A SECURE LIFE IN GOD’S UNFAILING PROMISES

Shalom,

Admittedly, we are pleased when someone promises us something. In politics, social life, business, friendship and even in marriage, people promise us the moon. But their lavish promises end up with heartache. Why? Because their promises are nothing but pipe dreams.

Fortunately, God’s promises are completely different. His promises never fail. He is faithful and His promises are powerful. He is always ready to give us a hand and provide solutions in a way that we do not always understand. But one thing is sure, He gives the best to His children. He never falls asleep. Nor does He fail to take care of our lives.

How are we supposed to live up to the unfailing fulfillment of God’s promises ? Let’s contemplate what is written in Matthew 1: 12-17.

We believe that God sticks to His promises (v. 12)

“ And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel”

There was a time when the Israelites spent 70 years in exile in Babylon before they went back to Jerusalem and Judah. Throughout the time span from Malachi until the writing of the New Testament, the prophets did not voice the Word of God. Nevertheless, it didn’t mean that God was fast asleep.

We need to understand that no matter what happens in our lives, even when everything seems dark and hopeless, God never falls asleep and forgets His promises to us. Actually, it is a process that we need to experience for a little while.

The coming of God is drawing near. Let us trust in His promises untill we meet Him and come into the New Jerusalem (the new world) which will come down from Heaven instead of being built by the hands of man (Revelation 21: 1-2).

The clause “And after they were brought to Babylon..” hints that God is faithful to His promises. What has His promised? Jeremiah 29:10 says, “... After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word towards you, and cause you to return to this place.”

The land of Israel was once colonized by a super power country, Babylonia, which was later defeated by Persia. The deportation of the Israelites to their land proves that:

· God is King of kings above all the kings that colonized His people.

· God is able to revive His people as described in the prophet Ezekiel’s vision – the dry scattered bones in the valley came back to life / resurrected (Ezekiel 37: 1-14).

· God cared and had mercy for His people. Seeing the moral degradation of the Israelites from the time of King Solomo until the last king of Israel, God was grieved in his heart. No other kings lived up to the standard of King David’s life. Everyone of them had his own shortcomings. God took notice of them and His concern gave rise to His mercy. What did God do next?

· God resanctified His name before all nations since His name had been tarnished and treated with derision among them. For that reason, He restored His name to holiness by resurrecting His people.

In reference to the Tabernacle scheme, this episode points to the Gate exposing God’s majestic identity with the works of His divine power for us to experience daily. He shows himself as King who has the power of resurrection.

He is faithful to His promises, compassionate in due time, and in control of everything. He controls our way of life and everything that happens to us in life. Do not lose heart when confronted with trials because we will not be tried beyond what we are able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). He keeps all kinds of problems in proportion so that we can face the future with certainty.

The clause “And after they were brought to Babylon” also implies that the people of God had repented. They realized that their banishment was a punishment and chastisement for their idolatry. The book of Ezra (Chapter 9) and the book of Nehemia (Chapters 9 – 10) record mass repentance. Take note that in times of affliction, we either deserve it due to our wrong doings or we are being tested to increase our knowledge of God. The latter was Job’s experience (Job 42:5). Hence, we must not be despairing as if there is no way out.

Projected onto the Tabernacle groundplan, this paert of the Scripture refers to the Altar of Burnt Offerings in the courtyard that speaks of repentance. Despite our past and all kinds of transgressions that we did throughout the year 2017, let’s introspect ourselves and repent of our evil deeds and poor church attendance or disordered services. Let’s get them all fixed upon the sacrifice of Christ and ask for His forgiveness. Let’s begin again with a fresh start to please His heart.

Now we have come to “Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.” The other name of Jeconiah is Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. It was prophesied that he would not have any child who would occupy the throne of David and reign in Judah (Jeremiah 22: 24–30).

Typically, prophesies come to pass. But, surprisingly, Jeconiah’s name was written in the Gospel of Matthew which says that Jeconiah had a child named Sealtiel, the father of Zerubbabel. Obviously, God had renewed His covenant that rekindled Jeconiah’s hope.

Then what happened to his son, Zerubabel? Though not as king, God appointed him as regent/governor of Juda – a signet was returned. The promise of triumph turned the throne of the king around (Haggai 2: 22-24).

This event resembles a rebirth (the Laver) and a renewal by the Holy Spirit (the Door of Tabernacle) that bring hope for the thousand-year kingdom of peace – the new world in the New Jerusalem in heaven.

Take note that our failures are not the end of everything. Come before His throne of grace. His help will surely come to pass in due time. We are not to put our hope on all physical blessings, including our promotions that we got in 2017. Instead, let’s use those blessings to provide the energy we need to achieve the fulfillment of our hope for the thousand-year kingdom of peace and the New Jerusalem.

We sanctify ourselves for the sake of His promises (vv. 13-16).

These verses include the following names, “Zerubabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. Eliud begot Eleazar. Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob” (vv.13–15).

