Romans – God’s Timeline XX: The Purpose of the Eons – Faith and Law (Part 4)

 

The Fourth Administration

With various lands distributed (Gen. 10:25,) the nations established (Gen. 11:1-8,) and a god allotted to each nation (Due. 32:9,) God, in keeping with the “knowledge is relative” theme, instates another contrast with his new dispensation of a promise to Abram. The fourth administration is given a clear demarcation at the beginning of Genesis 12:1-3, where this promise is ‘dispensed’ to Abram:

Yahweh said to Abram: Go by yourself from your land, from your kindred, and from your father;s house to the land that I will show you.

I shall make you into a great nation. And I shall bless you; I shall indeed make your name great. And you will indeed be a blessing; I shall indeed bless those blessing you, and I shall curse the one maledicting you.

In you, all the families of the ground will be blessed.

This is the beginning of the second of eight subsequent divisions in this eon, and it is full of stark contrast. God introduces the notion of faith to the story for the first time. It is not that faith was non-existent before, of course (as Abram “built” an altar, Noah “built” the ark, in contrast to the men who “built” the tower of Babel.) But never under the contrast of other gods had this principal of belief been so apparent, and without Genesis 12 onward, it would be difficult to see faith’s role (or lack thereof) in the prior administrations. The lesson of Abram, as we have discussed in our study of Romans 4, is the great distinction between faith in God’s word, as opposed to obedience to His will. Abram believes God, but this is not a full faith. We see this aptly demonstrated in his cry in Gen. 15:2-3–

My Lord Yahweh, what shall You give to me? I am going heirless, and the successor to my house he will be Damascus Eliezer. And Abram added: Behold, You have given no seed to me; and now a son of my household will take over from me.

And in his action, he heeds his wife’s request, as Adam did, and enacts a plan to sleep with Hagar, to try and pass on the promised nation to her. Abram, indeed, could not be said to be righteous because of what he did, as he often failed. Nevertheless, his faith was accounted for righteousness, and God never attributes the complaints and actions depicted as “sins” because of how He used them. When Abram lies to Pharoah, Pharoah scolds him, yes! But God comes to his defense! He even enacts the lie again, in Genesis 20, and it is still not accounted against him!

Abram believed God – he did not always believe God. The lesson of faith is compounded when we consider that his faith undoubtedly grew throughout his life, so much so that, when God told him it was time to take Isaac up on a damn mountain and kill him – that son whom he was promised and had awaited for decades – there was no indication that he was hesitant, even if we figure an emotional torment over the prospect. He grew into a fullness of faith – a maturity which few saints in this eon, either in circumcision or uncircumcision (Acts 7:55, Eph. 4:13-14,) have attained. Yet Abram’s experience is the blueprint for all faith which follows (Rom. 4:11-12,) giving this administration a special weight for us at present (more on this later.)

This mere flicker of faith is not limited to Abram, though he was almost alone. There is a reason that Isaac and Jacob are so often mentioned in conjunction with Abram to describe the faithful El that God is (Ex. 3:6, Matt. 22:32, Acts 3:13, etc.) We don’t see much “better” action from either Isaac or Jacob (in fact, we see actual theft from Jacob. You know what? I wouldn’t be surprised if you could prove to me that each of these three broke all ten commandments.) This maturity in faith, outside of obedience, is a type of our present justification in Christ, in which we can enjoy the rich spiritual grace of our God, in which we can have peace toward God, recognizing the eventual salvation of all, and ruminate on everyone as the ultimate bounty of God.

There is a notable promise, which God gives Abram, in Genesis 15:12-14, which I wish to share with you now–

When the sun was about to set, a stupor fell on Abram, and behold, the dread of a towering darkness was falling on him. Then [Yahweh] said to Abram, “You shall know – know – that your seed shall become a sojourner in a land which is not theirs; and they will serve them, and these will do evil to them and humiliate them for four hundred years. But I will indeed adjudicate the nation which they shall serve, and afterward, they shall come forth with a great many goods.

This is not all to Yahweh’s prediction, but it is all we need focus on for now. Though God repeatedly calls Himself the God of “Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” the Genesis account notably does not end with Jacob’s account, but presses on into the birth of the twelve tribes of Israel, of whom Joseph is born, becoming the central character for the remainder of the scroll.

