2009-04-25

THE ETERNALLY UNQUENCHABLE LAMP OF THE COVENANT- THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST - Chapter 1 Preview









THE ETERNALLY UNQUENCHABLE
LAMP OF THE COVENANT

- THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST -


Rev. Yoon-Sik Park, D.Min., D.D.
Huisun, printed in Korea. 2009. 3. 7.



Preview (pp. 25-26)
* This is reader's translation. Because it's not the official contents, it cannot be use as a reference. The original language of the book is Korean. The English version will come soon. Please pray for that.


Chapter 1. God Who is Greater than All


Ⅰ. God's love is greater than all

Generally, we think God is the one who is great and almighty. Also the bible says that God is 'great' or 'the great God'.

(PSA 95:3) The sea is His, for it was He who made it; And His hands formed the dry land.
(NEH 4:14) When I saw [their fear,] I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: "Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses."
(EZR 5:8) "Let it be known to the king, that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and beams are being laid in the walls; and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands.
(DAN 2:45) "Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy."
(TIT 2:13) looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus;

Then how much great God is?

Jesus said in front of arrogant Jewish people that God is 'Father who is greater than all'.
(JOH 10:29) "My Father, who has given [them] to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father's hand.


◈ all: πᾶς [pas]:
'All' includes the whole universe and everything in it, that is, everything we can see and cannot see. In other words, the whole existences which have forms and have not, which are materials or non materials.

(ACT 17:24-25) (24) "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; (25) neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things;
(REV 5:13) And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, " To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, [be] blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."
(REV 10:6) and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there shall be delay no longer,
(COL 1:16-17) (16) For by Him all things were created, [both] in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him. (17) And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
(NEH 9:6) "Thou alone art the LORD. Thou hast made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. Thou dost give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before Thee.
(ACT 14:15) and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you in order that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM.


Father God created all by this the Word of Power.
(Gen 1:7) And God made the expanse, and separated the waters
which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
(Gen 1:15) and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens
to give light on the earth ";and it was so.
(Gen 1:24) Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind:
cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.
(Gen 1:30) and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and
to every thing that moves on the earth which has life,
I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.
(Psa 33:6-9)
(6) By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
(7) He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
(8) Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
(Heb 11:3) By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God,
so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Father God created all from nothing(Gen 1:1).
(Gen 1:1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Father God created all instantly(Gen 1:3, 11-12, 16, 21, 25, 2:7, 19, 22).

Father God created all in six days(Gen 1:3-31).

Father who is greater than all can be said "GREAT IS THE LORD"
(Psa 48:1, 96:4-5, 135:5, 145:3, 147:5)
(Psa 48:1) Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain.
(Psa 96:4-5) (4) For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
(5) For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.
(Psa 135:5) For I know that the LORD is great And that our Lord is above all gods.
(Psa 145:3) Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable.
(Psa 147:5) Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite.

David confessed that
"For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods."(CH1 16:25).
In Hebrew, 'great' means hat it is so huge and large in size and it cannot be estimated or calculated by human's brain and wisdom.
◈ Great:גָדוֹל : [gaw-dole]: great, grand, large

Father God is so extremely great that even vast earth or infinite universe cannot be His dwelling place(KI1 8:27).

(KI1 8:27) "But will God indeed dwell on the earth?
Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You,
how much less this house which I have built!

THE FORGOTTEN ENCOUNTER - The covenant of the flaming torch and its fulfillment - Contents(잊어버렸던 만남: 하나님의 구속사적 경륜 속에서 본 횃불언약과 그 성취)



THE FORGOTTEN ENCOUNTER


THE COVENANT OF THE FLAMING TORCH AND ITS FULFILLMENT
VIEWED THROUGH GOD'S WORK OF SALVATION


Rev. Yoon-Sik Park, D.Min., D.D.
Huisun, printed in Korea. 2008. 5. 17.


Chapter 1. God's Divine Plan of Redemption and the Covenant of the Flaming Torch

Ⅰ. JESUS CHRIST, THE CENTER OF THE DIVINE PLAN OF REDEMPTION

1. Jesus Christ, the center of the history of redemption
2. Jesus Christ's work of atonement

Ⅱ. THE DIVINE PLAN OF REDEMPTION AND THE COVENANT

1. Meaning of the covenant
2. Characteristics of the covenant with God
3. Kinds of covenants
4. Progressive magnification of covenantal revelation

Chapter 2. The Covenant of the Flaming Torch and the "Four Generations"

