The King in His Beauty

A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments

Schreiner, Thomas R.

• Éditeur: Baker Academic
• Année: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781441240460
• Sujet: Teologia e religione
• Sous-sujet: Studi biblici

Thomas Schreiner, a respected scholar and a trusted voice for many students and pastors, offers a substantial and accessibly written overview of the whole Bible. He traces the storyline of the scriptures from the standpoint of biblical theology, examining the overarching message that is conveyed throughout. Schreiner emphasizes three interrelated and unified themes that stand out in the biblical narrative: God as Lord, human beings as those who are made in God's image, and the land or place in which God's rule is exercised. The goal of God's kingdom is to see the king in his beauty and to be enraptured in his glory.

1
Genesis

Creation

The story commences where the book of Genesis begins, with the creation of the heavens and the earth (1:1).22 There is no reflection on what God was doing before creation, nor does the writer recount the creation of angels. Speculative issues have no interest for the writer of Genesis.23 The first creation account (1:1–2:3) heralds the majesty and power of God, for by his word he creates and orders the world in six days. Umberto Cassuto sums up the message of God’s creation of the world:

Not many gods but One God; not theogony, for a god has no family tree; nor wars nor strife nor the clash of wills, but only One Will, which rules over everything, without the slightest let or hindrance; not a deity associated with nature and identified with it wholly or in part, but a God who stands absolutely above nature, and outside of it, and nature and all its constituent elements, even the sun and all other entities, be they never so exalted, are only His creatures, made according to His will.24

The simplicity and the depth of God’s creative power are evident because all things come into existence by his word.25 As Ps. 33:6 says, “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”26 God’s creation of the entire universe communicates his sovereignty and lordship, for the creator of all is also the Lord of all. The account of creation in Genesis also differs from the creation accounts in surrounding ancient Near Eastern cultures, since the one God is the creator of all things.27 In creating the world Yahweh shows his sovereignty over all other powers and gods (Pss. 74:12–14; 89:5–13).28 The implication of creation, as Paul House affirms, is that “God has no rivals. God has jurisdiction over all created persons and things.”29 As Jeremiah says, “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens” (Jer. 10:11). Psalm 96:5 echoes the same theme: “For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.”

The creator of all is also the King of all, and his lordship is extended over a place—a realm. As Gerhard von Rad says, “If the world was called into being by the free will of God, then it is his very own possession, and he is its Lord.”30 He is the King of the created cosmos. Therefore, the creation of the universe demonstrates that God is the Lord of the whole world, and that his lordship will not be limited to Israel.31 Since God is the creator, it follows that “the creation exists for the praise and glory of its creator God.”32 “The earth is full of God’s glory [Ps. 24:1] because what fills the earth constitutes his glory.”33 In other words, we see the glory of God when we delight in, reflect upon, and enjoy the world he has created.34 God’s creative power supports the notion that “Genesis describes God’s work in regal terms, even without using the word ‘king.’”35 God’s wisdom, power, and goodness in creating the world demonstrate his sovereignty over all things (see Ps. 145).

In reading the creation account, how should we interpret the “let us” in Gen. 1:26? Some have argued that it is a pluralis majestatis (“plural of majesty”), or that it includes angels or the heavenly assembly.36 It is doubtful that the author thought specifically of the Trinity in using this expression, or that the earliest Israelite readers read the text in such a way, for the Trinity is only clearly revealed in the NT. Recent developments in hermeneutics, however, have rightly corrected an overemphasis on authorial intent.37 Interpreters of sacred Scripture must also consider the canonical shape of the Scriptures as a whole, which is to say that we must also take into account the divine author of Scripture.38 Nor does appeal to a divine author open the door to arbitrariness or subjectivity, for the meaning of the divine author is communicated through the words and canon of Scripture. It is not the product of human creativity but is textually located and circumscribed.

