappear until these things happen. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear."

·    What is the status today of the Old Covenant that was given to Israel?

2 Cor 3:4-11 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.  7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

Heb 8, especially 8:13 When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. (the book of Hebrews was written prior to A.D. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed as referenced in Matt 24, Lk 21 and Mk 13)

Heb 9:1 Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. 3 Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, 4 having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail. 6  Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle performing the divine worship, 7 but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing, 9 which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, 10 since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation. 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13  For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. 18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20  saying, "THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU."21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

·  Does God say what kind of Kingdom He would bring or anything regarding the present and future status of His Kingdom i.e. is it to be a future ¹earthly kingdom or a present spiritual kingdom?

Dan 2:34  As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 2:35  Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the ¹whole earth.

Dan 2:44  And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 2:45  just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold..."

John 18:36  Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."

Mat 16:28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Heb 12:18-29 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned." 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear." 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.  25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27 This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken--that is, things that have been made--in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

·  But what about the land promises to Israel?  Aren’t they yet to be fulfilled at some future date or did God fulfill them already?

1Ki 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.

Jos 11:23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments.  And the land had rest from war.

Joshua 21: 43-45 Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. 44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

·  Did the O.T. and the prophets give any further indication that the Gentiles would be heirs of the promise?

Gen 12:2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Gen 18:18  seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

Gen 22:18  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Gen 26:4  And I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these lands. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

Gen 28:14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. And in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Acts 26:22,23 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."

Act 3:17-25 “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19  Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20  that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21  whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.' 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'

Rom 4:13-18 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14  For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. 16  That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring--not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17  as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"--in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be."

Gal 3:6-29 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." 12 But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." 13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"-- 14  so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. 15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ…28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

Eph 2: 11-22 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. 

·    Who is Israel today?

Rom 2:28-29  For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Rom 9:6-8 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

Gal 6:15,16 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

Gal 3:28,29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

Gal 3:6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.

·    And what promise are the above verses referring to?

Gen 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make(1) you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make(2) your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

·     Keywords in order of appearance.

Abram - אברם  ', abrâm, ab-rawm'- Contracted from H48; high father; Abram, the original name of Abraham: - Abram.

Make(1) (verse 2a. Different from “make” in the middle of the verse which is also the root for “great.” See below) - עשׂה, ‛âśâh, aw-saw'- A primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application: - accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress (-ed), (put in) execute (-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, [fight-] ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfil, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ([a feast]), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, practise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be [warr-] ior, work (-man), yield, use.

Great (verse 2a) - גּדל גּדול, gâdôl gâdôl, gaw-dole', gaw-dole'- great (in any sense); hence older; also insolent: -  + aloud, elder (-est), + exceeding (-ly), + far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing, -er, -ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, X sore, (´) very.

Nation - גּי גּוי, gôy gôy, go'ee, go'-ee - Apparently from the same root as H1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts: - Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

Bless or Blessed (throughout)  – בּרך , bârak, baw-rak'- A primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason): -  X abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, X still, thank.

Make(2) (middle of verse 2 and different from “make” used earlier but similar to “great” used earlier) – גּדל, gâdal, gaw-dal'- A primitive root; properly to twist (compare H1434), that is, to be (causatively make) large (in various senses, as in body, mind, estate or honor, also in pride): - advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, be (-come, do, give, make, wax), great (-er, come to . . estate, + things), grow (up), increase, lift up, magnify (-ifical), be much set by, nourish (up), pass, promote, proudly [spoken], tower.

Blessing (end of verse 2)- בּרכה, b^erâkâh, ber-aw-kaw'-From H1288; benediction; by implication prosperity: - blessing, liberal, pool, present.

Curses - קלל, qâlal, kaw-lal'- A primitive root; to be (causatively make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.): - abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-) curse, despise, (be) ease (-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a, set) light (-en, -er, ly, -ly afflict, -ly esteem, thing), X slight [-ly], be swift (-er), (be, be more, make, re-) vile, whet.

Curse - ארר, 'ârar, aw-rar'- A primitive root; to execrate: - X bitterly curse.

