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So, I want to look at the hope 
of Old Testament believers. At the Bible study last night, 
during the Q&A, a lady asked a very good question that I think 
that sometimes other people may have. If you've never had it, 
then this will just be a reminder for you. The Old Testament believers, 
as we often stress, they looked forward to the Lord Jesus Christ. 
We obviously look back in history to His life, His death, and His 
resurrection, but Old Testament believers looked forward. They 
were given a promise, so they looked forward. And she asked, 
Was it just sort of this undefined, was it just sort of this mystery 
man that was on the horizon? And I started to answer her and 
tried to go through some scriptures to say it wasn't sort of a mystery 
man, it was an identifiable messiah that the Scriptures pointed to. 
So I thought that material might be helpful tonight as well, just 
to see what data the Old Testament believers had. It wasn't just 
a little bit of a word, and then they had this faith, as I said, 
and this mystery fellow that was coming, but they had a lot 
of information and a lot of data concerning the coming of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. So I thought we'd start in Genesis 
chapter 3, so I'll begin reading in verse 1. Now the serpent was 
more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God 
had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You 
shall not eat of every tree in the garden? And the woman said 
to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, 
but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the 
garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch 
it, lest you die. Then the serpent said to the 
woman, you will not surely die, for God knows that in the day 
you eat of it, your eyes will be open and you will be like 
God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the 
tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, 
and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit 
and ate. She also gave to her husband 
with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them 
were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed 
fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they 
heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the 
cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from 
the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 
Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you? 
So he said, I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid 
because I was naked, and I hid myself. And he said, Who told 
you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree 
of which I commanded you that you should not eat? Then the 
man said, The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave 
me of the tree, and I ate. And the Lord God said to the 
woman, what is this you have done? The woman said, the serpent 
deceived me and I ate. So the Lord God said to the serpent, 
because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle 
and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you 
shall go and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And 
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your 
seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and 
you shall bruise his heel. To the woman, he said, I will 
greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception. In pain 
you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your 
husband, and he shall rule over you. Then to Adam he said, because 
you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten from 
the tree of which I commanded you saying, you shall not eat 
of it. Curse it as the ground for your 
sake. In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. 
Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you. And you 
shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you 
shall eat bread until you return to the ground. For out of it 
you were taken. For dust you are, and to dust 
you shall return. And Adam called his wife's name 
Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Also for Adam 
and his wife, the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them. 
Then the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of 
us, to know good and evil. And now lest he put out his hand, 
and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever. 
Therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden, to 
till the ground from which he was taken. So he drove out the 
man, and he placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, 
and a flaming sword, which turned every way to guard the way to 
the tree of life. Amen." Now, certainly there's 
a lot going on in this particular chapter. Adam broke the covenant 
of works that God had established or imposed. In chapter 2, he 
plunges the race, his posterity into sin. Certainly, those are 
themes developed by the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans, chapter 
5. But our focus tonight, as we 
consider the hope of Old Testament believers, is the first promise 
concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is 
found in God's curse upon the serpent. Notice specifically 
in chapter 3, verse 15. This is the first promise of 
the Redeemer. God says, I will put enmity between 
you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall 
bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. Notice that 
God puts the enmity between the seed of the woman and the devil. There is this antithesis that 
runs throughout history. Godly people are hated by the 
ungodly. Well, that's imposed by God. 
Because of the fact that there are righteous ones, because of 
the fact that there are elect ones, because of the fact that 
there are those who fear the Lord, there will always be those 
who despise them and those who hate them. That is a God-imposed 
enmity. There is that disjunction or 
that distinction between persons. But relative to the Redeemer, 
there's four observations that we ought to make with reference 
to this promise in 315. In the first place, the Redeemer 
would be a man born of a woman. They were not looking for an 
angelic being. They were looking specifically 
for a man. Notice in verse 15, and between 
your seed and her seed, so there would be a woman born or a man 
born of a woman that would be the champion or the redeemer 
or the deliverer that would deal the death blow to the devil himself. It is intriguing that only the 
woman is highlighted between you and the woman and between 
your seed and her seed. Some have suggested this is a 
veiled reference to the virgin birth. Now certainly as we move 
forward in redemptive history and we see that the Messiah or 
the Deliverer did come from a virgin, it is not unreasonable to see 
such an allusion or a veiled reference here. Secondly, the 
Redeemer would accomplish victory through suffering. So this one 
that they are promised, that they're looking on to, is not 
a mystery man, but he is a man born of a woman, and he is a 
man that would accomplish victory through suffering. You see that 
in the language used at the end of verse 15. He shall bruise 
your head. That's what Messiah will do to 
the devil. And then it says, and you shall 
bruise his heel. So Messiah would sustain a heel 
injury in this particular instance. But I would suggest, thirdly 
and further, it's more than just suffering that's in view. It's 
probably an allusion to the death of the Redeemer. So He shall 
bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel. That bruising 
of the heel most likely is a reference to the death of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. The head and the heel references 
are probably not just comparative. In other words, the devil himself 
will sustain a head injury, a skull-crushing injury from the Messiah, and 
the Messiah in the midst of it would sustain injury to his heel. 
Rather, it's probably a reference to the fact that the Messiah 
would die in order to bring about this skull-crushing of the serpent. One man, Michael Reitelnick, 
in a very excellent book called The Messianic Hope, says, since 
in the context the tempter has taken the form of a serpent, 
it is likely that the tempter's blow would be equated with the 
serpent's bite. And if you look at the text, 
where is the most likely area a serpent is going to bite somebody? 