A canonical approach supports a trinitarian reading, which is suggested by the actual words of the text and confirmed by the entire canon.39 The Spirit’s role in creation is signified by his “hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1:2).40 Psalm 33:6, cited above, probably alludes to the work of the Spirit, for the word “breath” is the word used for “Spirit” (rûaḥ), and hence here the writer attributes the creation of the world to the Spirit.41 In light of the NT revelation on the divinity of the Spirit, it is warranted to see the Spirit as creator. The Son’s role as creator is even clearer from a canonical perspective. John’s Gospel commences, “In the beginning” (John 1:1), an unmistakable allusion to Gen. 1:1. Another allusion to Genesis immediately surfaces, for John 1:3 speaks of the role of the “Word” in the beginning, claiming that “all things were made” by the one who is the “Word.” Hence, the “Word” that spoke creation into existence (Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26) is identified as the Son of God—Jesus the Christ (John 1:14). Hence, from a canonical perspective, the “let us” in Gen. 1:26 should be understood as a reference to the Trinity.42

The other feature of the creation in Gen. 1:1–2:3 that must be considered is the creation of man and woman in the image of God (1:26–27). Clearly, this is the climax of creation, and the previous days anticipate the creation of human beings on the sixth day.43 What is particularly striking is that “man” (ʾādām) is created as male and female in the image of God (1:27). Theologians have long reflected on the meaning and significance of the creation of human beings in God’s image. If we pay attention to the text, the focus is on human beings as the vice-regents of creation. We read the mandate for human beings in 1:28: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Human beings are made in God’s image in that they are to rule the world for God. The regal nature of the image is confirmed by the use of images in the ancient Near East where “a ruler’s image was set up in distant parts of his kingdom to indicate that his authority reached there.”44

Certainly, other elements of the divine image are implied by the mandate to rule.45 But the biblical text calls attention to human beings as those having the responsibility and privilege of subduing the world for God. As Stephen Dempster says, “The male and female as king and queen of creation are to exercise rule over their dominion, the extent of which is the entire earth.”46 Peter Gentry rightly argues in a detailed study that the image of God is not functional here; rather, it is ontological, for human beings are in the image of God because they are servant kings and sons of God, and as a result of being made in God’s image they rule the world for God.47 The importance of human beings being created in God’s image can scarcely be exaggerated. Indeed, the central three themes of this book appear right here. God is the sovereign creator who extends his kingship over the world. But he extends his rule through human beings, for as God’s image-bearers they must govern the world for God’s glory and honor. As von Rad remarks, “God set man in the world as the sign of his own sovereign authority, in order that man should uphold and enforce his—God’s—claims as lord.”48 And their rule is not abstract, for God’s reign is to be implemented in the world of space and time, over the good creation that God has made. Dempster rightly ties together the themes of Gen. 1: “Another way of describing this emphasis on human dominion and dynasty would be the simple expression ‘the kingdom of God.’”49 Indeed, there are indications that human beings functioned as priest-kings.50 Adam is commanded to “work and keep” the land (2:15). These two verbs are often used of priests and their work in the tabernacle/temple (Num. 3:7–8; 8:25–26; 18:5–6; 1 Chron. 23:32; Ezek. 44:14). Adam was to begin by ruling the garden for God and presumably to extend God’s reign over the whole earth.51

The seventh day of creation (Gen. 2:1–3) stands apart because on it God does not create but instead rests, since he has completed his creative work.52 God’s rest plays a significant role thematically in the story line of the Bible. God’s rest indicates that “he was now reigning over the creation for the good of his people.”53 According to Joshua, Israel enjoys rest from its enemies when it possesses the land promised to it (Josh. 23:1). Israel’s Sabbath observance also replicates the rest of the Lord on the seventh day (Deut. 5:12–15). The theme of rest points to the refreshment and joy found in God’s presence, for the seventh day never ends.54 The Sabbath rest of God, according to Hebrews, finds its fulfillment in the new creation, where believers will enjoy a heavenly and eternal rest during the eschaton (Heb. 4:1–11). Meredith Kline observes that the final rest will take place after the Lord’s victory over his satanic enemies (Rev. 19–20).55 Then human beings will enjoy fellowship with God and see the King in his beauty.

The second creation account (Gen. 2:4–25) supplements the first by zeroing in on the creation of the man and the woman and their unique responsibility. God’s special covenant love for human beings is emphasized by the use of the term “Yahweh,” whereas the first creation account, in recounting the creation of the cosmos, regularly used the word “God” (ʾĕlōhîm). The Lord’s care for human beings is relayed by the terms used for his creation of both the man and the woman. The Lord “formed” the man from the dust and “breathed” life into him (2:7). Furthermore, he fashioned the woman from the rib of the man (2:21–22). According to Gen. 1, man and woman, as those who image God, are to display his image as they rule the world for God.