Curse doesn’t carry so much the idea of being “damned” to judgment as the idea of being barren of fruitless i.e. light, small, slight in contrast to prosperous or heavy (as with glory)

Mar 11:20 As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. 21 Being reminded, Peter *said to Him, "Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered."

_____________________________________

Footnote:

¹Christ initially set up a spiritual Kingdom with the intent of it eventually expanding into an Earthly one. In fact some believe his kingdom is synonymous with heaven when Christ returns to literally rule the physical world. 

Revelation 21:1-4

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

According to the above passage Heaven will literally be on earth but without the pain, suffering, death, or disease.

For a discussion of the nature of the current spiritual Kingdom click here.

The Basis for morality.

Below is an excerpt from my book, 

“HOW WELL DO I KNOW GOD? Knowing God: The only Foundation and Fountain of Lasting Fulfillment.”

To see the part of the first section of the book, go to:

http://thotsaboutgod.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-well-do-i-know-god.html

If you wish to know more about the book email me at thotsaboutGod@gmail.com 

Now to the excerpt:

===============================================

d. God loves and values himself: the basis and moral ground for this. 

It seems self-evident that God loves Himself. But this raises the question of how is it that this act of self-love by God is not selfish? The answer I believe gets into the “holy of holies” of the very being of God and why we must not only worship Him, (honor and ascribe worth and value to Him) above all things but can do nothing else once we fully grasp even a little of God's dynamic nature. And the more we comprehend His vast and glorious nature, the more we will respond in adoration, awe, and love.

First, it only makes sense that whoever is the greatest, most valuable, and most lovely of all beings or things deserves and should elicit the highest affection, admiration, and praise of all other beings.

This certainly makes sense for us, but what about God? Wouldn't this be true also for God Himself? For God to value, love, and adore anything above Himself would be wrong, since He is the highest and most Supreme Being. It would also be hypocritical and insincere for God to honor/value/glorify another above Himself since He knows all things and all things come by, in, and through Him. There is no one greater than Him.

On the other hand, for us to value/honor ourselves above God is wrong simply because we are not the greatest, most valuable, and highest being. He is, if only because our very existence, as well as all creation, is dependent on God's existence and sustenance. Simply stated, God is supreme because the existence and well-being of everything else depends on Him. 

God loving and valuing Himself above all others is not only morally right, but necessary for everything else to function properly or exist at all. Therefore, God's loving Himself is the most loving thing He can do for all the rest of creation. His calling us to do the same is the most loving thing He can call us to. 

The New England theologian, Jonathan Edwards, says that God's recognition of His infinite worth as the Supreme being is not only good but is also rightfully due Him and therefore the very ground for all morality. To not give Him proper recognition of His worth is, therefore, also the basis for all immorality. 

The following excerpt from Jonathan Edwards’ book, *The End for Which God Created the World, addresses this very point. Edwards’ thoughts regarding this are quoted below without comment, so as not to influence your understanding and help you get the overall sense. 

I repeat the quote again with highlights and comments immediately after analyzing specific points. If you prefer not to read it twice, you can just read the edited version a little further down.

“God’s moral rectitude consists in his valuing the most valuable, namely, himself

That if God himself be, in any respect, properly capable of being his own end in the creation of the world, then it is reasonable to suppose that he had respect to himself, as his last and highest end, in this work; because he is worthy in himself to be so, being infinitely the greatest and best of beings. All things else with regard to worthiness, importance, and excellence, are perfectly as nothing in comparison of him. And therefore, if God has respect to things according to their nature and proportions, he must necessarily have the greatest respect to himself. It would be against the perfection of his nature, his wisdom, holiness, and perfect rectitude, whereby he is disposed to do everything that is fit to be done, to suppose otherwise.

At least, a great part of the moral rectitude of God, whereby he is disposed to everything that is fit, suitable, and amiable [i.e., pleasant, admirable] in itself, consists in his having the highest regard to that which is in itself highest and best. The moral rectitude of God must consist in a due respect to things that are objects of moral respect; that is, to intelligent beings capable of moral actions and relations. And therefore it must chiefly consist in giving due respect to that Being to whom most is due; for God is infinitely the most worthy of regard. The worthiness of others is as nothing to his; so that to him belongs all possible respect. To him belongs the whole of the respect that any intelligent being is capable of. To him belongs ALL the heart. Therefore, if moral rectitude of heart consist in paying the respect of the heart which is due, or which fitness and suitableness requires, fitness requires infinitely the greatest regard to be paid to God; and the denying of supreme regard here would be a conduct infinitely the most unfit. Hence it will follow, that the moral rectitude of the disposition, inclination, or affection of God CHIEFLY consists in a regard to HIMSELF, infinitely above his regard to all other beings; in other words, his holiness consists in this.”

