02 12. BIBLICAL EPIC for Week of March 19 PSALM (#2) OT-History OT-PROPHETS NT-CHURCH Psa 49:13-20 Num 5-6 Isa 25-26 Acts 14-15

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Ps 49:13-20: But God will ransom my soul from Sheol. Man in his pomp is like the beasts that perish. • 49:13-20. For We Go to God, not Sheol. In answering the problem of why the righteous suffer and the unrighteous prosper, the psalmist contrasts the eternal destinations of each. The unfaithful are like sheep who have Death as their shepherd, while God (the Shepherd of the righteous) will ransom the faithful person’s soul from the power of Sheol (vv. 14-15). Since the impious go to Sheol, and the pious do not, here it represents the grim place of destruction for the wicked, and not simply the grave. A genuine grasp of this will enable a person to resist being afraid when a man becomes rich (v. 16)—the fear that might lead the faithful to despair of God’s justice and goodness, or to give up piety in order to join the wicked and to get praise when they do well for themselves (v. 18). Regarding the futility of wealth and the certainty of death, the psalm recalls themes from the book of Ecclesiastes. aw

Num 5: Anyone who sins shall make restitution and add a fifth. If a man suspects his wife of unfaithfulness he shall take her to the priest. Because a holy God was dwelling among the Israelites, and to prepare for their march to the Promised Land, their camp required ceremonial purity. Therefore, Numbers 5 and 6 deal with the handling of various actual or potential issues of uncleanness. To be unclean was to be unfit for the presence of God, such that a person would have to be removed from the camp out into the wilderness. Otherwise, God would have to abandon His people (to keep from destroying them). As the church is called to be holy, sometimes her members must be disciplined as a reminder that “nothing unclean will ever enter” the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:27). We enter the New Jerusalem not having purified ourselves by our efforts but having been washed in the blood of the Lamb (Rev 1:5), so that our names are written in His book of life (Rev 21:27). • 5:1-4. Unclean People. The unclean are excluded from the tribal encampments of Num 2 (temporarily lest they defile the tabernacle) and must live in places such as caves or wilderness tents, separate from the people. • 5:5-10. Confession and Restitution. These verses extend the scope of Lev. 6:1-7 regarding restitution of stolen property, except in this case there is none of the victim’s family to receive the restored goods. In such a case, it is to go to the priest along with the sacrificial ram. The New Testament affirms that reconciliation with one’s fellow man is required of those who would be at peace with God (Matt. 5:23-26; 6:14-15). • 5:11-31. A Test for Adultery. This ritual is an acted-out prayer (not primitive magic) that God would show whether a man’s suspicions about his wife’s fidelity were justified. Adultery, like other sexual sins, causes grievous uncleanness, and so must be eliminated from Israel. The test is designed to distinguish between actual-but-unwitnessed adultery (vv. 12-14a) and unwarranted suspicion (v. 14b). The actions all underline the seriousness of the sin of adultery. When an adulterous man and woman were caught in the act, they faced the death penalty in Israel (Deut. 22:22). On this occasion the husband is merely suspicious. To confirm or dispel his suspicions the woman must offer a sacrifice (vv. 15-16), drink water containing dust from the floor of the tabernacle (i.e., dust from the presence of God; v. 17), and accept a curse against herself that her womb swell and her thigh fall away (vv. 19-22) if she is guilty. It is not clear exactly what this threat means (perhaps miscarriage), but ultimately, the guilty wife is threatened with childlessness, whereas the innocent is assured she shall be free and shall conceive children (v. 28; cf. Gen. 20:17-18). Num 6: Anyone who makes a Nazirite vow shall not drink wine or cut their hair. Aaron's blessing shall be: "The LORD bless you and keep you." • 6:1-21. The Nazirite Vow. Nazirites were the most dedicated laypeople in the OT, being both dedicated to the LORD and from things that defiled them. Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist were lifelong Nazirites, but usually a person took a vow to become a Nazirite for only a specific period of time. A Nazirite had to avoid cutting his or her hair, not eat any product made from grapes, and avoid contact with any dead body. Since death was a source of severe uncleanness, it had to be remedied by offering three sacrifices and by starting the period of the Nazirite vow all over again. Instructions are then given for when the period to which a Nazirite had dedicated himself was over. • 6:22-27. The Aaronic Blessing. Placed here (at the conclusion of the first section in Numbers), this famous blessing shows that God’s will is to bless every Israelite, not just the Nazirites. The ritual state of cleanness, along with the sacrificial system, has as its goal to bring the people near to God, the fountain of abundant life and profound peace. That the Creator dwells among them thus makes Israel’s lot, even in the wilderness, enviable among the nations (Num 24:5). God’s desire to bless His people, despite their sinfulness, is one of the major themes of Numbers. But God’s blessing is mediated by the priests, the mediators between God and the people. Blessing was invoking the power of God on behalf of the people of God, here expressed in a three-fold petition. For God to “keep” you is to guard and protect from harm. For God’s face to shine upon you is to have His special favor. The metaphor portraying God’s face as light shining on His people occurs in numerous biblical texts (Psa 44:3; 80:3). For Him to lift up His countenance upon you is to pay attention to your needs and meet them. To have God’s peace is not simply the absence of evil, but the presence of good, and ultimately, fellowship with God. To have God’s name upon you is to be identified as belonging to the LORD. As the recipient of God’s blessing, Israel was to bless the nations (Gen 12:3) as His instrument, serving as a light to the entire world and pointing the nations to the one true God. The ultimate expression of God’s desire to bless us is found in the giving of His Son to bear the curse of God’s wrath upon our sin (Gal 3:13-14). In reconciling us with God and bringing us near to Him, Jesus Himself is our peace (Eph 2:14-22). By sharing the Gospel, we then become a blessing to others, for like Israel, we were blessed to be a blessing.