In Gen. 2 this rule begins in the garden that the Lord planted. The garden is, as Dempster says, “the throne-room . . . of the kingdom.”56 The man and the woman are to “work it and keep it” (2:15). The garden, as others have observed, anticipates the tabernacle (Exod. 25–31), and hence it “was the place where human beings could enjoy the fellowship and presence of God.”57 “Paradise was a sanctuary, a temple-garden.”58 Desmond Alexander notes a number of parallels between the tabernacle/temple and the garden:59 (1) the Lord walks in both (Gen. 3:8; Lev. 26:12); (2) both Eden and the tabernacle are guarded by cherubim, and they are accessed from the east; (3) the lampstand may symbolize the tree of life (Gen. 2:9; 3:22; Exod. 25:31–35);60 (4) the verbs used in Gen. 2:15 are also used of the work of the Levites in the sanctuary (Num. 3:7–8; 18:5–6); (5) a river comes from Eden and also flows from Ezekiel’s temple (Gen. 2:10; Ezek. 47:1–12); (6) stones found in Eden are also in the tabernacle (Gen. 2:11–12; Exod. 25:7, 11, 17, 31); (7) both are on a mountain, which is sacred land in the ancient Near East. The temple imagery indicates that “God intends that the world become his dwelling place.”61

The man and the woman, however, do not exercise their rule autonomously. They are ever subject to the will of God.62 The Lord showers his goodness upon them by placing them in an idyllic garden with verdant trees from which they are nourished. At the same time, the man and the woman would reveal their submission to God’s lordship by refusing to eat from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:17). Indeed, partaking of that tree will bring death. The “tree of life” (Gen. 2:9; 3:22, 24) anticipates the final joy of human beings who know the Lord (Rev. 22:2, 14, 19). The call to obedience forecasts the Mosaic covenant, where God’s people are summoned to keep his commandments, thereby showing their devotion to him.63 God’s covenant is integrally related to his rule over his people, for God’s covenant with his people always involves a relationship.64 Furthermore, one of the refrains of Scripture is covenantal, where God pledges, “I will be your God and you will be my people,” showing that God’s covenant and rule are personal.65

The Fall and the Flood

The fall of Adam and Eve into sin signifies their rejection of God’s lordship over their lives (Gen. 3).66 The author of Genesis betrays no interest in where the serpent came from, nor does he inform the reader about how the serpent became evil.67 Still, there is no idea that the serpent is equal in power to God, nor that something that God created (see Gen. 1) was actually evil.68 Clearly, the serpent is most unusual because he talks with Eve, and talking is not normal for animals!69 The serpent is strikingly different from the other animals, for it is quite clear from 2:19–20 that Adam’s naming of the animals symbolized his dominion over them. Kline notes that such naming represents wisdom,70 so that already in the creation account we have a link between wisdom themes and lordship. The other animals are not “crafty” (3:1) and are unable to converse with Adam and Eve. Presumably, Adam and Eve were to evict the serpent from the garden by obeying the Lord.71 They were “to keep or guard the garden so that it would remain holy.”72 Instead, they capitulated to the serpent’s blandishments and transgressed the Lord’s command by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.73

By failing to obey God’s command, they manifested their stubborn independence and their desire to be godlike (3:5). As von Rad remarks, “The unthinkable and terrible is described as simply and unsensationally as possible.”74 The precious fellowship that they enjoyed with God was shattered. As Kline says, Eve “idolized herself as well as Satan, for she arrogated to herself the divine prerogative of final judgment in discerning between good and evil and in defining the meaning of reality in general. Her new theology was evidenced in her assumption of a critical stance over against the word of God.”75 Nor did their rejection of God’s lordship only touch upon their relationship with God. The created world, with all its beauty, was also, as the apostle Paul later noted, “subjected to futility” (Rom. 8:20). The ground that was fertile and yielded fruitful trees now sprouted “thorns and thistles” (Gen. 3:18). The exercise of dominion over the world was now marred by sin so that frustration, pain, and boredom were part and parcel of work. Similarly, the joy of bearing children was now tarnished by the pain that accompanies childbirth (3:16). Adam and Eve were evicted from the garden and now lived east of Eden (3:22–24).

Human beings were to rule the world for God, but now both they and the world were blighted by sin. Nevertheless, a ray of hope shines through the narrative. The Lord promises a future victory over the serpent through the offspring of the woman (3:15).76 The victory will not be easy, however, for it will come through intense conflict with the offspring of the serpent. In the story line of the Bible Jesus the Chr...