There is far more that can be said about this excerpt than I have addressed below since I am focusing primarily on the moral aspect addressed by it, so I encourage you to meditate on it long and hard. It is rich with many truths on many levels that I will not be commenting on.

Now for a closer look at Edward's words.

The heading for this excerpt is as follows...

"God’s moral rectitude consists in his valuing the most valuable, namely, Himself."

If what this above section heading says is true, it stands to reason how much more this would be true of us as well as God. In short, for us to not give proper recognition of God's value is equally immoral. Though we often think of immoral actions primarily as those of a perverse sexual nature and though certain instances of sexual behavior are in fact immoral, immorality is far more extensive and in-depth than normally considered and is also not determined solely by external behavior. 

The above and following consideration of immorality explains why certain activities are immoral (sexual or otherwise), i.e. to place such high regard or value on anything over and above regard for God, no matter what form the action takes, is wrong and in fact a form of idolatry. If one values and worships the pleasure of sexual intimacy, making it the ultimate pursuit in life over and above intimacy with and pursuit of God, then it becomes an act of immorality as idolatry.

(Though this is far less likely within the marriage commitment, we can still pursue sex within marriage for the wrong reasons as well. If we see sex as a gift from God to celebrate the union and fidelity of a committed relationship, it reflects the union within God and the union we are to have with God and therefore brings joy to God and to us when celebrated in this fashion. The fact is, sex is designed to reflect something of the fidelity and intimacy between Christ and his bride, i.e. you and I, the church. That’s why adultery is repulsive to God and why throughout the Old and New Testaments, he calls his children who wander from Him, spiritual adulterers. They are breaking trust and the covenant relationship they made).

Stop and consider how you or I might be deeply offended at not being given our proper and due respect, appreciation, or recognition for some significant deed or accomplishment by us. When we are not given our due respect, whether it is being ignored and not acknowledged for a good deed or maybe by another receiving recognition and credit for our deed, how do we feel? Offended, upset, put off, overlooked, disrespected, (dissed), or misused? When this happens, we may feel sadness, disappointment, anger, even rage, or several other negative emotions. The bottom line is we were not given our due and rightful recognition. As the saying goes, “credit should be given where credit is due.” To say it simply, we were wronged. The proper recognition for the value of one's being and their contributions is the foundation for all moral behavior.

So how much more is God rightfully offended when He is not given His due recognition or respect? If everything is created and sustained solely by God alone, is not all honor and gratitude due Him? 

Do we live our lives as if this is true? If not, we are not giving God the recognition, credit, and gratitude due Him i.e. what He rightfully deserves. And if not, we have wronged and offended God.

Now is God offended because He needs our recognition and is more sensitive or more easily hurt than we are? Or is it rather as the sole Creator, Provider, and Sustainer of all things, His actions are of infinitely greater significance and consequence than ours and to not acknowledge them as such is an infinitely greater offense because it results in infinitely greater harm to us and others, his creatures? 

The truth is God does not need us or our thanks, as I suggested in the first section of this book. Not doing so does not make God any less than he is in any way. He is independent and perfectly self-sufficient, as discussed earlier. In reality, we are the ones most affected and harmed by not giving God His proper respect, as well as those we interact with.

In light of these questions, let us go back to Edwards for a closer look, highlighting keywords to add to this discussion:

“That if God himself be, in any respect, properly capable of being his own end (the reason/goal of all His deeds is to point out His ultimate worth) in the creation of the world, than it is reasonable to suppose that he had respect to himself, as his last and highest end, in this work (i.e. His creation); because he is worthy (most deserving) in himself to be so, being infinitely the greatest and best of beings. All things else (any other created thing or being) with regard to worthiness, importance, and excellence, are perfectly as nothing in comparison of him. And therefore, if God has respect to things according to their nature and proportions, he must necessarily (it is the moral or the right thing to do i.e. to do otherwise would be immoral and also against his very nature [and reality] as he goes on to say a little later) have the greatest respect to himself. It would be against the perfection of his nature, his wisdom, holiness, and perfect rectitude, whereby he is disposed to do everything that is fit to be done, to suppose otherwise.