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Isaiah 25: O LORD, I will praise you. You have done marvelous things. The LORD will swallow up death forever. Moab will be trampled as straw. • 25:1-12. God Will Swallow Up Death Forever. In this song, the redeemed celebrate their liberation by God, the scope of which is worldwide, but it is also personal. It begins with praise for the “wonderful things” (v. 1) God has done, not as a last-minute repair effort, but as the culmination of His eternal plan. This refers especially to the remarkable acts of God that bear the marks of His supernatural intervention in the natural world and human events. o Human tyranny is overthrown by God (vv. 2-5). The destruction of human tyranny clears the way for the vindication of God such that the poor and needy find refuge in Him. The “song of the ruthless” is silenced, as the nations who were formerly united against God come to fear Him properly. o Human sorrow is relieved by God (vv. 6-8). Isaiah describes God’s great Messianic banquet at the end of time (Matt 8:11; Luke 14:15). It is remarkable for at least two reasons: (1) It promises salvation for “all people,” not just Israel, as evidenced by the fivefold use of “all.” The inclusiveness of “all peoples” is matched by the particularity of “this mountain.” There is salvation only in Jesus, the only name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). (2) It promises that God will swallow up the pall of death hanging over all human activity under the curse (cf. Gen 3:17-19; Rev 22:1-3) and give back life. This is a promise that at some future time God’s people will no longer be subject to death but will live forever. Only in Jesus’ substitutionary death and life-giving resurrection do we see Christ as decisively victorious over the power of sin and death (1 Cor. 15:54; cf. Heb. 9:8-24), and through union with Him by God-given faith, all can share in His triumph. o Human pride is humbled by God (vv. 9-12). Lest some misunderstand, Isaiah notes that the “all” in the previous verses is not everyone indiscriminately. Those who continue to defy God in their “pride” and “cleverness” will not experience His salvation. Moab falls under God’s foot and represents all nations lifted up against God, like Edom in 34:5-9 and 63:1. But for those who are saved, it will be worth the wait, even worth the reproach of v. 8. Isaiah 26: A song will be sung in Judah: The LORD is the eternal Rock. Your hand is lifted high. We gave birth to wind, but your dead will rise. • 26:1-21. The Song of Judah. In contrast to the “song of the ruthless” (25:5), this is a “song” about “salvation” (v. 1). The time perspective in this chapter shifts between the past, present, and future. As promised, God achieves for His people their final and complete victory. God has brought the “lofty city low” (v. 5), and in its place, He has erected a “strong city” that the righteous may enter. The righteous person not only praises God for a smooth path to walk on (v. 7), but also prays that God will soon vindicate His people by punishing the wicked (v. 11). In vv. 12-15, Isaiah reflects on what God has done for His people in the past, acknowledging that they were helpless to save themselves, much less bring salvation to the world (vv. 16-18). Verse 19, like 25:7-8, asserts the reality of resurrection from the dead. The LORD can defeat every enemy, including the final one: death. In light of such a promise, God’s people should patiently wait with quiet faith, being confident that God will act to vindicate such faith. Knowing that the future is secure in the LORD is a profound encouragement when you are in the midst of suffering (Rom 8:18-25). roclamation