It's going to be in the heel. Unless they shimmy up the guy's 
body and attach themselves to his neck, it's probably going 
to be the heel. Right on that goes on to say, in the case of 
this animal, the Hebrew generally uses it to speak of a venomous 
and lethal snake. Most likely, therefore, the text 
is speaking of two comparable death blows. The future Redeemer 
will strike the head of the tempter and thereby kill it. And at the 
same time, the tempter will strike the heel of the Redeemer and 
kill him." Now, certainly, it's ultimately Yahweh that was pleased 
to bruise the Lord. So it's not the case that the 
devil actually caused the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, but 
the idea is this. The Deliverer, born of a woman, 
this particular man, would accomplish victory through suffering, but 
a suffering that would even yield itself unto death. And the fourth 
observation we ought to make is that the Redeemer would accomplish 
total victory. because He is the skull-crushing 
seed of the woman. He renders null and void the 
effects of the devil. The New Testament everywhere 
highlights this reality and applies it to the redemptive work of 
Jesus. In Colossians 1, verse 13, we're going to look at a 
lot of Scripture tonight as we consider the hope of the Old 
Testament believer. Colossians 1, 13, He, Christ, 
has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into 
the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption 
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 2.15, it says, of Christ's 
cross work, having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public 
spectacle of them, triumphing over them. in it. And then in 
Hebrews chapter 2 at verse 14, inasmuch then as the children 
have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in 
the same, that through death he might destroy him who had 
the power of death, that is the devil. So the Deliverer, according 
to Genesis 3.15, accomplishes total victory through His own 
suffering and death. And then again in 1 John 3.8. 
1 John 3.8. If you ever have been asked the 
question, why did Jesus come into this world? I think sometimes 
there are very silly answers given to that question. Well, 
he came to found a new religion, or he came to, you know, revolt 
against the Roman Empire, or he came to spread his love across 
the masses in the ancient Near Eastern world. Well, 1 John 3.8 
gives us one of the purposes for which Christ came. He who 
sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 
For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested that He might 
destroy the works of the devil. That's one of the purposes Christ 
came into the world. And of course, Revelation chapter 
12 highlights the utter defeat of the devil by the Lord Christ, 
achieved through His incarnation, and specifically during His death 
and resurrection. So the first promise in Genesis 
3.15 was a whole lot for those Old Testament believers 
to look forward to. Not a mystery man, but a Redeemer 
born of a woman, a Redeemer who would accomplish victory through 
suffering and death, and a Redeemer who would accomplish total victory. In the second place, we see in 
this same passage the first instance of blood atonement. Notice in 
chapter 3 at verse 21. Also, for Adam and his wife, 
the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them. God killed 
animals in front of Adam and Eve and God took the skin from 
those animals and He clothed Adam and Eve with those skins. 
So what is he telling them? He is telling them, without the 
shedding of blood, there is no remission. He is setting forth 
the paradigm that forgiveness is achieved through blood atonement. God didn't ask these animals 
to exit their skin for a time. He killed them. It was a bloody 
sacrifice. And he placed those skins upon 
our first parents to teach them the necessity of blood atonement. 
John Gill comments on 321, but of creatures slain, not merely 
for this purpose, the covering of them, nor for food, but for 
sacrifice as a type of the woman's seed. You see, he's already promised 
that there will be this enmity. He's already promised that there 
will be this Redeemer born of a woman, this Redeemer who will 
accomplish victory through suffering and death. And now He is pointing 
them to this Redeemer under the guise of these animal sacrifices 
that typify what Christ will do. So Gil says, "...but for 
sacrifice as a type of the woman's seed, whose heel was to be bruised, 
or who was to suffer death for the sins of men." and therefore 
to keep up and direct the faith of our first parents to the slain 
Lamb of God from the foundation of the world and of all believers 
in all ages until the Messiah should come and die and become 
a sacrifice for sin. The sacrifices of slain beasts 
were appointed." There's more going on here than just a passing 
reference to God clothing Adam and Eve. We need to read such 
statements in their larger biblical theological context. When you 
see animals being sacrificed in Genesis chapter 3, and then 
duplicated by Abel in Genesis chapter 4, at the end of days, 
Cain and Abel bring their sacrifice. That's the literal translation. 
It's at the end of days, and it's probably a reference to 
the Sabbath day. We don't believe that the Sabbath 
began at Sinai. God Sabbathed in Genesis chapter 
2. And we see Cain and Abel, rather, 
coming to offer sacrifice at the end of days, probably at 
the end of the work week, the day at the end of the work week, 
not the end of days in terms of the second coming of the Lord 
Jesus. Sabbath is present from the very beginning. It's always 
there. It's a revelation of the moral 
law of God. God's Sabbath. He gives that 
as an ordinance to Adam and Eve in the garden, and they certainly 
pass that on to Cain and Abel, because Cain and Abel bring sacrifice 
at the end of days. But Abel brings a blood offering. 
He brings these animals. Where would he get this concept 
or this idea? He would get it from God the 
Lord Himself, through Adam and Eve as parents, and then he goes 
forward and brings these sacrifices. So these things are in place, 
teaching what the writer of Hebrews would say in Hebrews 9.22, without 
the shedding of blood, there is no remission. So, already 
in Genesis chapter 3, we have the promise of the Redeemer and 
we have the necessity of blood atonement. Thirdly, we see the 
emphasis on substitution developing in redemptive history. Look at 
Genesis chapter 22. Sometimes preachers say, you 
know, there's a lot more text we could look at when they don't 
have anything to say. There really are a lot more text 
we can look at. I'm just going to give you a 
thumbnail sketch tonight. I mean, literally, there are 
a multitude of passages that as I was preparing through this, 
well, for the sake of time, we really can't go to all of these. 
