Biblical Basis for Studying O.T. Characters

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin introduces a new sermon series on Old Testament characters, outlining the method: establishing facts, highlighting doctrines, underscoring virtues and vices, and…

Martin describes the method for the series: first establish the facts of the character's life, then highlight the doctrines enforced and illustrated, underscore virtues and vices, and make exhortations.

would find us studying the lives of some old testament characters and there are at least two men i met in the hallway this morning who were i don't know that they were laying bets but they were discussing their conjectures as to which characters would be opened up and preached upon in these evening messages and over the next couple of months we will be examining the record of individuals whose lives are set before us in the old testament scriptures some of these individuals in great detail others very scanty information given about them and yet that scanty information often contains a lot of i...

2:24 - 3:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Abide in the things you have learned and been assured of, regardless of widespread declension or opposition.

The phrase 'the $64 question' is used to introduce the critical inquiry into the biblical warrant for studying Old Testament characters.

illustrated by these facts, and then to underscore the virtues illustrated, the vices displayed, and make appropriate exhortations and admonitions based upon those things we have discovered together. Now as we embark upon such a series of studies, the $64 question is, what warrant do I have to do this with the Scriptures? On what biblical grounds will I follow such a course with you? And I think it only fair that I answer that question tonight, and so our subject this evening, standing as it were on the threshold of this series, is the biblical basis and background for a study of Old Testament...

3:46 - 4:40 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And the teaching of the Bible is He is a sovereign in all of His works. And even His love is exercised freely and sovereignly.

Martin uses the metaphor of God being 'enthroned' in all His activities, including creation, but some wrongly think He must 'get off His throne' to show mercy, illustrating the sovereignty of God in salvation.

Let us take, first of all, the doctrine, the high doctrine of God's free, sovereign election of grace. The exercise of His own prerogative to sit upon a throne when He determines to show mercy to equally hell-deserving sinners. Some have the notion God can be enthroned in every activity He chooses except His saving activity. He can make a world when He wants to, make as many galaxies as He wants to, how He wants to, when He wants to, can put the seas where He wants to.

17:26 - 18:04 Read in full sermon

The point: Fall down before a God who has the right to be God, or rise up in arrogance and defiance at your own peril.

The example of Jacob and Esau, twins conceived by the same man and having done nothing good or bad, powerfully illustrates God's free, sovereign election, removing any foreseen human merit as a factor.

He is demonstrating that God's free sovereign electing activity is fleshed out and powerfully illustrated in the case of Jacob and Esau. In the case of Isaac and Ishmael, there were such differing factors someone might argue, that well those factors foreseen by God make the difference. But now here is Rebecca impregnated by the same man. So there was no distinguishment in the sperm which entered her womb and impregnated her.

21:10 - 21:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Fall down before a God who has the right to be God, or rise up in arrogance and defiance at your own peril.

The illustration of either falling down before a sovereign God in submission or rising up in defiance, highlighting the profound implications of the doctrine of election.

Jacob have I loved, Esau I hated. There was a discrimination illustrated in that historical narrative that takes the doctrine and as it were sets it before us in such concrete terms that we must either fall down before a God like that and say, Oh God, you have a right to be God. Or rise up in arrogance and defiance and run the risk of entering into the lists and into conflict with this God who is a consuming fire. But the high doctrine of election is buttressed and illustrated from the narrative, the biography of these twins, Jacob and Esau. We could also illustrate it as seen in Luke 4.25, bu...

22:25 - 23:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Study Old Testament biography, specifically the life of Lot, to take hope in the doctrine of preservation.

Martin uses the analogy that God's doctrines, while potentially dangerous for an evil heart to misuse (like a rope to hang oneself), also provide means for spiritual growth (like a ladder to climb to heaven).

Yes. You say, that's a dangerous doctrine. Well, there's no doctrine that isn't dangerous if you've got an evil heart to use it to hang yourself. God's doctrines all have enough rope with which people can hang themselves, but they also make ladders to climb to heaven.