These are the names of the descendants of David that cannot be found in any other books except in Matthew 1:13–15. Indeed, 652 people came home from exile, but their identity records were not found in the genealogical materials (Ezra 2:59-60). Then the priests who held the Urim and Thummim settled the case (v. 63). This shows how serious God was about His people who came back from Babylon.

The people whose names were listed in the genealogical links above lived from the time of Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Ezra, and Nehemiah — during the construction of the temple of God and the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem in the post-exile period — until the birth of the last prophet, John the Baptist, as announced by the angle Gabriel. This time span took approximately 500 years.

What happened in those times? They had to live up to the Word of God through the prophet Malachi whom God used to rebuke those who cheated on their wives they took in their youths, the wives of covenant (Malachi 2:10-16). They had to live a life full of high spirits in the times of Ezra and Nehemiah when the sanctifation of mixed marriages of the former exiles took place, including the marriages of the priests (Ezra 10). In respect to this, parents must watch over their married lives and teach their children the purity of marriage.

In reference to the diagram of the Tabernacle, this portion of the Scripture refers to the Table of Showbread in the Holy Place. It represents the teaching of the Word of God that sanctifies married lives and relationships between men and women. Apart from that, the Word enables us to keep our eyes and ears away from the wordly, immoral married lifestyles. That way, we may keep ourselves and our marriages sanctified to be like a holy virgin for Christ.

And we can be witnesses like the Golden Candle Stick. Let’s not mix with those indulged in various social lifestyles in this world that want to undermine our sanctified lives. Since the church had been betrothed to Christ, the apostle Paul was jealous and worried that the church would easily get misled by the cunning ‘serpent’ that had once made Eve fall in sin.

All of us, the gentiles, were not worthy and outcast in the first place. However, God lifted us up (as if we returned from exile). Then He washed us up with the blood of His beloved Son and sanctified us not only with the Holy Spirit but with His Words as well. Now we may present ourselves as a church fully ready to testify about the greatness of the Lord.

In fact, the names listed above are the descendants of David predestined by God to bring forth the divine seed. The following sentence says, “Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ” (Matthew 1:16).

The writer, Matthew, intentionally changed the verb “begot” into “gave birth to” which suggests that Jesus was completely of exclusive / supernatural descent since He was born without Joseph’s intervention. Eventually, the promise of God’s loyalty came to pass – the woman’s seed shall bruise the snake’s head” (Genesis 3:15).

“Jesus who is called Christ” is the descendant of the heir to the throne of Judah Kingdom. He has the absolute right over the kingdom. Awaited by all nations, He is worthy to be exalted, glorified, and worshipped. The fact that the wise men came to worship Him explains it (Matthew 2: 1–2). Unfortunately, the Jews rejected Jesus, the Messiah, and His mercy fall upon us, the gentiles. Have we worshiped Him? Do we have a strong desire to know Him whose birth we celebrate at Christmas every year? Only Jesus Christ is worthy to receive our worships and praises.

This part refers to the Altar of Incense Burning in the Tabernacle scheme where the worship to the King of kings takes place.

We perfect our spiritual growth to welcome the fulfillment of His promise (v.17).

Pay attention to the phrases in verse 17^b, “ from David untill the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.”

Matthew implied that God used the fourteen generations after the exile in Babylon to reveal the prophecies of the prophets. The mystery of millinial wait through the ages of darkness (approximately 400 years) was just like the curtain unveiled by Jesus Christ to get into the Most Holy Place to see the Shekhinah Glory above the Ark of Covenant, that is the seed of David – the Christ and the Messiah born from the tribe of Judah as the Heir of the kingdom.

God worked through every registered generation alongside their respective weaknesses / shortcomings until it came to the ultimate point when He revealed Jesus Christ as King and Head.

Having read the names listed in the genealogical links, the Jews should have been happy and convinced of the prohesy. In reality, they rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah while we, the gentiles, live in a world where knowing God and Christ is a mystery (Ephesians 2:11–12).

What we only used to know about was idols, statues, our ancestors’ beliefs and cultures. Nonetheless, thanks to the denial by the Jews, the mystery was then revealed to us through the birth of Christ in order we could

believe in and reconcile with Him (v.13). We must experience this revelation personally on a daily basis. In doing so, we can keep our worship and ministries devoted only to Him. He has promised us new names. Therefore, our lives need to be sanctified. Let God’s name be glorified through us. His promises remain unchanged. We are built to establish unity and He will renew our generations to possess the devine character of God.

May the glorious secret of Bride Tidings blast our commitments through our worship and services increasingly intensified in unity and built on Him. That way, we will keep growing until we live with Jesus, the Heavenly Groom, as priests and kings in the thousand-year kingdom and eventually in the New Jerusalem, the long-awaited City of the Bride. Amen.

By Lay Pastor Jusak Pundiono

Lemah Putro, Sunday, December 17, 2017