But suffice it to say, the scripture everywhere highlights the reality 
of the glory and the majesty of Jesus Christ as the hope of 
Old Testament believers. Notice in Genesis chapter 22. 
This is the instance where Abraham was called to offer up Isaac 
on Mount Moriah, that site, that future, or the site of the future 
temple that would be built under Solomon. And specifically notice 
in verse 8. Well, back in verse 7, Isaac 
was not, he was a bright bulb. He understood they had fire and 
they had the wood, but they didn't have the sacrifice. He didn't 
know at this particular point that he was going up on that 
altar and that he himself was going to be the sacrifice unto 
God. So Isaac spoke to Abraham his 
father, verse 7, and said, my father, and he said, here I am, 
my son. Then he said, look, the fire 
and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And 
Abraham said, ìMy son, God will provide for himself the Lamb 
for a burnt offering.î Again, you cannot read this devoid from 
John 1 29, when the Baptist sees the Lord Christ and he says, 
ìBehold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.î 
Brethren, you're allowed to take New Testament data and theology 
and use it when you're going through Old Testament narrative, 
because Old Testament narrative is pointing us to those realities 
that are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. That's not an abuse of the text. 
One man by the name of Walter Kaiser, who's an excellent scholar 
and a wonderful man, says or suggests, though, with reference 
to hermeneutics, we're not to use subsequent revelation to 
help us with antecedent revelation. What that means is we're not 
to use later written revelation, say the book of Romans, to help 
us understand antecedent or prior revelation, say the book of Genesis. That's not acceptable. The New 
Testament everywhere gives us warrant to take that subsequent 
revelation, that later revelation, and use that as an interpretive 
grid to deal with Old Testament texts. This would indicate, if 
we held this position, that we could use John Calvin's commentary 
on Genesis 3, but we couldn't use Paul in Romans 5. That simply 
is not does not compute. That's not an accurate way to 
approach the hermeneutical enterprise. Anyways, when Abraham says this, 
he says a mouthful. My son, God will provide for 
himself the lamb for a burnt offering. So the two of them 
went together. Of course, they go to the altar, 
Abraham raises the knife, he's going to lower it into his son 
Isaac, his only son, the son of his love. Again, language 
reminiscent of the father and the son in the New Covenant era, 
New Covenant setting. Notice specifically then what 
happens in verse 13. Then Abraham lifted his eyes 
and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket 
by its horns. So Abraham went and took the 
ram and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. That's substitution, substitutionary 
atonement. That's in the place of, that 
ought to be read in light of what Jesus Christ does. He goes 
instead of those who deserve that wrath and curse. Verse 14, 
and Abraham called the name of the place, the Lord will provide. As it is said to this day, in 
the mount of the Lord it shall be provided. And then, of course, 
we see the Levitical system of sacrifice in the book of Leviticus. What are the people of Israel 
taught? They are taught that in order 
to approach a holy God as sinful men and women, they need to do 
so through sacrifice. And part of the ritual involved 
was the placing of the hand upon the animal, pushing on it. which 
I think showed something of transfer. Certainly the scapegoat in Leviticus 
chapter 16 shows that doctrine of substitution and then what's 
called expiation or the removal of the guilt from Israel. Remember 
there were two goats on the Day of Atonement. The one was butchered 
and the one was, or the blood was taken into the Holy of Holies 
by the high priest. That one day out of the year, 
that the one man entered into the Holy of Holies. He goes in 
there, not with all of his priestly garb, but simply in a linen garment, 
and he takes that blood, he pours it on the mercy seat. Well, the 
second goat, the high priest lays his hands upon that goat, 
confesses the sins of Israel, and then drives that goat out 
into the wilderness. It's a sacrament, it's a symbol, 
it's an emblem, it's a visible representation of the removal 
of guilt from the children of Israel. This substitute bore 
the guilt, this substitute bore the shame, and this substitute 
was sent off into desolation. So substitution is taught early 
on in Scripture and points us to the great substitute, the 
Lord Jesus. When I preached on Leviticus 
16 recently, I quoted Michael Morales, who has a very excellent 
book on the book of Leviticus. I mean, if you want some theological 
goodness in terms of biblical theology, it's called Who Shall 
Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? by L. Michael Morales. But in 
this instance, he says, Israel's sins must be dealt with, expiated. Only a cleansed humanity may 
belong to Yahweh. The way to God then is through 
a bloody knife and a burning altar. And that is precisely 
what they were taught. That indicated or underscored 
or highlighted the holiness of God. You don't just wander into 
Yahweh's presence in all your filth and wickedness and evil. 
You don't just ascend the mountain of the Lord when you've been 
engaged in lawlessness and covenant breaking. You need one to take 
your punishment. You need one to bear your sin. You need one to cleanse you so 
that you may ascend the mountain of Yahweh. So there's an emphasis 
on substitution early on in Scripture. A fourth thing we ought to consider 
with reference to the hope of Old Testament believers is the 
covenantal identification of the deliverer. So, in Genesis 
3, we're told that this redeemer would come, that he would be 
born of a woman, that he would deliver this death blow to the 
devil, this skull-crushing death blow, through his own suffering 
and through his own death. But as the covenants unfold, 
these farther steps unfold, we learn more about the identification 
of the deliverer himself. The first instance is the Abrahamic 
covenant. Notice in Genesis 22, you're 
probably already there. Specifically in verse 17, blessing 
I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply your descendants 
as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. 
