Edwards Summary

This past month I have read through a few of Edwards works.  I began with his sermon “God Glorified in Man’s Dependence” which I would recommend all Christians to indulge.  As far as Edward’s preaching and writing, it is very readable and straightforward.  He was twenty eight when he first preached it.  His basic purpose of the sermon is to demonstrate that desires to get the glory in salvation and how he accomplishes it.
The second sermon I digested was Edward’s, “The Reality of Spiritual Light” which he takes as his text Matthew 16:17.  This sermon is a little more pithy than the previous one mentioned but its main purpose is to illuminate what divine light is, how it is given by God and not man.  It is a decent sermon to digest in answering the issue of the only way people are given an understanding of who Jesus Christ is and come to salvation is through the Spirit alone.
My third reading of Edwards this month was his “Faithful Narrative of a Surprising Work of God”.  I have read this before while researching revival and revivalism in seminary.  It is a good eye witness and pastoral account of what passes for genuine and counterfeit revivals.  One section that is interesting is Edward’s encouragement of what amounts to small groups:
“I proposed to the young people that they should agree among themselves to spend the evenings after lectures in social religion and to that end divide themselves into several companies to meet in various parts of the town; which was accordingly done, and those meetings have been since continued, and the example imitated by elder people”
I finished off with “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” which as I mentioned in a previous post here (see Sunday, June 27, 2010).  A classic line from “Sinners” that gives you a flavor of the content is:
“The sentence of the law of God, that eternal and immutable rule of righteousness that God has fixed between Him and mankind, is gone out against them, and stands against them; so that they are bound over to hell”.
Some of Edwards is difficult to read, I can’t imagine trying to preach in his style him in today’s world.  But he has given us much to think about God’s glory that is sorely lacking in today’s pulpits.  We are better for reading him.
Most of my interviews were not only taken from Edwards works but also Ian Murray’s “Jonathan Edwards: A Biography”, George Marsden’s Biography of Jonathan Edwards, a collection of essays on Edwards entitled “A God Enhanced Vision of All Things: The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards”. 

“Evangelism must start with the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, the demands of the law, and the eternal consequences of evil.”  Studies on the Sermon on the Mount, pg. 235

Studnet's at Camp

 Pastor Dale, Shannon and several of our youth are at a Student life camp in Alabama. Please pray for them this week, their safety, their edification, and the speakers this week.

Jonathan Edwards "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"

If you were like me, you had to read this sermon in English literature.  Now I get to read it anytime I want.  If you have some time this is worth your while.  An incredible sermon that is rare in our day.  Often times this popular sermon is used as a wrong caricature for Edwards preaching and the New England Puritanism he emerged from, but nothing could be further from the truth.  Using this sermon to characterize all of Edwards preaching and ministry is like using “Jesus wept” to characterize the entire scope of our Lord’s time on earth.
The sermon itself has some interesting folklore.  Edwards originally preached the sermon a few months before it became famous in his own congregation where apparently it “bombed”.  He was traveling to Connecticut to listen to a sermon, and had “Sinners” in his satchel to edit it.  When he arrived at the church to listen to preaching, the scheduled preacher became ill.  Edwards was asked on the fly to preach a sermon, and the only one he had available was this unedited, ‘B’ sided sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”.  He preached it and the rest is history.
You can read the entire sermon hear.

Family Worship

As a family read Romans 2:1-16 and note the following:
1. How many times the word ‘judge’ ‘judged’ or ‘judgment’ is used?
2. Who is doing the judging?
3. Who is being judging?
4. Why are they being judged?
5. With what are they being judged?
Pray that you and your family may escape the judgment of God as you look at God’s judgment in Christ.

Nuts and Bolts

Evidently in some parts of our country the U.S. Constitution needs a warning label.

In sports, the Big 12 becomes the Big 10 and the Big 10 becomes the Big 12.

