Perception of God’s response to adultery
So, will you respond differently when pure thoughts enter your conscious nature? Sure, you may believe that your response to “knowing all things” will be noble, but how does God depict man’s response when a son of God has the chance to repent of his adultery? Who do you think better understands your heart, you or God? Let’s consider briefly how God depicts the heart of man, and how God responds to adultery in the story of Israel, such that a “faithful” response to His pure thoughts may occur.
Consider that the first mention of being made in the image of adam’ is Adam’s first son, Seth; and, that the first instance of “calling upon the name of the Lord” is explicitly depicted as beginning when Seth’s first son is born (Gen 4:26; 5:2-3). Importantly, even though the flood story does not depict how the “sons of God” come into existence, they are depicted as perishing because of adultery. Arguably, Paul depicts the same truth in Romans 1, when he states that God “gives them over” to adulterous desires, where “them” is depicted as those who “exchange the truth of God for a lie” (Rom 1:25-26). Obviously, a truth must first be known before it can be exchanged for a lie. So, both Moses and Paul depict the truth of the nature of man, that even when the mind of man knows the right thing to do, the adulterous desires in the heart of man will always lead to rotten fruit of the womb, and thereby false worship.
Arguably, knowing that David will naturally commit adultery, God acts differently than the flood story by making a covenant with the house of David. Notably, David does not seek God, rather God seeks out David, and God then anoints David as “My servant” (1 Sam 16:13; Ps 89:20). Profoundly, David is depicted as God’s firstborn, and as the highest of the kings of the earth (Ps 89:27). Importantly, God also depicts Solomon as His son, and as someone whom He will discipline with the rod of men and the blows of the sons of adam’ (2 Sam 7:14). Consequently, instead of “giving over” Solomon to his desires, God acts with “discipline” when Solomon responds in the same “adulterous” manner as the sons of God in the flood story. Most importantly, God promises that Solomon would “build a house for My name,” and that He would establish the throne of the kingdom forever (2 Sam 7:13, 16). Obviously, none of those amazing images of God’s activity within the story of David are even remotely depicted within the flood story.
So, would you want to experience God’s active “tough love” (i.e. discipline) in your future life, or would you rather perish? Arguably, God intends that every part of your soul will be held accountable to answer that one question, rather than you as a whole person. You judge the face, but He judges every element.
Arguably, God’s response to the house of David depicts God’s active work of grace to establish the eternal office of shepherd in the life of Israel, such that the transformed sons of God from the house of David are given the knowledge and the desire to overcome adultery, and thereby establish justice and manifest righteousness. Because, contrary to the flood scenario, where every imagination was allowed to become evil all of the time, some of David’s seed are depicted as “lifting up” God with all of their heart, and as loving their neighbor as themselves. So, what changed in the house of David that enabled some of them to manifest perfection, as depicted by the building of the first temple of God in the city of Jerusalem? God is responding, but can you perceive His modus operandi?
Perception of “lifting up”
Consider again how, in the story of the flood, the sons of God are depicted as joining with the daughters of adam’, yet there is not an immediate response from God other than His regrets (Gen 6). Of course, the “land” does eventually become corrupt and filled with violence, such that God does cause all “flesh” on the earth to perish. However, when Solomon is depicted as similarly joining with the daughters of the foreign nations, God acts immediately. Notably, God raises up three adversaries, and He separates the tribe of Judah from the rest of Israel. Importantly, for David’s sake, God promises that a lamp would always be before Him to raise up David’s son and to establish Jerusalem, the city that He chose for Himself to put His name (1 Kings 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19).
So, instead of an expression of regret and allowing Solomon to perish, God responds to the actions of Solomon with discipline and grace because of His promise to David. As promised, God disciplines the lineage of David, and His acts of compassion cause particular descendants to begin a transformation within the nation of Israel, such that the Lord’s house of worship may be established in Jerusalem. And, one of the most profound yet subtle depictions of God’s grace is the image of King Hezekiah breaking the bronze serpent into pieces (2 Kings 18:4).