Why does this occur? Because the administration is one of promise, and these promises will not be appreciated without a demonstration of the fullness of faith. We know, in observing the Genesis account, that irrespective of Joseph’s feelings, he does not doubt Yahweh, in being sold, enslaved, indentured, imprisoned, and even in becoming an oneirocritic, he remains fully faithful. His reward is to be seated at the right hand of Pharoah, and to be given authority to rule, in the wisdom Yahweh provided him. This, of course, draws Egypt into a unique place of unprecedented political and economic power, which draws Joseph’s twelve brothers, their families, and Jacob over to Israel to be blessed.

Thus the enslavement of the Israelites takes center stage in Exodus, beginning the fulfillment of Yahweh’s prophecy to Abram. This prophecy becomes completely fulfilled upon their removal from slavery in Egypt.

That this administration does not end until Mount Sinai gives us a brief type of the broad history of Israel. The nation grows in faith, faces a great suffering unlike that which any other nation suffers, and gets brought forth out of the land through the judgment of the nations, with bountiful riches (Ex. 12:35-42,) into a righteous relationship with their God, headed toward the promised land.

The Fifth Administration

However, this righteous relationship must be perfected. As is the case in any relationship, each individual has standards that they would perjure themselves by ignoring. God does not glorify sin in justifying an individual, but uses the sin to effect a greater good. This is an apt lesson in faith, but the Israelites did not understand that a proper faith is followed by obedience. It is easy to look at the careful plotting of Abram, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, and spot patterns of this proper faith, which beget a fullness of faith with proper obedience, but the underlying elephant in the room must be dealt with: irreverence and injustice.

The Israelites were unrighteous. Set apart by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, yes. But unrighteous in lieu of their lacking faith. They loved that God rescued them, and sing a pretty song in thanks (Ex. 15:1-21.) God, of course, must have loved this song (or He wouldn’t have shared it with us,) but the song is shallow when, upon a journey to Marah (beginning in Ex. 15:23,) they began grumbling against Moses. Apparently, they did not believe in Yahweh as their little ditty implied.

Thus, a great lesson is of necessity – that of man’s sin. The law was delivered to God’s promised nation on Mount Sinai. It began with ten commandments (Ex. 20,) but this was, of course, inefficient for the people (not to mention blatantly ignored, so immediately apparent to Moses that he actually smashes the commandments against the mountain to keep the judgments from being imposed upon the people.) Thus the rest of the Pentateuch deals, not with faith in the same manner, but with demonstrations which enlightened Israel as to the righteous laws of God. While Genesis held two laws total (Gen. 1:28, 32:33,) there are 110 laws in Exodus, 243 in Leviticus, 58 in Numbers, and 200 in Deuteronomy.

This is not a forceful imposition, either – Israel willingly cries, in Ex. 19:8, that they will do all that Yahweh requests of them. This is a new covenant with Israel, and becomes the narrative thrust for the rest of the Old Testament. This is one of the most well-known details of the Old Testament, but few realize the underlying reason for this administration, often due to the pre-supposition that God has given us “free” will. The idea is that, if Israel really wanted to, they could have followed every iota, every serif, of the law. They choose not to, however, so God sends His Son at the beginning of the New Testament as some “hail mary.” This is, of course, falsely supposed, as Paul’s claims in Romans 1:18 demonstrate that it is God Who has enabled sin’s temporary authority over the human heart, making irreverence and injustice mankind’s default since expulsion from Eden (see Cain and Nimrod.) The only effective method has been faith, which tamed the forefathers of Israel.

This administration, then, was not designed to “see if man can follow law,” but to demonstrate conclusively that man cannot follow law; even the best of man faced the penalties of the law, and the subject of law needed a sin or trespass offering to have their sins or trespasses covered over. The very existence of these offerings should tell us of man’s incapability to follow the law. Thankfully, the purpose of this administration is aptly summarized by Paul, as we considered in Rom. 3:19-20–

Now we are aware that, whatever the law is saying, it is speaking to those under the law, that every mouth may be barred, and the entire world may become subject to the just verdict of God, because, by works of law, no flesh at all shall be justified in His sight, for through law is the recognition of sin.