And your descendants shall possess the gate of his enemies. In your seed, all the nations 
of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." 
Turn to Galatians 3.16 to identify that seed. There is both a collective 
sense, but a particular sense or identity. And Paul focuses on the particular 
or the specific. Same sort of language found in 
Genesis chapter 3 as well, the seed of the woman. Well, now 
that seed is going to be further identified. He comes from the 
nation of Israel. You see, it's a general promise 
in Genesis 3, verse 15, a man born of a woman. We get to Genesis 
22, now we hone in on a particular people via the Abrahamic covenant. It's going to be from Israel 
that the deliverer will come. It's going to be from Israel 
that this redeemer will come. It's going to be from Israel 
that this skull-crushing seed of the woman will come. Notice 
in Galatians 3.16, Now to Abraham and his seed, this is Christ, 
where the promise is made. He does not say, and to seeds, 
as of many, but as of one, and to your seed, who is Christ. So when God promises Abraham 
that in his seed or through his seed, the nations of the earth 
will be blessed, he is talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. In your seed, Genesis 22, 18, 
all the nations of the earth shall be blessed." That's not 
Israel as a body politic. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. So 
we have more of an identification about this man revealed to us 
in Genesis 3. So now the Old Testament believer 
is not only looking for a man born of a woman, a man who will 
accomplish victory through suffering and death, but he's also going 
to hail from Israel. But the covenants continue to 
unfold and narrow in on and focus in on even more concerning the 
Lord Jesus Christ. The Mosaic Covenant, or what 
we might call the Old Covenant. Yes, Israel is typological of 
Jesus. I mentioned that recently in 
a sermon. In Matthew's Gospel, Matthew takes pains to show us 
that Christ is faithful Israel. He is called out of Egypt. The 
language of Hosea the prophet is applied to that instance. Joseph takes his family to Egypt 
to avoid the butchering Herod and his murder of the innocents. 
And so he comes out of Egypt and we read, Hosea 2.11, out 
of Egypt I have called my firstborn. Jesus comes out of Egypt, he 
passes through the waters of baptism, just like Israel did. They come out of Egypt, they 
pass through the waters of the Red Sea, and then they end up 
in the wilderness for 40 years of testing. Jesus goes after 
his waters into the wilderness for 40 days of test day. Matthew 
is saying that Jesus is everything Israel was supposed to be, but 
failed to be. So Christ is Israel. Christ is the true Israel of 
God, and believers by virtue of their union with Him are the 
Israel of God. It's not ethnicity, it's grace. But even more focused in is what's 
called the Davidic covenant. So we've gone from a man to a 
man from Israel and now a man from the tribe of Judah and specifically 
from the line of David. Before we get to 2 Samuel 7, 
stop at Genesis 49 for just a moment. Genesis 49 and the Shiloh prophecy 
concerning Judah and the fact that Judah would be the royal 
tribe in Israel. 49.8, Judah, you are he whom 
your brothers shall praise. Your hand shall be on the neck 
of your enemies. Your father's children shall bow down before 
you. Judah is a lion's whelp. From the prey, my son, you have 
gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion. And as a lion, 
who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart 
from Judah. nor a lawgiver from between his 
feet until Shiloh comes and to him shall be the obedience of 
the people, binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's 
colt to the choice vine. He washed his garments in wine 
and his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker 
than wine and his teeth whiter than milk. Now, there's a lot 
going on in this Shiloh prophecy, but suffice it to say it has 
direct bearing upon our Lord Jesus Christ as the one from 
Judah who is the royal one, who is the fulfillment of this Shiloh 
prophecy in terms of kingship in Israel. But turn to 2 Samuel 
7. So you see, as we look at who was Old Testament Israel 
believing in, it wasn't a mystery man. It wasn't some guy that 
would show up. It was a man as told by God through 
the prophet or God in his word in Genesis 3. Be that man that 
we've already mentioned. He would be from the tribe of 
from the nation of Israel. He would fulfill what Israel 
failed to do in terms of the Mosaic Covenant. And he would 
be identified specifically with the tribe of Judah and the house 
of David. 2 Samuel 7, verse 12. When your days are fulfilled 
and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after 
you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his 
kingdom. He shall build a house for my 
name. I always like to think of this 
passage in light of Matthew 16, when Peter confesses that Jesus 
is the son of the living God. You've got to put these two texts 
together. Because God, through David, says, there's going to 
be a son from your line. It's going to be my son. So anyway, 
Simon Peter confesses Jesus, you are the Christ, the Son of 
the living God. And a few verses later, Jesus says, I will build 
my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 
So what we have is the Son of God building a house for God 
according to the revealed will of God in 2 Samuel 7. He shall 
build a house for my name, verse 13, and I will establish the 
throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father and he shall 
be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will 
chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons 
of men. Now, this prophecy has its terminus upon the Lord Jesus, 
but there were a lot of Judean kings that would come before 
the Lord Jesus. We're going to be studying them, 
God willing, next week, starting next week. The book of first 
and second kings, it's filled with kings. from both the northern 
kingdom and the southern kingdom. So these Judean kings, these 
in the line of David, would sin, and they would be chastened by 
God. So that's not a reference to Jesus. Notice though in verse 
15, but my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, 
whom I removed from before you. In other words, the line will 
be preserved. The Lord Christ will come. There 
will be one, David, from your household who will come and build 
a house for my name. And your house and your kingdom 
shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall 
be established forever." So you see, it focuses in through these 
covenant revelations on this particular Messiah who would 
