A New and Better Prophet, Priest & Judge

Intro

Thank you to Cody for last week. He did a fantastic job with a difficult book. As he asked the question: where is Jesus in the time of the Judges? Where is the Messiah? The answer was: In the absence.

What’s found in that very dark, very hopeless period is that it leaves us with this sense of great need for a better judge. A better priest. A better Groom. And it leads us, as those on this side of the cross, to a place of crying out for Jesus.

And, while we don’t like to admit that our world or humanity in general is really as bad as Scripture lays us out to be, we had a very tragic reminder of this reality just a week and a half ago, and we continue to pray for those families and the community impacted by the shooting in Tumbler Ridge. We pray that through this unveiling of the depth of depravity in our world, the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will shine brightly.

The great reality is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ does bring hope…it does shine brightly in the darkest of circumstances. And we have confidence that no matter how bad it gets, the future redemption of all things has already been secured by the death and resurrection of Christ. And one day, He is returning to make all things right again. And not only that, but He is with us in and through this time, by His Spirit, as we await His visible and personal return to establish His Kingdom upon the earth.

So as we come out of this desperate time in Israel’s history, we are going to begin seeing God lay the groundwork for His provision for His people. But before we go any further, let’s pray.

PRAY

Hope From the Place of Despair

As we come through this period of Judges, Cody focused in on the narrative of the Levite and his concubine, and the utterly horrific events that lead to her death. And I want to point something out, because I think it’s worth noting as we begin moving into the provision of God in this dark time: The concubline was from Bethlehem.

So this woman who is the victim of the depravity and wickedness of Israel is from Bethlehem. And what we find is that the salvation and redemption God is going to bring to His people also comes from Bethlehem…

I don’t think this is coincidence…

Here’s what we see regarding this hometown of this woman:

Ruth & Boaz

Samuel

David

Messiah

Micah 5:2 ESV

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

From the very place of our greatest despair…He brings hope.

This isn’t the main point of this sermon, but I had to point it out!!

A Better Groom

So to go back, where Cody led us last week: During the time of the Judges, the Israelites are left with this great need for a (1) Better Judge, (2) Better Priest, (3) Better Groom.

And we’re going to see now how God begins providing:

2 weeks Ago: We looked at the book of Ruth (we had gotten a little out of order, but it still all worked out). And we saw this beautiful redemption that happened through the Kinsman Redeemer, Boaz, a type of Christ. (If you weren’t here two weeks ago, you can go on our website and find this sermon.)

Christ is, ultimately, our better groom. He is our Kinsman Redeemer who takes us from our helpless state, dead in our sin and our trespasses, and He redemes us, making us ALIVE!

Just as Boaz took Ruth out of a place of helplessness and complte vulnerability and protected her, making her his wife, redeeming her, so Christ takes us from our state of complete helplessness and gives us new life.

Ephesians 1:7–8 ESV

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight

Setting the Stage for a Better Priest & Judge

So that all happened during the time of the Judges, and we’re going to now transition with the Israelites out of this season. Isreal is going to transition from what’s been called a “tribal confederation” this system of 12 mostly independent tribes operating in unity around the Mosaic Covenant, to a Monarchy, united under a King.

But it’s going to take a couple of weeks (for us…even longer for them), but we come this morning to the second to last judge in Israel, a Priest by the name of Eli.

If you have your Bible, I invite you to turn with me to 1 Samuel. I’ll pre-warn you, we’re going to jump around a bit this morning, and a little bit out of order. There are details sprinkled through the first couple of chapters of 1 Samuel that show details of what’s going on, so I want to pick those details out first.

1 Samuel 2:12 ESV

Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.

Hebrew Word: b-liy-ya-al - Worthless…same word used back in Judges regarding the men of Gibea who assaulted and killed the Levite’s Concubine.

1 Samuel 3:1 ESV

And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

Eli, the Priest and Judge over Israel…wasn’t hearing from God. He was far from God.

Tragic place for the people of God to be in.

Birth of Samuel

1 Samuel 1:1-20

A son of promise is given. And when this son grows, he is given back to the LORD.

Song of Two Moms:

Hannah - 1 Samuel 2:1-10

Mary - Luke 1:46-55

Rejection of Eli (and Household)

1 Samuel 2:22-26

Contrast between Eli’s sons (worthless men) & Samuel

Promise of a faithful priest:

1 Samuel 2:35 ESV

And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.

So who is this Priest?

“Telescope” of Prophecy

-Near Fulflillment

-Ultimate Fulfillment

Samuel:

1 Samuel 3:1-21

Samuel becomes the better Judge & Priest the people needed in that time—He receives the mantle of Eli.

But this is only a type of the ultimate fulfillment of that prophecy. Samuel was only a man. He would one day die. He wouldn’t serve “forever” as God said this future priest would.

Jesus - The Better Priest

Hebrews 7:11-28

“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Vs. 25)

“…he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.” -1 Samuel 2:35

Jesus - The Better Judge

Revelation 20:11–15 ESV

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

When people ask: How could God allow ______________ to happen? Or, where was God when ___________________ happened?

Do not allow yourself to be deceived into thinking that God is somehow absent or ignorant. Jesus will one day return to judge truly and perfectly.

And those of us who have trusted in Him as our faithful and good High Priest, have absolutely nothing to fear…not because of anything we have done, but because of what He has done.

“The gospel is this: we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” -Tim Keller

Conclusion

When Israel found itself in this dark and helpless place, when thier judge and priest no longer heard the voice of God…

He provided a new and better priest and judge to lead the people. And this new and better priest and judge was a picture of the Eternal One to come.