At the recent Southern Baptist Convention (the denomination my fellowship is a part of) a resolution on family worship was passed by the messengers.  Here is the complete resolution:
WHEREAS, The Bible teaches the spiritual discipline of family worship for the glory of God, the strengthening of the church, and the spiritual nourishment of the family (Deuteronomy 6:1-18; Psalm 78:1-8; Ephesians 4-6); and

WHEREAS, Scripture pictures the Christian home as a place in which parents are instructed to teach and disciple their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:1-18; Ephesians 6:1-4); and

WHEREAS, Family worship has been a cherished Southern Baptist principle reflected in church covenants which have called believers “to maintain family and secret devotions” and “to religiously educate” their children; and

WHEREAS, In recent years, family worship has been emphasized in The Baptist Faith and Message, which states that “Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth”; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have launched major initiatives which have brought to the forefront the need for families to pray, read from the Bible, memorize scripture, and give praise to the Lord within their homes; and

WHEREAS, In 2009, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention included family worship as a key catalyst for a Great Commission resurgence calling on Southern Baptists “to build gospel-saturated homes that see children as a gift from God and as our first and primary mission field”; and

WHEREAS, Family worship is integral to laying a foundation for multi-generational faithfulness to the gospel (Psalm 145:4) and a necessary complement for the strengthening of the local church to fulfill its commission (Matthew 28:18-20); and

WHEREAS, Family worship serves as an important preparation for the corporate worship of the local church on the Lord’s Day (Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:25); and

WHEREAS, In recent generations, the act of family worship has been neglected, evidenced by the breakdown of the family in our time; and

WHEREAS, The embracing of the spiritual discipline of family worship in the Christian home has the capacity to nurture stronger families, a stronger church, and a stronger nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Orlando, Florida, June 15-16, 2010, encourage churches and families to rekindle the spiritual discipline of family worship; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we define family worship as the regular meeting together of a family for a time of prayer and Bible reading, which may include other activities such as scripture memorization, singing spiritual songs and hymns, and discussing biblical truth and Christian mission; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage families to cultivate not only structured times of worship together, but also ongoing intentional and informal conversations about the things of the Lord; and be it further

RESOLVED, That as we call families and churches to embrace family worship, we urge fathers particularly to fulfill their divinely mandated responsibility to lead their families toward spiritual maturity (Ephesians 5:22-6:4; Colossians 3:19-21); and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage all parents to consider times of family worship to be an opportunity to introduce their children to the gospel, to train their children to seek the salvation of their friends and neighbors, and to pray for the nations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage churches and families to make use of the many resources produced to aid in family worship; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we urge the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention and their pastors to promote family worship and encourage the families of their congregations to place the highest priority on embracing this foundational spiritual discipline for the well-being of families, the spread of the gospel, the making of disciples, and the glory of God.

For all you Chronicles of Narnia fans, the third installment, “The Voyage of Dawn Treader” will be released later this year.  You can watch the trailer here.

To the Garden we Go...

Here is a potted combination of annuals I put together.  There are two pots of the same kind of petunias, salvia, and rosemary.

Noah is helping me harvest some of our strawberries from our new bed.  We are now eating strawberries every day.

Around one side of our house, I put in a raised bed two years ago.  It always bears a good harvest of something.  I rotated crops in it throughout the season so the same vegetable doesn’t grow two straight. These pictures show Noah harvesting our snow peas.  They like all the other crops he picks never gets to the kitchen.  We are picking peas about every other day.  We have a windmill perched in the center of the bed which supports our pole beans.  To the left of the raised bed, you will notice our sacks filled with potatoes. 

Coffee with Edwards

Ten More Questions with a Fictitious Interview Based on His Real Writings

B.A.-“In our day, evangelicals put a premium on purpose sentences or philosophy of ministry.  Would you describe yours?”

