December 13: Joshua and Jesus

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. . . No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. . . Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lordyour God is with you wherever you go.” - from Joshua 1:1-9, ESV

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:18-21, ESV

Joshua and Jesus:
Leading God's People to Victory and into the Promised Land

Jesus' name in Hebrew is Y'shua, a variation of Joshua. so he shares the same name with the Old Testament hero who led the people of God into the Promised Land after the death of Moses. Their name means "YaHWeH saves" and they both serve as living examples of the saving power of God. But these two remarkable figures share more than just a name:

1. Both men got their strength from the Lord and did everything in the power of God.

2. Both men won great victories over strong enemies.

3. Both men meditated on the Law of God and spoke words of powerful truth to God's people.

4. Both men came into their positions of leadership after a long period of waiting.

5. Both men brought the people of God from the wilderness into the Promised Land.

You might be surprised to see Jesus being described as a man in these ways, but He was and is truly man, even as He has always been and always will be truly God. As the Messiah, our Anointed One, Jesus stood in our place as our representative and champion in every aspect of His life. He was and is our prophet who speaks the truth of God, our priest who intercedes for us and our king who reigns over us. 

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794-1872),
The Battle of Jericho

Joshua was a remarkable man, one of the few men in the Old Testament who doesn't have any shameful sins recorded of him. In so many ways, he is an admirable example and a type, or foreshadowing, of Christ. He was empowered by the Holy Spirit to lead God's people to victory over fierce enemies - walled cities, giants, powerful alliances of Canaanite kings. He was provided by God for His people after an extended period of wilderness wanderings, and he brought them into the Promised Land. Joshua spoke powerful truth to the people of God, calling them away from sin and idolatry and challenging them to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. 

Jesus came and fulfilled the role of Joshua but in a much better way. As wonderful as Joshua was as the leader of God's people, he did not succeed in bringing them into God's true rest. As Hebrews 4:8 says, "For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on." God still spoke and promised His people rest after Joshua was long dead and gone. 

The true rest for God's people, the true Promised Land, was secured only by Jesus, after He had won victory over the true enemies of God's people. The real obstacles keeping God's people from true rest with God were not the inhabitants of Jericho or Ai but Satan and sin and death. These are far greater and deadlier enemies than the giants of the land of Canaan. For Jesus to defeat them, He had to suffer and die and unimaginable death. 

Whenever we read the exciting stories of the conquest of the Promised Land under Joshua, we need to remember that Jesus is the real champion of God's people. Joshua may have seen the walls of Jericho come down, but Jesus leads His church in triumph over the very gates of Hell itself.   

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your great victory over all of our enemies. You have paid for all of our sin, defeated Satan, overthrown death and secured entrance for us into the true, eternal Promised Land. Thank You that You are our rest and our very great victory! Let us always and only rest in You. Amen.

The victory that Christ has won for us gives us every reason to rejoice this Christmas and always!

December 12: Jesus in the Oracle of Balaam

The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
    the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
    and knows the knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
    falling down with his eyes uncovered:

I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
    and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead of Moab
    and break down all the sons of Sheth. - Numbers 24:15-17, ESV

Jesus in the Oracle of Balaam:
A Star Shall Come out of Jacob

When you take your stand in opposition to God, you will lose every time. This is the lesson that Balak, king of the Moabites, should have learned when he hired Balaam the seer to curse the people of God. 

King Balak asked Balaam to curse the people of Israel as they were camped near the plains of Moab. Balaam was the son of Peor, and he lived in the town of Pethor near the Euphrates River. We don't know for sure where Pethor was exactly, but it seems like it was a long way from Moab, probably hundreds of miles away. Apparently, Balaam must have had quite a reputation as a powerful prophet in the whole region, because Balak sent for him twice, begging him to come and promising him anything Balaam wanted. Balak likely waited for weeks or perhaps even months for Balaam to finally come. 

Balaam was probably motivated by money when he went to serve Balak, even though his words indicated that he was intending to be faithful to God. God stopped him on his way, threatening him with destruction by an angel and giving his donkey both supernatural sight and speech to save Balaam's life and to keep him from sinning in his mission. 