be from Israel, He would be the true Israel, and He would come 
from the line of David himself. Now, fifthly. I actually have 
10 points, but we're not going to go past 9, trust me. That's 
my pledge to you. The psalmist's portrait. Notice 
in Psalm 2. Just again, illustrating what 
Old Testament believers had in terms of the hope of Israel and 
what they were looking forward to. Wasn't a mystery man, wasn't 
undefined, wasn't nebulous, wasn't ethereal, but was a well-defined 
messianic figure, was the Lord Christ Most High. Notice in Psalm 
2, the nation's rage against Yahweh and against his Christ 
or against his anointed. Note Yahweh's response in verse 
7, I will declare the decree. The Lord has said to me, you 
are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask 
of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance 
and the ends of the earth for your possession. Herein do the 
Jews fail, because the Jews recognize that there was a Messiah, or 
there's supposed to be a Messiah, but they would never ascribe 
divinity to the Messiah. But we see specifically, King 
David of Israel tells us that Yahweh is going to send his son. The son shares divinity with 
the father. He is not simply humanity, but 
he is divinity as well. And Yahweh says specifically, 
ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance 
and the ends of the earth for your possession. You need to 
think about that passage when we get to Matthew 28. When Jesus 
says, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto 
me, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, what's in 
his mind? It's the second Psalm. The nations 
have already been given to him by the decree of God Most High 
in that eternal covenant of redemption. The Lord Jesus Christ, when he 
dispatches his church on the Great Commission, does possess 
the authority. He does command his church to 
go and make disciples and to teach those disciples. It's this 
stuff that's in the background. Ask of me and I will give you 
the nations for your inheritance. Go, make disciples of all the 
nations. You have to hear those allusions 
and see what's happening. We have fulfillment in the Lord 
Jesus. and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall 
break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them to pieces 
like a potter's vessel. This is King David's instruction 
to those civil rulers around him in his day. Now, therefore, 
be wise, O kings. Be instructed, you judges of 
the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. 
Kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish in the way when 
his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put 
their trust in him. You see, this wasn't an undefined 
mystery man. This was the Son of God who would 
come as the Messiah from Israel to Israel from the line of David 
to redeem his people from their sins. Notice Psalm 22, the psalm 
of the crucified Savior. Psalm 22, this is the language 
of our Lord when He's on the cross. Psalm 22, 1, my God, my 
God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping 
me and from the words of my groaning? Oh my God, I cry in the daytime, 
but you do not hear, and in the night season, and am not silent. So you see, all of this data 
is available to the people of Israel in the Old Testament. And it was not everybody in Israel. Paul tells us in Romans 9, not 
all Israel is Israel, but there was always a remnant. There was 
always a church. There was always believers. And 
they laid hold of these promises and they looked forward, not 
to a mystery man, but to the man described in detail in our 
Old Testament scriptures. Notice as well, Psalm 45. Again, we cannot spend a whole 
lot of time on each text. Just giving you sort of the outline 
here, I would suggest you look at these in more detail in your 
own time. Notice Psalm 45, the intention 
of the poet. Verse 1, my heart is overflowing 
with a good theme. I recite my composition concerning 
the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready 
writer. It's the way we ought to be, 
isn't it? When it comes time to sing our hymns or when it 
comes time to pray, our hearts should be overflowing with good 
things. We ought to have readiness when it comes to praise our Savior. That's what marked King David 
of Israel. If you ever forget, we've gone through a study in 
1 and 2 Samuel, and David's not always sparkly clean as we go 
through 1 and 2 Samuel, but lest we forget his godliness and his 
holiness and his righteousness, just read his Psalms. Read his 
throbbing heart for the Savior that he loved. Read how he doted 
on the Lord God Most High. Who's he talking about? He's 
talking about the Messiah. He's talking about the Christ 
to come. He says, "...gird your sword 
upon your thigh, O Mighty One, with your glory and your majesty, 
and in your majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, humility, and 
righteousness." Think about that passage the next time you read 
Revelation 19. We see the Word of God riding 
on that white horse. He's riding prosperously. He's 
wielding truth. He is that blessed one described 
here in Psalm 45. John sees it. John knows it. 
And John ascribes this to Christ in Revelation 19. And your right 
hand, verse 4, shall teach you awesome things. Your arrows are 
sharp in the heart of the king's enemies. The peoples fall under 
you. Now note this. Your throne, O 
God, is forever and ever. This is applied to Jesus in the 
book of Hebrews. This is an inscription of the 
deity of Christ. A scepter of righteousness is 
the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate 
wickedness. Now note, therefore God, your 
God, has anointed you. It's both deity and humanity. In the beginning was the Word, 
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. There is equality, 
but there is distinction within the persons of the Godhead. The 
Father is distinct from the Son, is distinct from the Spirit. 
It's not one glob or one mass. There is specific distinction 
between the persons of the triune God. And I believe that the psalmist 
here is ascribing the humanity of Christ. In Christ's humanity, 
it was rightly said, God your God. And then notice as well, 
well, we'll skip that one, but let's go to Psalm 110. Again, 
just trying to sketch the psalmist's portrait of the Messiah that 
was to come and show you that these people had a hope in the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Psalm 110 verse 1, a psalm of 
David, The Lord said to my Lord, now this is Yahweh said to my 
Lord, Jesus, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies 
your footstool. Don't miss the footstool language 
there because what does Jesus do according to Genesis 3.15? 