The purpose of the law is that every mouth may be barred, and the entire system become subordinate to the righteous Judge’s claims. Any who intelligently observe the Old Testament will not deny that God acts righteously in His dealings with Israel – not because He “forbears” His penalty, as that is not justice, but because He carefully demonstrates, through man’s inability to succeed here, just what sin truly is: missing the mark of righteousness.

Thus, with the first five administrations, we are forced to recognize sin’s entrance into the world, its disintegration of man’s morality, its forceful ignorance to good, and how faith is the only proper dissolvent for sin – all under the contrastive elements established at man’s inception.

The Sixth Administration

The sixth administration is of special import to us in the body of Christ, for we recognize two aspects of the Son of God, per Rom. 1:3–

[God’s Son]:

1.    Comes of the seed of David according to the flesh…

2.    is designated Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead

This dramatic statement at the outset of Paul’s letters provides us with two concurrent narratives. Christ has continued acting as God in God’s dealings with man, fulfilling His Father’s place, appearing where necessary to man (Gen. 12:7-8, 15:1-7, Ex. 33:11, Num. 12:1-8, and many more,) and remaining on the throne as the Head of the universe (Job. 1:6-7.) The gods who dominate the other nations had been subdued by God through the demonstration of His authority (at the Red Sea, in their various encounters with Israel in Canaan, and more.) However, the initial objection of the powers of darkness had not yet been dealt with – why are they existent? What is their purpose? In fact, with their repeated charges to rather confuse God’s chosen people, and, by the time of Jesus’ birth, their subjection of Israel, their doubts may have only increased, in that they’ve only been in comically tragic places.

On the other hand, the Israelites have been in dire need of a Messiah, through Whom they will finally be given the promised land by Abram. The only problem, as stated previously, is sin, which is the antithesis to righteousness, thus making Israel, at present, the insubordinate contrast to Christ. If Christ had returned, delivered Israel from the nations as God did through Egypt, and brought them to the holy land, Israel would have remained insubordinate (maybe after another shallow song or three,) and the cycle would have repeated itself (only this time, since the law would be in full effect, there would be no one left to rule after a short amount of time.) It would, very practically, be a worse disruption.

So… what should He do?

In the most shocking event in history, the Head of the universe, the Original of all creation, through whom the worlds have been created, descends from the highest place in the universe, to the lowest, not only in His years of growth and rejection, but in the worst experience a wholly innocent One could ever perceive.

This incredible act carries with it an unparalleled wisdom and humility. Every single event of the eon built to the tragedy at Golgotha. The governmental powers established at the beginning of the eon, and coordinated throughout the third administration, the promises brought about by Abram, the growth of faith in each successive generation of the fourth eon, the implementation of the standards of the promised kingdom in the law – all aptly built to the crucifixion of the Son of God.

Now this, in the context of His Headship, and in regards to the purpose of the eons, is truly amazing. The Image of the Creator, Who, in all honesty, has no need to sink to the lowest level, beneath those who have done practically nothing but demonstrate how unrighteous they are, does just that. If He had not done this, then the promise(s) made to Abram could never be fulfilled, for the nation could never be truly great. Christ both established the nation (Is. 11:1-2,) and became the seed of David according to the flesh (Rom. 1:3.) We read in Philippians 2:5-8, that–

…being inherently in the form of God, deems it not pillaging to be equal with God – nevertheless empties Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming to be in the likeness of humanity, and, being found in fashion as a human, He humbles Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

This is, again, unparalleled wisdom and humility. Man knows their innate corruption which swells when power is thrust upon them. Not one of the top 1% today would step down for the sake of others, as Christ did. The Slanderer, too, would not have had the spirit to do so. Unlike every other principality, all other sovereignties, any other power, Christ, in stepping down for the ultimate welfare of all, especially those who hate Him, stands in a class of authority all on His own. Unlike all others, this one did not doubt the Creator, no matter where He is or what state He’s in.

By emptying Himself, Christ, in all appearance, becomes a man. There is nothing He held in the form of God which was taken with Him in becoming David’s offspring. Christ’s actions in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are the resolution to the issues brought about by sin, in relation to man, and could not have been effected otherwise. Let’s read Gabriel’s statement to Miriam, Luke 1:30-33–

And the messenger said to her, “Fear not, Miriam, for you found favor with God. And lo! you shall be conceiving and be pregnant and be bringing forth a Son, and you shall be calling His name Jesus. He shall be great, and Son of the Most High shall He be called. And the Lord God shall be giving Him the throne of David, His father, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for the eons. And of His kingdom there shall be no consummation.