When Balaam arrived in Moab, Balak was excited, Here was a powerful spiritual man, a man of renowned insight, who could curse these Irsaelites and send them scurrying far away from Moab. But Balak could not stop God's plans, even though he was rich and powerful and had hired the greatest prophet to curse the Israelites. Balaam gave three different oracles, in different locations, each one clearly blessing Israel and promising a bright future for them.

Balak was frustrated. We're told how "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. Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the Lord has held you back from honor.' (Numbers 24:10-11, ESV)"

Balaam responds to Balak's anger with firm and clear resolve: "Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord?' (Numbers 24:12-13, ESV)" Then, Balaam gives Balak one final word, one about the distant future, "the latter days."

In this fourth and final oracle, Balaam foresees a great ruler coming forth from Jacob, specifically referring to "a star" which will "rise in Jacob's house." The language here is interesting and fascinating, because Balaam comes from what will eventually become Babylon, which will later be conquered and ruled by Persia. If Balaam was indeed a world-famous prophet, as he seems to be, it would make sense that he would record his oracles and that these oracles would be preserved for future generations, copied and transmitted by scribes and kept in libraries. 

Could it be that Balaam's oracle of the star rising in Jacob's house was in the libraries available to certain magi from the East many centuries later? Could they have read the oracles of Balaam and seen this line about this powerful star-sign? Maybe these words, combined with their observations of the stars, led them on their journey to Jerusalem to look for this one who would bear the scepter from Israel and win victory over the enemies of God's people. 

Whether the wise men were led to Jesus by the oracle of Balaam or not, we know that Balaam foresaw Jesus in this fourth oracle. He saw the coming of the King of kings almost 1500 years before His birth!

Lord Jesus, You came in the fullness of time, and You reign in supreme and unchallenged authority over all of the nations of the world. Let us worship You with renewed wonder at Your power this Christmas! Amen.

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"The Kings of the Earth" is a powerful anthem from Savior: The Story of God's Passion for His People, a modern oratorio by Greg Nelson and Bob Farrell. Here is a video of Steve Green, Larnelle Harris and Steve Amerson performing this stirring song:

  

December 11: Jesus Tabernacled Among Us

"Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it." - Exodus 25:8-9, ESV

And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. - John 1:14, AMPC

"Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lordfilled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." - Exodus 40:34-35, ESV

Jesus Tabernacled Among Us:

Seeing Christmas in the Tent of Worship

What's the most centrally important thing in your house? What does it say about your family's values and priorities?

After God led the Israelites out of Egypt, delivering them from the hand of their Egyptian masters, He chose to dwell in their midst and to continue to lead them. But God cannot simply dwell in the midst of a sinful people. God wanted to show them who He was, what He was like and how they might approach Him properly in worship. So He gave Moses instructions for building a Tabernacle, a tent for meeting with God and worshiping Him. 

Model of the tabernacle, as seen in Israel, Timna Park

The tabernacle God described to Moses was a perfect demonstration of God's holiness, humanity's sinfulness, the need for atonement and the right approach to worship. The most centrally important thing in the Tabernacle was the Ark of the Covenant, the chest which held the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. This chest was placed behind thick curtains in the Most Holy Place (or Holy of Holies). On top of the ark was the mercy seat, made of pure gold and flanked by two cherubim. The ark represented the presence of God. Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place, the direct presence of the Ark of the Covenant, and only on the Day of Atonement, when he sprinkled blood on the mercy seat.

The Ten Commandments inside the ark were a replacement. Moses had broken the original tablets when he came down from Mount Sinai to find the people engaged in idolatry and immorality. The restored law represented God's perfect holy standard. It cannot be compromised, and yet because we are guilty of violating that law, we must approach God on the basis of mercy and not merit. We need God's forgiveness, which must be secured by the shedding of blood. The anointed High Priest must be the one to present the blood to cover the mercy seat, allowing God's people to approach.