He is the skull-crushing seed of the woman. He drives His heel 
into the skull of the devil himself. So when Jesus is on the footstool, 
this is indicative of it, or Jesus' enemies are going to be 
made His footstool, this is indicative of His power and His dominion 
and His authority. Notice, the Lord shall send the 
rod of your strength out of Zion, rule in the midst of your enemies. 
Your people shall be volunteers in the day of your power. In 
the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning, you 
have the due of your youth. Now note, the Lord is sworn and 
will not relent. You're a priest forever according 
to the order of Melchizedek. So they're not only looking forward 
to this regal king, but they're looking forward to a priest. 
He is the king priest. He is in the order of Melchizedek. You see, it wasn't a mystery 
man. It wasn't some fellow that happened on the scene. They had 
a lot of data and a lot of information and a lot of understanding of 
this Christ that was to come. He is a king priest of the order 
of Melchizedek. Notice, the Lord is at your right 
hand. He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall 
judge among the nations. He shall fill the places with 
dead bodies. He shall execute the heads of 
many countries. Again, when He's crushing heads, 
think of the skull-crushing seed of the woman in Genesis 3.15. 
He shall drink of the brook by the wayside. Therefore, He shall 
lift up the head in victory and in triumph. So that's the psalmist 
portrait. Now let's look at the prophet's 
description. Again, this is one of those instances 
where we could spend a lot of time going through the prophet's 
description of the Christ who was to come. I'll just give you 
a few. Isaiah the prophet, chapter 7. 
Isaiah 7. Specifically verse 14, ìTherefore 
the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall 
conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.î Micah 
5.2 tells us He would hail from Bethlehem, Ephrathah. All of 
this stuff really does fit Jesus, doesn't it? I mean, they had 
as much information as we do. In fact, most of the New Testament 
is just reminding us what the Old Testament said concerning 
Jesus. So he's a virgin, born of a virgin, 
hails from Bethlehem. Notice in Isaiah 9, specifically 
verse 6, we have the one who is a child born also described 
as mighty God. Verse 6, excuse me, for unto 
us a child is born. You see, they're looking for 
a man, a deliverer, a redeemer who would be born of a woman. 
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the 
government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful 
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." It 
would be a son, a child, upon whose shoulders the government 
would be laid, and he would be these things. He would be mighty 
God. John Owen says that the same 
person should be the mighty God, and a child born is neither conceivable 
or possible, nor can be true, but by the union of the divine 
and human natures in the same person. The old covenant believers 
even already had a doctrine of the hypostatic union. They're 
given this information, this child born is mighty God. Notice as well, we could go places, 
other places in the book of Isaiah, but look specifically at chapter 
53. I've often thought Isaiah 53 or 52.13 to 53.12, this is 
one of the servant songs of Yahweh that the prophet Isaiah gives 
us. I've often thought this could be the fifth gospel. Isaiah 52 
and 53 read as clearly as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John concerning 
substitutionary atonement. concerning the One who would 
come, who would bear the iniquities, that would bear the punishment, 
do our iniquities. I mean, you're all familiar with 
Isaiah 53, just a couple of observations. Notice, specifically in verse 
3, He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and 
acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces 
from Him. He was despised and we did not 
esteem Him. I mean, this is reminiscent of 
John's prologue in John 1. He came to his own and his own 
received him not. John is telling us specifically 
what the prophet Isaiah said would happen. Verse 4, surely 
he has borne our grace and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed 
him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. Never miss that. 
There was an early heresy in the church that taught that the 
ransom paid by Christ was a ransom paid to Satan. That is unbiblical, 
it is heresy. The ransom to Satan theory is 
wrong. Jesus paid the debt to satisfy 
the Father's justice, to satisfy divine justice, and that is precisely 
what the prophet tells us. We see him, or we esteemed him 
stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded 
for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the 
chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes 
we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, 
we have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid 
on him the iniquity of us all." Note verse 10, it pleased Yahweh 
to bruise or crush him. He has put him to grief. When 
you make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, 
he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Yahweh shall 
prosper in his hand. You see, all of these things 
were taught to the faithful in the Old Covenant, and they were 
looking forward not to a mystery man, but to a suffering servant 
who had accomplished victory through his own death, and by 
that crushed the devil himself through his redemptive work. 
The prophet Jeremiah announces to us this Christ, Jeremiah 23, 
5 and 6. Behold, the days are coming, 
says the Lord, that I will raise to David a branch of righteousness. A king shall reign and prosper 
and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In his days Judah 
will be saved and Israel will dwell safely. Now this is his 
name by which he will be called, the Lord our righteousness. Isn't 
that what we call Jesus? He is the Lord our righteousness 
because of what he's accomplished on our behalf. Notice the Messiah 
who would be cut off to accomplish redemption in Daniel chapter 
9. There's a lot going on in Daniel 
9 in the prophecy of the 70 weeks, but I just want us to focus on 
a couple of particulars. Daniel chapter 9 verse 24. Seventy weeks are determined 
for your people and for your holy city. Now, I should just 
tell you, I believe this actually applies in the first century 
in conjunction with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, because 
everything that is specified here in terms of redemption was 
accomplished by Christ in His first coming. Notice what Jesus 
does. to finish the transgression, 
to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, 
to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, 
and to anoint the most holy. This is another reason why I'm 
a cessationist, because I think at the death, resurrection of 
Christ, and the apostolic ministry in terms of the inspiration of 
Scripture and their writing Scripture, we have the sealing up of vision 
and prophecy. There's no new vision and prophecy 
when the New Testament canon is given. It's closed. That is 
in concert with Christ's redemptive work. Now, note following. Know therefore and understand 
that from the going forth of the command to restore and build 
Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and 
62 weeks. The street shall be built again 
and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after the 62 weeks, 
this would be the 70th week. If you look at, there's 7 weeks 
and then 62 weeks, that's 69. So after the 62 weeks, supposing 
the still 7 weeks, we're in that last week. Messiah shall be cut 
off, but not for himself, and the people of the prince who 
is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end 
of it shall be with a flood. Until the end of the war, desolations 
are determined. then he shall confirm a covenant. 
