Last words can be so memorable and powerful. Joshua said: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). Jesus said seven last words from the cross, including: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”(Lk. 23:24). In this article, we look at the last words of two men of the O.T., a father and a son, and what a contrast between them! This is the tenth and final message in my series on the life of Joseph. Our subject is: “The end of two contrasting lives.” In this study we learn that how our lives end often reflects how we lived.

Finally the day arrives when the restoration of fellowship between Joseph and his brothers is complete and they convince their father, Jacob, to move with them to Egypt (45:27-28). Having recovered from the stunning news that Joseph is alive, Jacob and his entourage leave Canaan for their new life in Egypt. When they come to Beersheba, they offer sacrifices to God (46:1) and, once more, God speaks to Jacob in a dream at night (46:2; cf. Gen. 28:13; 32:27f.). Beersheba is an important place for it was here that Abraham and Isaac had lived years ago. It was here that Abraham had called upon God. It was here that Abraham died. Now God appears here once more – this time to Jacob.

It’s always a faith-boosting experience when, after having made a decision, God confirms it. Here He confirms Jacob’s decision to move to Egypt with this wonderful affirmation of who He is and the trustworthiness of his word.

First, God assures Jacob about going to Egypt. “² That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: ‘Jacob, Jacob!’ he said. And Jacob replied, ‘Here I am.’ ³ God said, ‘I am God, the God of your father’” (46:2-3a). This reminds us of Jacob’s last personal encounters with God at Bethel (Gen. 28:13) and then at the river Jabbok (32:24-32), doesn’t it? Let there be no mistake about it, this was God speaking, the God of Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, and his father, Isaac. This same God is Jacob’s God, who now affirms to him the course of action he is about to take.

“Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt” (46:3b). God is saying, “Don’t be nervous about leaving Canaan or about what your sons have told you - it’s the right thing to do.” God assures Jacob that He will fulfill his promise to Abraham: (1) His promise concerning Israel as a nation - “I will make you into a great nation there” (46:3c); and (2) His promise concerning the land of Canaan – “I will go down with you to Egypt and I will also surely bring you back” (46:4a). In other words, God will bring Israel back to Canaan and they will once again occupy the land that He had promised Jacob’s forefathers.

And so the whole family and their possessions move from Canaan to Egypt (46:5-27). You may wonder why God would affirm their move from Canaan to Egypt when Canaan was the land that God had promised to them. Why would they leave it? Well, God says it’s just a temporary move. Eventually He would bring them back again to Canaan. There may be twists and turns in the road, but God always keeps his word - His promises do not fail.

Second, God comforts Jacob that Joseph is alive. “Joseph’s hand shall close your eye” (46:4b). In other words, not only is this divine confirmation that Joseph is alive but, more than that, Joseph himself will personally attend Jacob when he dies. So, there you have it. We have a God who assures and comforts us. We have a God who is absolutely trustworthy – he keeps his promises. We have a God who sees, who hears, and who acts.

So, Jacob’s sons take charge of the move. They carry their father, children and wives in the carts that Joseph had given them, along with their livestock and possessions. And the entire family moves from Canaan to Egypt. No one is left behind (46:8-25) - 70 persons in all (46:27).

When they arrive in Goshen, Joseph is ready for a family reunion. Joseph “fell on (Jacob’s) neck and wept a good while” (46:29). Seeing his father again has been the longing of Joseph’s heart. Seeing his long lost son is beyond Jacob’s wildest dreams. Everything is put in order again – the family is reunited. Now at 130 years old, Jacob is ready to die (46:30). But in fact he lives for 17 more years (47:28), the exact age of Joseph when he disappeared those many years before.

Upon their arrival in Egypt, what a reunion it must have been between Jacob and his favorite son (46:28-34). It had been many years since they had seen each other. No wonder Joseph “fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while” (46:29). And then, of course, Joseph introduces them to Pharaoh, who not only offers them “the best of the land” (the land of Goshen) to live in, but also offers them employment looking after his flocks (46:3-10). And Joseph settles them in their new home in Goshen (47:11-12).

And so Jacob’s sunset years begin (47:13-50:3). In Egypt the famine had just reached its peak – “there was no bread in all the land” (47:13). So bad was the economy that the people ran out of money and Joseph began to trade their livestock for bread. The next year, the people have no money and no livestock, only their bodies and their land. So, Joseph acquires all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh and in exchange he gives the people seed for them to grow grain, of which they are to give back 20% to Pharaoh. And the people said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh (47:25).

But it was not so among the Israelites in Goshen. There, they had food, possessions, and lots of children. Despite the desperate economic conditions and famine in Egypt and Canaan (47:13-26), Israel prospered - “Israel gained possessions in it and were fruitful and multiplied greatly” (47:27). How faithful is our God to his word and his people!

In this protected and prosperous community, Jacob’s life ends. Never had he dreamed that he would see his favorite son again. And yet, not only does he spend 17 more years with him, but he also gets to see Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

The section we are studying breaks down into two parts each dealing with the last words and deaths of these two great men. First...

I. Jacob’s Last Words And Death (47:28-50:21)

Jacob’s deathbed scene is very touching and instructive. Last words are important for they often affect subsequent generations.

1. Jacob Secures His Burial Site (47:29-31)

Jacob makes Joseph promise to not bury him in Egypt but to bury him with his forefathers in Canaan (47:29-31). This was the land which once again would be the permanent home of the Israelites as promised to them by God and Jacob would return there for his final resting place. This was the same place where Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebekah were buried and where Jacob had buried his wife, Leah (cf. 49:29-32). Though he despised Leah during her lifetime, he chose to be buried beside her in his death. We can understand why he wanted to be buried on the family burial ground – but why specifically where he buried Leah? Perhaps he now regretted how he had treated Leah and perhaps he wanted to honor her as his first wife.

Unrestored relationships can cause so much regret. Isn’t it often the case that after someone has died, we regret the way we treated them when they were alive? So many people live with regrets saying, “If only .... If only I had known, I would have gone and seen them and put things right. If only we had had one more chance to talk.” Some children and parents are divided and never reconcile, ending up sometimes living a lifetime of regret. Friends sometimes squabble and fall out over something and never make things right. Some Christians fight over differences (often minor) and never speak to one another again. These broken relationships leave scars that sometimes never heal because they’re never put right. Perhaps that was Jacob’s motivation here. Perhaps he finally realized that Leah was not to blame – she had done nothing wrong. She hadn’t deceived him, Laban had. She hadn’t forced him to marry her. She had been embarrassed just as much as Jacob. She was just as much the subject of Laban’s scheming and deception as Jacob was.

So often, we make decisions we later regret. We treat people badly and never put it right. We act in unloving ways towards them. We shun them while showing favoritism to others. That is so hurtful and so wrong. Let’s make sure that if we have perpetrated a broken relationship that we go and get right with the other person. And even if we are the one who has been ill-treated, let’s make sure that we act like Joseph and bend over backwards to reconcile with those who have wronged us.

2. Jacob Utters His Last Words (48:1-49:27)

This scene is reminiscent of years before when Jacob came to his old, blind father’s side (27:18-29). When he hears that his father is ill, Joseph hurries to his bedside, taking with him his two sons (48:1). Evidently, Joseph wanted his sons to connect with their grandfather one last time and to receive his all-important blessing. Energized by their presence and the imminence of his death, Jacob utters last words that will have an impact on the twelve tribes long after his demise.

a) Jacob repeats God’s promise to Joseph (48:1-4) that “I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land (Canaan) to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession” (48:3-4). This is the same promise that God had made previously to Abraham and Isaac (cf. 12:1-3; 15:18-21; 26:2-4) and to Jacob (cf. 28:10-19; 35:6-13). God does not go back on his word nor fail to carry it out.

b) Jacob blesses Joseph’s two sons (48:5-20). “Your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh...are mine, as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine” (48:5). This is a surprising twist at the end of this story, one that is loaded with pathos, a touching scene by all accounts.

First, Jacob effectively adopts Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons on an equal basis with his own two oldest sons, Reuben and Simeon (48:5). Thus, Jacob’s next-to-youngest son, Joseph, receives a greater share of the estate than his eldest son, Reuben, as the custom of the day required.

Second, Jacob blesses Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son, with a larger portion than Manasseh, the older son (48:8-20), pointing to a day in the future when the tribe of Ephraim would be the dominant tribe in the northern kingdom of Israel (cf. 48:19).

It’s touching, isn’t it, how Jacob’s thoughts go back to Rachel who died in Canaan (48:7). Rachel was the love of his life and Joseph was her firstborn son. Because of that, Joseph’s two sons would receive the same inheritance as a firstborn son and, by so doing, Joseph would received a double portion.

Third, in this scene, Jacob tenderly says to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face again; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring” (48:11).

c) Jacob blesses Joseph himself (48:21-22). First, he blesses Joseph with God’s presence and God’s promise: “God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your father” (48:21). Then, he blesses Joseph, “as one above his brothers” with an extra portion of land, the land of Shechem (48:22).

d) Finally, Jacob utters his last words to his others sons (49:1-27), whom he gathers around him in order to “tell you what shall happen to you in days to come” (49:1). Here Jacob conducts a comprehensive and final assessment of each son’s life, uttering words of blessing, assigning appropriate rewards, and, where necessary rebuking them.

One by one Jacob addresses his twelve sons. It’s sad, isn’t it, that Jacob cannot unreservedly bless them all. It’s sad that he has such bad memories.

For Reuben, his firstborn son who should have been his father’s delight, the one he had hoped would carry on his legacy, turned out to have a serious character flaw - he was “unstable as water” (49:4a). He was unpredictable, undisciplined, erratic. In addition, Reuben had a serious moral failure: “You went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it” (49:4b), when he committed incest with Bilhah, Rachel’s maid and Jacob’s concubine (Gen. 35:22). Because of his character flaw and moral failure, Reuben would not “excel / have preeminence” (49:4a). Reuben was soundly disqualified for a position of leadership.

For Simeon and Levi he has words of condemnation for their murder of the men of Shechem (cf. 34:26) and for their self-will (49:5-7).

For Judah he has words of praise. Evidently, Judah had repented of the wrongs he had done in his life and put things right. Thus, Jacob sees Judah’s life marked by kingship: “The scepter shall not depart out of Judah… until Shiloh comes (49:10). Here, Jacob not only foresees the rise of Judah to kingship in Israel, but also (1) the rise of the Davidic kingship, and (2) the ultimate advent of the King of kings, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Messiah himself, great David’s greater Son (49:11-12).