Ⅰ. CONTENT AND CONFIRMATION OF THE COVENANT

1. Content of the covenant
2. Confirmation of the covenant
3. The covenant and the trustworthy God

Ⅱ. TIME OF THE RATIFICATION

1. Calculation of the year of the Exodus
2. Calculation of the time of the ratification

Ⅲ. MEANING OF "IN THE FOURTH GENERATION THEY WILL RETURN"

1. Calculating one generation as one hundred years View that four hundred years (Gen 15:13) are equivalent to four generations (Gen 15:16)
2. Evaluation of the view that four hundred years are equivalent to four generations

Ⅳ. THE BEGINNING OF "FOUR GENERATIONS"

1. View that four generations are counted from the time Abraham's descendant settled in Egypt
2. View that four generations are counted from Abraham
Chapter 3. The Fulfillment of the Covenant of the Flaming Torch (1)
- The History of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph)

THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE PATRIARCHS(Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph)

Ⅰ. HISTORY OF ABRAHAM

1. Birth of Abraham (Gen 11:26)
2. Calling of Abraham (Gen 11:26-32, 12:1-5, Act 7:2-4)
3. Ratification of the Covenant of the Flaming Torch (Gen 15:7-21)
4. Abraham Takes Sarah's Maidservant Hagar (Gen 16:1-3)
5. Birth of Ishmael through Hagar (Gen 16:1-16)
6. Abram and Sarai Renamed (Gen 17:5, 15-16), Covenant of Circumcision (Gen 17:9-14)
7. Birth of Isaac, the Covenantal Son (Gen 21:1-5)

Ⅱ. HISTORY OF ISAAC

1. Hagar and Ishmael Cast Out to the Wilderness of Paran (Gen 21:8-21)
2. Isaac Given as Burnt Offering on a Mount in Moriah (Gen 22:1-18)
3. Death of Sarah (age 127) and Purchase of the Cave of Machpelah
4. Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah (Gen 24, 25:20)

* 1 * ABRAHAM'S GENEALOGICAL CHART

Ⅲ. HISTORY OF JACOB AND ESAU

1. Birth of Jacob and Esau (Gen 25:19-26)
2. Death of Abraham (age 175; Gen 25:7-8)
3. Marriage of Esau (age 40; Gen 26:34)
4. Jacob Receives the Blessing of the Firstborn

* 2 * A SINGLE BLESSING OF THE FIRSTBORN (GOD'S SOVEREIGN PROVIDENCE)
Initially, Isaac was unaware that he was blessing Jacob.
Later, Isaac blessed Jacob through faith.
There is only one firstborn whom God acknowledges.


5. Jacob Flees from His Brother Esau (Gen 27:41-28:5)
6. Jacob's Twenty Years of Refuge (Gen 29-31)
7. Birth of Joseph (Gen 30:22-24)
8. Jacob Returns to Canaan (Gen 33:18-20)
9. Leah's Daughter Dinah Disgraced (Gen 34)
10. Birth of Benjamin and Death of Rachel (Gen 35:16-20), Reunion with Isaac (Gen 35:27)

* 3 * THE NUMBERS OF YEARS THAT ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, AND JOSEPH LIVED TOGETHER

Ⅳ. HISTORY OF JOSEPH

1. The Two Dreams that God Gave to Joseph and the Thirteen Years of Trial (Gen 37, 39, 40)
2. Death of Isaac (Gen 35:28-29) and Accession of Joseph to Prime Minister (Gen 41:1-46)
3. Seven Years of Plenty (Gen 41:47-53), Seven Years of Famine (Gen 41:54-57)
4. Jacob and the Seventy Members of His Family Migrate to Egypt
5. Israel Dwells in the Land of Goshen and Raises Livestock (Gen 46:28-34, 47:1-12)
6. Death of Jacob (age 147) and His Funeral (Gen 47:28-31, 49:29-33, 50:1-14)
7. Death of Joseph (age 110; Gen 50:22-26)

Chapter 4. The Fulfillment of the Covenant of the Flaming Torch (2)
- The History of the Exodus until the Conquest of Canaan


THE CHRONOLOGY FROM THE EXODUS UNTIL THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN

Ⅰ. EMERGENCE OF MOSES

1. New King Who Did Not Know Joseph (Exo 1:8)
2. Birth of Moses (Exo 2:1-22)
3. Moses Flees to the Land of Midian at the Age of Forty (Exo 2:11-15)
4. Moses Trained for Forty Years in the Land of Midian (Exo 2:16-22)
5. Calling of Moses for the Great Exodus

Ⅱ. THE EXODUS
 Israel's Great Exodus (Moses' age 80)

