New Dimensions of the Gospel for our Time Reflected by 8 Bible Characters

Eight is a biblical number of new beginnings. After a 7-days, we begin a new week. Eight people in the ark made a new beginning after the Flood, and Noah is our 1st focus with his good news of salvation. The problem was, people thought he was crazy; they had no faith in what was really God’s provision for anyone who wanted to be saved. Salvation came from getting into the ark and we might see a modification that we need to get into the ark of the covenant—we will need the new covenant experience to keep the biblical laws that were found in the ark. How surprised a heathen spy might have been to discover in the ark of the Most Holy Place, the secret of Israel’s greatness was not an idol studded with gems, but a law that offered insight to wise decisions for every aspect of life! Deuteronomy 4:8. #2. Abraham appreciated the covenant that promised him land, but when his servants fought Lot’s servants re land for cattle. Lot wanted the lush area of Sodom; Abraham said OK. The US is like that Promised Land, but it’s becoming like Sodom with the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage. #3. Moses brought judgments on Egypt like we may (Rev 11:3-6) and he took Israel to a covenant that made them God’s kingdom. We can become His kingdom by making a covenant after a similar Passover event for the US. Our journey may be easier than Israel’s, as God gives ‘two wings of a great eagle’ that we might fly to the wilderness, Revelation 12:14. Is this Uncle Sam that flies us? #4. Ezekiel 36:24-28 says God will gather us out of all nations and bring us into our own land and put His laws in our hearts and His Spirit to cause us to walk in His laws in the land of the Bible. We must have that experience or we won’t be ready to meet Christ in the sky. #5. Daniel links one of the best-known texts for the Messiah to a decree to rebuild Jerusalem and we should see that at the signal for us to go there as it let Israel leave Persia, and history repeats. We may expect to see that decree after Iran (Persia) and other Muslims attack Jerusalem in Zechariah 14:1-3. #6. Malachi 4:5,6 says Elijah will turn the hearts of fathers to children. The way this country is going, it will have little value or benefit to children, in contrast to the land of the covenant that God gives… #7. Paul said, “If you are Christ’s, you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise [of land] Galatians 3:29. So that land is our land, according to the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 15:18. #8. Saving the best for last, Christ promises to make us ‘ruler over all that He has’ if we are watching and ready to “open unto Him” in the wedding parable of Luke 12:36,37,44. The gospel means good news and the modifications in the time of Noah, Abraham and Moses are not so great as what we get as a reward to being fully surrendered to God’s purposes, which include understanding the wedding parables and being ready to do our part. We should start by sharing what we know, even as the king sends His servants to bid others to the wedding in Matthew 22. As we reflect on these eight persons of the Bible, “All those things happened to the for examples and they are written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the world are come.” 1Corinthians 10:1,11.