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A BIBLICAL FRAMEWORK FOR WORSHIP AND OBEDIENCE

IN AN AGE OF GLOBAL DECEPTION

Part IV:

D I S C I P L I N A R Y T R U T H S O F

G O D‘S K I N G D O M

Parts II and III of the Framework course covered apologetics and history from the creation until the time of David, and they developed many of the basic doctrines of the Bible. Matters pertaining to the scientific controversy between creation and evolution (“buried” truths) and to the ethical controversy between revealed law and legislation (“disruptive” truths) produced by fallen man have been discussed. Now in Part IV we look at the impact of God’s Kingdom on Israel’s national life from Solomon to the end of the Old Testament.

Part III presented the disruption of paganized Noahic civilization by the presence of God’s election program through Israel. We noted how offensive it seems to the fleshly mind to have God elect one nation and not all. One of the great “scandals” of the Bible is the conquest of Palestine through a ruthless and bloody holy war. To relieve itself of this intrusion by God into human history, unbelief has sought endless “reinterpretations” of the Old Testament that attempt to undo biblical authority over all men everywhere.

In Part IV we change perspective. Now we look not at the offense toward the outside pagan world but at the inner life of the elect nation Israel. Having been chosen by God as the instrument for bringing His Kingdom to the human race, Israel experienced a special history. Her history was controlled by the great covenants such as the Abrahamic unconditional covenant of election and the Sinaitic conditional covenant of kingdom rule. On the one hand, Israel’s future destiny was secure in terms of her racial continuity, her national geographic location, and her mission to the world. On the other hand, Israel’s passage through time toward that destiny was conditioned upon her loyalty to Yahweh: blessing for obedience; cursing for rebellion. Thousands of Israelites would be lost. At times her very historical existence seemed to hang by a thread.

Part IV builds upon the truths of Parts II and III. The foundation lies with the original Creator-creature distinction instead of the pagan Continuity of Being and the creature defection from God with its consequences. God’s Kingdom program, therefore, irresistibly works toward the ultimate goal of separating good and evil, of judging and saving, and of glorifying God through it all. The so-called “problem of evil” will one day cease to exist, but when that day comes, grace will also cease to exist. The sanctification process of working out the separation of good and evil in our souls, we learned in Part III, involves real spiritual war with battles, casualties, and wounds.

Part IV presents the sanctifying forces God packed into Israel’s covenants. As members of covenant relationships with God, Israelites experienced the truth that “whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). The texts of Kings and the other prophetic histories reveal the outworking of the blessing and cursing sections of the Sinaitic Covenant. Yahweh meant what He said. These texts also reveal the outworking of the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants. Israel will ultimate survive.

The life of Israel was prophetically foretold by their “national anthem” given by Moses centuries before through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

“Yahweh did lead him,

And there was no foreign god with him.

He made him ride on the high places of the earth,

And he did eat of the increase of the field;

And he made him to such honey out of the rock,

And oil out of the flinty rock; Butter of the herd, and milk of the flock,

With fat of lambs, And rams of the bread of Bashan, and goats, With the finest of the wheat;

And of the blood of the grape thou drankest wine.

But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked;

Thou are waxed fat, thou art grown thick, thou art become sleek;

Then he forsook God who made him,

And lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

They moved him to jealousy with strange gods. . . .

And Yahweh saw it, and abhorred them,

Because of the provocation of his sons and daughters. . . .

I will heap evils upon them:

I will spend mine arrows upon them;

They shall be wasted with hunger and devoured with burning heat and bitter

destruction. . . .

I said, I would scatter them afar,

I would make them the remembrance of them to cease from among men;

Were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy,

Lest their adversaries should judge amiss,

Lest they should say, Our hand is exalted,

And Yahweh has not done all this. . . .

Yahweh shall judge his people,

And repent himself for his servants;

When he seeth that their power is gone,

And there is none remaining, shut up or felt at large.

(Deut. 32:12-16, 23-24a, 26-27, 36)

Thus Israel would be mightily blessed, would apostatize in idolatry, would be cursed, and would finally be regathered. These steps in her history form the contents of the following chapters. As with the other parts, you will get the most out of this material by: (1) reading quickly through large sections of the Old Testament being studied; (2) use scrap paper to write down your observations on the grand themes being discussed as they appear in story after story; and (3) when you can in full conscience do it, start using what you learn about God’s greatness in prayer and praise to Him.

“Disciplinary Truths of God’s Kingdom” is dedicated to those who seek Him and want to know Him with both heart and mind. Because salvation demands final separation of good from evil, spiritual growth necessarily entails hard experiences under God’s disciplinary nurture. We must learn to keep the end goal in mind so we can give thanks during our trials here and now.