J.E.-“God himself is the great good which the redeemed are brought to the possession of and enjoyment of by redemption.  He is the highest good and the sum of all good which Christ purchased.  God is the inheritance of the saints; he is the portion of their souls.  God is their wealth and treasure, their food, their life, their dwelling place, their ornament and diadem, and their everlasting honor and glory.’ 

B.A.-“You have written much on the legitimacy of revival.  Can you explain some the elements from your first revival between 1735-1737?”

J.E.-“Our public assemblies were then beautiful, the congregation was alive in God’s service, everyone earnestly intent on the public worship, every hearer eager to drink in the words of the minister as they came from his mouth; the assembly in general, were, from time to time in tears while the Word was preached; some weeping with sorrow and distress, others with joy and love, others with pity and concern for the souls of their neighbors.” 

B.A.-“And what followed?”

J.E.-“The converts grew in number, and soon the congregation outgrew its building.  And here the revival fervor became smothered by the selfish interests, scheming, and posturing the members.  The wealthy citizens of the town vied for the most prominent pews in the new meetinghouse under construction.  Factions and backbiting ensued, and grew at a fever pitch.”

B.A.-“And out of this experience you preached a sermon to address it?”

J.E.-“Yes.  I called it ‘Peaceful and Faithful Amidst Division and Strife’.”

B.A.-“And what was the fellowship’s reaction?”

J.E.-“Eventually the parishioners at Northampton once again began taking their faith seriously, and once again revival came.  But this time it moved far beyond the bounds of the Connecticut River Valley, reaching throughout New England and beyond to encompass the colonies. 

B.A.-“and this revival was called “The Great Awakening”?

J.E.-“Yes, the Great Awakening, from roughly 1740-42, coincided with the trips of George Whitefield to the colonies.”

B.A.-“This was around the time of your famous sermon ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’?”

J.E.-“Correct.  I preached this sermon the first time at Northampton with little impact.  A few months later, I was at Enfield, Connecticut, a healthy horse ride down the Connecticut River from Northampton.  I wasn’t there to preach, but to be preached to.  The intended minister however was too ill to preach, and I just happened to have the sermon manuscript in my saddlebag.”

B.A.-“This is a grim and weighty message.   Is it illustrative of the rest of your preaching?”

J.E.-“I don’t think so.  Most of my sermons will emphasis concepts such as: ‘sweetness’, ‘beauty’, ‘happiness’, ‘joy’, ‘pleasure’, ‘excellency’, and ‘delight’ .  And even “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is no exception.  In addition to the imagery of God’s wrath, there is also the imagery of God’s mercy.  Consider this example: “Now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the door of mercy wide open and stands in calling, and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners.” 

B.A.-“Through this sermon and the ‘Great Awakening’ you became an ‘expert’ on revival.  Your first sermon on this subject was ‘A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections’ (1746), which has to be only rivaled by ‘Sinners’ as your most popular work.  How would you describe the work?

J.E.-“ In this work I explored the nature of affections, what may not necessarily count as true signs of religious affections, and what counts as true signs.  The 12^th and final sign of genuine religious affections is given as the life that bears fruit.  This is quite instructive given the context I found myself with the revivals.”

B.A.-“So this grew out of your own experience?”

J.E.-“Most definitely.  I witnessed incredible enthusiasm for Christ at the height of the Awakening.  But then the commitment faded, leaving me rather confused.  In my thinking, revival was no mere academic issue.  I was a pastor, and had a deep and abiding concern for the spiritual state of those under my care.  I learned through this experience that the Christian life is not a sprint, but a marathon. 

The revivalism approach to living the Christian life can tend to make it one that consists of fits and spurts.  I came to see that it was lived out, consistently, over the long haul.  In the tradition of the Puritans, I viewed the Christian life as a pilgrimage, a journey of progress toward heaven.  This approach emphasizes a consistent living out of the Christian faith in all aspects of life, and even, or perhaps especially, in the ordinary experiences of daily living.  The revivalism mentality tends toward highs and lows, with not much to say to ordinary experiences.” 