After reviewing Zebulun (49:13), Issachar, (49:14-15), Dan (49:16-18), Gad (49:19), Asher (49:20), and Naphtali (49:21), for Joseph he has words of prosperity and blessing, “a fruitful bow by a well whose branches run over the wall” (49:22-26). And finally, Benjamin (49:27).

3. Jacob Dies (49:28-50:14)

“When Jacob had finished giving charges to his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people. Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him” (49:33-50:1). He was “gathered to his people,” a wonderful inference that for believers, death is not the end: for believers, we are united with our loved ones at death, at home with the Lord.

As the attentive son, Joseph weeps over his dead father (50:1). Undoubtedly, these were tears of grief over his father’s death. Undoubtedly, they were tears of respect, borne out of his deep love and reverence for his father. And undoubtedly, they were also tears of joy, that though he had been separated from his father at the young age of 17 he now had spent another 17 years with him before he died – another double blessing, one he had never anticipated. In effect, the years that the locust had eaten (Joel 2:25) were restored.

Joseph takes care of all the funeral arrangements (50:2-13). He has Jacob’s body embalmed and then carries out his father’s last request to be buried in Canaan. Such was Pharaoh’s respect for Joseph, that he grants Joseph’s father a royal send off, accompanied by “a very great gathering” of Pharaoh’s servants, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, together with all of Jacob’s household (except the little ones and their livestock) who carried Jacob’s body back to Canaan and buried him in the cave of Machpelah “which Abraham bought…as a burying place” (50:4-13).

What a royal send off for Jacob! How this must have made Joseph feel proud of his dear old dad. And what a testimony to Joseph’s faithfulness, abilities, and success that Pharaoh displayed. So great was this funeral procession that even the Canaanites marveled (50:11).

So ends the life of a great patriarch, one in whose life God overruled to ultimately bring good out of evil. Then...

II. Joseph’s Last Words And Death (50:15-26)

1. His Last Words Of Forgiveness And Promise To His Brothers (50:15-21)

While Joseph mourns for his father (50:10b) his brothers are thinking about their own future (50:15-17a). With their father dead, they fear that perhaps now Joseph would “repay (them) for all the evil they did to him” (50:15). Even though reconciliation had taken place, their guilt remains. Though Joseph had bent over backwards to show his genuine love and forgiveness and had provided for them wonderfully in Goshen, yet they still feared reprisal now that Jacob was dead. They must have thought that while Jacob was alive, Joseph held back his revenge just waiting until the old man was dead.

Memory can be absolutely tormenting, can’t it? Though we have been fully forgiven by Christ, the memory of sins we have committed still can haunt us. Sometimes I think that we just don't grasp the reality and the extent of God’s grace and forgiveness. Somehow we don't believe that it is really true, that we are fully forgiven and restored. In our relationships with other people, even though we may have been reconciled with someone we have wronged, yet we still think there is a barrier and we walk on eggshells every time we’re around them.

Joseph’s brothers just couldn’t accept the fact that Joseph could and had fully and genuinely forgiven them. Such love was beyond their comprehension. They evidently interpreted everything that Joseph had done for them as something he had done for his father from which they derived the benefit as long as their father was alive. But now that Jacob was dead, their protective shield was gone.

So, in the name of their father they send a message to Joseph through mediators (50:16a), begging Joseph to forgive them (50:16b-17a), making up a story that before his death their father had requested that Joseph do so.

Joseph had absolutely no thought of retaliation (50:17b-18). In fact, so far was it from his mind that “Joseph wept when they spoke to him” (50:17b). It is incomprehensible to him how they could even think that. That was then and this is now. The old has passed and the new has come as far as Joseph is concerned. He doesn’t want to go back over the past again nor does he want his brothers to continue living with this unwarranted fear.

As soon as they are assured that Joseph’s previous forgiveness was genuine and unconditional, his brothers come to him face to face and “fell down before his face and said, ‘Behold we are your servants’” (50:18). This was the farthest thing from Joseph’s mind. Had he not treated them beyond anything they could ask or think? Apparently, they wanted to try to repay him by serving him.

This is the way so many Christians think and act. After they have committed sin and been forgiven and reconciled to God, they live under this canopy of servitude that somehow they have to regain God’s favor. But God’s forgiveness is rooted in his sovereign grace, not in our works or merit. We cannot earn his forgiveness, not when we are first saved and not when we sin as Christians – it’s all of grace. We can’t somehow pay God back for the wrong we have done, to try to do so is evidence that we never really understood God’s grace to start with.

Now notice the nature of Joseph’s last words...

Joseph’s last recorded words are comforting words (50:19). “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?” (50:19). These must have been comforting words to his brothers. Joseph’s attitude hasn’t changed. Revenge is not part of his thinking or character. He would not judge them – that is God’s sovereign work. Nor are they his servants to worship him as God. They are his brothers. They have nothing to fear. “Don’t be afraid” must be some of the most comforting words anyone could ever hear, especially Joseph’s brothers. Joseph’s last words are comforting words. And…

Joseph’s last words are spiritual words (50:20). “But as for you, you meant it for evil against me but God meant it for good in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (50:20). Joseph’s attitude hasn’t changed nor has his theology. All that had happened was according to God’s providence. God had overruled in all his circumstances to ensure that the Egyptians and his own family would be preserved throughout the massive famine to fulfill the vision Joseph had had those many years before - dreams do come true. God had been true to his word, albeit in ways that Joseph had never anticipated. Joseph stood firm in the understanding that all that had happened was under God’s providential care and control.

What do we mean by the term providence? My definition is that the word “providence” means taking care of something in advance, making provision for something beforehand. God’s providence, then, refers to his sovereign preservation and sustenance of all things with a view to achieving his divine purposes. Divine providence is that aspect of the sovereignty of God which has to do with his care and control of all things, which, of course, is possible because God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.

Joseph had told his brothers before about God’s providence, that all that had happened was under God’s providential care and control (45:5-8), and he repeats it again to them now. Back then, he hadn’t mentioned their part, that “you meant evil against me,” only that “God meant it for good.” But now, it appears that Joseph knew that his brothers needed their sin to be named so that it was all out in the open and so that it could be put aside once and for all. That’s a principle of forgiveness and reconciliation - the sin needs to be named and confessed. And though his brothers didn't seem able to do it themselves, Joseph knew that that was what they needed.

So, Joseph’s last words are comforting words and spiritual words and…

Joseph’s last words are kind words (50:21). “So, do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones. Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them” (50:21). His brothers words to him and about him those many years before had been words of vindictiveness and contempt and hatred. But Joseph’s last words to them are words of comfort and kindness. They did not need to be afraid of him or of the consequences of how that had treated him. No, in return Joseph would take care of them – their younger brother becomes their guardian and caregiver.

Surely, this is a reflection of the heart of God. This is the teaching of Jesus being lived out before them – to love your enemies and do good to those who hate you (Matt. 3:44; Lk. 6:27).

Lastly, Joseph’s last words are assuring words (50:24-26). “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” (50:24). The promise of God stands firm and Joseph passes it on to his brothers. They will inhabit once more the land that God had promised to Abraham. And just as Jacob made Joseph vow to bury him in Canaan, so Joseph makes his brothers vow to bury him there as well (50:25). “So, Joseph died, being 110 years old, They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt” (50:26). Thus ends the life of a great man of God.

Final Remarks

What a contrast between Joseph’s life and his father Jacob’s. What a difference in their last words. On the one hand, Jacob’s last words are words of blessing mixed with words of regret, sorrow, and bad memories. But Joseph’s last words are gracious, kind, and full of hope.

Joseph is a beautiful type our Lord Jesus Christ. Some people don’t think Joseph is a type of Christ because nowhere does the Bible explicitly state that. But neither does it explicitly state that David was a type of Christ. Yes, I understand that technically a “type” is an event, thing or person that points forward to something to come, and that often the Bible states that such event or person is, in fact, a type. But surely, when we say that someone, like Joseph or David is a type, we are merely saying that they are typical of Christ in character and / or conduct. Surely, when you read that Joseph was his father’s beloved son, who was rejected by his brothers, cast into a pit and sold for 20 pieces of silver, who was falsely accused and unjustly condemned, and who was ultimately raised to the supreme position over all the land - surely, when you read that, it doesn’t take a PhD to figure out what the writer is trying to tell us – Joseph is a type of Christ. In all his rejection and false accusations and imprisonment not once is there a hint of malice, or revenge against his enemies. Is this not a beautiful reflection of the One who “when he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Pet. 2:23)?

Joseph is an example to us of to how to live for God, even under appallingly adverse circumstances both at home and at work. He is the example of one who fully understood and trusted the providence of God. Remember: Joseph’s God is our God, a God who is absolutely trustworthy and a God who works providentially in our lives to bring good out of evil. Joseph knew that truth and he lived it. Despite and out of all the cruelty and discouragements Joseph had suffered in his lifetime, God had providentially worked all things together for good.

This story does not explain evil and unjust suffering. It explains how to respond to evil and unjust suffering, (1) by seeing it from God’s perspective and submitting to God’s purposes in it; (2) by demonstrating the grace of God to those who have wronged us – grace that is beyond human comprehension; (3) by drawing others to the God of grace for forgiveness. Seeing things from this perspective helps us to endure. When we look around us at ground level all we see are the circumstances and the evil and we begin to get all tied up with ourselves. But when we see it from God’s overall plan (not just for our lives but for the blessing of others), then it helps us to endure it.

Gene Getz tells the story of Dr. Victor Frankl when he was taken prisoner by the Nazis and confined to a concentration camp. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist. Because he was in good health, rather than being ushered off to the gas chamber he had to work long hours in the field. People working alongside Frankl were dying everyday. By his own confession, he too was rapidly losing hope. His body grew weaker day by day and his ability to cope deteriorated rapidly. One morning when the guards came to arouse all the prisoners, he could hardly drag himself from his cot. Once on the edge of his bed, he tied his clothes on with bits of wire and tied his shoes on his feet with string. His guards gave him a crust of bread as he joined the other prisoners and plodded across the frozen ground, heading for the mine fields. As he walked, Frankl felt he was going to fall over and die. During that dark moment that seemed like hours, he mustered enough mental and emotional energy to think about his approach to helping others cope with suffering.

Over the years, Frankl had developed a philosophy of counselling that he called “logotherapy.” This therapy was designed by Frankl to help others “see meaning” in pain and suffering. But, what meaning could Frankl possibly see in what was happening to him? As they trudged along, struggling between life and death, he pictured himself lecturing in an auditorium filled with people. In his mind, he was speaking on the subject of logotherapy and how he had survived a Nazi concentration camp by practicing the principles embodied in this approach to enduring incredible weakness and pain and by not giving up when every fiber in your mind and body is crying out to do so! The only meaning he could think of that time was to be able to stand before this crowd of people and share with them that his therapy worked. By processing in his mind this possibility Frankl gained enough courage and strength to make it through the day. He then made it through another day and another until the war was over and he was released.