At least, a great part of the moral rectitude of God, whereby he is disposed (properly inclined or drawn) to every thing that is fit, suitable, and amiable [i.e., pleasant, admirable] in itself, consists in his having the highest regard to that which is in itself highest and best. (i.e. Himself) The moral rectitude of God must consist in a due respect to things that are objects of moral respect; that is, to intelligent beings capable of moral actions and relations. (this especially includes us) And therefore it must chiefly consist in giving due (rightly deserved. Something due is something owed) respect to that Being to whom most is due; for God is infinitely the most worthy of regard. The worthiness of others is as nothing to his; so that to him belongs (it is rightfully His and therefore rightfully due to Him. To not give Him due regard/recognition is wrong and the ground for all immorality) all possible respect. To him belongs the whole of the respect that any intelligent being is capable of. To him belongs ALL the heart. Therefore, if moral rectitude of heart consist in paying the respect of the heart which is due, or which fitness (that which is appropriate and therefore right) and suitableness requires, fitness requires infinitely the greatest regard to be paid to God; and the denying of supreme regard (i.e. not praising God and giving thanks to God for who is and what He has done would be the greatest indication of this denial. See Rom 1) here would be a conduct infinitely the most unfit. (inappropriate and therefore wrong; immoral) Hence it will follow, that the moral rectitude of the disposition, inclination, or affection of God CHIEFLY consists in a regard to HIMSELF, (The most right/righteous, moral and holy thing God can do is to value Himself above everything else and seek to draw others to do the same. In turn this is the most righteous thing we also can do. And when we do we are acting like God. “…be holy as I am holy”) infinitely above his regard to all other beings; in other words, his holiness consists in this.”

In summary, according to Edwards, holiness for God consists of God’s affection for, regard for, inclination toward, and recognition of His infinite worth above everything else.

Throughout this quote, Edwards uses words such as “due, fit, belongs, requires” etc; all words that have a moral quality, i.e. that which is right or wrong. What this suggests is the grounds for all right and wrong are rooted in the recognition or lack of recognition of the true worth of God. And, this is not only true for us but for God as well, i.e. not only must we recognize the reality of God's infinite worth, but God by His own nature and determination must as well. All morality is grounded in the very nature and being of God, i.e. his infinite worth/glory.

We may have heard that the definition of holiness or sanctification is to be “set apart” or refers to something that is “set apart.” I would suggest the reason for this is because that which is of greatest value is separate from all other things, i.e. the reason something is set apart is precisely because of its great value. It would be like going to an art gallery where all the paintings are available for viewing by the general public except one room that holds the rarest and most valuable paintings. These are secured in a separate area with high-level surveillance that can only be entered with special clearance and a security guard. These pieces are distinct and separate from all the others and are to be looked upon with distinct and separate regard over and above all the others because of their great value. (Does the “holy of holies” come to mind?) 

In John Piper's footnotes to the above excerpt, he adds these thoughts, “Edwards calls God's regard to himself his ‘holiness.’ It may be more proper to call it God's ‘righteousness.’ Thus, his ‘holiness’ would be the infinite worth that God has in his own estimation, and his righteousness would be his valuing and respecting that worth without wavering and upholding it in all that he does.” He goes on to state that in the writings of the apostle Paul, “the righteousness of God must be his unswerving commitment always to preserve the honor of his name and to display his glory.”¹

Piper distinguishes between righteousness and holiness in that God’s holiness is the grounds for all righteousness, and righteousness is all acts that seek to uphold or display His holiness. Holiness addresses how or who God is, and righteousness addresses what God does. Piper is saying any act that springs forth from a proper recognition of God’s infinite worth is a righteous act. And therefore, any act that does not spring forth from a proper recognition of God’s infinite worth would be an unrighteous act, i.e. an immoral, or wicked act. 

