DIVINE HARMONY God's kingdom has been identified with the accomplishment of His beneficent design for man. This is being achieved in a moral arena that is characterized by thought and decision. In a moral environment, a hidden purpose is an unfulfilled purpose. This is demonstrated in God's dealings during the Patriarchal and Mosaical ages. -- Tomorrow:
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deut 6:4). "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17)
Devotion 31 of 53
The Patriarchal age was the period from Adam to the giving of the law. During that time, key individuals were predominant in God's dealing with men. They were, furthermore, few and far between (Enoch, Noah, Abraham, etc.). The purpose of God was so vague during the period, that very limited human involvement was realized. The intelligence associated with devotion to God was rudimentary in comparison to that demanded by the greater light of the gospel.
This is graphically demonstrated in the conduct of Noah following the flood (Gen. 9:18- 29). His drunkenness and nakedness was more owing to his ignorance of God's purpose than to moral weakness. The Divine accomplishments among the sons of men prior to the law were far inferior to those achieved in this "day of salvation." This was not owing to Divine weakness, but to the lack of revelation in that age. Divine objectives that are being fulfilled in a moral environment require revelation.
The Mosaical age encompassed the time from the giving of the law unto the coming of Christ. During that time, a nation was predominant, in distinction to key individuals. Increased revelation marked that age, and yet the revelation remained rudimentary. Men became more acquainted with themselves than with God in this age. Although He demonstrated His power in signs and wonders, as well as mighty deliverances and preservations, the key element during that time was the demonstration of the need of man.
The moral inferiority of that time was largely due to the obscurement of Divine purpose. The "carnal ordinances" involving "meats and drinks, and divers washings" (Heb. 9:10), being rudimentary, could not effect a moral change in men. The existence of manners unacceptable from the viewpoint of the new covenant, was also the result of lesser revelation. Among these things were multiple wives (I Sam. 1:2; 5:13; I Kgs. 11:3), fierce bloodshed (Lev. 20:16; Num. 31:7-17; Josh. 20:6), and the involvement of great men in cursed and unacceptable idolatry (I Kgs. 11:4-10; 14:7-10).
The law was given "that every mouth might be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God" (Rom. 3:19). For this reason, God did not make known His "wisdom" during its administration. Thus did those ancients come short of the ultimate Divine objective. They "received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect" (Heb. 11:19-40).
Notwithstanding this deficiency, God in His mercy provided a way for His offspring to be accepted – even during those ages of relative darkness. In His grace He gave them a covenant that was external in nature – one that matched their condition. The sign of their identification with that first covenant was in their flesh – circumcision (Gen. 17:4-27; Lev. 12:3). In addition, the promise of the Messiah was given them (Gen. 49:10; Isa. 9:6-7; 11:1-10; 53:1-23; Hag. 2:7; Zech. 3:8; Mal. 4:2). Faith in that coming deliverer assured them of participation in His salvation. His death, we are told, effectually dealt with the "transgressions that were under the first testament" (Heb. 9:15). How gracious is God, to make provision for the involvement of men in His ultimate objective, even though they were not advantaged by its knowledge upon the earth!
Permit me to underscore the point here. A hidden purpose cannot be implemented in a moral arena. God's eternal purpose involves the conscious renewal of men (2 Cor. 5:17), and their participation in Divine rule (Dan. 7:18,22,27). The fullness of that undertaking was "hidden" until the coming of Christ. It was for this reason that it could not be implemented in earlier ages. Further, that condition remained until Jesus "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Heb 9:26). Once sin was actually and effectively put away, the purpose of God could be more fully revealed to men.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for not leaving humanity in the dark.