Getz goes on to say, “I love to tell the rest of the story. A number of years ago, my wife and I attended a lecture at the University of Dallas. The guest speaker was none other than Victor Frankl. Though I had read the account of his experience earlier in one of his books, what a moment of awe to hear him share the story from his own lips. What he had seen in his mind’s eye – which gave him strength to endure the suffering – was being lived out before our very eyes. There he stood, lecturing on the subject of how he endured the ravages of a Nazi concentration camp by seeing this particular meaning in his suffering – the opportunity to tell us about it. As I sat and listened to Dr. Frankl, my heart was deeply moved. Here was a man who at the dark moment in his life did not claim to embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ – that He was Messiah. However, he discovered a very important principle that Jesus taught – a principle that worked even for him. He was able to believe that “good” could come from this terrible experience precipitated by the very embodiment of evil – Hitler himself” (Gene Getz, “Joseph” in Men of Character, 194-195).

Victor Frankl did not have a divine perspective and yet he survived by practicing the principle that what others intended for evil could somehow be turned to good ends. How much better that we have a divine perspective, not manipulating our minds in order to survive the adversities of life but trusting God that he is in control and that in the end, though we may not understand how, he can use evil circumstances for good.

Remember our thesis: How our lives end often reflects how we lived.

A ministry of…

Author: Dr. Roger Pascoe, President,
Email: [email protected]

I. Strengthening Expository Preaching
Preaching Hebrew Poetry (Pt. 2)

In the last edition of this journal (Summer 2021), I introduced you to some of the literary characteristics of Hebrew poetry. We examined the following…

A. The types of Psalms

B. The rhetorical purpose and function of the Psalms

C. The rhetorical structure of Hebrew poetry

D. The literary devices in Hebrew poetry

In this edition, I will give a brief overview of two additional aspects preaching Hebrew poetry…

E. Preaching Applications From Hebrew Poetry

In general, make sure that you interpret and apply each Psalm in a way that is consistent with its theological and historical context. While the plight or complaint of the psalmist and God’s people in general may also be our plight or complaint, nonetheless we must make sure that we do not always try to make a direct transfer from the psalmist’s context to ourselves. For example, unlike the psalmist, we are not waiting in despair and hope for the future Messianic redemption – rather, from our place in redemption history, the Messiah has already come! This, therefore, gives us a different perspective, even though we face similar life-circumstances perhaps.

Nonetheless, preaching Hebrew poetry helps our audiences to gain a biblical and practical perspective in several areas of life application.

1. Hebrew poetry describes real events and experiences. Take, for example, David’s sin of adultery, following which his conscience tormented him day and night with a profound awareness of his guilt (Ps. 51:3). Indeed, he expresses the intense psychosomatic effect of inward silence and outward groaning as he tried, for a period of time, to cover up his sin (Ps. 32:3-4).

These Psalms describe a very raw and real experience. Though you may not have committed this kind of sin, nonetheless I think we can all testify to experiencing similar afflictions of the soul due to sin in our lives until we confess it, repent of it, and get right with God and those we have offended.

2. Hebrew poetry acts like poetic music, inspiring us to see our life situation from an eternal perspective. For example, Habakkuk 3:17-19 is a wonderfully poetic motivation for maintaining our hope in God, even when our lives and the future seem bleak.

3. Hebrew poetry activates our emotions by identifying with the writers’ personal experiences and responses. For example, we identify with the perplexity of the psalmist concerning the apparent prosperity of the wicked in Psalm 73 in comparison to his own situation.

In biblical poetic literature, the whole spectrum of human emotion is covered. It’s important to bring this out when you preach biblical poetry since we are emotional creatures and we need to know how to express our emotional responses to various life situations before God.

4. Hebrew poetry stretches our imagination. Not only has God made us with emotion but also with imagination. When you preach biblical poetry, try to close your eyes and mentally reconstruct the scene, appropriately and discreetly. Here are three poetic characteristics that will help you in this area:

a) Identify figures of speech - they help you to picture the situation of the writer. Psalm 40:1 describes the movement of the writer, as someone else described it, “From the mire to the choir.” In the way that the writer has expressed his situation, you can imagine him literally climbing out of the pit of despair and beginning to sing God’s praises (cf. also Ps. 42:1; Lam. 1:14). It’s important to be able to see and understand figures of speech, like personification, simile, metaphor etc.

b) Note frankness of speech – it helps you to grasp the seriousness of the writer. In Jeremiah 20, Jeremiah is in the stocks (20:2) as he recalls God’s promise to protect him. In 20:7-10, the writer is in despair, then in 20:13 he’s hopeful, and then in 20:14-18 despair again. This transparency in expressing the vicissitudes of emotional responses helps you grasp the seriousness of the writer’s life situation and his response to it.

c) Appreciate the fullness of speech – it indicates to you the subject of the writer. For example, after exhorting Israel to repent (Hosea 14:1-3), the writer describes the full range of God’s restoration of Israel – their renewal from apostasy, their revival to new life, and their restoration to God (Hosea 14:4-7).

5. Hebrew poetry helps us with interpretation. We are aided in our interpretation of Hebrew poetry by recognizing its use of various poetic literary devices, such as…

a) Parallelism. I already discussed this at some length in the previous edition of this journal (Summer 2021). Just to add to those comments, the essence of Semitic poetry is its parallel construction. Hebrew poetry is largely based on the echo principle – the writer calls out and it is repeated back like and echo. For example, Psalm 1:5, “The wicked will not stand up in the judgement (the call out)…. nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous (the echo).” Notice that “the wicked” equates to “sinners” (synonymous parallelism) and “judgement” contrasts to “the assembly of the righteous” (antithetic / contrasting parallelism). Thus, the writer, by way of poetic parallelism, is describing the truth that the wicked will not participate in the assembly of the righteous when they are raised for judgement.

b) Repetition. Here are a few examples:

Psalm 136, “His faithful love endures forever” (repeated as a refrain in each of the 26 verses).

Isaiah 5, “Woe to those who…” (repeated 6 times in 5:8, 11, 18, 20, 21, 22), culminating with “woe is me” (6:5). It’s easy to proclaim woe on others, but we need to include ourselves.

Amos 4: “Yet you did not return to me. This is the Lord’s declaration” (repeated in 4: :6, 8, 9, 10, 11), culminating with the warning, “…prepare to meet your God” (4:12).

c) Word plays. Jeremiah 1:11 uses the symbolism of an almond tree. The almond tree was known as the “watching / awakening tree” because it was the first tree to bloom in spring. Hence, in a play on words, God says, “I am watching” (Jeremiah 1:12) – one letter different from the word used for almond tree. Every year Jeremiah saw the almond tree bloom, and God was still watching over his word to fulfill it.

Again, in Amos 8:1, God showed the prophet a basket of summer fruit. This was the last fruit of the season. Hence, God says, “the end has come” (8:2). Most of us read the O.T. in a translation in our own language, which makes it difficult for us to see and bring out word plays.

d) Figures of speech. Psalm 1 likens a godly person to “a tree planted beside flowing streams” (v. 3) in contrast to an ungodly person who is like “chaff that the wind blows away” (v. 4). Thus, through the use of simile, the contrast is clear – the godly person is morally and spiritually stable, strong, immovable, while the ungodly person is morally and spiritually unstable, fragile, changeable, and unfruitful (cf. also Isa. 17:12-13 re: chaff).

f) Acrostics. An acrostic is a composition that uses letters of the alphabet to form a word or phrase. This literary device acts as a memory system. Probably one of the most well-known of these biblical acrostics is Psalm 119, in which each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet serves as the opening letter of 8 verses about the Scriptures. Similarly, the book of Lamentations is composed completely in acrostic format.

6. Hebrew poetry enables us to…

a) Memorize the Word – e.g. walk, sit, stand (Ps. 1)

b) Meditate on the Word – “The Lord is my Shepherd”

c) Minister the Word by, for example, preaching either a single sermon (e.g. Psalm 23) or series (e.g. Psalms of ascent, 120-134) or by preaching one of each type of Psalm.

7. Hebrew poetry provides illustrations by...

a) Quoting a biblical writer to illustrate a point – e.g. “As the Psalmist says…” or, “As the Song of Solomon puts it…”

b) Explaining a figure, symbol, or picture – e.g. Ps 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

c) Applying a verse to another Scripture. E.g. Ps. 107:29 applied to Matt. 8:23-27.

8. Hebrew Poetry provides patterns for us to imitate, such as…

a) Confession of sin (e.g. Psalm 51)

b) Confidence in the Lord (e.g. Psalm 27:3)

c) Celebration of God’s glory – for example…

Ps. 19:1-6, God’s glory in creation

Ps. 106, God’s glory in history

Mic. 7:18-19, God’s glory in redemption

F. Two Helpful Hints For Preaching Poetic Literature

If you preach a series on the Psalms, it is useful to give an introductory sermon on the types, settings, structure, and theology of the Psalter. Then, as you prepare your sermon…

1. Look for the summary verse of the passage, a key verse that summarizes or puts into perspective the whole passage. For example, in Psalm 73, the psalmist observes the lives of ungodly people in comparison to his own life (73:1-14) and cannot understand why the wicked seem to prosper, “…until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end” (73:16-17). Everything came into perspective when he realized that God is sovereign and in control. He does judge the wicked.

You see the same development with Job. He complained that God’s power was visible in creation but that His word was only faintly heard and his actions hard to understand (Job 26). But later Job realized that God’s ways can only be properly understood when we hear him personally, which, of course, is exactly how he finally understood God’s ways in his life when God spoke to him out of the whirlwind (38:1).

2. Look for the theological emphasis of the passage. We learn much of our theology from the poetic literature of the Bible. Hence, we need to find the theological perspective of the book and of the specific passage within the book. Then, our job is to relate that theological perspective to the realities of life. As Graeme Goldsworthy points out, “The Psalms, then, reflect upon the saving deeds of God and upon human failings… Some of the psalms rehearse salvation history, others simply extol God’s greatness, and still others cry out in distress with a longing for restoration” (Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, 196-197).

If you are going to preach theology from the poetic books, this will often require you to preach a theological topic, drawing on other texts to complement the particular passage. For example, the poetic books raise the big questions about life and articulate the complaint, but they don’t always give a definitive, enduring answer. Job certainly got an answer from God but it was only partial. It is one thing to say: “Job you need to trust my sovereignty.” That is true, but we are looking for a more concrete answer. For that, we, as preachers, must turn to the prophets and the N.T. where we find a definitive theology of the meaning and purpose of life, the apparent injustices of the human experience, and where God is in all this. There we find that the answer to the quest for meaning and deliverance from our circumstances is the provision of a “Messiah.”

