Video Transcript: Sharing God's Heart for the World

We've been talking about embracing God's priorities. We're helped to do that by  the proper use of Scripture, and prayer. Both of which help us immensely in  understanding and sharing another of God's most important priorities. His love  for the world. To be sure the Old Testament is is clear about God's love for His  chosen people. But we don't have to wait until the New Testament either to see  how much of a heart God has for the rest of the world as well. To start with,  Jesus's own ancestry shows evidence of God's intent from the beginning to  show mercy to more than just the physical descendants of Abraham. This is  particularly apparent in the first section of Matthew's genealogy of Jesus,  Matthew 1:1-6. Now, if you read this genealogy, none of the men listed in it were even close to perfect and in fact, several of them had significant moral failings.  But even so they weren't questionable by typical Jewish standards. But in the  opinion of some who had not really understood God's grace, in his love for  outcasts and outsiders, in their opinion, the women listed here just didn't belong  in the family tree of someone as important as God's Messiah. Or if they did  belong it. It wouldn't be something that you'd want to advertise. The women  listed here, Tamar was the first had married one of Jacob's grandsons and then  become a neglected widow until she tricked her dead husband's father into  keeping his promises to her. Rahab had been a prostitute of Jericho, who  helped Israel spies and thus was protected during the fall of Jericho and then  herself became part of Israel. Ruth had been a member of the detested Moabite  nation. And Bathsheba, who had been married to one of David's soldiers had  been forced to go to bed with a king and when she became pregnant, David  murdered her husband, so the evil deed would not come to light. Now all four of  these women were Gentiles, with an ancestry outside the chosen people of  God. Tamar was a Canaanite Rahab was a native of Jericho. Ruth was from  Moab and Bathsheba was a Hittite. Except perhaps for Ruth, none of these  women would have been used by Hebrew parents as positive role models for  their children. Now for that, they would have turned to Sarah and Rebecca and  Rachel and Leah, the wives of the patriarchs. Now, this is not to say that  scripture places a word of blame against any of these four women I've  mentioned. But these four, often because of the Jewish men with whom they  had been associated, had been involved in messy and sordid situations and  they were out. They were outsiders, to Israel. And so their presence here in  Jesus genealogy is a testimony to the mercy of God in preserving his people  despite their obedience. And it's also a testimony to the fact that God can and  does use anybody to advance the progress of his kingdom. And furthermore, as  Matthew makes clear from from the start, God's word has been interracial and  international in scope. The bloodline of the Messiah was extended through  history by Gentile as well as Jewish parents. Now, let's look at a few interesting  Bible stories that confirm what I'm calling God's heart for the world. The first  story I want to talk about involves the prophet Elijah, who in the middle of a 

significant lesson to Israel about the futility of trusting in false gods. First Kings  17-18. He took a side trip to Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Sidon, you may  know was a homeland of the wicked Jezebel, who facilitated Israel's worship of  her fertility gods. Elijah speaking for God said, No, and emphasize it by  proclaiming a stop to the rains in Israel. And in the middle of the drought. The  Lord sent Elijah to the godless country of Sidon,Jezebel's country and  empowered him to show God's grace to a widow there. First Elijah miraculously  provided a continuing supply of food for the widow's household and then after  her son died restored him to life. And after that the widow confessed. Now I  know you are a man of God in that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the  truth. Her declaration was a sign that she, in outside of the Covenant foreigner  from Sidon had come to true faith in her declaration would also be a continuing  testimony to Israel, both that God is no respecter of persons and that it's  senseless to worship anyone but him. A number of years later the prophert  Elisha, Elijah's successor, was generally ignored in Israel when a Syrian general Naman sought Elisha out for healing from his leprosy. This is in II Kings 5 when  via messenger rather than in person he likes to told him to bathe in the Jordan  River Naman was offended. But he heeded wise advice from His servants and  did as instructed and afterwards was overjoyed at the healing received. Naman  expected to have to pay for this healing and was in fact disappointed when  Elisha refused all payment. He wasn't the only one disappointed and so was  Elisha's greedy servant, Gehazi who sneaks off to catch up with Naman and  then takes the payment for himself. However, after the Gehazi had returned, and hidden the loot Elijah Elisha confronted him and told him that he and his family  would from that time on, be cursed with Leprosy. This story reveals some  important things about God's heart for the world. It reveals that grace is not just  for those related to Abraham by blood it's for outsiders too. God showed Naman  the same sort of grace God's chosen people were used to receiving. It shows  too that although you can always respond to Grace, you can't earn, buy, or pay  for it. Elisha's refusal of payment was meant to drive that point home to Naman  and then shows us the story that God gets angry when people misrepresent His  grace. When they act as though it's just for certain people or they treat his gifts  as something to profit from. Another story of God's extravagant grace to  outsiders is seen in in the story of Jonah and in his call for Jonah to preach the  gospel to the Assyrians in Nineveh. Jonah recoiled at the thought. He  considered the people in Nineveh beyond repentance and unworthy of God's  mercy. So he ran the other way. As you know, however, God has had a way of  changing Jonah's plans, and Jonah ended up going to to Nineveh and miracle of miracles, the wicked Assyrians responded to Jonah's preaching by repenting.  But when Jonah saw that he offered God a reproach rather than a praise Jonah  4:2, he says, I knew that you were gracious and compassionate God slow to  anger and abounding in love and a God who relented from sending calamity. 