This is not the Antichrist vis-à-vis dispensationalism. This is Christ 
cutting a covenant, affirming the covenant, the new covenant 
concerning the redemption of the elect with many for one week, 
but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice 
and offering. How? by the death that he offers 
himself. It renders null and void the 
Levitical system in the temple. And on the wings of a wing of 
abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the 
consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate. 
All that to say those things, those six things that Christ 
accomplishes are connected to his cutting off. So they knew 
that these things were coming with the Messiah to come. And then notice Zechariah 6. I hope this makes you happy like 
it makes me happy. This Old Testament portrait of 
our Lord. Notice in Zechariah 6, this is 
one of those passages that I wish I would have included on Sunday. 
You know, as a preacher, sometimes you miss things. You know, you 
all miss stuff in your jobs, I miss stuff too. I don't know 
where Zechariah 6 was in my presentation of a theology or a biblical theology 
of temple. But notice in Zechariah 6, 12, 
behold, the man whose name is the branch. From his place he 
shall branch out and he shall build the temple of the Lord. Isn't that what Christ does? 
Through his death and resurrection, he builds the temple of the Lord. 
It's his body. It's the church of Christ, the 
living stones who are in union with him. Yes, he shall build 
the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory and shall 
sit and rule on his throne. So he shall be a priest on his 
throne and the council of peace shall be between them both. A lot of data here concerning 
what the Old Testament believers were looking forward to. A seventh 
thing is the evangelist's testimony, and we'll just quickly cover 
this. Notice in Matthew 1, keep in mind all that we have said 
and look at Matthew chapter 1, and notice what Matthew does 
in verse 1. The book of the genealogy of 
Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. What is he 
doing? He's saying the man whom Abraham 
saw, the man whom David was promised, that man is the subject of this 
book. That's what it's about. The one 
connected to the promise made to Abraham and to David is the 
one that Matthew is going to write about for 28 beautiful 
chapters, and all along the way he's going to show us how this 
man fulfills the Old Testament. How many times do we see that 
it might be fulfilled? That's formulaic with Matthew 
in his gospel. We see the Emmanuel prophecy 
applied, verse 23 in chapter 1. Behold, the virgin shall be 
with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, 
which is translated, God with us." Milton Terry says, the great 
purpose of this gospel throughout is to exhibit Jesus as the Messiah 
of whom the prophets had spoken. I shared a bit on Sunday that 
I think Matthew wrote first. Matthew was the first gospel 
writer, and his audience was Jewish. He probably wrote in 
the early 40s, probably 42, and it's this book that was circulating 
throughout Israel and specifically in Jerusalem for the church that 
was there. And so the great purpose of Matthew 
is to display Jesus as the Messiah of whom the prophets had spoken, 
and he does that beautifully and wonderfully and consistently. Notice in Luke 1, Luke 1, and 
keep the Davidic covenant in your head for just a moment. 
We're not going to make it. I'm going to try, but we're not 
going to make it. Anyways, look at Luke 1, specifically in verse 
31. And behold, you will conceive 
in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name 
Jesus. He will be great and will be 
called the son of the highest. And the Lord God will give him 
the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house 
of Jacob forever and of his kingdom. There will be no end. That's 
2 Samuel 7. That's precisely 2 Samuel 7 being 
fleshed out. brought to fruition, brought 
to fulfillment and realization. And again, we could go several 
other places in the Gospels, but look at this one. It's doxological 
in nature. Notice in chapter 2 of Luke's 
Gospel. Luke chapter 2. When I say doxological, 
that means it ought to promote doxology. You know, sometimes 
at the end of a service we sing the doxology. That simply means 
to praise God. You see doxology all throughout 
the Bible. Well, this is a reference to 
Christ as Old Testament believers saw Him that ought to promote 
doxology, for it certainly did in this man Simeon. Notice in 
verse 25, And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name 
was Simeon. And this man was just and devout, waiting for 
the consolation of Israel. And the Holy Spirit was upon 
him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that 
he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 
So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents 
brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom 
of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and 
said, Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace 
according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation. 
Remember that this man is cradling a baby in his arms. And as he's 
cradling that baby in his arms, probably, I like to think, Genesis 
3.15 is in his head. Genesis 22 is in his head. The 
prophet Isaiah is in his head. Zechariah is in his head. Those 
promises concerning a child born who would be mighty God. This 
man has laid eyes upon the Lord Christ, the one who had been 
promised. My eyes have seen your salvation, 
which you have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light 
to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people 
Israel. praising God as he holds the 
babe Christ. This is the one born of a woman 
who would accomplish victory through his suffering and death. 
And Simeon even alludes to this. Notice verse 33, Joseph and his 
mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him, then 
Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this 
child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, 
and for a sign which will be spoken against." Now notice in 
verse 35, yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also. Why? Because this deliverer that she 
bore would accomplish victory through his own suffering and 
death. That will pierce her heart when she's standing at the base 
of the cross, looking up at her beloved. And Simeon announces 
that. How does he know that? Yes, the 
Spirit is upon him, but probably the Spirit is recalling or reminding 
him what's already been written concerning the suffering servant 
that was first promised in Genesis 3.15 and typified in all of those 
sacrifices of the Levitical system pointing forward to this Lamb 
of God who would take away the sin of the world. We'll end on 
this final note. We'll just stop at 8. We won't 
even get into the apostles' testimony or the confessional expression, 
but let's look at the Lord Christ's affirmation. Notice in Luke 24. 