II. Strengthening Biblical Leadership
“The Ministry Of Reconciliation, Pt. 2: The Reconciliation Of God’s People” (2 Cor. 6:1-7:16)

1. An Appeal For The Reconciliation Of God's People To God (6:1-2). “We then, as workers together with Him, also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain” (6:1). Our ministry of reconciliation is not only directed towards unbelievers, but towards God’s people as well (cf. comments on p.10). The Corinthians certainly needed to be reconciled to God after the debacle that had occurred in their church – that’s the context (cf. 1 Cor.). In ministry, we are “God’s co-workers” (1 Cor. 3:9), “working together with him” (2 Cor. 6:1a). It is his ministry and we work with him as his ambassadors, his spokespersons, his representatives.

As such, we not only proclaim a message of reconciliation to the world, but a message of reconciliation to God’s people. We plead with the world to “be reconciled to God” because their relationship with God is fractured, distant – they have never been reconciled to God. And “we also appeal to you (Corinthian believers), ‘Don’t receive the grace of God in vain’” (6:1b). They had at one time “received” the grace of God – i.e. been reconciled to God through his grace in Christ. But evidently these Christians were not now living like reconciled people. It seemed as though they had received the grace of God “in vain” – i.e. they didn’t look or act like people who had been reconciled to God.

How is it possible to receive the grace of God in vain? Is Paul insinuating that they had never really, genuinely been reconciled to God at all, that their profession of faith was disingenuous? No, there is never any question in the apostle’s mind that they were genuine believers.

Is Paul saying that they had once been saved but now were lost again? Hardly, since this would contradict the plain teaching of the N.T. as to the eternal security of the believer (e.g. Phil. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:5; Jn. 10:27-30).

Is Paul still speaking to “the world” (2 Cor. 5:19) and not to believers? No, the wording of this verse (2 Cor. 6:1) indicates that he is turning his exhortation to a different audience than in the previous chapter, since (a) he now addresses “you” not “them” (cf. 2 Cor. 5:19); (b) “also” would indicate that he is applying what he has just said to someone else; and (c) “receive the grace of God in vain” must surely have in view those who have already made a profession of faith – not “the world” who have not “received the grace of God” at all, much less “in vain.”

So, why does the apostle exhort them here to not “receive the grace of God in vain”? Well, I suppose because their behavior and theology were questionable. As to their behaviour, it was clearly worldly in nature - their divisions, boasting over sexual immorality, suing one another in court, divorcing etc. That would certainly call into question the sincerity of their faith. And as to their theology, the Corinthians appeared to be accepting a corrupted gospel (2 Cor. 11:3-4; cf. Gal. 1:6-9). That would make the apostle question the sincerity of their faith. They were living for themselves and not “for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15). That would certainly render the gospel of no effect in their lives and testimonies. Their activities were like “wood, hay, straw” and not “gold, silver, costly stones” (1 Cor. 3:10-15). That would render the gospel practically void in their lives.

It seems then that the apostle Paul is questioning the sincerity of their profession of faith because of these things – their behavior and theology. Thus, he is urging the Corinthians to live in a way which is consistent with those who have “received the grace of God,” so that their faith would not be empty, void, fruitless; so that their behaviour and thinking would not contradict their profession; so that they would not to turn away now from what they had heard from him and previously received; so that they would not prove to be like Eve who was led astray by Satan’s deception “from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3).

It is so easy to turn the grace of God into carnality, lewdness and, thus, render your faith fruitless, empty, void of reality, power, and substance. It’s so easy to say you believe the gospel of Christ and then to act contrary to that belief. I suppose to some extent we are all guilty of that from time to time when we allow sin in our lives. But “if we confess our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9), so that such sin does not become a practice with us, is not characteristic of us; so that we do not render the grace of God null and void, of no effect, mere vain words without reality.

And by way of reminder, Paul says: “For He says: ‘At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation” (6:2). Quoting from Isaiah, Paul reminds the Corinthians that there was a day of salvation set by God when he would proclaim the good news to them; that “acceptable time” when God heard them and helped them; the time when the gospel had been proclaimed to them by Paul, God’s ambassador; that time when they responded to the message of reconciliation, when they “received the grace of God.”

“Now is the acceptable time.” “Now” means the present age of grace, the age in which they had responded positively to the call of the prophet Isaiah (cf. Isa. 49:8). “Now” is “The acceptable year of the Lord” (Lk. 4:18-19; cf. Isa. 49:8-9; 61:1-2). This is not the “times of ignorance” (Acts 17:30) which God overlooked, but the time that God has appointed in which he “now commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). It’s the acceptable time because God has appointed it – “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…” (Gal. 4:4). That’s why it is the acceptable year of our Lord, the year of our Lord’s favor, because Christ has come and the fullness of the gospel has been made known.

“Now is the day of salvation.” It is the present period of God’s grace through Christ, when He is calling people to repent and believe the gospel. So, don’t forget the day of your salvation. It was a day appointed by God, a significant day on your calendar. We should always remember what God did for us in Christ and when that became reality in our lives as the result of God's sovereign appointment. Hence, don’t live now as though the grace of God was in vain. That’s the point!

So, first, Paul makes “An Appeal For The Reconciliation Of God's People To God (6:1-2). And then he makes…

2. An Appeal For The Reconciliation Of God's People To God's Minister (6:3-7:16). Not only did the Corinthians need to be reconciled to God by demonstrating that they had not “received the grace of God in vain,” but they needed to be reconciled to the one who had brought them the good news of the grace of God – Paul himself. The greatest commendation of the apostle is his authenticity in ministry (cf. 2:17; 4:2). So, firstly, he appeals for their reconciliation to him based on his commendable ministry, by reminding them of his exemplary life that commends the ministry and the minister. And, secondly, he appeals for their reconciliation to him based on his pastoral heart, by reminding them of his care, devotion, and sensitivity.

a) An appeal for reconciliation based on a commendable ministry (6:3-10). “³ We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed. ⁴ Instead, as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything…” (6:3-4a).

If the Corinthians were living and thinking in ways that were contrary to the gospel, whose grace they had received, and if they were distancing themselves from the apostle for wrong reasons, then they must consider the life and ministry of the man who had preached that gospel to them. No pleading with his audience (6:1-2) is of any value if the minister of the gospel does not lead an exemplary personal life. No reconciliation with God's people would be possible if the minister himself is not authentic. Indeed, the authentic minister does not want anything in himself to detract from or hinder the work of the gospel. God's minister must not give “anyone an occasion for offense” that would hinder the reconciliation of God's people to him. “We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense, so that the ministry will not be blamed” (6:3).

What good would it be for a minister to entreat the people of God to live lives that are pleasing to God (lives that show that the “grace of God” is authentic in them – i.e. not “in vain”) if the minister himself was not doing so? And what good would it be for the minister to appeal to his people to be reconciled in their relationship to him if his life and ministry were disingenuous in any way (i.e. not credible; hypocritical)?

Thus, Paul says, “Working together with him (Christ), we also appeal to you, ‘Don’t receive the grace of God in vain… We are not giving anyone an occasion for offense... Instead, as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything” (6:1-4a). Paul wanted to stress to the Corinthians that what he was expecting of them was first true of him. He had not given anyone an occasion for stumbling or to take offence or to denigrate the gospel. This does not mean that people would not take offense at what he said from time to time (for the preaching of the authentic minister of Christ is “offensive” in the sense that it hits people in areas where they fail, are weak, inconsistent; it pricks people’s consciences; it says what they do not want to hear).

Rather, “as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything.” The minister’s personal life (behaviour, speech, attitude, relationships etc.) must be fully consistent with the message of reconciliation which he preaches in order for those who hear (both believers and unbelievers) to not find anything that would obstruct their acceptance of the message.

Does your life and testimony commend you in all aspects of your ministry? Your preaching can be neutralized so easily by a wrong word, an improper relationship, questionable ethical practices, inappropriate humour, hypocrisy etc. You can be so easily characterized among those who are “holding to the form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:5).

A commendable ministry overcomes a diversity of circumstances, such as (i) physical suffering (6:4c-5), (ii) ethical standards (6:6-7b), and (iii) paradoxical realities (6:8-10).

(i) Physical suffering is characterized here “by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardships, by difficulties, by beatings, by imprisonments, by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger” (6:4b-5). No matter what the circumstances (cf. 2 Cor. 4:8-11), Paul endured as “one who sees him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27). He pursued as his goal “the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). He had his eye on the ultimate goal and on the One he served (not on people or circumstances). His focus was unwavering (cf. Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:16-18; Phil. 3:8-14).

Those of us in ministry can certainly attest to the demands of ministry which require “great endurance,” be it emotional demands, circumstantial trials, spiritual attacks, relational disruptions, physical demands etc. This is what is so commendable about Paul’s ministry in the face of so much suffering and opposition and hardship.

Our ministry is commendable when we endure physical suffering (6:4b-5). Physical suffering has three aspects - physical adversity, physical opposition, and physical deprivation. Such endurance of contrary circumstances is highly commendable and evidence of a minister’s authenticity, for who would endure such suffering if you weren’t genuine.

Physical adversity is described as “afflictions, hardships, and difficulties” (6:4b). This triplet uses three interconnected (almost synonymous) terms to describe the sufferings in general that attend ministry.

“Afflictions” connotes more than simply troubles. It seems to be a general term for suffering of all kinds. Vine defines afflictions as sufferings due to the pressure of circumstances or the antagonism of persons (1 Thess. 3:4; 2 Thess. 1:6, 7). It seems to have an almost eschatological connotation (e.g. Matt. 24:9). Invariably, Vine says, it refers to “that which comes upon them from without” (W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words, 30, 31.) It seems to be closely related to anguish, distress, calamities.

Paul’s “afflictions” are recorded in Acts (e.g. 14:22; 20:23; cf. also 2 Tim. 3:11) and he makes frequent reference to them in his epistles (e.g. Rom. 8:35-36; 2 Cor. 1:4, 8; 2:4; 4:8, 17; 8:2, 13; 1 Thess. 3:3). Paul takes comfort that his sufferings were an extension of “Christ’s afflictions” (Col. 1:24). It is simply part and parcel of ministry life (2 Tim. 4:5). Jesus warned that “in the world you will have tribulation” (Jn. 16:33) and that is certainly true in ministry.