Consider the significance of King Hezekiah’s act of destruction. Moses made the bronze statue of the serpent in the wilderness, where everyone who was bit by a serpent would “live” if they looked upon the raised serpent (Num 21:8). As background, Israel had become impatient because of their difficult journey through the wilderness, so they spoke against God and Moses. In response, God sent “fiery” serpents that bit the people, and many people died. Moses agreed to intercede for the people, and God instructed Moses to make the bronze serpent such that anyone who looked upon it would live. Religion has great difficulty in explaining why God would instruct Moses to raise a standard with a serpent, and why those who looked upon the serpent would not perish. Of course, the serpent first appears in the garden, and the serpent is generally considered an image of Satan (the adversary). So, is God promoting Satan worship, such that the people would live if they “lift up” Satan?
Consider how Jesus, in His discussion with Nicodemus, states that the Son of man must be lifted up, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (John 3:14). Notably, Jesus makes this statement immediately before His famous John 3:16 verse, and immediately after stating that He is speaking of “heavenly” things (John 3:10-13). Also, Jesus had confused Nicodemus by His statements regarding being “born of the flesh” and being “born of the spirit” (John 3:6-9). So, why would God depict in Numbers 21 that those in the wilderness who looked upon the raised serpent would live and not perish, yet later depict in John 3 that those who lift up Jesus would not only not perish, but would also have eternal life?
Arguably, if you do not understand why God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent that would allow the people to live in the wilderness if they looked upon it, then you should not feel confident that you understand why Jesus tells Nicodemus that He must be lifted up just as the bronze serpent was lifted up. Importantly, why did Jesus expect Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, to understand “these things,” particularly since today the wise men of religion still do not understand those things? Notably, why does Nicodemus not respond to Jesus by asking “how was I supposed to know all these things,” or “how come these things are different now than in the past?”
Misperception of a new religious dispensation
Of course, religion generally argues that Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that a new “dispensation” had arrived, such that people now have the option to respond by “lifting up” Jesus, presumably by “accepting” Him in some manner. Therefore, the modern reader typically perceives the OT image of lifting up the bronze serpent as a past form of “idol” worship, such that the Jews are again condemned for their archaic beliefs. Because, if you approach the image of the bronze serpent in a literal historical manner, then you must argue that the ancient Jews were doing something “wrong” in the past, and that you now know the “right” thing to do. However, God explicitly told Moses what to do, and Israel had no other choice but to look upon the serpent if they wanted to live. Critically, there is no indication that the people did anything “wrong” in God’s eyes.
Arguably, because the literal historical perspective perceives the OT images as depicting the past behavior of ancient people, religion considers the images as lessons for proper behavior. And, there are numerous images of bad behavior in the story of Israel, so that approach to God’s Word would appear logical. Consequently, religion often condemns the ancient Jew, either for doing something wrong, or for not doing something right. And, in this instance, the Jews are condemned for “lifting up” the serpent, because religion perceives that the NT image of “lifting up” Jesus is depicting the start of a new dispensation. However, if religion cannot explain why God instructed Israel to lift up the serpent in the wilderness, then religion cannot reasonably blame the Jews for their apparent “inappropriate” behavior. As such, religion must again plead ignorance of God, because the literal perspective only leads to confusion, if not an outright contradiction of the expected nature of God.
There are numerous images within God’s Word that obviously do not make sense when approached with a literal perspective, such as this instance of lifting up the serpent. Obviously, the worship of anything but God is false worship, so it can never make sense that God would promote false worship as being the only means for survival. Arguably, it can also never make sense that God would treat people differently over time, such that the Jew was somehow disadvantaged by the timing of his birth. So, which perception is more likely God’s intent for these images? Is He revealing that He does treat people differently over time, such that the people in the past could only worship Satan? Or, is He revealing that approaching these images with the literal historical perspective is obviously not His intent?
Arguably, religion transforms the depiction of King Hezekiah’s destruction of the serpent into a yolk of proper behavior, and a form of hero worship. The lesson of religion is that you should become like King Hezekiah, such that “you should also destroy the false idols in your life.” Yet, how would an ancient disciple have perceived the image of the serpent being lifted up in the wilderness, and the significance of King Hezekiah breaking the bronze serpent into pieces? Would he perceive that his fathers worshipped Satan, and that he was to consider King Hezekiah as being a role model for his behavior? Also, when the NT was later revealed to him, how would he have perceived the image of Jesus telling Nicodemus that now He must be lifted up?