So far, this is an interesting history lesson in Old Testament worship practices, but what does this have to do with Christmas or Jesus? Everything! But before we get to that, let's step outside of the Holy of Holies.

Inside the Sanctuary, the Tabernacle itself, was a table holding bread, a lamp stand holding seven candles and an incense burner. The bread was holy, for priests only. The incense represented the prayers of the people and had to be made according to the right formula or it was rejected by God (see Nadab and Abihu).

Outside of the Tabernacle in the courtyard, a large altar and a basin of water stood. The altar was for the offerings of the people. The basin was for priests to wash before entering the Tabernacle. This altar allowed all of the people of God to learn that they cannot approach God without a sacrifice to atone for their sins. The basin taught them that God requires clean hands from those who would approach Him. By using this Tabernacle for worship as God prescribed, the people learned about sin, sacrifice, cleansing, prayer and more. Ultimately, they were being given a large, interactive picture of Jesus and His saving work.

In John 1:14, we're told that when Jesus came to earth, He "pitched His tent" or "tabernacled" among us and that we beheld His glory. It's no coincidence that the glory cloud of God's presence came down and filled the Tabernacle when it was dedicated. God was telling His people, "Pay attention here. This will show you how to approach Me and ultimately point you to the way I will manifest My glory to you." 

When Jesus tabernacled among us, He was the Messiah - the anointed One. One office He holds as Messiah is that of our Great High Priest. Jesus is uniquely the only priest who is also the sacrifice. He offered up Himself on the altar of the cross. He entered into the true Holy of Holies in heaven to offer up His blood before God's mercy seat to atone for our sin. He also came as the bread of life and the light of the world, to bring the nourishment for our souls and the illumination pictured in the table of bread and the lampstand. 

Jesus us everything we need to approach God and have fellowship with Him. In fact, His atoning work makes us priests who can enter into God's presence and eat and receive illumination and offer up pleasing prayers to God. Will you approach God through the tabernacle of Jesus this Christmas? He is the only way for us to approach God.

Lord Jesus, thank You for leaving heaven and coming to earth to redeem us. Thank You for being in Yourself the way for us to approach God. You are the true and eternal tabernacle. This Christmas season, let us enter into You by faith. Amen.   

The Tabernacle is just another picture of Jesus as Emmanuel, God with Us:

December 10: Jesus in the Exodus

Your lamb shall be without blemish . . . Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it . . . The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. - Exodus 12:5, 7, 13, ESV

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! - John 1:29, ESV

For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. - 1 Cor. 5:7, ESV

Jesus in Exodus:
Our Passover Lamb Has Saved Us from God's Wrath
and Delivered Us from Bondage

God's people were in bondage. They toiled under harsh taskmasters and had no freedom over their own destiny. This situation was not unique to the Egyptian enslavement of the Israelites before God led them out by the hand of Moses. This is the history of every one of God's people. We are born in bondage. Jesus said, "Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin." (John 8:34) Our bondage is deep and real, stronger than death and longer than our lives. 

When God's people were enslaved in Egypt, God delivered them in a particular way:

1. He sent a deliverer who would speak the truth and confront those in power oppressing God's people.

2. Through the message and actions of this deliverer, God would demonstrate His power over the forces holding His people in bondage.

3. God would send judgment on those enslaving His people and would protect His people from this judgment by the blood of a spotless lamb.

4. God would bring His people out of the house of bondage, giving them a new identity as His people, teaching them how to obey and worship Him.

5. After years of wandering in the wilderness, during which time God would provide for and protect His people, He would bring them into the Promised Land.

Moses was not a perfect deliverer, and the deliverance he brought God's people was temporary and merely physical and political. Still, God used the ministry of Moses and the exodus from Egypt as a pattern to teach His people about deliverance: 

• Deliverance comes with a proclamation from God calling people to honor Him. 
• Deliverance comes with judgment on the wicked who rebel against God. 
• Because God's people are also wicked and rebellious, they must be shielded from God's judgment by bloodshed. by one who died in their place. 
• Being delivered from bondage and judgment gives God's people a new identity and a new calling in life. 
• Being delivered from bondage begins a new life for God's people, which will eventually lead them all the way to their true home.