“Hardships” refers to dangers and difficulties that befall us, while “difficulties” conveys the sense of being pressed into a narrow place from which you cannot escape, So, physical suffering includes physical adversity and also…

Physical opposition is described as “beatings, imprisonments, and riots...” (6:5a) This triplet focuses on the mistreatment we may suffer at the hands of those who oppose us – suffering as a result of persecutions, violence, and hostility. “Beatings” obviously refers to whipping or blows, of which the apostle suffered many. “Imprisonments” are suffering as a result of false accusations - specifically, being thrown into prison for the sake of the gospel (cf. Acts 16:24; 24:23-27; 28:16, 30). “Riots” has to do with disturbances and mob attacks and the like, such as we read about often in the book of Acts (cf. Acts 13:45; 14:19; 17:5; 18:12-17; 19:29; 21:30; 22:22-23; 23:10).

So, suffering for the sake of ministry includes physical adversity, physical opposition, and…

Physical deprivations are “...labors, sleepless nights, hunger...” (6:5b). This last triplet describes the physical consequences that may befall one who is so wholly devoted to the ministry that he suffers from overwork in hard circumstances (e.g. strange, foreign places), and the deprivation of rest and food. “Labours” implies deprivation of rest, physical exhaustion from long hours and hard work (cf. 1 Thess. 2:9). “Sleepless nights” obviously is the deprivation of sleep, perhaps due to the places Paul had to sleep (e.g. on board ships), or due to his concern for the people, or due to the workload (cf. 2 Cor. 11:27), particularly of someone who was bi-vocational. “Hunger” is the deprivation of food and nourishment, again, perhaps because of his workload he didn’t have time to eat or, perhaps because he couldn’t afford to eat (cf. 1 Cor. 4:11-12; 2 Cor. 11:27).

So, the work of the ministry is one that requires “great endurance” for in it, from time to time, we will face and must endure physical sufferings in its various aspects, such as physical adversity, physical opposition, and physical deprivations. I will continue this study in the next edition of this Pastors Journal.

III. Sermon Outlines

Title: Learning from Jesus, Part 2, Confessing His Identity (Matt. 16:13-23)

Theme: When we know Jesus, we must be prepared to confess who he is and what he has done

Point 1: Jesus ask a question about his identity (16:13-20)

1a) “Who do people say that I am?” (16:13-14)

1b) “Who do you say that I am?” (16:15-20)

- Peter’s great confession (16:16)

- Jesus great revelation (16:17-20)

Point 2: Jesus prophesies about his sufferings (16:21-23)

2a) Peter’s rebuke of Jesus (16:22)

2b) Jesus’ rebuke of Peter (16:23)

A ministry of…

作者: Roger Pascoe博士, 主席,
邮箱: [email protected]

I. 加强讲解式讲道
传讲希伯来诗歌（第一部分）

让我对诗歌和体裁做一些简短的评论以开始这篇文章。显然，诗篇属于诗歌，按照更宽泛的标准划分，智慧书（约伯记、箴言、传道书以及雅歌）也都属于诗歌。当然，按同样的标准来分，很多诗篇也属于智慧书的范畴。所以，根据体裁划分的时候，都会有交叉重叠。就像Kaiser所说，“将近三分之一的旧约和一些惊人数量的新约都属于诗歌体” 。(My Heart is Stirred, in Walter Kaiser and Moises Silva, An Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics, 86)

按着宽泛的划分标准看一下旧约的诗歌，也就是包含所有的智慧书。这些诗歌通常被划分为“文集”，不同于律法书（妥拉）和先知书,在正典中位于这两者之间。因此，正典的结构尊重和体现了文集与律法书、先知书之间迥然不同的风格和内容。“文集中所包含的…这些书显明了它们与律法、先知书的关系—它们既不是律法书也不是先知书。事实上，虽然文集和律法书、先知书有许多相似的地方，但是它们的世界观截然不同”。(C. Hassell Bullock, Preaching the Poetic Literature in Handbook of Contemporary Preaching, ed. Michael Duduit, 293)

虽然诗篇的目的和主要作用一直被用于礼拜仪式（敬拜歌唱、哀痛等），但是它们既然被包含在正典里面，我们就有权来传讲，而不仅仅是敬拜歌唱。毕竟，它们包含了很深的理论，也说明了不论是以歌唱来敬拜还是讲道来敬拜，都是对神的恰当回应。

但不论怎样，我们都要确切地认识到，诗歌的风格要求我们在诠释和讲道的时候反映出它特殊的体裁。我们需要在整个诗篇的背景和神学理论下来理解它们。“诗篇是…一本赞美的书，颂扬神，我们的造物主和救赎主，通过律法书，通过在历史中启示自己，给了以色列新生命的可能以及应该如何过他们的生活的指示” (William Dumbrell, The Faith of Israel, 212, 被引用于Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, 200)。

因此整个诗篇的主题是救赎，集中于神（他是所立之约的百姓的伟大君王）以及他在历史中的救赎作为。就像Graeme Goldsworthy写的，“传道人需要不断地将他的听众带回到以福音为中心的对神的认识上” (Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture, 201)。

那么，对于基督徒教会来说，什么才是恰当地运用诗篇？显然，可以像圣经里那样使用它们，即作为一本歌唱的书，作为原始听众对神的回应，为了神的救赎赞美他，这对我们来说也是恰当的，我们也应该如此回应神。新约作者和耶稣自己都大量引用了诗篇，来预言耶稣，以及作为他们神学理论的来源和支持。比如，保罗在罗马书3:10-18中引用诗篇来说明人类的罪恶。（诗篇在新约中的引用多于其他任何旧约书籍，共计直接和间接的引用共计约350处）。

显然，救赎（基督的死和复活）以及它对人类的影响，或义人得救或恶人定罪（就像诗篇1所显示的），是诗篇的伟大主题。

下面让我们来看看诗篇，它作为希伯来诗歌的体裁。

A.诗篇的类型

这里有不同类型的诗篇，比如教诲的（比如诗篇1）；救赎主的（比如诗篇2）；神的创造（比如诗篇19）；哀哭的（比如诗篇22）；救赎的历史（比如诗篇78）；赞美的（比如诗篇96）。

B.它们修辞的目的和功能

诗篇是希伯来诗歌，反映了诗歌的文学结构及其与之相关的手法。就像Tom Long说的，“最终形成诗篇的，里面的每一篇，就像Patrick D. Miller, Jr.说的，‘在信仰团体（犹太人和基督徒）的敬拜中不断发挥着广泛地作用‛” (Thomas Long, Preaching the Literary Forms of the Bible, 44, 引用于 Patrick D. Miller, Jr., Interpreting the Psalms, 20).。

就像戏剧一样，诗篇的文学作用也是唤起人们的情感和想象。它能够超越理性，引起内心深刻的回应。诗歌改变我们的想法和感受，不是通过堆砌我们不知道的事实或有说服力的论证，而是通过在我们想象中深刻和关键的地方进行微妙的调节。Long以诗篇42:1为例，“神啊，我的心切慕你，如鹿切慕溪水”。浓缩的话语在我们的脑海中扩展成一副巨大的图画，然后诗人将这副图画和我们的属灵实际联系起来，也就是我们与神之间的关系。

诗篇不仅仅在深刻的、亲密的、虔诚的层面上（比如祷告、默想神），而且也在实践的牧养层面上（比如葬礼、婚礼、庆典、疾病、失望等）对我们说话。在这些场合，诗篇的话既有当代的新鲜感符合当时的场合，但也具有传统的形式和可重复性.“诗篇中包含了愤怒、放弃和失望，不仅说明了信仰的生活里会有这样的情绪，而且这样的经历是重复的、可预测和预料的”（Long, 46）

C.它们的修辞结构

诗篇的形式紧凑、简洁、强烈，词语的使用也不同于其他的文学形式，这些都是诗本身的特点。就像Robert Alter说的，“诗通过声音、图像、文字、节奏、句法、主题、思想的复杂联系系统而运作，是一种传达强烈意义，有时是相互矛盾的意义的工具，这些意义是不容易通过其他形式的话语表达的” (Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Poetry, 113, 引用于 Long, Preaching and the Literary Forms, 47)。

可能诗篇中最主要的修辞结构是并列。并列在诗篇中是那么有说服力和重要。McQuilkin说道，我们“利用希伯来诗歌的并列来洞察意义…希伯来诗的重要特征是上一行和下一行或者上一个部分和下一个部分之间思想上的一致或者说并列” (Robertson McQuilkin, Understanding and Applying the Bible, 199)。换种说法，并列是文学手法的一种，即诗中给出一行（A），接着给出下一行（B），而B和A两部分在内容上有联系。这种联系主要通过三种方式来实现：

1. 同义平行—B重复A中相似的思想，没有很大区别。比如：

a) 诗73:1, (A)神实在恩待正直的人…(B)恩待清心的人。

b) 箴 1:20, (A)智慧在街市上呼喊…(B)在宽阔处发声

c) 创. 4:23, (A)亚大、洗拉，听我的声音… (B)拉麦的妻子细听我的话语

d) 路 1:46b-47a, (A)我心尊主为大… (B)我灵以神我的救主为乐

2.对立的平行—B的思想与A中的思想对立或相反。比如

Prov. 10:1, (A)智慧之子使父亲快乐… (B)愚昧之子使母亲担忧。

Prov. 15:2, (A)智慧人的舌善发知识…(B)愚昧人的舌发出愚昧。

3.合成的平行—B中的思想延伸、提高、增加了A中的思想或者使A中的思想更清晰。比如：

Ps. 22:2, (A)我的神啊，我白日呼求，你不应允… (B)夜间呼求，并不住声。

Isa. 55:6-7, (A)当趁耶和华可寻找的时候寻找他…(B)相近的时候求告他(55:6); and (A)恶人当离弃自己的道路…(B)不义的人当除掉自己的意念(55:7)

这上面的每一种形式的平行都出现在，比如诗篇1中。敬虔人的特征在第一句中通过合成的平行得到加强；在第二句中，通过对立的平行与不义的人形成对比。诗篇接着展开了一幅有力的画面:义人就像一棵栽在水旁的树，而恶人就像易被吹散的糠秕。诗篇描写义人的空间比描写不义人的空间大得多，因此通过这种方式，作者间接地揭示了他的观点即我们应该像谁，这个观点在诗篇的末尾明确地说明了。

总而言之，Long指出，“这首诗篇的修辞效果，在读者或者听者的心里创造了两种截然不同的活动氛围。一个是充满了疯狂的、绝望的、没有方向的运动，很快就会失败。另外一个是一个智慧的人思考律法书所有的安稳的、坚定的、冷静的、富有安静和强有力的行为。一篇关于这首诗的有效的讲道不仅要描述这种对比，而且要在听众中再次形成这种视觉和情感影响” (Long, 51)。