John Piper 'Bad'

This is a dated video.  But I thought I would bring it out of the vault to whimsically prove the point of Sunday’s sermon. 

Whitefield and the Tomb of Lazarus

George Whitefield (1714-1770), was a fiery, passionate preacher of the Gospel.  In the following sermon on Ephesians 2, he likened the sinner to dead Lazarus whom Jesus called forth from the grave.  I quoted this yesterday in my message.   

“Come, you dead, Christless, unconverted sinner, come and see the place where they laid the body of the deceased Lazarus; behold him laid out, bound hand and foot with graveclothes, locked up and stinking in a dark cave, with a great stone placed on top of it.  View him again and again; go nearer to him; be not afraid; smell him, Ah! how he stinks.  Stop there now, pause a while; and while you are gazing upon the corpse of Lazarus, give me time to tell you with great plainness, but also with a greater love, that this dead, bound, entombed, stinking carcass, is but a faint representation of your poor soul in its natural state;…your spirit which lives in you, sepulchered in flesh and blood, is literally dead to God, and as truly dead in trespasses and sins, as the body of Lazarus was in the cave.  Was he bound hand and foot with graveclothes?  So are you bound hand and foot with your corruptions; and as a stone was laid on the sepulchre, so there is a stone of unbelief upon your stupid heart. Perhaps you have lain in this estate, not only four days, but many years, stinking in God’s nostrils. And, what is still more effecting, you are as unable to raise yourself out of this loathsome, dead state, to a life of righteousness and true holiness, as ever Lazarus was to raise himself from the cave in which he lay so long.  You may try the power of your boasted free will, and the force and energy of moral persuasion and rational arguments (which, without doubt, have their proper place in religion); but all your efforts, exerted with never so much vigor, will prove quite fruitless and abortive, till that same Jesus, who said ‘take away the stone’ and cried ‘Lazarus, come forth,’ also quicken you.  This is grace, graciously offered, and grace graciously applied.  Or as the Confession [Westminster Confession] originally puts it, ‘grace offered and conveyed.’”

Coffee with Edwards

Fictitious Questions based on the real writings of Jonathan Edwards

B.A.-“When did you meet Sarah?”

J.E.-“I met Sarah when I was twenty, and was tutoring at Yale. She was thirteen when we first met.”

B.A.-“Was it love at first sight?”

J.E.-(I imagine a stoic look here) “I remember day dreaming at her while studying Greek” (which isn’t difficult. “I noted this in my textbook, ‘They say there is a young lady who is loved of that Great Being, who made and rules the world, and that there are certain seasons in which this Great Being, in some way or other invisible, comes to her and fills her mind with exceeding sweet delight; and that she hardly cares for anything, except to meditate on Him…You could not persuade her to do anything wrong or sinful, if you would give her all the world, lest should offend this Great Being. She is of a wonderful sweetness, calmness, and universal benevolence of mind; especially after this Great God has revealed himself to her mind. She will sometimes go about from place to place, singing sweetly; and seems to be always full of joy and pleasure…She loves to be alone, walking in the fields and groves, and seems to have some one invisible always conversing with her’.”

B.A.-“She must have been an incredible woman at thirteen. What were some of her other characteristics?”

J.E.- “She was from one of the most distinguished families in Connecticut. Her education had been the best a woman of that era typically received. She was accomplished in the social skills of polite society. She enjoyed music and knew how to play the lute. People who knew her mentioned her beauty and her way of putting people at ease.”

B.A.-“And when were you married?”

J.E.- “We were married on July 28, 1727. She was 17, and I was 24. I wore a new powdered wig, and a new set of white clerical bands given by my sister Mary. Sarah wore boldly-patterned green satin brocade.”

B.A.-“It was a good marriage correct?”

