Welcome to Bethlehem North Women’s Ministry Bible Study! For more information, email NorthWomen@Bethlehem.Church
Today the story picks up after Gabriel’s appearance to Mary and after the miraculous virgin conception of Jesus within Mary's womb. Elizabeth’s pregnancy is progressing, and Mary hastily leaves Nazareth for the hill country of Judea to visit Elizabeth. Listen in as the anticipation of the arrival of the Promised One continues to build.
After God's long silence, Israel, outwardly, looks like a very different people from 400 years ago. But inwardly, that same old enemy entwines himself around their hearts. The snake still deceives and enslaves many of them, and he is very much at work in the land when God sends Gabriel on a second mission to the town of Nazareth.
After 400 years of silence from God, after 400 years of political upheaval in the land, and after 400 years of languishing in spiritual exile, we turn the page to find faithfulness in Israel—a hopeful beginning to the next chapter of God's story!
The Old Testament concludes with a final warning of judgment and a promise of hope, that when the day of the Lord was near, God would send “Elijah the prophet” to “turn the hearts” of his people and “prepare the way” for the Lord, “lest [he] come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction” (Malachi 3:1, 4:5-6). After those sobering words, God went silent.
Beginning with Eden and all the way through Judah’s exile, God’s story shows us that humanity’s greatest need is for God to “create…a clean heart” within them (Ps 51:10). The prophet Isaiah spoke of how God would accomplish that feat. He would send a humble, innocent servant who would willingly offer his own life and pour out his own blood in order to make many sinners righteous (Is 53:10-12).
That servant had the full human experience, suffering under the weight of the curse, enduring the attacks of enemies, and feeling as if all his work had been in vain, and yet after he had “poured out his soul to death” (53:12), God made him a king above all kings (Is 49:7) and gave him many offspring (53:10-11). That suffering servant is the King-priest from Psalm 110. It is he who sits enthroned in Heaven and waits for God to make all his enemies a footstool. (110:1).
And while he waits, his kingdom of light continues to spread into every dark corner of the earth. While he waits, “the will of the LORD shall prosper” in the “hand[s]” of his “offspring,” who like their King-priest make their lives a living sacrifice and by bearing the fruits of righteousness bring God’s salvation “to the end of the earth” (Is 53:10, Rom 12:1, Is 49:6).
As we go about the normal business of our lives this week, I am praying that God impresses a new awareness on our spirits that he now works through us to accomplish his original creative purposes of bringing blessing to every family of the earth. Praise God for the work of his servant, who has made us righteous and has blessed us with fruitfulness in all the good works God has prepared for us to do. (Eph 2:10)
Psalm 110 and the mysterious Melchizedek introduced us to the idea that humanity needs more than a king. We need a king to crush the snake and end the ancient conflict of the garden, but we also need a priest who can atone for our sins and mediate God’s blessing to us. The prophecy of Psalm 110 guarantees both in the person of the Messiah, who is a king from the line of David and a priest from the order of Melchizedek, rather than the failed order of the Levites.
Psalm 110 places this King-Priest on the throne of Heaven where he waits for the “day of his power” when he will subdue all his enemies and usher in the new and better Eden. But while he waits, there is time for those enemies to turn, “kiss the King” and exchange their curse for his blessing.
2 Reflections on the story so far:
1--Why does God keep retelling the same story?
We saw it first with Adam, then Noah, with Israel in the wilderness, with Israel in the PL during the time of the judges. And now we see it even after a king from Judah sits on the throne of Israel. Why have all of these new beginnings–these Eden reboots–failed? Because the enemy within must also be crushed. Rebellion is bound up in the hearts of humanity. And these repeated stories show us just how bad the problem of sin is, because we don’t always believe it, but our greatest enemy is not the wretched curse on the world. It’s arguably not even the snake–we’ve seen his impotence in his multiple failed efforts to prevent the birth of the one who will crush him. It’s not his offspring who are the biggest threat. No, the biggest threat facing humanity is our own traitorous heart, and the desires we have–to cast off God’s cords and bonds and to make ourselves King in his place. How will the King of Glory crush this enemy–the one that is so entwined around the hearts even of his chosen nation? You’ll have to keep reading to find out. But just remember–these Eden reboots all failed because of sin. Not because of the snake–though he is crafty and he will certainly use the curse on the ground and our own evil inclinations against us–but ultimately these Eden reboots failed because of sin, the enemy within. And because we are slow to understand and believe, God keeps telling the same story.
2--Notice how many ways God repackages the story to drive home his message–that in spite of our sin, he loves us and wants to be with us. He speaks of his love for his people like the love a Father has for his children. He speaks of his love for his people like a husband has for his wife. He speaks of his love for his people like a shepherd has for his flock. He’ll repackage this message over and over again, so that the truth of it begins to dawn on our darkened minds and we finally believe it–that God really loves us! And despite everything–the evil attempts of the snake, the multiplication of his offspring, the curse of death that hangs over us, even our own wayward hearts–despite all of this, he will send the King of Glory to crush all these enemies and deliver us from their enslaving power–so that we can be with God, joyful and glad of heart for all the prosperity he grants to his people through their great King of Glory!
From Jacob’s prophecy, (Genesis 49) we learned that the King of Glory will descend from the line of Judah. We also learned that when he comes, he will not only rule Israel, but all the nations of the earth.
From Balaam’s prophecy, (Numbers 24) we learned that when the King of Glory establishes his reign, he will bring his earth-wide blessing by not only crushing the snake, but by crushing all the snake’s offspring.
1) Sin and Conflict abound in the new landscape outside of Eden. We see this right out of the garden where two warring lines emerge.
2) God begins to reveal a comprehensive plan to redeem all of creation. He’s not just going to crush the snake. He’s going to reverse the curse and restore Eden.
Genesis 3:14–15 taught us to look for the birth of a boy child who—through suffering—will destroy the snake, our ancient enemy who sought to undermine God’s creation and kill Adam and Eve.