D.它们的文学手法

让我指出两点，

1.象征 –比如 箴言11:22， “妇女美貌而无见识…如同金环戴在猪鼻子上。”

2.形象化比喻。我们怎么知道诗人在使用修辞手法而不是按字面意思表达呢？让我给你三个标准：

(a)主语和谓语不匹配—比如“神是我们的磐石”

(b) 描写主语动作的谓语，在现实世界是不可能的—比如“大山拍掌欢呼”

(c)诗人给出了戏剧性的重点、加强的感觉、值得记忆的东西。修辞的类型包括明喻、暗喻、比喻、寓言、反讽等。

在下一期的杂志中，我会从对诗篇理论性的分析（诗篇结构）转向实践，研究关于诗歌讲道的一些方面。

II.加强圣经化领导
“和好的职分，第一部分：与人和好（哥后5:18-21）”

这是我根据保罗在哥林多后书的教导，所写的一系列关于圣经化牧养领导文章的继续。您可以按此顺序在本杂志的以下版本中阅读本系列的其他文章：2013春，2021夏，2013夏，2013秋，2014冬，2021春。

已经阐述了牧养工作的各个基本方面—事奉中的信心，真正事奉的本质，事奉的动力—使徒保罗现在将这些从实际的层面上与我们联系起来。注意下面的观察…

1.和好的职分应用于我们（5:18a）。对于那些已经成为“基督里新造的人”，一个新的时代已经开始了。“旧事已过，都变成新的”（5:17b）。神是这一巨大的、具有历史性转变的源头。“一切都是出于神…”（5:18a）。那位在起初创造了天地万有的神，也是在基督里重新创造我们成为“新造的人” 的神。就像创造是神自己做成的，基督里的再创造也是神籍着耶稣基督自己做成的（参考提前2:5；约14:6；徒4:12）。

但是并不止于此。神不但在基督里给了我们全新的形象，而且他“…籍着基督使我们与他和好”（5:18a）。我们在基督里被神重新创造必然导致我们在基督里与神和好。这两点是一致的—我们被神重新创造和我们与神和好。

因此，和好是在基督里成为新造的重要组成部分，因为一旦我们成为新造，我们就得到从神而来的新生命，因此也与神和好。罪不再是我们与神之间关系的障碍。那个有罪生命，使我们成为神的仇敌，悖逆的儿子等（弗2:1-3），已经死了。我们已经从死里复活，有新生的样式（罗6:4）.我们与神之间关系，之前是破碎的（即有罪的受造物对比圣洁的神），现在已经藉着基督的死，与神和好了（罗5:10；弗2:13’）。

尽管最初因为人犯罪破坏了与神之间的关系，但是神是全能的、慈爱的，在过去的永恒中，构思了救赎的计划，以至于，藉着他儿子的死，“使人知道他自己为义，也称信耶稣的人为义”（罗3:26）。那位最初以主权创造了我们的神，也以主权重新创造了我们（弗2:10），使我们与他和好（罗5:10；歌1:21）。

2. 和好的职分托付于我们（5:18b-19）。我们已经在基督里成为新造的人，籍着基督与神和好，他就将“劝人与他和好的职分赐给我们”（5:18c）。那些已经与神和好的人，神就将“和好的职分…”这个极大的特权赐给他们。我们在基督里与神和好成为我们事奉的基础和动力。只有那些与神和好的人才被赐予这个和好的职分去传扬和好的信息，使其他的人能够与神和好，也与彼此和好。

简单地说，这就是我们被赐予，也是被呼召的职分。是盛在瓦器里，也是瓦器里产生的珍宝。这是荣耀的新约的职分，与神和好的信息，“…这就是神在基督里叫世人与自己和好…”（19a）。

现在 保罗详述5:18。神不仅“籍着基督”（基督是和好的中保），而且“在基督里”与我们和好—即神与基督合一。基督做的，也就是神做的。与人和好是三位一体的神的联合行动，他们总是有合一的思想、目的和行动。

此外，和好的范畴从“我们”扩展到世界——“这就是神在基督里叫世人与自己和好”（5:19a）。神在基督里的和好不仅使“与我们”和好成为可能，而且“与世人”和好成为可能。保罗指的是整个世界，通过使用代词“他们的”和“他们”，而不是“我们”（5:16,18），得到了加强—“…不将他们的过犯归到他们身上”（19b）。这不是说全世界每个人都得到救赎（见我的文章哥后5:14-17，本杂志39期）而是说和好的可能临到全世界—过去，现在和将来。过去，神提供和完成了世界与自己和好的唯一根基，也就是基督以及他十字架上的工作。现在，神与所有接受他的救恩以及和好道理的人和好，也就是蒙拣选的圣徒。将来，在世界的末了，神会叫万物和自己和好。“都是照他自己所预定的美意…要照所安排的，在日期满足的时候，使天上地上一切所有的，都在基督里面同归于一”（弗1:1；参考歌1:20）

总之，5:18-19的论证是这样的：神 “使我们（基督里新造的人）与他和好（5:18a），得到救赎，接着他“将劝人与他和好的职分赐给我们”（5:18b），这就是“神在基督里叫世人与自己和好，不将他们的过犯归到他们身上，并且将这和好的道理托付了我们” （5:19）。

那与神和好的人，得着新约“和好的职分”（5:18b），这职分是与神“和好的道理”（5:19b）所宣布的。这是神所委托给我们的—他已经把要宣讲的信息和话交托我们。这是我们的职分！和好的好消息即神在基督里籍着他在十字架上所成就的事，他已经交托给我们去传讲。显然，这说明我们的职分是一个宣讲的职分，它与十字架上和好的工作本身有着相同的范畴——即普遍性。

3. 我们宣讲和好的职分（5:20-21）。“所以，我们做基督的使者，就好像神籍我们劝你们一般。我们替基督求你们与神和好”（5:20）。在和好的职分里，我们这些已经籍着耶稣基督与神和好的人是“基督的使者”。

那么，这个和好的职分该如何执行呢？它的执行方式就像大使执行职责一样。大使是他的国家政府或者元首在另一个国家的外交代表。他向被派遣国的政府或君王传达他所代表的政府或君主的立场或愿望。

我们是“基督的使者”。我们是他在世界的代表，被授予权柄替他传讲他的信息。我们是他在这个世界的声音，“神籍我们劝你们…”。当我们作为基督的使者，通过劝人与神和好，履行我们的职分，宣讲和好的信息，实际上是神籍着我们说话，因为我们宣讲的信息来自于他的话，我们被他授权，被他的灵赐予能力。

因此，保罗把传道等同于神的话。当我们忠心地传讲托付于我们的信息，实际上神在籍着我们劝人。这是道成肉身的传讲，我们传讲的真理通过我们体现出来，神也籍着我们显明自己。事奉不是像一份工作独立于我们。事奉是我们的不可或缺一部分，是我们的个性、品格、行为和本质的重要组成部分。这就是为什么宣讲神在基督里和通过基督所做的事是如此个人和充满热诚的事情

因此，当我们讲道的时候，我们实际上在“劝/恳求…”。我们不是像在演讲或对话中那样说话，而是恳求人们，就好像他们的生命取决于它，因为他们的生命确实取决于它。 “我们替基督求你们”，说话行事就像基督委派到这个世界的使者，“与神和好”。

“劝/恳求”这些词本身带有急切、热忱、关心、劝说的意思。这也是我们职分要具备的特点，向迷失的人传讲他们迫切需要听到的信息，之所以紧迫是（1）因为能够听到信息而相信的时间是短促的；（2）因为拒绝相信的人会有审判临到他们。所以我们职责就是告诉人们，他们如何与神和好，即因着基督为我们受死并从死里复活（5:14-15）。

虽然这一段的主旨是我们向不信的人宣讲和好的信息（参考5:11,14-15,19），但是神自己的百姓也需要这个信息，不只是迷失的人（见6:1-2）。神的百姓需要不断地与神和好，不是因为他们失去救恩，而是因为他们往往因着自己行为、说话、思想违背神的旨意而失去与神的友谊，与神的合一。神的百姓有的时候会堕落，生活得不像基督徒。我们替基督对他们宣讲和好的信息，使这样的人能够回转到神面前，在成圣的道路上不断进步。

.如果人们与神和好的基础和方法不为人所知，那么恳求他们与神和好又有什么益处呢?所以，我们不仅需要劝他们与神和好（也就是经历救赎而和好），我们也需要向他们解释之所以能和好的基础——即因为“神使那无罪的，替我们成为罪，好叫我们在他里面成为神的义”（5:21）.那些在基督里成为新造的人，已经得到救赎与神和好，他们的罪不再算到他们自己的头上，而是算在基督的头上（参考5:21）。神使那无罪的（参考4:15；7:26；彼前2:22；约一3:5）“替我们成为罪”。换句话说，神因我们的罪所起的公义和忿怒，倒在基督身上，而不是我们。“他为我们的过犯受害，为我们的罪孽压伤。因他受的刑罚，我们得平安；因他受的鞭伤，我们得医治”（赛53:5）。基督是“一次被献，担当了多人的罪”（来9:28）

注意，并不是说神使基督成为罪人或者有罪的。断然不是！就像 Philip Hughes说的，“认为基督是有罪的或者成为一个罪人，将会推翻救赎的根基，因为救赎要求一个完全无罪的人以死代替有罪的人类。但是神使基督成为罪，这是说神—父使他无罪的儿子，为了我们，成为他忿怒和审判的对象，以至于在十字架上，世界的罪在基督里得到审判并除去” (Philip Hughes, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, NICNT, 213)。

就像基督并没有成为一个罪人或者有罪的，所以我们也没有成为义。而是我们“在他里面成为神的义”。神的义归于我们。我们收到他的义，并且被称为义（即称义），但是我们并没有成为义，因为我们仍然有能力犯罪并时不时犯罪。注意，我们的义(我们因此与神和好)是“在他里面”。我们被包裹在他的里面，在基督的死和复活上与他联合。我们的生命在他里面。我们的希望在他里面。神看我们在基督里成为完全——“因为他如何，我们在这世上也如何”（约一4:17）。不论如何，论到我们站在神的面前（与我们状况的不同相反），我们都被看做且被算为“基督的义”，所以我们不再被定罪，因为我们“在基督耶稣里”（罗8:1）