Perception of a new dispensation of worship
Arguably, with just the OT images, an ancient disciple would have considered the significance of Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Specifically, Daniel states that the third kingdom of “bronze” will rule over all of the earth, yet a fourth kingdom will “break all things in pieces” (Dan 2:39-40). And, since he perceived Daniel’s “third kingdom” as depicting the serpent in the garden, he would have perceived the image of King Hezekiah breaking the bronze serpent into pieces as depicting the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. (Dan 2:44).
Arguably, an ancient disciple did perceive that a different “age” or dispensation is beginning with King Hezekiah’s destruction of the bronze serpent. Because, in the first age (from Abraham to David), the sons of adam’ are depicted as only surviving if they “lift up” the works of the serpent, such that their “only” hope was to join with “common” spirits to produce perishable seed born of the flesh (Gen 3:17-18). However, in the next age starting with the house of David, the sons of Israel are depicted as being given the opportunity to “lift up” the works of God, such that their “new” hope is to join with the Holy Spirit to produce eternal seed born of the spirit. So, an ancient disciple perceived how the image of King Hezekiah’s destruction of the bronze serpent is depicting a significant milestone in Israel; that is, when a new dispensation of worship can begin.
So, how did an ancient disciple perceive the statement that “until these days the sons of Israel burned incense to it” (2 Kings 18:4)? Notably, King Hezekiah is depicted as removing the “high places” and also breaking down many other idols, so there are many changes occurring in Israel’s form of worship. Yet, the pertinent point is to perceive how King Hezekiah’s act of destroying the serpent depicts a critical transition point for Israel, whereby an action of God’s grace transforms the hearts within “His” people, the fourth kingdom of saints, such that a new dispensation can begin where they have the opportunity to lift up Him in worship. Therefore, King Hezekiah’s act of destruction depicts the “strong man” being overthrown within the house of David, such that a new dispensation can begin. Because, how does Hezekiah respond to God’s act of grace?
Consider again how Solomon is depicted as “clinging to foreign women,” just as the sons of God in the flood story are depicted as also “taking for themselves” the daughters of the nations. However, King Hezekiah is depicted as “clinging to God,” and as keeping the commandments; such that God was with him, and that he had prospered wherever he went (2 Kings 18:5-7). Again, religion tells you to respond as King Hezekiah, without providing any meaningful instructions. Yet, how did an ancient disciple perceive the image of Hezekiah’s righteous behavior?
Consider how Isaiah promises King Hezekiah that “the zeal of the Lord will cause a remnant from the house of Judah to take root downward and to bear fruit upward” (2 Kings 19:30-31). Notably, King Hezekiah is depicted as a seed from Zechariah’s daughter, Abi; a name that means “my father is Jehovah,” or “the will of God.” As such, an ancient disciple perceived that the Holy Spirit of God is the proximate cause for Hezekiah’s righteous acts of faith (Ezek 36:27). Because, as Paul affirms, if one is led by the Holy Spirit, then righteous fruit is produced (Gal 5:22-23). And, “if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit” (Gal 5:25). Therefore, an ancient disciple perceived that Hezekiah’s actions are being led by the Holy Spirit of God.
Arguably, God is depicting how He will change the nature of Israel’s thoughts and desires from common to holy, thereby changing the direction of their worship from “self” to “Him.” He depicts that transformation by the images of “who” is being worshipped; that is, from the worship of the serpent and the things born of the flesh, to the worship of Him and the things born of the Spirit. Notably, in the flood story, the sole direction of the heart was the worship of only evil; however, because of King Hezekiah’s act of destruction, the sons of Israel are given the opportunity to worship both in “spirit’ and in “truth.”
Arguably, the image of Jesus telling Nicodemus that He must be lifted up instead of the serpent would have affirmed an ancient disciple’s perception of a new dispensation of worship. Because, if Jesus does not make His reference to the serpent, then the significance of the OT images depicting the serpent and its destruction would be uncertain. Yet, once Jesus depicts that the choice is binary, either He or the serpent is lifted up, then an ancient disciple perceived that the same binary choice was being made available for Israel at the time of Hezekiah. Arguably, it would not make sense for God to depict that an idol is being destroyed if the true God was not also being made available for worship. And, with Jesus employing the image of the serpent as He does, He is affirming the significance of the image as depicted in the redemptive story of Israel. Arguably, by extension, the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus in John 3 regarding “these things,” particularly the images of being born again and being born of water and the spirit, can only be understood when they are approached symbolically in the context of the overall story. Sure, you can condemn a Jew and make yourself feel good if you approach the images with a literal perspective, but is that God’s intent?