J.E.-“Sarah complimented me well. She was outgoing while I was introverted, shy, and uneasy with small talk. I ate sparingly and was not a drinker. I simply was not full of social graces.”

B.A.-“What were your study habits like?”

J.E.-“I would often write out my sermons as much as five times before preaching it. I would think deeply and often about a subject, mulling ideas over in my mind, taking them apart and putting them together with other ideas, and testing them against other parts of God’s truth. I would often become so engrossed in thought and study, that I would not want to be interrupted for dinner. I would often be in study some thirteen hours a day. This included lots of preparation for Sundays and for Bible teaching. But it also included the times when Sarah came in to visit and talk or when parishioners stopped by for prayer and counsel.”

B.A.-“In one of your journal entries you recommend rising early for prayer and study?”

J.E.-“ Yes. I think Christ has recommended rising early in the morning by his rising from the grave very early. So I would awake early. The family’s routine through the years was to wake early with me, to hear a chapter from the Bible by candlelight, and to pray for God’s blessing on the day ahead. I then would do physical labor sometime each day for exercise-for instance, chopping wood, mending fences, or working in the garden. But Sarah had most of the responsibility for overseeing the care of the property. In the evening we might ride into the woods for exercise and fresh air and to talk. And in the evening we would pray together again.”

Boettner on the Gospel

Another great lengthy article on defining the gospel is written by Dr. Lorraine Boettner can be found here.

Thomas Watson on Creation

Thomas Watson is my kind of preacher. He is clear, theological, doxological, and practical. His “A Body of Divinity” is a source I keep close to my heart. Speaking on the subject of how the doctrine of creation is God’s tool in using the gospel, Watson with vivid imagery writes, “Creation is the unbeliever’s Bible, the ploughman’s primer, and the traveler’s perspective glass, through which he receives a representation of the infinite Excellencies which are in God.” (“A Body of Divinity”, p. 113)

Sunday Sermon with Edwards

A good sermon from Jonathan Edwards entitled “God Glorified in Man’s Dependence” is an issue that I touched on in last Sunday’s sermon. If you are daring enough to read it, it is well worth it.

Song of the Month

“All I Have is Christ” is our song of the month. I first heard this at a church I was preaching at and was overwhelmed at the time. This past April when I attended the “Together for the Gospel” we sang it again.

Nuts and Bolts

Another description of this video clip would be, “Things that make you go Mmmmmm.?”

The Gospel

Since we are beginning a summer series on The Gospel at Calvary, I thought I would inundate my bloggers with a weekly vignette on the gospel. The following is a concise summary of the gospel from John Piper

Coffee with Edwards

Ten Fictitious Questions Based on His Real Writings
B.A.-“Could you tell us about the time you grew up?”