基督是唯一能使与神和好成为可能的人，因为惟有他是无罪的，惟有他能够为我们的罪献上挽回祭，蒙神的喜悦（参照太3:17；17:5）。只有一个完全的人能够替代我们，一个不完全的有罪的人的生命并不能满足神圣洁的要求，因为神要求罪人死亡—“惟有犯罪的，他必死亡”（结18:20）。只有一个拥有无罪生命的，自身不需要与神和好的人才能够，而且也愿意献出他自己的生命成为我们在神面前的替代—他取代了我们的位置，为我们而死，为了我们的益处，也就是使我们能够与神和好。

他为我们成为罪，其目的是“…我们在他里面成为神的义。”这样交换就完成了。他为我们成为罪，而我们在他里面称义。这就是我们有时候所说的双重的归罪。那些接收和好信息的人，他们的罪归到基督身上（通过在十字架上偿还我们的罪债，基督为我们成为罪），而基督的义归到他们（我们在他里面成为神的义），好处是我们在基督里被神看做完全的。就像彼得说的，“他被挂在木头上，亲身担当了我们的罪，使我们既然在罪上死，就得以在义上活”（彼前2:24；参考罗4:6；哥前1:30；彼前3:18）。这个伟大的交换，使神“自己为义，也称信耶稣的人为义” （罗3:26）成为可能。

所以，可以看出，我们能够与神和好的基础和途径是基督在十字架上替代的、自我牺牲的、赎罪的死，这样的死使得有罪的人类的罪恶有可能被洗净，站在神面前被饶恕并在基督里成为新造的人，得以称义。

这是福音所带来的奇妙的改变。一句话，这就是福音。这是神使和好的职分、福音成为可能的基础和方式—即通过基督替代的死。我们传讲的是何等地信息！这是一个何等的交换！难怪我们，作为“基督的使者”，必须劝人接受她！

结语

、这就是我们的牧养事工，“和好的职分：人的和好”（哥后5:18-21）。传讲这个信息，是我们作为神话语的传道人和基督教会领袖的责任。这个和好的信息已经应用于我们(5:18a)，托付于我们(5:18b-19)，我们要来传讲(5:20-21)。你传讲这个信息吗？别人通过你的事工知道怎样与神和好吗？别人是否因你的事工，藉着神的儿子与神和好？

III. 讲道大纲

题目: 像耶稣学习，第一部分，打败试探

主题:为了打败试探，我们需要用神的话来武装自己

要点1:我们需要为面对试探做好装备

1a) …顺服神的话(3:13-15)

1b) …被圣灵膏抹(3:16)

1c) …得到父神的肯定/祝福(3:17)

要点2:我们需要做好准备抵挡试探

2a)撒旦攻击神的宣告和供应(14:3-4)

2b)撒旦攻击神的能力和保护(14:5-7)

2c)撒旦攻击神的目的和计划(4:8-10)

In this Christmas sermon we will see that the virgin birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah 9:6-7. Our thesis for this sermon is that the truth of Messiah’s birth should conceive in us an appreciation for the sovereignty of God. Notice here the contrast of places where and people to whom the birth announcement of Jesus was made…

First, the birth announcement of Jesus does not take place where you would expect. It takes place in the region of Galilee - not in Judea, the centre of the promised land. Galilee was a territory overrun by Gentiles and was governed by Herod under whose government pagan temples were erected. Galilee was, therefore, despised by Judea, but it was to Galilee that the angel Gabriel was sent.

It takes place in the city of Nazareth - not Jerusalem, the city of the great king. Nazareth was set on a hillside at the foot of which ran the highway from Tyre and Sidon to Jerusalem, carrying Greek travelers and merchants and Jewish priests, many of whom would have lodged in Nazareth. With such a transient population, Nazareth became a corrupt town, a despised town. The contempt with which Nazareth was viewed was expressed by Nathanael when he asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (Jn. 1:46).

It takes place in the privacy of Mary’s home. This was the place to which “the angel Gabriel was sent by God” (1:26) with the good news of the birth of the Son of God - not to the temple, the very dwelling place of God.

So, the birth announcement of Jesus does not take place where you would expect. And…

Second, the birth announcement of Jesus is not delivered to whom you would expect. The person to whom the angel Gabriel declared this good news was “a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph... The virgin’s name was Mary” (1:27) – not to the high priest, or to the governor of the land.

In summary, the contrasts between the birth announcement of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25) and the birth announcement of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38) could not be more obvious as to the places where they were made and the people to whom they were delivered. John’s birth announcement was in a public place, whereas Jesus’ birth announcement was made in private. John’s birth announcement was to an aged priest, whereas Jesus’ birth announcement was to a young woman. John’s birth announcement was in the revered temple, whereas Jesus’ birth announcement was in a despised town. John’s birth announcement prophesied of his greatness and power (1:15, 17), whereas Jesus’ announcement was marked by lowliness and meekness.

“The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary” (1:26-27). Mary was a virgin who was engaged (betrothed) to Joseph. Betrothal was as binding as a marriage contract in that Mary had entered into a formal, witnessed agreement with Joseph, and he had probably paid a dowry (financial gift) indicating his sincerity and commitment, but they were not yet married. Mary legally belonged to Joseph, which is why she is referred to as his wife, but the wedding would not take place until 1 year after the betrothal, at which time she would go to live with him.

Notice now the intimacy, manner and content of this momentous birth announcement…

I. The Angelic Salutation Of God’s Sovereignly Bestowed Favor (1:28-29)

“The angel came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you (1:28a). Mary was the recipient of God’s gracious favor. She is highly favored for the Lord was with her – i.e. she lived in the presence of God. Such is the high privilege and divine intimacy of the virgin Mary.

This is a word of encouragement and comfort that God was with her now and throughout what the angel is about to reveal. She lived in a corrupt, despised town but she kept herself from its impurities. Thus, because of her character, the favor of God was on her.

While we do not agree with the Roman Catholics’ veneration of Mary (1) that she was conceived without sin, (2) that she is held up as an object of worship, (3) that she is to be prayed to as a mediator between God and man on a par with Christ himself. Yet at the same time, we must admit that she was favored by God above all other women to be the mother of the Messiah. This was arguably the most coveted role of all for all Jewish women of all time, to be chosen by God to be the mother of our Lord.

Many women were in the messianic line, like Ruth and Rahab and Tamar and Bathsheba, but Mary was the “favored” one. One woman brought sin and death into the world at the beginning and one woman brought eternal life and light into the world at the birth of Christ. No wonder Mary is called a “favored woman”. But let us also remember that to the woman who said to Jesus: “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the one who nursed you!” (Lk. 11:27), Jesus replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk. 11:28). That is a far greater blessing, for it has eternal reward. To “hear the word of God and keep it” means that you repent and believe the gospel, that you become a disciple of Christ, that such a relationship is more intimate and enduring than any family relationship, for Jesus said, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother” (Mk. 3:35). To become a follower of Jesus is to enter into a saving and eternal relationship with God.

Following the angel Gabriel’s announcement, Mary “was deeply troubled by this statement” (1:29a) - not troubled at the presence of the angel but at what he said. She is perplexed as she tries to grasp what is happening. She is perplexed specifically about the angel’s greeting. She is “wondering what kind of greeting this could be” (1:29b). What is God about to do?

Why would God bestow his gracious favor on her? God would bestow his gracious favor on her simply because that was His sovereign choice. Oh, we recognize Mary’s humble simplicity and selfless character, which undoubtedly were prerequisites for God’s favor. But ultimately, it was God’s sovereign choice to bestow his favor on her. Remember our thesis: The truth of Messiah’s birth should conceive in us an appreciation for the sovereignty of God.

Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of our Lord. Eve was the mother of all living; Mary was the mother of the Messiah. Eve gave birth to a murderer; Mary would give birth to the Redeemer. Hidden in the recesses of despised Nazareth, this beautiful young woman was set apart by God for this very purpose.

“The Lord is with you” (1:28b). God has always had his chosen servants, often the least likely in the most obscure places. And in the town of Nazareth, God comes to this simple, humble woman who evidently was walking in communion with God.

Such is the angelic salutation of God’s sovereignly bestowed favor. Then...

II. The Angelic Proclamation Of God’s Sovereignly Fulfilled Promises (1:30-34)

The angel addresses Mary’s evident fear with a repeated word of encouragement: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (1:30). This is why she can be calm, at peace, unafraid – because she has been graciously-favored by God. “Favor” is God’s gracious choice of someone through whom God does something special. “Favor” is what God does for someone out of his good pleasure. God’s favor is sovereignly bestowed - you can’t earn it and you can’t buy it. But why does the angel state this fact in 1:28 and also in 1:30?

First, the angel surely knew that the amazing news he was about to deliver required that he affirm Mary in her special place of God’s grace and favor. There was no other way to explain what he is about to say.

Second, the angel seems to anticipate Mary’s unspoken question, “Why me?” The answer is, “Because you have received God’s gracious favor. God has sovereignly set you apart for such a time and purpose as this. God has sovereignly chosen you. You are graciously favored by God.”

There is third reason why the angel repeats this statement. Here in 1:30, the favor of God is not on Mary because of who she was (as in 1:28), but because of what she would do. She had found gracious favor “with (lit. alongside, by the side of) God.” It wasn’t simply that God was with her as in 1:28, wonderful as that is, but that she had found grace “by the side of God” – i.e. in the fellowship of God, in such intimacy with God. She was in step and in communion with God. Thus, his gracious favor rested on her.

Then, the angel announces the birth of Jesus (1:31-33). This is the most glorious, yet mysterious, news ever declared. It is the purpose for which Mary had been chosen: “Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son” (1:31a). The long-awaited fulfillment of Isaiah’s declaration has come: “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us” (Isa. 9:6). God is sovereignly fulfilling his promise made 700 years before.

“…and you will name him Jesus (1:31b). He would have the same name as the Hebrew name, Joshua. The connection with Joshua of the O.T. is clear. This Jesus who is to be born to Mary would be the fulfillment of the O.T. type in Joshua. Joshua was born in Egypt to save God’s people from slavery. He was born to bring hope to the hopeless, freedom to the slaves.

The angel now explains the person of Jesus: “He will be great” (1:32a). He would be inherently great; none like him before or since. He will sit on the throne of a great and eternal kingdom (1:33). John would be “great in the sight of the Lord” (1:15) but Jesus would simply be “great” in his own right. “He will be great” because he will be a great Saviour, because he has wrought so great salvation, because he is our great High Priest, because he will reign as our great King. “…and will be called the Son of the Most High (1:32b), just as Isaiah said, “a Son will be given to us.” He always was “the Son of the Most High” before he was born - one in essence with the Father (though distinct in person), the eternal Son of God, the one who enjoys an eternal relationship with God. But now he would also become known as such on earth among those who believe. He is to be recognized and worshipped in the church as “the Son of the Most High,” the Son of God himself. This phrase described a regal figure – a king was to be born, a regal son, the Messiah himself.