We read of a message concerning both the Kingdom and the King, heralded from Matt. 4:12-16:20, Mark 1:14-8:30, Luke 4:15-9:20, and John 1:35-6:71. It is here that Christ is presented, not as their God, but as their Messiah. Christ is given a complete experience of humility in flesh, fulfilling the prophecy of which His own spirit testified (1 Pet. 1:10-11.)

His experience with “death” is twofold; He experiences death from the moment of His birth, as all men do, and that horrific death at Golgotha (Phil. 2:8,) which made Him the permanent sin and trespass Offering, of which all others were a type. His walk in death was unique, however, in that it was a willful “obedience” to it, as opposed to a forceful subjection to it.

However, the plot twist, that He would not be accepted, but was to be a sacrifice (1 Pet. 1:20,) was finally executable. The problem with sin, of course, is that it is enmity to righteousness in all ways. While man and God are said to be reconcilable, there is no similar claim between God and sin. Christ is aptly rejected under the same pretense that caused Israel to disobey the law: Sin has been man’s master since Eden. As He Himself reiterates the words of Isaiah in Matt. 13:14-15–

And filled up in them is the prophecy of Isaiah, that is saying, ‘“In hearing, you will be hearing, and may by no means be understanding. And observing, you will be observing, and may by no means be perceiving.” For stoutened is the heart of this people, And with their ears heavily they hear, And with their eyes they squint, Lest at some time they may be perceiving with their eyes, And with their ears should be hearing, And with their heart may be understanding, And should be turning about, And I shall be healing them.’”

Thus the door of the kingdom was closed on Israel, upon their rejection of their Messiah. We read of Christ’s preparation for the next administration in Matt. 16:18-19–

Now I, also, am saying to you that you are Peter, and on this rock will I be building My ecclesia, and the gates of the unseen shall not be prevailing against it. I will be giving you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatsoever you should be binding on the earth shall be those things having been bound in the heavens, and whatsoever you should be loosing on the earth, shall be those having been loosed in the heavens.

This ties the two narratives together, giving us a clue as to what is going on. The nation’s rejection of Jesus is a parable for the celestial realm, a type of their rejection of Him. By giving Peter this authority, we read of Christ raising up a lesser subjector over those who had been ruling the nations! The secrets of the kingdom are then unfolded to the disciples, in preparation for their terrestrial rule over the kingdom.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the chiefs of the people and the elders reject their Messiah. With no kingdom from this One to immediately expect, no kingly apparel, and no positive affirmation of the religious rites of the era, all that remained, in man’s arrogance, was to murder this One that had it all and seemingly refused to share. His own people give Him up, and He is unjustly killed.

Thus, in the sixth administration, we receive a physical presentation of Messiah – that is, the seed of David according to the flesh. We do not receive an intimation of His celestial place until John, where we read of Him as the word of God (John 1:1-3, 14, Rev. 19:13.) This aspect of the Christ is expounded upon further in Paul’s administrations, as we’ve seen in our study of Romans 1-5. From man’s place, this was murder. Yet at God’s divine will, this was the necessary sacrifice to convey His true heart – a God willing to give His most prized One in the face of the greatest adversary.

The Third Eon’s Problems Established

There is a unique, individual purpose to each of these administrations, of course: in the administration of promise, we note faith as the only proper channel in which God absolves one of their sin. In the administration of law, we note works as the exact opposite channel, in which it is impossible for one to be absolved of their sin, for law shines a light on sin, and crushes the sinner under the weight of its righteousness. In the administration of the kingdom (I don’t like the “Incarnation” title given on the Divine Calendar,) we see Christ’s fulfillment of the law as the Savior, for the entire “System,” through faith alone, rooted and grounded in love. This culminates in the cross, where man’s most sinister works are enacted against the most faithful Image of the invisible God.

In relation to the purpose of the eons, these purposes are colored with a fuller meaning. The first four administrations which make up the eon serve as the negative necessity for the cross, while the following four administrations serve as the positive necessity for the cross. It must all be conveyed in this one eon of contrast, relational growth, that the following two eons can simply be enjoyed in peace, apart from any sin and strife, and God’s great goal can be achieved.

- GerudoKing