Introduction

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.

Scripture Reading

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."

Introduction to the Protevangelium

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.

First Point: Redeemer Born of a Woman

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.

Second Point: Victory Through Suffering

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

Third Point: Death of the Redeemer

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

Fourth Point: Total Victory of the Redeemer

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.

First Instance of Blood Atonement

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.

Substitution in Redemptive History

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.

Covenantal Identification of the Deliverer

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.

The Psalmist's Portrait of Messiah

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.

The Prophets' Description of Messiah

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.

The Evangelists' Testimony

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

Christ's Own Affirmation

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.

Closing 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.

Scripture References

• Genesis 3:1; 3:15; 3:21; 4; 22:7-8; 22:13-14; 22:17-18; 49:8
• Leviticus 16
• 2 Samuel 7:12-15
• Psalms 2:7; 22:1; 45:1; 45:4; 110:1
• Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 52:13; 53:3-4; 53:10
• Jeremiah 23:5-6
• Daniel 9:24
• Hosea 11:1
• Micah 5:2
• Zechariah 6:12
• Matthew 1:1; 1:23; 16:16; 28:18-19
• Luke 1:31; 2:25; 2:33; 2:35; 24:25; 24:27; 24:44
• John 1:11; 1:29; 5:39; 8:48
• Acts 8; 10:43
• Romans 5; 9
• Galatians 3:16
• Colossians 1:13; 2:15
• Hebrews 2:14; 9:22
• 1 John 3:8
• Revelation 12; 19