We all sin, and because of our bondage to sin, we are held in slavery by the devil who hates us, by our flesh that corrupts us and by the world that ensnares us. God breaks the chains on that bondage as He brings a message to us: Honor God and receive His deliverance. If we heed the message, we will see our need to come under the blood of the Lamb of God, the One who truly takes away sin. Coming under His blood, brings us from judgment to salvation, from death to life, from condemnation to liberation. Coming under His blood brings us a new identity with a new purpose in life: walk in obedience before God and worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Following after our true Deliverer, the better Moses, brings us through wilderness wanderings into the Promised Land, our true home.  

Over 2,000 years ago, God sent His Son to be the true and better Moses, to lead His people from the house of bondage to the Promised Land. Jesus came as the Passover Lamb who is also our Good Shepherd, as the One whose blood covers us and whose leadership brings us into true freedom, everlasting freedom. Will you receive Him as your Deliverer this Christmas? Will you rest in Him? Will you come under His blood? Will you take His new identity upon you? If you already have, will you walk with Him, obeying Him and worshiping Him, through the wilderness of this world?

Lord Jesus, You are our true and eternal Savior! You are the Deliverer our souls need to bring us out of the house of bondage, out of our slavery to sin and Satan. You shed Your blood to cover us. You call us as our Good Shepherd to follow You. Lead on, Good Shepherd! May we follow You all the way home! Amen.  

"Passover Us" is a brilliant song by Andrew Peterson from his Christmas album, Behold the Lamb of God:

December 9: Jesus and Joseph, Man's Intentions vs. God's Plans

Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. - Genesis 50:17b-20, ESV

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. - Acts 2:22-24, ESV

Jesus and Joseph:
Man's Intentions for Evil vs. God's Plans for Good

Betrayed by his own people. Sold by those closest to him. Condemned unjustly, yet his betrayal was the way God planned for the salvation of His people. In the end, his condemnation by jealous men led to deliverance from death. Am I describing Joseph, favored son of Jacob, or Jesus, only Son of God? These same words could describe them both. 

Joseph's Coat Brought to Jacob
by Giovanni Andrea de Ferrari, c. 1640

Joseph was Jacob's 11th son. He was both to Rachel in a supernatural way. He came as the answer to prayer after many years of barrenness for Rachel. His brothers hated him. He was obviously favored, both by God and by his father, Jacob. In natural and supernatural ways, through many-colored coats and prophetic dreams, Joseph's superior position was evident. This evidence only made his brothers hate him more. Finally, their jealousy and bitterness caused them to sell Joseph into slavery, after they had planned to kill him outright. Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver. 

Joseph suffered more injustice, at the hands of pagan unbelievers, before he was finally exalted to the right hand of majesty. He was exalted to the right hand of the most powerful ruler in the world, Pharaoh. From this exalted position of honor, Joseph was able to provide salvation and blessing to God's people, his family. He was able to provide them with food, safety and a new home. 

In so many ways, Joseph is a clear picture and prefiguring of Jesus. The parallels are numerous:

• Jesus was born in a supernatural way. 
• He was hated and envied by His brothers. Many supernatural signs showed the superiority of Jesus, but both his close biological half-brothers (including James and Jude) and his national brothers, the spiritual leaders of Israel, envied and opposed Him.        
• Jesus was eventually sold by one of those closest to Him. In Jesus' case, He was sold for thirty pieces of silver. 
• After He was sold, Jesus suffered more injustice at the hands of pagan unbelievers, Pontius Pilate and Herod.
• After He had suffered grave injustice - cultimating in His death on the cross and burial in a tomb - Jesus was delivered from the pit and raised to the right hand of majesty. In Jesus' case, He was not exalted to Pharaoh's side but to the right hand of God Almighty.
• From His exalted position at the right hand of the majesty, Jesus provides salvation for His people. He provides food (His own body), security (being held in His hands) and a new home (in His kingdom). He saves His people from eternal death.