Luke 24, on the road to Emmaus, Jesus is speaking with these 
two men. It says in verse 25, He said 
to them, O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that 
the prophets have spoken. All that the prophets have spoken. 
All that the prophets have spoken. What's He implying? All that 
the prophets have spoken should have been enough for you to understand 
the events that have occurred at this particular time. Notice, 
ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to 
enter into His glory? He assumes that the Old Testament 
Scriptures are enough to inform them that the Christ ought to 
have suffered these things and to enter into His glory. And 
in case we missed that, it says in verse 27, and beginning at 
Moses and all the prophets He expounded to them in all the 
Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Again, we've only looked 
at a few of them. There are a whole host of things. 
I can only imagine having a Bible study with Jesus who starts in 
Moses and goes to the prophets and expounds them as they apply 
to Himself. probably the best Bible study 
that there ever was. And then notice in verse 44 with 
the disciples, then he said to them, these are the words which 
I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must 
be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, the prophets, 
and the Psalms concerning me. Now when you see law, prophets, 
and Psalms, that means the whole Old Testament. That was the threefold 
division, the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Psalms 
were part of the Writings. So Law, Prophets, and Writings 
meant the entirety of the Old Covenant Scriptures. So all things 
must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and 
the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me. And he opened their understanding 
that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then he said to them, 
thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ 
to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that 
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name 
to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses 
of these things. Behold, I send the promise of 
my Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until 
you are endued with power from on high." Notice in John 5.39, 
Jesus combating or combating might not be the best word, throwing 
down with the religious leaders. I don't know that throwing down 
is any better, but you get my point. Notice in John 5, 39, 
you search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal 
life. And these are they which testify 
of me. These scriptures are they which 
testify of me, not a mystery man, but of Jesus Christ the 
Lord. And then John 8, notice verse 48. Then the Jews answered 
and said to him, do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan 
and have a demon? Jesus answered, I do not have 
a demon, but I honor my father and you dishonor me, and I do 
not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges. 
Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he shall 
never see death. Then the Jews said to him, Now 
we know that you have a demon. Abraham is dead, and the prophets. 
And you say, If anyone keeps my word, he shall never taste 
death. Are you greater than our father 
Abraham, who is dead, and the prophets are dead? Who do you 
make yourself out to be? Jesus answered, ìIf I honor myself, 
my honor is nothing. It is my Father who honors me, 
of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, 
but I know Him. And if I say I do not know Him, 
I shall be a liar like you.î Boy, he'd be thrown out of the 
university, wouldn't he? Telling somebody they're a liar, 
you can't do that. That'll make them feel bad. ìAnd 
if I say I do not know Him, I shall be a liar like you. But I do 
know Him and I keep His word.î Notice, your father Abraham rejoiced 
to see my day and he saw it and was glad. Not a mystery man, 
not some undefined personage that may just happen onto the 
scene, but Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and he 
was glad. Then the Jews said to him, you 
are not yet 50 years old and have you seen Abraham? I always 
thought that was an intriguing statement. He was in his 30s, 
wasn't he? Yes, being a man of sorrows and 
acquainted with grief does not make one look young and spry. They put him at 50, not 30. Must be a tough life when you're 
the savior of the world. Well, I know it is. Not because 
I'm the savior of the world, but because the Bible says so. 
That sounded bad. Then notice. Jesus said to them, 
Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. Then 
they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself 
and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and 
so passed by. If we would look at the apostolic 
testimony, we'd see the preaching of Philip in Acts 8. Not that 
he was an apostle, but he's in the Acts of the Apostles. And 
Philip comes upon that Ethiopian eunuch who is reading Isaiah 
53, and it says that Philip preached Jesus to him. We would see in 
Acts 10.43, Peter says to the household of Cornelius, to him, 
all the prophets witness that everyone who believes in his 
name will have forgiveness of sins. We get to the writings 
of the apostles, and they're stocked full of references to 
how Jesus is the fulfillment of these Old Testament scriptures. 
And then if you are interested later, you can look at Second 
London Confessions 7.3, 8.6, and 11.6 for a confessional expression 
concerning the fact that Old Covenant saints, Old Covenant 
believers, were not saved any other way than by grace alone, 
through faith alone, and Christ alone. The thought that persons 
were ever saved in a different manner in the Old Testament is 
absolutely foreign and contrary to the Word of God. The thought 
that anybody was ever saved by law-keeping in the Old Testament 
is absolutely foreign and contrary to the Word of God. Anyone who 
has ever been saved, it's been by faith in the Redeemer. Well, let us close in a word 
of prayer. Father, we thank You for Your Word, and we thank You 
that Christ is the scope, and that He is the one, that all 
the Scriptures testify concerning, and we thank You that You've 
given us eyes to see these things and hearts to believe, and I 
pray that these things would affect us as they did with Simeon. 
May we rejoice, and may we praise, and may we worship. And may we 
rejoice in the one whom the prophet Jeremiah calls the Lord our righteousness. I ask that you would go with 
us now and watch over us in this remainder of this week. Be with 
all the brethren in our church that suffer physically. We know 
that you know who they are, God, and we just ask that you would 
bless them and watch over each one. And we pray through Christ 
our Lord. Amen.