This certainly broadens the definition of morality compared to how it is often defined today. It also places the focus on holiness where it should be. Not on the outward actions alone, but the inward disposition that drives those actions.

With God, all actions on His part must spring forth from the recognition of His own worth, with the end being to show forth his infinite worth (glory) to others. This is the basis of holiness and righteousness. And, out of this, He tells us to be holy as He is holy. What God is saying is simply do all things for the glory of God just like I do or be holy like I am holy, i.e. do all things to show forth my great worth, a worth which is greater - separate and distinct - above the worth of all other things or persons. In this lies the foundation for all moral behavior, according to Edwards. This also puts a whole different light for many on what it means to be holy.

According to this definition, we are holy when we value God’s worth as it truly is and therefore, all efforts to uphold and display his worth are righteous acts. The more we conduct ourselves in this way, the more righteous we (our actions) become. With this understanding, what makes something righteous has more to do with the motive behind the action than with the action itself. It stands to reason then that the opposite would also be true. To not value God’s worth would be unholy, and to not uphold that worth or display it by our actions would be unrighteous (wicked) acts. The more we do not do things in this way, the more unrighteous we are. Or, to say it another way, to disregard or ignore the value of God and not seek to show it (Him) forth in our attitude/disposition is the basis for all immoral behavior.

This is exactly why God says we are to be thankful for all things. It is the primary disposition that springs from the core recognition that God is the Sovereign Sustainer and provider of all things. He is the all-worthy, almighty God; everything we are and have comes from Him and we should thank Him accordingly. Immorality is not merely murder, an illicit or deviant sexual act, or other such external actions only. It goes far deeper than this. It goes to the heart out of which all actions spring forth.

Even our legal system historically recognized that motive is key and that life taken in self-defense versus premeditated murder is totally different. The end result may be the same for the victim, but since the motive is totally different, the degree of morality or immorality of the action (and its punishment) is as well.

If we stop and think about this and peel back the layers, we will realize that all actions that spring forth from a disregard for God’s true worth are indeed immoral. Often we only consider something immoral or unrighteous simply at the external level when, in fact, all immoral acts have their root in an inadequate recognition of God’s worth. I will go so far as to say that the impression we are often given (usually by the organized church and religion in general) that an immoral act is primarily of an external nature such as murder or illicit sex is nothing more than a diversionary tactic by the enemy to keep us from seeing that immorality is rooted in something far deeper, far more basic, more encompassing, more significant, more extensive and foundational than we ever usually consider.

There is a great advantage for us in having a clear understanding of this. To hold the typical external and shallow view of immorality allows us to go about life with little or no recognition of God’s great worth, while at the same time conducting ourselves in a way society, especially the religious community (but certainly not God) applauds as moral. As a result, we may go about thinking we are quite “good” or “righteous” because we don’t lie, commit murder, adultery, or theft when the bible instead calls anything that is not done for the glory of God, out of a desire to show forth His infinite worth, is wickedness.

The Bible characterizes evil when it says,

“My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13)

What Jeremiah was saying is Israel had gone after things other than God to sustain themselves, to quench their spiritual, emotional, and physical thirst and needs. In effect, saying there is something other than God that we value and seek after more than God. This action, forsaking God and seeking things other than God to sustain them, springs out of an inadequate and, therefore, a wrong view of God’s true worth.

Society, even more so the church itself, is so obsessed with external expressions of “sin” that they completely miss what determines that which makes something “wicked” or “sinful.” Because of this, they will say obvious things such as murder or rape are wrong, while they may believe prayer is right and always good. Or worse yet, congratulate themselves for avoiding such “unrighteous” behavior. But didn’t Christ warn us not to pray like the Pharisees prayed? Why would He say such a thing? To those with a shallow understanding of immorality, this makes no sense. That is because they either get hung up or justify an act strictly by external behavior. But we get a further hint of what the Bible means by sin in Proverbs when it says, “the plowing of the wicked is sinful.” We might wonder how the simple act of plowing can be immoral. But our very wondering only confirms how little we understand the true nature of sin. It is sinful because it is an action done solely for the benefit of the one plowing and not to bring honor and glory to God, who enables us to plow. How do we know this? This is an underlying theme of scripture for one and the passage says it is the wicked that are doing the plowing. The plowing in itself is not necessarily good or bad. The reason/motive for their plowing is the issue.