In the lives of both Joseph and Jesus, we can see that man's intentions and God's plans are often two very different things. Joseph's brothers thought they were getting rid of him. Little did they know they were providing for their little brother's exaltation to glory and for their own family's salvation. The Jewish leaders conspired with Judas and Pilate to get rid of Jesus. Little did they know how they were actually doing what Jesus wanted them to do, to provide for God's people and to move Jesus toward His exaltation!

The more we study the Old Testament with Jesus in mind, looking for Christmas throughout God's story, the more wonderful patterns we see emerge. On December 3rd, we observed: "Like the Master Storyteller He is, God gives clues, hints and details that foreshadow the story's climax from the very beginning. Some are more obvious and others are quite subtle." As we have spent several days in Genesis, we have seen these foreshadowings of Jesus agains and again. With each new discovery, we are given more reasons to praise God for the gift of His Son! 

Lord Jesus, You came to earth in order to redeem us. You gave Yourself into the hands of sinful men, knowing that they would only be accomplishing God's good purposes in their evil actions. Help us to see how You turn every evil action of men into a way for You to be glorified and Your people to be saved and blessed! Amen.  

"The Promise" by Michael Card rejoices in the long-awaited fulfilment of God's promise in Jesus:

December 8: Jesus, Cut Off that We May Enter In

He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half . . . 

When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram - Genesis 15:9-10, 17-18a

Jesus Fulfills the Abrahamic Covevant,
Being Cut Off in Judgment That We Might Enter Into Blessing

illustration from the 1728
Figures de la Bible;
illustrated by Gerard Hoet (1648–1733) and others

Sometimes the Bible is just strange. Why would God attempt to reassure Abraham's faltering faith by having him cut up animals? What does the shedding of blood have to do with God keeping His promise? Well, this event from Genesis 15 does indeed seem very strange to us, but it was not so strange to Abraham. The typical way to make a covenant in the cultural context of the Old Testament involved shedding blood. In fact, the Hebrew expression for "to make a covenant" is literally "to cut a covenant." In Bible language, a covenant is something made by cutting, by shedding blood.

More importantly, you may be asking, "What does Genesis 15 have to do with Christmas and the coming of Jesus?" Well, in Genesis 15, God makes a solemn covenant promise to Abraham. one which would ultimately require the birth of the Son of God as a human baby boy in order to keep. 

God promised Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan, but the deeper promise was for the blessing of God to rest upon Abraham and his descendants and, through them, to flow out to all the nations on earth. In Genesis 15, Abraham is old and still childless and wondering how God could keep His promise. 

God has Abraham cut up animals because God is sealing His promise to Abraham with an oath. This elaborate and bloody covenant ceremony was an oath, like "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." God is vowing to keep His promise to Abraham, or else He will be cut up like the animals. Imagine God obligating Himself to a human being in such severe terms! 

Two chapters later, in Genesis 17, God has Abraham do some cutting again, but this time the covenant sign is circumcision. This time, the knife cuts through Abraham's own flesh and the flesh of all the males in his household. Ouch! This cutting puts obligation on Abraham to walk before God and be blameless. With these two covenants, both sides of the relationship are now obligated by bloodshed, kind of like becoming "blood brothers" with a bloody handshake. 

Here's where the sad truth of history intervenes: Abraham's descendants did not keep their end of the bargain. They sinned, rebelled, rejected God, worshiped idols, committed immorality of every description and basically broke their covenant vows in every imaginable way over and over again. But God was still obligated on His side to bless them and give them an inheritance from Himself. What was God going to do?

Jesus was born on that first Christmas as the God-man, as the Son of God and the Son of Abraham. Because of the uniqueness of who He is, Jesus is qualified to represent both sides of the covenant relationship between God and Abraham. As the Son of Abraham, Jesus comes in order to perfect the obedience that neither Abraham nor his offspring ever could. Thus, Jesus fulfills the commandment to "walk before Me and be blameless" from Genesis 17:1. But because Jesus was also fully God, He could also keep God's bloody vow in Genesis 15.