35:07 - 35:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Study Lot and learn the doctrine of preservation.

Martin shares a personal reflection that if he thought he could be wrenched from Christ, he'd become a hermit, but even then, his own heart would scare him, emphasizing his confidence in God's preservation.

And whether you make a rope to hang yourself or a ladder is your business, and God isn't going to change a rope. But I thank God for that doctrine. If I thought that somehow, in some period of spiritual dullness, there could be such a combination of forces as would wrench me from my union with Christ, I think I'd become a hermit. But I'd have to take myself into my hermit's hold and that would be enough to scare me yet more.

35:24 - 35:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Study Lot and learn the doctrine of preservation.

Martin contrasts Paul's logical, linear argumentation with John's spiral staircase approach in his epistles, where themes recur at higher levels, to explain how John emphasizes love as a mark of regeneration.

Already having emphasized this two or three times in the epistle, John, as the Lutheran commentator Lenski sets forth, I believe accurately, John, unlike Paul, Paul argues in logical blocks. He lays a foundation block and then puts another on it, another on it, another on it. You get the first block right and see the cement that connects it. You get the next block right and the cement that connects it.

36:47 - 37:12 Read in full sermon

Driving home: We may state it this way. That the New Testament gives us the keys. For the unlocking of the riches of doctrine. In the treasure chest of Old Testament characters.

The story of ravens feeding Elijah by the brook Cherith during a famine illustrates God's absolute sovereignty, even over the natural disposition of a carnivorous bird, making the doctrine vivid.

As we were just beginning to really revel in the doctrine of God's absolute sovereignty. Over every facet of his world. And we were studying the life of Elijah. And we came to the incident.

40:05 - 40:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Read Old Testament stories not just as interesting tales, but as examples of persevering faith in action.

Martin explains that the Old Testament contains a richer deposit of biography than the New Testament, making it a primary source for understanding how faith works and manifests itself in various epochs.

As. The. Examples. more. In other words, the richest deposit of the actings of persevering faith is not found in the New Testament. It's found in the Old Testament. Does that shock you? Well, it shouldn't. There's simply a lot more biography in the Old Testament than in the New. New Testament biography is primarily taken up with our blessed Lord, some of his intimate associates, and those people who come into play in the expansion of the church in the first century. But Old Testament biography is taken up with great epochs of time as God deals with his people throughout the ages, and therefore...

45:20 - 46:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Come snooping behind tent flaps with me to see what lessons of the Christian life God has tucked away for us.

The incident of Sarah laughing in unbelief behind the tent flap, yet addressing Abraham as 'Lord,' is used to illustrate how the Holy Spirit highlights a specific virtue (submission) even amidst human weakness.

And he says in verse 5, For after this manner aforetime the holy women also who hoped in God adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands. Now he's going to illustrate it. As Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. What does he do? He reaches into a segment of the narrative from Genesis 18, when the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord, has appeared to Abraham. And when he's so old that the Bible said his body's as...

46:55 - 47:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Come snooping behind tent flaps with me to see what lessons of the Christian life God has tucked away for us.

Martin invites the congregation to 'come snooping behind tent flaps' with him, an analogy for scrutinizing Old Testament biographies for practical lessons, even in seemingly minor details.

So that very practical virtue of godly submission is based upon the word of a woman giggling in unbelief behind a tent flap. So we can go poking behind tent flaps looking for practical lessons. And we're not forcing the word of God in any way. And I invite you to come snooping behind tent flaps with me to see what lessons of the Christian life God has tucked away for us. What about the necessity of patience in suffering? And in the light of the time, as it quickly gets away, let me just mention James 5, 10, and 11, where we are told to take the prophets for an example of suffering. And then he...

49:20 - 50:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Be warned if you are a mere religious formalist, thinking that going through motions makes you right with God.

Cain is presented as the negative example of a formalist who offers sacrifice without faith or righteousness, warning against mere religious motions without a transformed heart.

ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. And there he expects that we will go back and study those incidents. What is the way of Cain? It's the way of the formalist who thinks he can bring an offering to God and be accepted regardless of the state of his heart and the pattern of his life. The issue is not blood sacrifice as opposed to non-bloody sacrifice. I don't believe that can be substantiated exegetically. The issue is Cain did not come in faith. He did not come in a way of righteousness. His deeds were evil and his

51:19 - 52:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Be warned if you are a mere religious formalist, thinking that going through motions makes you right with God.

Balaam is presented as a warning against covetousness, illustrating one who would pervert God's word for money, even being rebuked by a 'dumbass.'

brothers righteous. By faith Abel offered unto God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain. So he's the picture of the formalist and when we study the life of Cain and Abel I've let slip what we're going to study. Some of you can collect your bet money tonight or hand it over tonight. Seriously there we have a warning about the formalist and when we study the way of Cain we're to study it. in such a way that we feel a war coming upon us if we are mere religious formalists thinking that by going to church and taking the wafer and taking the cup and going through the motions we're right with God. ...

52:05 - 53:08 Read in full sermon

The point: God issues a warning to anyone with a spirit of rebellion to God's dealings, disposition, or placement in life.

Korah is presented as a warning against rebellion and ambition for power, illustrating the severe judgment God brings upon those who challenge His appointed authority.

And what is the warning of Korah? That's the warning of rebellion and ambition for power. Remember Korah? How can we forget it? During the pastor's conference comes to Moses you take too much upon yourself. We all have the spirit. What he was saying is ain't left enough room for me to move get out of the way. And God opened up the earth and swallowed him. And anyone sitting here tonight with a spirit of rebellion to God's dealings with you and God's disposition and where he's placed you in your job. In any other sphere that involves relationships to others God issues a warning to us. Remember ...

53:35 - 54:30 Read in full sermon

The point: God issues a warning to anyone with a spirit of rebellion to God's dealings, disposition, or placement in life.

Jesus's command to 'Remember Lot's wife' is used as a warning against external departure from the world without internal heart transformation, likening her pillar of salt to a sermon on judgment.

And what is the warning of Korah? That's the warning of rebellion and ambition for power. Remember Korah? How can we forget it? During the pastor's conference comes to Moses you take too much upon yourself. We all have the spirit. What he was saying is ain't left enough room for me to move get out of the way. And God opened up the earth and swallowed him. And anyone sitting here tonight with a spirit of rebellion to God's dealings with you and God's disposition and where he's placed you in your job. In any other sphere that involves relationships to others God issues a warning to us. Remember ...

53:35 - 54:30 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are not aligned with Christ, who has crushed the serpent's head, plead with the God of grace for mercy and to break the chains of the devil.

The analogy of a Broadway play or opera with a changing backdrop is used to contrast with Old Testament history, which has one constant backdrop: Genesis 3:15.

Having looked at the general biblical basis for the study of Old Testament characters the specific biblical basis for using these characters to establish doctrine specific biblical basis for using these characters to flesh out virtues of the Christian life to issue warnings against sins to make a call to repentance and reformation. Fourthly and finally what's the basic background and framework for our study of these characters. old testament characters in trying to set this out in a way would make it stick this was helpful to me i hope it's helpful to you while the drama of each of these chara...

55:22 - 56:39 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are not aligned with Christ, who has crushed the serpent's head, plead with the God of grace for mercy and to break the chains of the devil.

The analogy of killing a snake by crushing its head, not its tail, illustrates the decisive victory of Christ (the seed of the woman) over Satan (the serpent) as prophesied in Genesis 3:15.

very head of the serpent you want to kill his snake shoot him in the head not the tail you want to kill a snake bash his head on the rock not his tail and the seed of the woman who eventually is you christ he crushes the head of the serpent in the process his heel is bruised his heel is crushed but that is only a minor wound in the pursuit of his conquest and when we pick up the old testament dear people what we pick up is a backdrop in which that drama is being unfolded god who injected the enmity is perpetuating it and we will see that seed of the woman that godly seed and it comes to light ...

60:44 - 62:01 Read in full sermon