Acts 14: Many believed at Iconium. The crowd at Lystra wanted to worship Paul, then they stoned him. Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch. • 14:1-7. Paul and Barnabas at Iconium. Forced to leave Antioch, the two missionaries went to Iconium (90 miles southeast). In Iconium, just as before, a great many Jews and Greeks believed, but there was also much opposition. Both Paul and Barnabas are referred to as apostles (vv. 4 and 14), a word that carries the general meaning of “one who is sent” but it is often used throughout the NT as a more technical term for someone specifically chosen and commissioned by Christ directly for the proclamation of the Gospel, as in the case of the original 12 apostles. • 14:8-20. Paul and Barnabas at Lystra. Lystra was 20 miles southwest of Iconium, a city without a synagogue as it was populated mainly by Gentiles. The ministry of Paul and Barnabas there centered around the healing of a lame man, which was followed by the attempt of the populace to worship them. Strongly shunning this attempt (unlike Herod earlier), Paul tells these Gentiles with no knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures that their regular harvests, the food they eat every day, and the gladness they experience in the ordinary activities of life are all a witness from God of His existence, wisdom, and goodness. They should not think that these things “just happen” or that they are the work of some local deities, for they are from the one true God “who made the heaven and the earth” (v. 15). The Jews again stirred up opposition by stoning Paul and presuming him dead. Amazingly, and apparently miraculously, Paul rose up, apparently under his own strength, and departed for Derbe, some 58 miles to the southeast. • 14:21-28. Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria. Rather than taking the shorter route eastward back to Antioch, Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps to further instruct the disciples and appoint leaders in the churches they established. It was perhaps during this time in Antioch that Paul penned his letter to the Galatians (c. A.D. 48). Acts 15: Some men taught circumcision for the Gentiles. Peter said, "God gave the Spirit with no distinction." James agreed. Paul and Barnabas separated. • 15:1-35. The Jerusalem Council. This chapter stands at the center of the book of Acts in both its position and theology. A council is held in Jerusalem (A.D. 48-49) to discuss conditions for Gentile membership in the church. o The Circumcision Party Criticizes the Gentile Mission (vv. 1-5). As the Gentile mission of the church in Antioch expands and succeeds, the global church faces its first significant threat to unity. Some “Judaizers” (Christian converts raised in Judaism) argued that Gentiles should undergo circumcision and be required to follow Jewish ceremonial laws in order to be Christians. Paul deals with this same issue in his letter to the Galatians. o Peter Defends Paul (vv. 6-11). Peter was the first to defend Paul’s Gentile mission, reminding the Council that the Spirit was given to Gentiles just as to them. Peter’s reference to the Gentiles hearing the Gospel “by my mouth” in the early days refers to his witness at the house of Cornelius (10:34-43; c. A.D. 38), about 10 years prior. By speaking of the law as an unbearable yoke, Peter was not denying that the law was God’s gift to Israel, but that Israel was unable to fulfill it perfectly and that salvation could not be obtained through the law (cf. Rom. 2:17-24). Only one means of salvation exists for both Jew and Gentile: God’s “grace” (v. 11) in Jesus Christ. o James Proposes a Solution (vv. 12-21). By this time, James (Jesus’ half-brother) had assumed leadership in the Jerusalem church (12:17; 21:18-25). At the Jerusalem Council, James endorsed Peter’s conclusions about a “circumcision-free” Gentile mission and offered a suggestion for establishing fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians so as to not cause unnecessary offense. It is notable that this important theological issue in the early church was not decided by a sudden decree spoken by a prophet but by careful reasoning and thoughtful argumentation based on Scripture. James affirms that (1) God, not any human being, chose the Gentiles for salvation and (2) The OT prophets predicted that God would save the Gentiles (citing Amos 9:11-12). o A Letter is Sent to Antioch (vv. 22-35). When the entire assembly agreed to James’s provisions, a letter was drafted to inform the Antioch church of their decision. The letter was accompanied by representatives of the Jerusalem church (Judas/Barsabbas and Silas) who could testify to the reasoning that the consensus expressed. The apostles and elders were confident that the Holy Spirit had guided their decision making process. o Paul and Barnabas Separate (vv. 36-41). Before setting out on a second missionary journey, Paul asked Barnabas to accompany him. A sharp disagreement arose between them over whether to take John Mark, resulting in Barnabas taking Mark on a separate mission and Paul choosing Silas (from the Jerusalem church) as his companion. In the sovereignty of God, out of this disagreement came a doubling of their labor, for Barnabas went to strengthen the churches in Cyprus and Paul went to the churches in Syria, Cilicia, and then Galatia. In addition, both of their assistants (Mark and Silas) went on to have significant ministries themselves. ______

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