Baptism Part 1: New Exodus

Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him; and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are my beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.".
Mark 1:10&11 

Baptism has been an important tradition in Christianity since the very beginning. There are many ways to practice this tradition, sprinkling, immersion, in a church or at the beach, some baptize infants whereas others believe baptism to be for consenting adults. Though there exist a wide variety of opinions, baptism is a very treasured sacrament by all who believe in Jesus as Messiah. Lets briefly look at baptism as it connects with Exodus.

Baptism is connected to the Exodus story of Israel. When Israel found themselves enslaved to a cruel Pharaoh in Egypt they cried out to the God of their ancestor, Abraham and He heard them. Sending Moses as his representative he ordered that Israel be set free. Pharaoh refused resulting in a showdown between the God of Israel and the gods of Egypt. The God of Israel wins this bout and delivers Israel from Pharaoh by parting the Red Sea and leading the Israelites safely through to the other side and then having the waters swallow up the Egyptian army. This deliverance is the climax of the Exodus story, God delivered Israel through the water to safety, Exodus 1-15.

When John the Baptist begins his movement it has this story of Exodus as his platform. He sets up his prophetic ministry in the wilderness, dressing and eating like a wandering prophet of old, preaching a similar message of repentance and renewal. He offers a baptism in the Jordan, Mark 1:1-8. His baptism is an opportunity for people to reenact the story of their faith by coming through the waters like their forefathers and thereby renewing their faith and covenantal commitment to the same God who delivered from Egypt. They are saying through John's baptism that they believe the God of Abraham is not done with his people and that he is bringing salvation as he has promised.

Jesus begins his movement with this baptism by John in the Jordan, Mark 1:9-13. This is important to keep in mind as we read and study the Gospels. Jesus has a message, "The Kingdom of God is here", Mark 1:15. His message of Kingdom is accompanied by actions, all of which in some way or another point back to Exodus. His baptism is the beginning of a movement of deliverance and restoration, his is a new Exodus movement.

Jesus goes through the water by way of his baptism and like Israel before him goes from the sea to the wilderness. Israel was in the wilderness for forty years, Jesus for forty days, Matthew 4:1-11. God feeds Israel manna from heaven, Exodus 16. Jesus feeds the four and five thousand the fish and the loaves, John 6. God parts the Red Sea, Jesus walks upon the stormy sea, John 6. Israel builds a temple in which God dwells, Jesus condemns the Temple and claims to be the new Temple, John 2. Looking back at Jesus' wilderness experience after his baptism by John, he is faithful and defeats the Satan, whereas Israel is in the wilderness because of their disobedience and unbelief, Numbers 14. Where Israel failed, Jesus has succeeded. His Exodus is a better one. As the author of Hebrews says, he is a better Moses, Hebrews 3:3.

So the New Testament conveys Baptism as an action that connects the believer with the Exodus, with the entire story and people of God. Through baptism we are taking part in the grand and cosmic mission of God to "put the world back to rights" (N.T. Wright). In baptism we are joining the Jesus movement and we are casting off our old identities for a new one, the true humanity, the people of Exodus. We, in baptism, affirm that God is faithful and has become King of the nations through the victory of Jesus. A great place to see this is in Romans 6, where Paul is retelling the Exodus story in light of the Jesus movement. In Jesus both Jew and Gentile have experienced Exodus, being delivered from the Law and from idolatry. The result is a new humanity made of people placed into the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul says that in baptism we have "been united with him (Jesus)" Romans 6:5. Baptism is a very real and powerful action of imputation (being placed into Jesus, meaning we have his status as sons and daughters) and of enlistment, baptism is the believer joining the Jesus movement and therefore the Missio Dei ('mission of God' that of restoring creation from evil).

If you haven't been baptized and you believe that Jesus is the true Messiah who died and rose from the grave in victory over evil and death, I encourage you to do so! In baptism you join hearts and faith with all who have come before you, all you stand with you and all who will come after you. In baptism you will join the new Exodus movement of God and take part in his mission to deliver and restore. If you have been baptized, I encourage you to always remember your baptism as that moment you passed through the waters to the promised inheritance of God. Think back with joy knowing that what is true of Jesus is also true of his people, in you God is "well pleased".

We have briefly looked at how baptism connects us to Exodus and places us in a role in the New Exodus accomplished in Jesus. Next blog we will look at how baptism connects us to Resurrection and the restoration of all things. Grace and Peace.

A Veil Rent + A People Sent

Why do we gather in our churches?  Is it simply to come and think about a sermon?  Or is to encounter something spiritual? Or is to analyze the “pros and cons” of our church’s musical style or the effectiveness of the preacher?  Or do we gather to say hi to our friends?  All of these may very well be a part of our gathering experience, but none of them are to be why we gather.

As we look to answer this question, may I bring our attention to a particular happening that occurred deep within the Hebrew temple the very moment Christ died.  All three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, & Luke) inform us “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matt 27:51, Mark 15:38, & Luke 23:45).