When Jesus hung on the cross, bearing the sin of God's people, He was fulfilling both bloody covenants, Genesis 15 and Genesis 17. He was reconciling these two alienated parties in His own flesh. This is another way to understand Christmas: Jesus was born to be circumcised, to be cut off in a bloody death, that God's people might receive the promise made to Abraham. 

In the course of fulfilling the Abrahamic covenant, Jesus expands one of its central promises: "The meek shall inherit the earth," not just Israel. And through Jesus, the seed of Abraham, the promises of adoption, blessing and inheritance spread to every nation throughout all generations! Praise God for such wonderful faithfulness! 

Heavenly Father, when You made Your covenant with Abraham, You knew very well what it would cost You to keep it. You made it willingly, lovingly, knowing how faithless Your people would be and how faithful You would be. Thank You for Your covenant faithfulness! Thank You for Jesus our Savior! Amen.      

_____________________

"Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, the cross be borne for me, for you" - powerful words from "What Child is This?" - 

December 7: Jesus, the Promised Offspring of Abraham

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 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. 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.” - Genesis 12:1-3, ESV

And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” - Genesis 22:15-18, ESV

"He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” - Mary, in Luke 1:54-55, ESV

Jesus is the Promised Offspring of Abraham,
Through Whom All Nations on Earth Are Blessed

Abram was 75 years old. Many men are well into their retirement years by 75, but Abram's life story was just beginning. God called him to leave his father's home and to take his 65-year-old wife and go to a land as-yet-unknown, as-yet-unseen. To this childless couple, God not only gave an impossible calling but an impossible promise: I will make of you a great nation.

The promise made to Abram, whose name meant "exalted father," was so impossible that Sarai thought she would help God out by giving her Egyptian handmaiden, Hagar, to Abram. That did not work out well. God does not need our help. When we try to give it to Him, it usually does not end well. 

God's plans were certain, but they did require patience and much faith. After many more years of waiting, God finally gave 100-year-old Abraham (God had changed his name to "Father of a multitude") and Sarah ("Princess") a baby boy of their own, Isaac ("laughter"). The very idea of a baby born to such an old couple was a joke, one that made both Abraham and Sarah laugh and which was forever reflected in the boy's name.

The Sacrifice of Isaac by Carvaggio

But God's testing of Abraham's faith was not yet complete. Leaving his father's home was just Phase One. Waiting until age 100 for a child was only Phase Two. The final test, Phase Three, would come on a mountain outside of what would become the City of Jerusalem. Here, on Mount Moriah, where Solomon would build His Temple and where Jesus would later hang on a cross. 

God had promised Abraham at the very beginning that all of the nations would be blessed through him. However, it was not until after Phase Three of the testing of Abraham and the promising of God was complete that God gave the final and wonderful promise: Abraham's offspring would possess the gates of his enemies and all of the earth would be blessed through this victorious offspring.

Jesus is that promised offspring of Abraham, as Galatians 3 makes clear. He has overthrown Satan's dominion and so He possesses the gates of His enemy. He builds His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). More poignantly, God secured this victory for His people by providing Himself the sacrifice that He spared Abraham from having to make. God provided the true Lamb, His one and only Son whom He loves, who has taken the place of Isaac and of all of God's people, standing in our stead, taking the death we deserve.

We are fickle creatures who make and break promises so quickly and easily. Thankfully, God's promises never fail. He keeps them at the severest cost to Himself. He promised a seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent. He promised an offspring of Abraham who would win a victory and bring God's blessing to the nations. He has kept His promises, and every Christmas we get to celebrate that reality!        

Heavenly Father, Your love and Your power come together in the fulfillment of Your promise. You love us more deeply than we can ever imagine and no one can keep You from keeping Your promise. You sent Your Son to win the victory, to redeem Your people, to bless the nations and to overthrow the gates of hell. We praise You for Jesus, Your Son and our Savior! Amen. 

Michael Card explores the powerful truth of God's promised lamb in "God Will Provide a Lamb":