Arguably, an ancient disciple perceived further affirmation of this new dispensation of worship when Jesus states that the “ruler of this world” will be cast out (John 12:31). Notably, immediately before Jesus makes that statement to the “crowd” of people, the Greeks had just arrived on the scene and asked to see Jesus, whereby He responds by stating that the hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. As such, an ancient disciple perceived that Jesus is depicting that the opportunity to lift up Him instead of the bronze serpent is now being made available to “all” nations, and not just the nation of Israel.
Importantly, Jesus not only affirms that a new dispensation exists by depicting Him being lifted up instead of the serpent, but importantly the two dispensations are not being depicted as two religions each looking at the cross from different times of this world. Rather, the two dispensations are being depicted by a change of “who” is being lifted up; and, once you perceive how “true” worship is being depicted as occurring in the OT, then you can perceive how that same image of true worship is being depicted as continuing into the NT. Sure, the words are somewhat different, but the imagery is the same.
So, an ancient disciple perceived how God is depicting the new dispensation of true worship beginning with Hezekiah, and not when a future messiah arrives later in the story (2 Chron 29). Notably, he perceived the NT as depicting how the church of God expands beyond Israel, because the church is depicted as already existing in the city of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. Importantly, as depicted in the OT story, King Hezekiah of the anointed house of David joins the anointed Levitical priests as the fourth kingdom of holy ones, where “all Israel and Judah” are both invited to join the first house of God (2 Chron 30-31). Profoundly, God is depicted as giving Judah “one heart” to do what was commanded by the word of God (2 Chron 30:12). Also, everything Hezekiah does throughout Judah is depicted as “good, right, and true,” and he did every work in the service of the house of God with “all” of his heart (2 Chron 31:20-21). Arguably, as Jesus affirms by stating that only God is “good,” an ancient disciple perceived how Hezekiah exhibits the divine nature of the Holy One of Israel, thereby fulfilling the role of God’s anointed servant from Judah who is to shepherd Israel.
However, the first temple is destroyed because of Manasseh’s abominations, and the city of Jerusalem is then made desolate except for the poor vine dressers (2 Kings 21:11-12; 23:26). Yet, God inspires that another house is to be built in Jerusalem, and all of Israel and Judah are invited a second time to join the house of God (e.g., Ezra 1:3-4). Critically, foreign adulterous spirits are depicted as still being an issue in the life of Israel, such that, as prophesied by Jesus, the second house of God is also doomed for destruction, and the city of Jerusalem is to be made desolate again. As argued, just having a knowledge of the truth is insufficient to build God’s house on a firm foundation; because, a holy desire is also required in order to accomplish a righteous work of God. As Jesus later affirms, one must both hear His Words, and “do” them (Matt 7:24).
Arguably, an ancient disciple considered the obvious depiction that history is repeating itself, such that a “third” house of God must be a prominent image depicted in part two of scripture. Because, logically, the entire house of God must be holy, for a divided house cannot stand. Therefore, since the goal is for all of Israel to be joined together, certain lineages must be trained as disciples to accept the third opportunity to join God’s house. Arguably, the easiest way to perceive the two parts of scripture as being “connected” is by perceiving God’s repetitive nature in His discipline of His people to bring about His will.
Perception of consistent judgment
The goal of this chapter is to depict how scripture depicts one continuous story of Israel, rather than two distinct testaments that each point to the cross from different points in time. And my premise is based first on assuming a symbolic perspective, such that the story of Israel is perceived as depicting a parable rather than a historical account. And second, that two notable aspects of the parable are depicted across the two testaments, both by the story of Israel’s scattered tribes being ingathered, and by the story of the tribe of Judah that transpires within the city of Jerusalem. In particular, the two testaments depict how God works within the tribe of Judah to build His perfect house in the city of Jerusalem, and how the third attempt to build His one house is finally depicted as being successful in Revelation. Arguably, the entire biblical story is all about this one house, and what God must do within Judah to establish that reality.