The temple veil which was rent (torn) into two was undoubtedly THE VEIL between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.  The first time this veil is mentioned is in Exodus chapter 26 when God was informing Moses about the construction of the tabernacle and the tabernacle artifacts.  The Most Holy Place, within the tabernacle, was a to be where God dwelt amongst his people.

Reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, where God originally dwelt with humanity, God was once again making a home here on earth with his newly formed people and various details of the tabernacle suggest it was indeed a “mini-Eden.”

Some of these parallels include the east-facing entrance guarded by cherubim (Gen. 3:24), all the gold (Gen. 2:11-12), the lampstand which was  reminiscent of the tree of life (Gen. 2:9), but mainly, the dwelling and relational presence of God.  Thus God's dwelling in the tabernacle was a step toward the restoration of paradise (of Eden), which is to be completed in the new heaven and earth (Revelation 21–22).

The entire Hebrew camp would circle this tabernacle, but no one was allowed to enter behind the veil, into the Most Holy Place, where God’s special presence resided, except for the High Priest who entered once a year for the Day of Atonement in which he would represent the people and mediate between the people and God (Leviticus 16).  He would, in a sense, bring the people into the holy (God’s special presence) and vicariously through the priest, the people could enjoy the presence of God.

The word used for “holy” in these accounts is “קֹ֫דֶשׁ” (qodesh, pronounced ko'-desh).  All these “holy things” mentioned in Exodus – the temple, the priesthood, the items within the holy place and the most holy place – were beautiful and precious to the people of Israel; but they were precursors of something better. They were wonderful; but they were not perfect.  A brief description about a particular plate (i.e., the consecration plate) which was to be worn on the forehead of the High Priest, as described in Exodus 28:36-38, informs us of “the iniquity of [their] holy things.” 

You see, there was still something missing, something not right between the people and God. 

This is why God’s special presence remained behind the veil and not amongst the people.

The author of Hebrews informs us that Christ came to fulfill the lack due to “the iniquity of [their] holy things” and he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by shedding his own “unblemished” and perfect blood in order to cleanse our consciences and bring us into God’s perfect presence once for all (Hebrews 4:16; 9:11-14).

The veil stood to remind the people that they couldn’t get into the qodesh (the holy) – the veil kept people out.   It also served as a reminder that God’s special or relational presence was behind the veil – the veil kept God in. 

The account of the renting of the veil in the Synoptic Gospels (Mathew, Mark, and Luke) undoubtedly serve to inform us that we are now able to be let in, so to speak, and enjoy God’s relational presence; but it also informs us that God’s relational presence was let out!  No longer was the temple necessary.  No longer was God’s relational presence contained in the Hebrew tabernacle or temple.  Now God’s relational presence has been divinely unleashed into the world – the veil is rent!

God’s presence was once again going to fill the earth as he did when he first made the world (Isaiah 11:9).  And though one day, in the New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21 & 22) God will completely dwell on the earth with humanity forever, the way he fills the earth now is IN US and THROUGH US!

This is why the Apostle Paul refers to Christians as God’s temple (1 Cor. 3:16 & 6:19) and New Testament authors refer to the Christians as Christ’s priests (Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6; 1 Peter 2:9-10).  We now represent Christ and we are to “bring Christ” with us wherever we go as we show + tell his Gospel message.

The role of the priest was to mediate.  They looked/look to take care of the needs of others; they are bold with grace and compassion.  A priestly person is someone who is sympathetic, not judgmental, towards the needs and imperfections of others.  Jesus was the perfect priest for the people and he calls us to follow after him. 

In the Scriptures we often see God identifying with the broken (e.g., Matthew 25:31-46; Prov. 14:31; 19:17).  Why does God identify with the poor?  Answer: because God desires to be there. 

God cares for the hurting, the lost, the underprivileged, the broken, the abandoned, the weak, the sick, the dying, the orphans, the insecure, the emotionally unstable, the greedy, the unfriendly neighbor whose dog poops in your yard….  He cares for your workaholic coworker, your alcoholic friend, your hurtful family member…. 

Where is God when the world seems to be falling apart and the pains of everyday feel overwhelming? God is there caring for the hurting when we are there caring for the hurting.  God is there IN US and THROUGH US when we are acting priestly on his behalf.

So, getting back to original question as to why we gather for church on Sundays and connect in our various Community Groups throughout the week?  The answer: to be reminded that the veil is rent and we have been sent to bring him and his marvelous Gospel to the world.

Intro. to Torah + Genesis

They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess. Deuteronomy 32:47

Intro to the Torah:
The Old Testament and Its Divisions - The 39 books of the O.T. can be divided as such:

• Pentateuch/Torah: Genesis - Deuteronomy
• Israel’s History: Joshua - Esther
• The Writings: Job - Song of Solomon
• Major Prophets: Isaiah - Daniel
• Minor Prophets: Hosea - Malachi

The division of O.T. books in the Hebrew Bible (Tanach) is a bit different from that in our English Bibles. (Ours finds its divisions by way of the second-century B.C. Greek translation known as the Septuagint.) The Hebrew Bible is divided into three parts:

• The Law (Torah or “books of Moses”)
• The Prophets (the Former Prophets, including Joshua through Kings [minus Ruth], and the Latter Prophets, including Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Book of the Twelve [the so-called Minor Prophets]),
• And the Writings (the Psalms [including Lamentations], the Wisdom books [Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs], Daniel, and the four narrative books of Ruth, Esther, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles).