J.E.- “I spent my entire life living in the ‘colonies’ of the New World. 13 small British colonies hugged the Atlantic coast. And a vast western wilderness stretched who knew how far into the unknown.”
B.A.-“What was your upbringing like?”
J.E.-“ I was born into the family of Timothy Edwards and Esther Stoddard. I was the only boy of 11 children. My father was a pastor to the congregation at East Windsor, Connecticut. I went to Yale University at 12 years of age. I graduated at the head of the class, and decided to stay at Yale in pursuit of a Master’s degree.”
B.A.-“So you were born into a Christian home, when did your aspirations to the pastorate begin?”
J.E.-Prior to writing my thesis, I accepted a call to pastor a Presbyterian church in New York City, in the vicinity of modern day Broad and Wall Streets. I also spent many mornings horseback riding along the banks of the Hudson River.”
B.A.-“How old were you at the time?”
J.E.-“I was nineteen.”
B.A.-“And it was at this time that you began writing your famous ‘Resolutions’?
J.E.-“Yes, eventually they would reach 70 in number.”
B.A.-“Would you describe their contents?”
J.E.-“They were guidelines for my life. And two truths weave through them: self-discipline and a concern for the glory of God.”
B.A.-“What led you to continue in the pastorate?”
J.E.- “After finishing up my Master’s Thesis, I decided to stay at Yale as a tutor, or member of the faculty. My academic career however came to an end a few years later when I received a call to serve as an assistant minister to the aging Solomon Stoddard my grandfather.”
B.A.-“What was that experience like?”
J.E.-“He was pastor at the Northampton Congregational Church in Northampton, Massachusetts. Northampton was located north of our home along the Connecticut River. It had grown to be a prosperous and large town, with an equally prominent pulpit. One would have to go to Boston to find a larger colonial church in New England. My grandfather’s reputation matched that of the town and the church. Dubbed “Pope of the Connecticut River Valley”, his influence was felt far beyond the valley and even far beyond his death.”
B.A.-“What did you learn the most in those early years of mentoring from your grandfather?”
J.E.-“I learned of the “seasons of harvest”, or the times of revival in the church. I learned to be a passionate preacher, aiming sermons at moving the whole person toward a greater understanding of God and living for him. These would be the two things I inherited from my grandfather.”
B.A.-“Are there any memories that would not be pleasant?”
J.E.-“Chief among the issues I disagreed with my grandfather was his practice of admitting all to the Lord’s Supper. This would come to be the center of controversy between me and my people years later, and my rejection of the practice would eventuate my dismissal. This was, however, many years over the horizon. Before the season of conflict came, I had many years of fruitful ministry at Northampton.”

Augustine on Free Will

I wanted to continue my diatribe from Matthew 23 even though as a church body we have finished this up a few weeks back. Augustine deals with the apparent conundrum from Matthew 23:37-39 in his commentary on Matthew. His question is, “in what sense does the apostle say that “God will have all men to be saved,” when, as a matter of fact, all are not saved?
Hence we must inquire in what sense is said of God what the apostle has
mostly truly said: “Who will have all men to be saved.” For, as a matter of
fact, not all, nor even a majority, are saved: so that it would seem that
what God wills is not done, man’s will interfering with, and hindering the
will of God. When we ask the reason why all men are not saved, the
ordinary answer is: “Because men themselves are not willing.” This, indeed
cannot be said of infants, for it is not in their power either to will or not to
will. But if we could attribute to their will the childish movements they
make at baptism, when they make all the resistance they can, we should
say that even they are not willing to be saved. Our Lord says plainly,
however, in the Gospel, when upbraiding the impious city: “How often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings, and ye would not !” as if the will of God had
been overcome by the will of men, and when the weakest stood in the way
with their want of will, the will of the strongest could not be carried out.
And where is that omnipotence which hath done all that it pleased on earth
and in heaven, if God willed to gather together the children of Jerusalem,
and did not accomplish it? or rather, Jerusalem was not willing that her
children should be gathered together? But even though she was unwilling,
He gathered together as many of her children as He wished: for He does
not will some things and do them, and will others and do them not; but
“He hath done all that He pleased in heaven and in earth.”

ODE to Emma

Today marks my daughter’s seventh birthday. Excuse the cliché but it is hard to believe. Emma has brought such joy to my life as she is full of life in every sense of the word. I praise Jesus for you my girl in the hope that He will give you The Gift that I cannot, and that will make all the difference. I love you much.

Sunday Sermon

As we begin a summer study on Learning and Living the Gospel, I wanted to present Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones’ five foundational principles in evangelism. I have referred to them over and over again in my own life. I believe they have their origins in Scripture, and because of this they liberate us to do work of the gospel rightly. They are as follows:

1. The supreme object of the work of evangelism is to glorify and enjoy God, not to save souls.

2. The only power that can do this work is the Holy Spirit, not our own strength.

3. The one and only medium through which the Spirit works is the Scriptures; therefore, we “reason out of the Scriptures” like Paul did.

4. The true motivation for evangelism is a passion for God and a compassion for souls.

5. There is a constant danger of heresy through false passion and employment of unscriptural methods.

To the Garden we Go!