Importantly, the final book in the “Hebrew” bible, the book of Chronicles, is devoted solely to the story of the tribe of Judah; beginning with the image of adam’, and ending with the image of God inspiring Cyrus to build the second house for God in Jerusalem, which is in Judah (1 Chron 1:1; 2 Chron 36:23). Yet, while Ezra depicts images regarding the Levite restoration of the second temple in Jerusalem, and Nehemiah depicts images regarding the restoration of the wall around Jerusalem, an ancient disciple considered the trends that led to those images. Because, he perceived how God is consistent in His nature.
Christians are familiar with the image that depicts how God’s judgment starts with the house of God, and how Paul depicts the gospel coming first to the Jews, and then to the gentiles. So, consider God’s indictment of Israel for building the second temple with an adulterous spirit, and Jesus’ indictment of the Pharisees as is depicted often throughout the gospel accounts. And two major NT prophecies are the woes on the Pharisees and the looming destruction of a temple built by human hands, with both images depicting the judgment of man’s pharisaical thinking which stubbornly insists that its way is right instead of repenting towards God’s way (Matt 21:38; Acts 17:29-31).
Arguably, the primary image of the NT is how “this” generation maintains their adulterous heart against God by continuing to lift up the work of their hands. As such, in order to perceive all of scripture as one continuous story, the critical perception is that the Pharisees, and others from Israel who did not believe, are being depicted as the subsequent generation who will resist yet another opportunity to repent “just as their fathers did.” Jesus warns them with His parables of the wicked tenants who kill God’s servants and the wicked vine-growers who kill the servants and the son (Matt 21:43-44; 23:30-36; Acts 7:51-53). And, while God’s promise of pouring out the Holy Spirit on all of Israel and the surrounding nations is fulfilled at Pentecost, the big question of the story for an ancient disciple is whether those rebellious lineages will accept the offer of the Holy Spirit and thereby join in the building of the third house of God. So, given the trends and prophecies depicted in part one of God’s Word, an ancient disciple likely expected that part two would depict God’s judgment upon Israel’s unbelief. Because, oddly, God’s Word repeatedly depicts the image of three strikes and you are out, sometimes four.
Profoundly, God depicts multiple sets of “triplets” throughout scripture, and one of them is the depiction of His three forms of discipline. The image of the sword, famine, and pestilence is frequently employed, with the fourth form of a beast being included on some occasions (e.g., Jer 14:12; 21:7; Ezek 5:12, 17; 12:16; 14:21; Rev 6:8; 18:8). Interestingly, God even gives David the option to choose his particular form of punishment (2 Sam 24:13; 1 Chron 21:12). The discipline is also depicted as occurring over several generations (e.g., Ex 20:5; Num 14:18; Amos 1:3), while the image of being given three opportunities to bear fruit is often depicted within the NT (e.g., Matt 26:34; Mark 14:41; Luke 13:6-9; John 21:15-17; 2 Cor 12:7-8; 13:1-2). So, while God permits His people to rebel against Him several times, His patience does have a limit.
Arguably, this image of a limit to God’s patience is why Jesus employs the sign of Jonah as a warning to “this” generation, because they face the same potential of perishing just as the Ninevites unless they repent (e.g., Matt 12:41). One significant message of the book Jonah is that even evil repents, at least for a while, when faced with the prospect of perishing. Critically, the book of Jonah is intended to answer the question of how a holy God can ever allow evil to exist, with Jonah 2 profoundly depicting God’s Words to Himself for paying the price such that evil could exist even for a short while. As will be argued, when approached symbolically, the book of Jonah depicts the battle within the heart of God, and how He resolves that battle. Yet, the pertinent point is that Jesus employs the miracle of Jonah to warn this “evil and adulterous generation” to repent, and not to warn them to accept a call to evangelize to others. Notably, because of its literal perspective, religion will never be able to explain why Jesus is employing Jonah as a warning.