Jonah had learned it was useless to try to go against the Lord but he had not yet learned to love what God loves the reconciliation of sinners and their inclusion in the circle of God's grace. We don't really know if Jonah eventually learned to  share God's heart for the world or not, but too many of his fellow Israelites did  not. Even today, some Christians who have themselves been rescued from sin  and death can get upset at the prospect of God being gracious to their who they  think of as God's biggest enemy. But such an attitude both misunderstands  grace and refuses to share God's heart for the world. Now let's move on to look  at God's design for how to share his heart for the world. Since the subject of  most Old Testament stories involves Israel, we can assume that design involves  them. God shocked started by telling them this very thing, Deuteronomy 14:2,  he said, out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you  to be his treasured possessions. Of course, this was not because of any special  qualities in those so chosen, but simply because of God's grace. That said there was a conditions attached to continuing in that blessing status. Exodus 19:5  puts it like this. Now if If you obey Me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations, you will be my treasured possessions. God had in mind more than a  blessing of life for his treasure people. He also wanted them to mediate His  blessings to other nations by obeying Him fully. Exodus 19:6 speaks of this  mediatorial role of Israel in these words, although the whole earth is mine, you  will be for me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. In other words, Israel's life with God was to testify to the glory of God, and the greatness of life and  fellowship with Him, and also to encourage the rest of the world to give God the  honor he deserved, and thereby also experience His blessings. This is well  demonstrated in the life of Joseph. Although Joseph was betrayed and sold into  slavery by his brothers, he consistently behaved in such a way that, that the  foreigners he served, came to appreciate the Lord and share in His blessings to  Joseph. As to. Joseph's first master Potiphar. Genesis 39:5 tells us from the time he put them in charge of his household and all that he owns, the Lord blessed  the household of the Egyptians, because of Joseph. It was similar in the prison  Joseph was sent to following the unjust accusations of power for his wife. B Prison wardens eventually gave Joseph significant responsibilities, there and no longer worried himself, just like Potiphar, about day to day operations. Why?  Because he saw that the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in  whatever he did. Finally, and most importantly, Pharaoh came to the same  conclusion about Joseph and his God. And he put Joseph in charge of preparing for the famine and the feud, food distribution. Joseph saw the hand of God in all  this, he told his brother so Genesis 50:20, you intended to harm me, but God  intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done the saving of many  lives. What lives is he talking about? The lives of his family, of course, but also  those of the Egyptians and many other people from around the world whose  lives were spared by the stored food in Egypt. Whether or not Joseph was a 

missionary in the sense in which we use the word today, he certainly saw that  God had used him to bless his foreign masters, and helped him understand  something of the greatness of the God he served. Years later, Moses was called by God to challenge Pharaoh over his claim to the service and loyalty of God's  people. Because Pharaoh was so hard hearted, he in Egypt saw our God's  greatness without experiencing His blessings. But in the end all of Egypt, maybe except Pharaoh himself highly regarded Moses in the people of Israel. Exodus  11:3 tells us so much so that when Israel finally received permission to leave,  the Egyptians showered them with gifts of silver and gold and clothing. And  some of the Egyptians even join the Israelites in their exodus, symbolic of  changes in both their political and religious commitments. Later on their way to  the Promised Land, Moses reiterated to the people their responsibility to live in  such a way as to showcase the greatness of God and the value of living in  communion with him. He told them in Deuteronomy 4:6-8, observe them God's  decrees and laws carefully. For this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations who will hear about all these decrees and say, surely this nation is a  wise and understanding people. What other nation is so great as to have their  gods near them? The way our Lord the Lord our God is, when we pray to Him.  And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws  as this body of laws I'm setting before you today. And it's probably not until the  reign of Solomon however that Old Testament Israel came close to fulfilling this  ideal that we just read about this time of Solomon was a golden age of Israel.  The one of widely regarded as Israel's greatest king David had conquered  Jerusalem and made it his headquarters and given the tribes of Israel and  national identity in his son Solomon built upon this legacy, using the gift of  wisdom he had been wise enough to request of the Lord, the rest of the world  was astonished by the results. I Kings 10:23-24 says King Solomon was greater  in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world  sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.  One of Solomon's most famous admirers was the Queen of Sheba, who  expressed what others thoughts I Kings 10:9, Praise be to the Lord your God,  who is delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel, because of the  Lord's eternal love for Israel has made you king to maintain justice and  righteousness. It seemed that Israel was indeed the envy of the world, for the  greatness of the God they served and the value of living in communion with  Him. And at least at this point in his life, Solomon was fully aware that he and all  Israel depended on the Lord's help. So they might keep fulfilling the purposes  God had for them. And so that's what he asked for in his prayer at the dedication of the temple. But as we mentioned before, too, he asked as well for God to  listen to the prayers of foreigners who had been brought to Jerusalem and the  temple. Because of their confidence, it's such a blessing nation must have a  surpassingly Great God. Solomon prayed, I Kings 8:43 Do whatever the 

foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name,  and fear you and do as do your own people Israel, and may know that this  house is built and bears your name. Afterwards, God appeared to Solomon to  tell him that he had heard his prayers means that he would answer his prayers.  Israel had the Psalms and prophets to reinforce God's expectations of them.  Psalm 67:1, for example, starts this way, may God be gracious to us and bless  us and make his face shine upon us. You may recognize that format after the  Aaronic benediction from Numbers 6:24-26. It asks simply for God's grace to be  shown to us, to his people, to God's people. But the song goes on, to express  the hope for results to come from such a blessing results that involve God's  worldwide mission. So if we sum it up, verse 1 asked may God bless us. And the next verses, give the reasons for the request verse 2 continues, so that your  ways may be known on Earth, your salvation among all nations. And the verses  that follow, say something like, so the nations of the earth will be glad and sing  for joy and praise you. So, to reinforce this, notice the prayer for God to bless us is not primarily so we will be glad and sing for joy and praise you. And that's a  frequent request in Scripture and a good one. But that's not the request of this  Psalm. This Psalm asks May God bless us, so that the nation's seeing our  blessings may themselves be drawn to you God and praise you. The last verse  of the Psalm summarizes the prayer. May God bless us still, so that all the ends  of the earth will fear him. This Psalm focuses on mission. Other Psalms express  these sentiments as well. The end that God and His people have in mind  according to Psalm 72:19, is that the whole earth will be filled with His glory. And that's the understand and the understanding that accompanies this is that if God that that God's people have something to contribute to this reality, Psalm 96  begins, Sing to the Lord and new songs Sing to the Lord all the earth. Sing to  the Lord Praise His name, proclaim His salvation day after day declare His glory among the nations his Marvelous grace among all people. Isaiah says  something similar and speaking of Israel's task to be a light to the nation's light  being a symbol and testimony to God's presence and righteous activity. We see  this particularly in the so called servant passages of Isaiah dealt with in a  previous lecture of the Messianic hope. We saw there that Isaiah servant of the  Lord refers ultimately to Jesus Christ. But it also refers in a provisional sense to  the covenant people to Israel, and especially to the faithful remnant of Israel.  And so what Isaiah says in the following passages, although fulfilled in Christ  was a mandate for God's chosen people. Isaiah 42:6-7. It says I have given you  as a covenant to the people a light to the nations to open eyes that are blind, to  bring out the prisoners from the dungeon from the prison those who sit in  darkness. How could Israel do such a thing? Isaiah 58 lists a number of things  such as feeding the hungry, freeing the oppressed, engaging in true and humble fasting, and so on, which will contribute to your light breaking forth like the dawn. In Isaiah 49:6, the Lord says, it is too small of thing for you to be my servant to 

restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I've kept, I will also  make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of  the earth. A task for Israel to participate in God's nation, Isaiah 60:1, 3, Arise,  shine for your light has come when the glory of the Lord has arisen upon you  nation, so shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn. To  sum it up, although the Old Testament Scriptures don't say nearly as much as  the New Testament, about God's heart for the world, the same, for example,  John 3:16, which tells us that God so loved the world and he gave his only Son  that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. And  Jesus Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, in which he says, Go therefore and  make disciples of all nations. Although the Old Testament doesn't say nearly as  much as, as these and other New Testament passages about God's heart for  the world, it's clear here too. It's clear in the way he persistently reaches out in  mercy to strangers and aliens. And then the way he incorporates believers  among them into the covenant community, even going so far as to include them  in Jesus family tree. And it's equally clear that God wanted his Old Testament  people to manifest his priorities by living as a community he had gone to such  lengths to save and discipline and install in a Homeland by living according to  His laws, by loving Him above all and their neighbors as themselves so they can be a light, full of grace in a dark world