 
The Significance of Torah and A Vision of Jesus:
Torah – (Hebrew: תּוֹרָה, "Instruction"), also known as the Pentateuch (Greek: Πεντάτευχος from πεντα- penta- [five] and τεῦχος teuchos [tool, vessel, or book]). For the Hebrew, the Torah was to be much more than 613 laws to obey. The actual laws, along with the worship/sacrificial rituals within them, were very important; but the essence (that to which the Torah points) and “heart” of the law was always most important and it was to dominate one’s passions, working its way into every category of life.

See Deut. 6:1-9; 32:47; Psalm 1:2; 119:34, 77, 165, 174

Why? Torah was the very Word of God and so connected to its sovereign author that some rabbinical teachings even personified the Torah. Torah, being the Word of God, in their minds, preexisted creation and God created everything through his Word. Thus Genesis chapter 1 records God (Elohim) as speaking the cosmos into existence.

This is also why John introduced Jesus in his Gospel by saying, “In the beginning was the Word….Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1-5). He linked, not only the Greek word logos (word) to Jesus, he also linked the Hebrew belief of things being made through Torah and that Torah was the light of the world (a common rabbinical teaching) to the work and essence of Christ himself.

The significance of all this is that the only to know and experience God for the Hebrew was through the Torah (especially after the temple was destroyed). John is/was saying the Torah has “now become flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:13); meaning, God is now closer than ever! Furthermore, another common rabbinical expression about the Torah was that it was the truth, the life, and the way! Sound familiar? In John, retelling of some Jesus’ last words to his disciples, he writes:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.
From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” ~ John 14:6-7

The Book of Genesis:Questions about Title, Authorship, Date, and Original Audience:
The English title “Genesis” comes from the Greek translation of the Torah called, Pentateuch, and it means “origin,” a perfect title because Genesis is all about origins. The Hebrew title, Bereshith = “in [the] beginning”, from the first phrase in the book, serves as its title and is suggestive as to what the book is about. Genesis tells of the beginning of God’s story – creation, human disobedience, and divine redemption – while it also begins the Torah/Pentateuch, the story of God’s choosing and making a covenant with a people through whom he would bless all peoples (Gen 12:2–3).

In the strict sense, Genesis (and all of Torah for that matter) is written anonymously. But traditionally Genesis, like the rest of the Torah, has been ascribed to Moses and even labeled “the Books of Moses” (2 Chron. 25:4; Ezra 6:18; Neh 13:1; ect…). The other books of the Torah relate Moses' life and his role in bringing Israel to the borders of Canaan, and parts of these books are expressly said to have been written by Moses (e.g., Num. 33:2; Deut. 31:24). Genesis is clearly an introduction to the books that follow, so it is natural to suppose that if Moses was responsible for their composition, he must also have been the author of Genesis (cf. John 5:46).

Genesis reflects an origin in the second millennium b.c. For example, the flood story finds its best parallels in the Atrahasis and Gilgamesh epics and in the Sumerian flood story, which were composed in 17 centaury b.c.; while the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 find a parallel in the Sumerian King List, dated about 1900 b.c. As far as the patriarchal stories are concerned, many features show that they are at home in the early second millennium. Their names are typical of that period, and many family customs correspond to what is known from that era. The rise of Joseph to be vizier (the highest official in Ancient Egypt), though not mentioned in Egyptian texts, is quite feasible in the era of the Hyksos (Semitic rulers of Egypt, c. 1600 b.c.). Whatever date is preferred for Moses and the composition of the Torah, several centuries must have separated him from the patriarchs, during which the stories about them were presumably passed on by word of mouth.

The World of Genesis:
Genesis describes events in the ancient Near East from the beginnings of civilization to the relocation of Jacob's (Israel's) family to Egypt. The stories of Genesis are set among the oldest civilizations known to man (in ancient Mesopotamia).

The Division of Genesis:
The narrative of Genesis itself comes in two basic parts: a “prehistory” (chapters 1–11), the stories of creation, human origins, the fall of humanity, and the relentless progress of evil – all against the backdrop of God’s enduring patience and love – and the story of the beginning of redemption through Abraham and his seed (chapters 12–50), with focus on the stories of Abraham (11:27–25:11), Jacob (25:12–37:1), and Joseph (chapters 37–50).\

Things to Keep in Mind When Reading Genesis:
Most scholars agree, Genesis is an anthology - a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It is more highly unified than most anthologies, however, because all of the material falls into the overall genre of historical narrative. But it’s not like modern day history; it’s primarily a collection of what may be called hero stories – intermittent tales focused on a central character with whom the reader is to identify with – with interspersed genealogies. Even more specific, the first three chapters belong to a genre known as the story of origins. Genesis also has affinities with the epic genre because the story is one of universal history (chapters 1–11) and the origins of the nation of Israel (chapters 12–50).