Let’s see how the bible defines wickedness to get a better understanding. We get a clue in Genesis where the LORD states why He was planning on destroying mankind by a flood when he says,

“The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” Genesis 6:5

This passage gives us a clue that sin is far more than simple external behavior; but is also a matter of the heart - from the Old Testament, no less. The external act is simply the outward manifestation of a heart opposed to God. Christ confirmed this when he criticized the self-righteous behavior of the religious of his day in the Beatitudes. He pointed out that it is not just the action that is wrong but the heart motive that produces the action that is the real concern when he said “you say if a man does… but I say if a man in his heart does…” Matt 5:21-28

Is that your understanding of wickedness? Would you ever say there is a time when praying is wicked? The Bible certainly does. This is not what many within the church would consider wickedness and the core problem, but Christ did.

This deeper understanding of morality is encouraging and discouraging at the same time. It encourages us who have been freed from the condemnation of sin through Christ, and have our hearts awakened by His Spirit who indwells us because God has opened our eyes to see God's true worth and beauty. By our experiencing his love personally, He awoke a love for Him we did not have before. We now have some awareness of the infinite worth and beauty of Almighty God. As a result, we have a hunger for Him. The more clearly we see Him in all His beauty, the more we long for Him. Now our focus is to feed, nurture, and strengthen that hunger and develop an even clearer and fuller view of God. As we get this clearer view of Him, our desire for him grows and our pursuit of him increases. This produces an outward change in behavior. The point is our focus shouldn’t be on the wrong actions we are so inclined to commit (though we must see them clearly to know what to forsake) but on finding and increasing our vision of the awesome wonder and beauty of God demonstrated to us in His infinite mercy and grace through Christ. As we see Him more and more clearly, the more in love with Him, we grow.

On the other hand, for the unbeliever, this understanding of morality is devastating because he is able, without God’s help, to carry out certain actions that are considered moral by society or even the church at large, but not by God Himself. In short, we may say and do all the “right” things, such as being a hard worker, give to others sacrificially, treat one's neighbor with kindness, or be faithful to one’s spouse, etc. All good things in themselves, but now that we understand the importance of intent, we must ask from where do these actions spring? Are they carried out to bring honor and recognition to one’s self or to God? 

If these actions do not spring forth from a heart of true worship of God, they are worthless in God’s eyes and are as “filthy rags” to Him, i.e. they will not be recognized or credited to us as righteous. In the unbeliever's unregenerate state, he seeks to impress God or others by his “good works” but this is not the same as desiring God or desiring to truly honor Him out of worship and gratitude by our actions. 

In truth, the things of God are foolishness to the unbeliever. Therefore, he must humble himself and turn in conscious dependence on God for His mercy and grace instead of thinking he can somehow impress God through dependence on his “righteous” deeds. He must instead call out to God for mercy to turn his heart toward Him. May God’s grace enable us to do so if we have not.

This understanding helps us to answer the question many ask. Why do bad things happen to good people? This is actually the wrong question. With the above understanding, we may need to redefine what is good as well as what a good person is. A truly good or holy person does all things for the glory of God, as they were created to, and not for their own glory. The truth is pain has to do with our operating contrary to our design, not with God directly punishing us for "bad" behavior. 

In conclusion, what does all this have to do with God’s loving himself and the moral ground for this? The fact that God is a triune being makes God valuing Himself above all others even more awe-inspiring and hallowed (holy) and settles many things. Let us briefly review this and we will elaborate on this point more as we continue on in the following sections.

God loves His Son above all else and the Son loves his Father above all else. In essence, they recognize the great worth of the other and value each other above all others. To say it another way, they hold each other in highest regard and esteem. We get glimpses of this throughout the New Testament, particularly the gospels. John 17 for example. Because they are separate and distinct persons, their love is real and true love. It is a love that is other-focused yet because they are both persons of the Godhead. This addresses God's self-sufficiency at the same time. So there is a sense in which God is truly totally giving and other-oriented on the one hand because of the distinctness of the persons of the Trinity and yet totally self-sufficient - self-contained if you will - and independent at the same time because He is ONE God, not three.