So the angel announces the birth of Jesus, explains the person of Jesus and ...

Then the angel explains the mission of Jesus. “³² The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. ³³ He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end” (1:32c-33). Isaiah also said, “The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever” (Isa. 9:7). God is about to sovereignly fulfill his promise made to Isaiah. Not only is Jesus a potentate in his person but he will be majestic in his mission.

The time to which this prophecy relates is still future when Jesus, the great King, will take his rightful place over his people. Here there is a strong allusion to 2 Sam 7:12-16. In Jesus God sovereignly fulfills his promise to David – the promise of an eternal throne. Jesus’ kingdom would not be limited to the people of Israel, to the house of Jacob, to the nation who served under king David. His kingdom would be so much greater in scope and power and it would be everlasting in its duration. This is the kingdom rule of the promised Davidic son, great David’s greater Son. Jesus will be the fulfillment of all the Jewish hopes throughout all the years for a divine Ruler and Redeemer. The promised Davidic king is coming to his own and though they will reject him yet his reign will be forever – “his kingdom will have no end.”

Nothing can stop Jesus’ kingdom reign – not even crucifixion. His reign would become visible at his ascension and the sending of the Spirit in Acts 2, but the full manifestation of his kingdom reign is still future. All the kingdoms of the world will dissolve before his great and awesome kingdom and this conquering King. All the great empires and dynasties of history (Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Spanish, British, the Chinese dynasty, and the Russian empire) will be nothing in comparison to the worldwide kingdom of God.

Jesus’ kingdom will be all-powerful and eternal – “no end.” To His authority every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord Phil. 2:10-11). In that day, the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15). And all this is announced at the birth of Jesus and is included and anticipated in our celebration of Christmas.

The angel’s mysterious announcement generates...

Mary’s monumental question (1:34). “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” Though she does not doubt the validity of the angel’s announcement, she questions how this can take place since she is a virgin. This is beyond her comprehension and experience and all the laws of nature. Biologically this cannot happen in her virgin state. And yet the angel’s announcement indicates an immediate conception and a birth taking place prior to Mary’s marriage.

The very question that atheists and liberals raise today to argue against the virgin birth was first asked by Mary. The difference is that atheists challenge the fact of the virgin birth but Mary was asking about the method. How is it possible for a woman to bear a child when she has not had a sexual relationship with a man?

The angelic proclamation of God’s sovereignly fulfilled promises (1:30-34) is supported by...

III. The Angelic Explanation Of God’s Sovereignly Life-giving Power (1:35-38)

Mary’s question has two aspects – biological and moral. First, the angel answers the biological question: “How can this be?” The explanation is that “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (1:35a). The conception will take place by direct, divine intervention, not through normal biological means. “That’s how this can be, Mary! The Holy Spirit who was active in creation will be instrumental in your conception.” The Spirit who gives life will act in creative power to produce a child in a virgin. The One who created the world out of nothing will create life in a virgin’s womb. This is the sovereign work of God.

The “Holy Spirit will overshadow you,” envelop you as in a cloud where there will be no human observation or interference. You can’t explain this but it makes full sense to the renewed mind, that this was the only way for the Messiah to be born. Though this conception is beyond our ability to understand yet we believe and accept that this is the way (1) the Word was made flesh (Jn. 1:14), (2) a body was prepared for Him (Heb. 10:5), (3) He shared in flesh and blood like us (Heb. 2:14), and (4) He was made of a woman (Gal. 4:4). To try to explain how such a conception came about is beyond us; it is a divine mystery, the mystery of the incarnation.

So, this answers the first question, the biological question of how a virgin could conceive without the sexual co-operation of a man. But, what about the second question, the moral question? Now the angel answers the moral question: “How can this be?” Corollary issues that are inherent in this question are: How could the very Son of God be born and escape the moral depravity of original sin? How can the Messiah be born of a woman without having a sin-nature?

Without being asked overtly, the angel answers this moral question. Mary had asked the biological “how” question and the angel answered that: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you.” And voluntarily the angel also answers the moral question, the question that theologians would ask through the centuries. The answer is this: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God (1:35). The very same act by which the biological issue will be dealt with would also deal with the moral issue.

A direct consequence of Mary conceiving through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit would be that the child thus conceived would be “the Holy One.” The child thus conceived would be preserved from having a sinful human nature. He would be the very sinless “Son of God.” The same act of God that would cause the procreation would also preserve the child from contamination. The Holy Spirit’s role is evident at every step in the work of redemption. Here at Jesus’ incarnation and later at the atonement, where through the eternal Spirit Jesus offered himself without spot to God (Heb. 9:14). Then, at the resurrection when He was made alive by the Spirit (1 Pet. 3:18). And now, as the present Comforter, the Spirit of truth (Jn. 14:17).

Praise God that, as Christians, we have been born again and given new life by the same Holy Spirit. We are empowered to live for God by the Holy Spirit. We are able to understand the Bible because of the illumination of the Holy Spirit. And we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

“That Holy One” indicates that Jesus would be set apart for God. He would be sinless from conception. He is the very Son of God, “the Son of the Most High.” He is the Davidic deliverer, the Messiah. Jesus is uniquely from God, sovereignly conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit upon a virgin, and, therefore, sinless. Jesus would not be formed in the womb by the union of a women’s egg and a man’s sperm and thus be born with a human sinful nature. The Holy Spirit would supernaturally implant the child in Mary’s womb so that the one to be born would be “the Holy One… the Son of God.” Remember: The truth of Messiah’s birth should conceive in us an appreciation for the sovereignty of God.

If there were questions still lingering in Mary’s mind, they are unexpressed. But the angel seems to anticipate them, answering them with a confirming sign. Though Mary does not ask for a sign, one is graciously given. “And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless” (1:36). Notice the contrast here between John and Jesus. John is older than Jesus, but Jesus is superior. John’s birth is astounding, but Jesus’ birth is miraculous. John’s mother conceived in her old-age childlessness, but Jesus’ mother conceived in her youthful virginity.

It’s as if the angel says: “Do you wonder how this can be, Mary? Do you need help processing all of this, Mary? Well, your relative, Elizabeth – you remember, the one who has been barren all these years, the one who is now past her child-bearing age? Something miraculous has also happened to her, Mary. She has conceived a son and is already 6 months pregnant, despite her old age and life-long barrenness.”

Isn’t this an incredible act of God’s gracious favor toward Mary, that He would give visible, tangible evidence of his supernatural, reproductive power? The God who can cause a barren old woman to conceive can surely cause a young virgin to also conceive – “For nothing will be impossible with God” (1:37). Thus, the angel affirms God’s sovereign power to make both a barren old lady and a young virgin pregnant.

This should quell all doubts about the incarnation. We don’t understand it but God accomplished it! We may think it impossible but with God nothing is impossible. Here is the antidote for all doubts and fears and questions: “Nothing is impossible with God.” Science couldn’t bring this about, philosophy can’t explain it, but God did it.

We need to be convinced of the sovereign, life-giving power of God to do what is far beyond anything we can ask or think. We need to remember that the truth of Messiah’s birth should conceive in us an appreciation for the sovereignty of God, for with God nothing is impossible. The One who created the world from nothing caused a virgin to conceive by the Holy Spirit. Nothing is too hard for God, for which reason (1) there is no sin so bad that cannot be forgiven; (2) there is no heart so hard that cannot be softened; (3) there is no person so distant from God who cannot be brought near; (4) there is no trial so heavy that it cannot be sustained; (5) there is no promise so great that it cannot be fulfilled; (6) there is no barrier so strong that it cannot be overcome. For the Bible reminds us that “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9); and “If God is for us, who is against us?” ( Rom. 8:31). Well should we declare, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift” (2 Cor. 9:15).

Let this principle, enunciated at Jesus’ incarnation, be continually before us. Let us take hold of it. Nothing is too hard for God! Someone has said, “Faith never rests so calmly and peacefully as when it lays its head on the pillow of God’s omnipotence” (Ryle, Luke, 29). God knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust, and he graciously upholds our faith as He did with Mary here.

In response to the angels’ explanation is Mary’s acceptance of God’s will. “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said” (1:38). These have to be some of the most precious words in the Bible. Mary willingly and immediately accepts and submits to God’s will, expressed in the angelic announcement, with total surrender, with complete submission, with full acceptance, with unquestioning obedience, with spectacular humility. It’s as though she says, “I don’t understand this. I’ve never experienced this before. I don't know why God would choose me. But nonetheless, let it take place just as you have said. I know this isn’t going to be easy. I know I will suffer from ridicule and shame. But nevertheless, may it happen to me in accordance with your word.”

We think of the honour it afforded her but what about the difficulties and challenges and shame? - the difficulties of her relationship with Joseph, the damage to her reputation, the rejection by the community, the test of Mary’s faith, the seeming impossibility that a virgin could conceive, that she could conceive by the Holy Spirit, that she would give birth to the Messiah. But despite this, Mary does not object or question. Instead, she accepts the honour along with all the difficult consequences. She submits to Gabriel’s announcement as “the Lord’s servant.” That’s how she viewed herself. This was her role – to serve God no matter what. She is God’s maidservant and thus she accepts and obeys God’s wishes. God can do with her as he wishes, despite all the potential difficulties that might come. She will take the risk. She will walk hand-in-hand with God. “‘May it happen to me as you have said’ - may it come to pass, just as you described it. I’m ready and willing to take on the task. I am God’s maidservant. May his word and will be fulfilled in me.”

May we be so willing to accept and submit to God’s will, to go where he leads, to do what he bids, to be who he wants us to be, no matter what. Let us bring captive every thought to the obedience of Christ. Let us be willing to say: “Here am I, send me... May it happen to me as you have said.”

Final Remarks

This then is the announcement and explanation of the birth of Jesus - the Child whom Isaiah said would be born, the Son who would be given, the One whose shoulders would bear the full weight of his government, the One whose government will bring peace without end, the One who will bring peace and justice forever, the One who would be born to a young virgin by the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit, the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). This is the One who was conceived supernaturally, lived powerfully, died ignominiously, rose again victoriously, and is coming again majestically.

This is the child of whom Isaiah and Luke both spoke. And Luke’s record of Jesus’ birth - that is ridiculed by scientists, scoffed at by philosophers, and compromised by liberals - is the only rational explanation, one that is understood only by those who are born of God. You can’t explain it by naturalism, humanism, post-modernism, or rationalism. The Child who was born at Christmas is the coming King. The Son who was given at Christmas is the Saviour of sinners. He is the mighty God who is coming again to rule in righteousness. May we look for him at every moment, watching and waiting.