So I have begun the garden harvest of 2010. I have harvested six radishes (radishes and carrots always do poorly at my house); several dozen onions, lettuce and spinach for salads, and a handful of strawberries. If any of my blog/garden followers can recommend a side fertilizer for my ever bearing strawberries, I would appreciate it.

Cyprian was the bishop of Carthage who lived in the second century. He articulated well the belief that baptism should be administered only to the regenerate. He did a very thought provoking “Testimonies against the Jews”. I came across it while studying Matthew 23. Here it is in its outline form. Cyprian expounds each point in his sermons.

1. That the Jews have fallen under the heavy wrath of God, because they have departed from the Lord, and have followed idols.
2. Also because they did not believe the prophets, and put them to death.
3. That it was previously foretold that they would neither know the Lord, nor understand nor receive Him.
4. That the Jews would not understand the Holy Scriptures, but that they would be intelligible in the last times, after Christ had come.
5. That the Jews could understand nothing of the Scriptures unless they first believed on Christ.
6. That they would lose Jerusalem, and leave the land which they had received.
7. That they would also lose the Light of the Lord.
8. That the first circumcision of the flesh was made void and a second circumcision of the spirit was promised instead.
9. That the former law, which was given by Moses, was about to cease.
10. That a new law was to be given.
11. That another dispensation and a new covenant was to be given.
12. That the old baptism was to cease, and a new one was to begin.
13. That the old yoke was to be made void and a new yoke was to be given.
14. That the old pastors were to cease, and new ones to begin.
15. That Christ should be God’s house and temple, and that the old temple should pass away, and a new one should begin.
16. That the old sacrifice should be made void and a new one should be celebrated.
17. That the old priesthood should cease, and a new priest should come who should be forever.
18. That another prophet, such as Moses, was promised, to wit, who should give a new testament, and who was rather to be listened to.
19. That two peoples were foretold, the elder and the younger; that is, the ancient people of the Jews, and the new one which should be of us.
20. That the Church, which had previously been barren, should have more sons from among the Gentiles than the synagogue had had before.
21. That the Gentiles should rather believe in Christ.
22. That the Jews should lose the bread and the cup of Christ, and all His grace; while we should receive them, and that the new name of Christians should be blessed in the earth.
23. That rather the Gentiles than the Jews should attain to the kingdom of heaven.
24. That by this alone the Jews could obtain pardon of their sins, if they wash away the blood of Christ slain in His baptism, and, passing over into the Church, should obey His precepts.

Coffee with Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards gets my monthly nod in the rotation of guys that I appreciate. I will attempt to make this as helpful and whimsical as possible. I will embark on some sermons of Edwards. So many wrong caricatures of Edwards abound, but this man still speaks for God’s glory. His preaching coupled with the itinerant preaching of George Whitefield ushered in what is known as the “Great Awakening”. Edwards life and ministry is filled with both trials and triumphs, and the Christian today would do well to read his “Religious Affections”.

Three View of Matthew 23:39

This past Lord’s Day we concluded Matthew 23. The passage does have some interpretative challenges. I didn’t want to deal with all the views in a sermon, so here is my attempt to fairly represent each position. Good and godly people disagree here and there is much to learn. I tend to be in between the second and third view with a slight nod to the second.

THREE VIEWS OF MATTHEW 23:39
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

NATIONAL REPENTANCE OF ISRAEL VIEW
This view holds that the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:39 is conditional on Jerusalem acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah. Interpreters of this view emphasize, you will not see me again, until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. They hold to the fact that Jesus is willing to return and bless Jerusalem as He once before, if they acknowledge Him as the Messiah. They apply this verse not to mean when the Messiah comes, His people will bless Him, rather it means when His people acknowledge Him as the Messiah, and He will come and bless them. Proponents of this view hold that Jesus condemnation is directed to Israel’s leaders, not Israel as a whole. They also point to many statements in the Old Testament regarding God’s covenant with Israel, and therefore they believe God’s credibility is at stake in verse 39.