Oh, the mystery and wonder of God! May He help us to grasp the height, depth, and width of His being and, therefore, the greatness of His love. Not only is this a wonderful mystery, but it is also vital to understanding God truly and clearly and ourselves as well, who are in His image.

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Additional book excerpts: 

• Anatomy of pain
• God "needs" us
• Opening pages

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*This excerpt by Edwards is also reprinted in John Piper’s book, God’s Passion for His Glory. You can download a pdf of the book for free at 

https://www.desiringgod.org/books/gods-passion-for-his-glory

Sin is never good but God is always good.

1. Sin is never good. It's a violation of Gods design and always creates pain, suffering and hardship.

However God is always good and redeems all our messes, bringing about our good in and through all things.

2. God is always good and redeems all our messes, bringing about our good in and through all things.

However Sin is never good. It's a violation of Gods design and always creates pain suffering and hardship.

I mention two key principles in both statement 1 and 2 above. Note I simply reversed the order. Am I saying the same thing? Why did I say it this way?

I did this because it's easy to emphasis sin's destructive nature to such an extent that we loose sight of God's working in and through all things. We can take the view that we have messed up (or our lives are messed up) beyond God's ability to redeem it, wallowing in guilt, shame and self pity.

Or we can emphasize God's working to such an extent that we forget or downplay sins destructive nature. Some may try to argue if God is going to use our mistakes for our good anyway, let's make more mistakes. After all, you can't out sin the grace of God (the last sentence is true by the way).

Whenever we deal with truths in tension it's easy to fall to one side loosing sight of the other. Emphasizing each while not ignoring either is important because both are equally true.

Regarding the tension between sin's destructive nature and God's working in and through all things, it is vital that we understand on the one hand, that sin is not less of a problem and not less destructive simply because God redeems it for our good. Joseph wound up being rejected by his brothers and sold into slavery due to his arrogant boasting of his vision. Jacob walked with a limp for the rest of his life due to his wrestling with God. Sin (self centered, manipulative behavior) still has it's consequences.

While on the other hand, no matter how bad we mess up, God is always bringing about his perfect purposes through all the choices of those who love him. The good, bad and the ugly ones. 

God is a God of grace, using and working through all things to bring about our highest good and his greatest glory. The the eventual outcome of the life of Joseph again comes to mind. 

In fact the consequences themselves become the very means of God's using it for our good, so he might wean us from sin's destructiveness.

If you are more of a moralist you will likely fall on the side of emphasizing sin's destructive nature. As you come to understand the extent of God's grace you may tend to fall on the side of emphasizing God's working in and through all things for our good. Again, both are true, but not to the extend of excluding the other.  

Exceptions to the rule.

The exception to the above is sometimes God in his wisdom and mercy will at times spare us the full repercussions of our poor choices. While at other times in His wisdom he will allow the full weight of our poor choices to fall on us and bare their bitter fruit. It seems he tends to do the former when we are younger in the faith and the later as we mature, but there are always exceptions in both cases. Generally speaking it seems as we grow in our walk with the Lord, it often requires more, not less trust in God. Therefore our struggles seem to increase instead of diminish. Certainly an awareness of our weaknesses (our internal challenge) is keener, if not our actual circumstantial challenges.

Why God's children disagree.

I think this is also why there is often debate among Christian's on how God works. Because some experience God working more one way then the other, they tend to argue more from their experience without considering that God may not be working in someone else life exactly the same way. God works with all of us according to where we are in our own personal walk with him and the level of trust we have in Him at that particular time.

I think part of the disagreement between groups is due to our self centered nature. We tend to assume we are the center of the world and God works in the lives of others exactly the same way he does in ours. Because of this we tend to gravitate to others that have had similar experiences, discounting those who have had a different experience. It then becomes an us vs them mindset.

Why we disagree with ourselves

Also some are inclined to think that the joy that often accompanies a young Christians experience is the norm, so as they mature, they spend their life trying to recover that seemly careless bliss of their early walk with God and are puzzled when they find life seems to get more challenging not less. 

God in his wisdom works with each of us exactly as he deems best, according to where we each are. When Peter inquired about the status of another disciple, "Jesus said to him, 'If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!' " John 21:22  And so there we too should leave it.

For a further discussion on guilt and shame click here.