So, an ancient disciple not only expected judgment to fall on Israel for unbelief, but also that another messiah would arise from within the house of David to shepherd the nation of Israel into their inheritance. Of course, religion will tell you that the Jews rejected Jesus, and that is the depiction of the Pharisees. Yet, do not lump all “Jews” into the image of the “Pharisees,” rather consider the Pharisees as the holdouts of the old ways as held by their fathers. According to the story, some Jews had already started the church of God, and the NT depicts how the appointed time had come for the remaining sons of Israel to hear the voice of the Lord, such that they can also respond to His call to join the one holy church of God. Those “end times” images are discussed in the next chapter, yet the critical point is to recognize how those images of affirmation and fulfillment depict a continuation of the story of Israel. As prophesied, God causes all of Israel to turn to Him, even the heart of a Pharisee.
Yes, the gospel message is depicted as first being offered to the Israel (i.e. the Jews), several times, and the offer is depicted as eventually passing onto all of the nations (i.e. the gentiles). The significance of the “expansion” to all nations is profound, and I will attempt to provide some thoughts to consider in the next chapters. The pertinent point is to perceive how, as promised by God, the NT depicts the tribe of Judah and the rest of Israel as joining together into one nation with one heart and one soul (e.g., Acts 4:32; Phil 2:2). Importantly, God depicts this image of “oneness” of His people as a simple yet deep aspect of the mystery of salvation. The question is whether you perceive that image as literally depicting a church of people, or symbolically depicting how parts of your soul will be systematically “called out” of darkness by God into His light to become a partaker of His one divine nature.
Perception of one continuous story
When a nerve was struck and I sensed a desire to seek Him in His Word, I began as most Christians by reading the NT. So, as mentioned, I listened to many preachers and read numerous books on theology. My common motto was to “read books that talk about the bible,” such that I developed a knowledge that was well-versed in the many Christian doctrines. Arguably, I understood the Protestant and Catholic belief systems as well as any wise men of religion, however I began to realize that I had little, if any, understanding of the OT.
In retrospect, it was rather easy to perceive the OT as the story of Israel. And, after devoting several years to just the OT, the images of Israel began to take shape, such that I was becoming familiar with the repetitive nature of the images. Frankly, like everyone else, I had thought that each book was isolated, but I actually found a consistency within the OT images that was not readily apparent. Such that, when I resumed my NT studies, I was very surprised to learn that Jesus and the NT authors were employing the same images when stating their truths. Hence, when I discovered how they were “affirming” the OT images, I began to perceive how the “story” of Israel was continuing. Yet, still to this day, I am totally stunned that the NT is intended to be approached in the same symbolic manner as with the OT. However, when I considered the logical purpose for His Word, the reason for the symbolism became apparent, because only a true disciple of Christ is able to discover God’s hidden wisdom of the good news that is consistent for everyone at any time. While I was a student of the wise men of religion, I could not perceive the symbolism. But when I allowed God to provide the inferences of understanding, their meanings became apparent.
It is odd that God hid His message of good news by employing the latent language of symbolism, and that He placed obstacles to perceiving His one continuous story by employing different languages, and by depicting a large gap in time between the two testaments. However, if you attempt to overcome those obstacles by seeking the affirming images, and by considering the significance of words such as adam’, generations, church, gentiles, holiness, saints, messiah, knowledge, and adultery, then you can also perceive how God intends His responses of the cross and the Holy Spirit are to be imagined as key events within the overall story of Israel, rather than literal historical events as religion perceives them. Because, the significance of those two events is not that they are historically factual, rather that they depict profound events destined for your eternal life. What could be more profound than realizing that the image of the cross is depicting an event destined to occur in your future, rather than just the past?
Obviously, when approaching scripture with a literal historical perspective, each testament forms images that are inconsistent within themselves, and totally disconnected from each other. However, when approaching scripture as an ancient disciple, you can then perceive the intended symbolism of the OT, and the connections between the two testaments will be apparent. Ultimately, you will perceive how the NT depicts the end times of the story of Israel, and how the restoration of the kingdom into the promised land is fulfilled. Of course, how you perceive the image of land is paramount, so perceiving how God depicts His fulfillment of His promised land to Israel is essential for understanding the mystery of salvation in the kingdom of God. Because, when you can perceive the symbolic meaning of land, then you will begin to learn God’s plan for your eternal life.