Strengths of this view
1. Emphasizes the Messianic promises of Psalm 118.
2. Compliments many of the Old Testament passages concerning God’s faithful promises to Israel.
3. Highlights that much of Jesus condemnation is directed toward Israel’s leaders (woes of chapter 23) than to Israel as a nation (since many Jews did acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah).
4. Seeks to be exegetically sound by emphasizing the until of verse 39.

Weakness of this view
1. The immediate context is one of judgment.
2. Jesus does address more than just the religious leaders according to verse 37, and it isn’t the religious leaders who exclusively participate in the killing of Jesus.
3. Exegetically this position loosely puts verse 38 and 39 as clearly Matthew has them tighter together.
4. Nowhere in Matthew’s gospel does he explicitly speak of a national conversion of Israel. In many passages it is quite the contrary.

JUDGMENT VIEW
This view holds closest to the immediate context. Interpreters of this view emphasis the final judgment of Jerusalem. The context is that Jesus is lamenting Israel’s rejection of Jesus and all He has sent her. He then judges them with desolation which is connected with His presence departing. See your house is left to you desolate, for I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” This view connects verses 38-39 together with the “for” a key preposition stating cause. In other words, the cause of Jesus departing is connected to the desolation that is coming on Israel. Many Old Testament texts teach a similar thing, God’s presence departs from the Temple; the land is left to waste. This seems to go with the surrounding context of Matthew 23 and 24 as well. The ‘woe’ oracles preceding and the prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem all illustrate God’s judgment to a people that reject Him.
But what does one do with the quotation from Psalm 118 a purely Messianic psalm? The interpreters of the Judgment view believe this should be taken to other similar passages of universal acknowledgment of Jesus the Messiah (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10-11). In other words, the inhabitants and religious leaders of Jerusalem will acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, but they will do so at the Judgment when it is too late for redemption. They will confess Jesus as the Messiah not in voluntary faith, but in involuntary worship. This has been the majority position throughout church history. Its proponents run from John Calvin to modern day commentators.

Strengths of this view
1. This view holds the immediate context together the best.
a.This view places the preposition “for” in its proper position of linking verses 38 and 39 together.

b. The entire context is one of judgment: the woes of chapter 23, the pronouncement of desolation verses 37-39, and the prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24).

2. There will be a universal acceptance of Jesus the Messiah by all people.

Weakness of this view
1. The original purpose of Psalm 118 was to give a Messianic hope. How does this reconcile with the judgment language of verses 37-39?
2. How does this square with the teaching of Paul in Romans 11?

HOPE OF REMNANT VIEW
Those who embrace this view take verse 39 to be a hope of some in Jerusalem acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah; the remnant. The proponents of this view see a parallel here to Paul’s words in Romans 11 (11:1, 17-32) concerning an end time conversion of Israel so that “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” means that there will be a joyful acknowledgement of Jesus the Messiah. Interpreters of this view point to the quotation of Psalm 118 and prophetic literature as a whole. Many prophets who prophesy judgment (as is taken place in Matthew 23) will often end their doom with a message of hope. Also if one reads Psalm 118 the refrain, “the Lord’s steadfast love endures forever” is repeated no fewer than five times emphasizing this hope.

Strengths of this view
1. Exegetically, this compliments the entire immediate context.
a. It deals with the clear judgment passages in Matthew 23.
b. It applies the hope of Psalm 118 as Jesus quotes it in verse 39.

2. It seems to be consistent with most prophetic oracles.
a. First the doom.
b. Concluding with the hope of the faithful.

Weakness of this view
1. The hope of the remnant is there by implication, and assumes that Jesus is using Psalm 118 for that reason.
2. The overall context of judgment seems for one verse of hope to be misplaced.