1. God's remembrance and the Exodus (Exo 2:23-25, 3:7-9, 3:16)
2. The sin of the Egyptians against the chosen people
3. Ten plagues in Egypt
4. The sons of Israel leave Egypt in martial array
5. Moses carries Joseph's bones out of Egypt
6. God's plan to lead the Israelites throug the Red Sea
7. Dry land through the midst of the sea

Ⅲ. THE FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS
 Moses' Age from 80 to 120

1. The 40-year journey condensed into Numbers 33


* 4 * THE 40-YEAR JOURNEY AT A GLANCE


2. The forty-two camp sites
3. A wilderness journey without lack
4. Grumblings and complaints in the wilderness
5. Death of three leaders in the wilderness
6. Death of 603,548 soldiers among those numbered in the first census
7. Battles immediately prior to entry into Canaan
8. Death of 24,000 people in Moab/Shittim (Num 25:1-9)
9. Second census of soldiers (Num 26:1-51)

Ⅳ. ARRIVAL AND CONQUEST OF CANAAN
 Entry and Conquest of Canaan, the Promised Land

1. Joshua, a new leader for the conquest of Canaan
2. Caleb, the godly man who helped Moses and Joshua
3. Duration of the conquest of Canaan


Chapter 5. The Final Fulfillment of the Covenant of the Flaming Torch


Ⅰ. THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY REGARDING ABRAHAM AND HIS DESCENDANTS

1. The fulfillment of the prophecy regarding Abraham
2. The fulfillment of the prophecy regarding Abraham's descendants

Ⅱ. THE FULFILLMENT OF "IN THE FOURTH GENERATION THEY WILL RETURN HERE" (GEN 15:16)

1. According to the genealogies, after how many generations did they return to Canaan?
2. Who was the fourth generations?
3. Reuben and the inheritance of faith
4. Joseph and the inheritance of faith
5. The fulfillment of the "fourth generation" through Joseph
6. Shechem, the location of the fulfillment of the Covenant of the Flaming Torch

Ⅲ. THE BLESSING OF THE COVENANT OF THE FLAMING TORCH

1. The blessing that Joseph received
2. Joseph's faith

* 5 * SIMEON, LEVI AND JUDAH
Rape of Dinah at Shechem (Gen 34)
Jacob's prophecy regarding Simeon and Levi
The fate of the tribe of Simeon
The fate of the tribe of Levi (tribe restored)
The blessing that Judah received


* 6 * JACOB'S TWELVE SONS WHO BECAME THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL

Conclusion. The Covenant of the Flaming Torch to Be Fulfilled in the Future

THE COVENANT OF THE FLAMING TORCH TO BE FULFILLED IN THE FUTURE

1. The Covenant of the Flaming Torch yet to be fulfilled
2. Faith needed for the future fulfillment of the covenant
3. God's zeal for the fulfillment of the covenant

The Genesis Genealogies - Author's Foreword





The Genesis Genealogies

- viewed through God's divine plan for the redemptive history -


Rev. Yoon-Sik Park, D.Min., D.D.
Huisun, printed in Korea. 2007.



Author's Foreword



"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 1:1


The Book of Genesis is called "The Book of the Beginning" because it is a record of the origin of the universe, the origin of man, the origin of the Fall, and the commencement of God's work of salvation. At the same time, Genesis is also the introduction to the entire Bible and the blueprint of the history of salvation.


(Isa 46:10) Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';
(Isa 48:3) "I declared the former things long ago And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.

The study of the basic foundation of Genesis, especially the genealogy of the generations(toledoth), holds profound soteriological (salvational) value. The genealogies in Genesis are not merely enumerations of years. They contain God's amazing plan for salvation which permeates through the entire Bible. In-depth study and research into the lives and ideologies of the patriarchs, as well as accounts of significant events, will greatly help our understanding of God's divine plan of redemption.
I took special interest in the years of generations recorded in the Genesis genealogies and focused on the Scripture verses, "Remember the days of old, consider the years of all generations..."(Deut 32:7) and "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it..."(Jer 6:16). In order to understand the true meaning of the genealogies, I researched for a long period of time, carefully read through the Bible, and referred to different books and resources.

I was able to discover the faith of the patriarchs alive and moving in the Genesis genealogies. Each and every step they took in faith left a clear imprint. They lived in eager anticipation of the woman's Seed (Gen 3:15); the sound of their charged heartbeats still reverberates today. Tears overwhelmed me and sleep escaped me as I was moved by the grace that led me to understand the hidden meaning of the years of generations.





(Gen3:15)And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel. "

grace abounded even more abundantly as I shared my newfound understanding with the beloved members of the Pyung Kang Che-il Church during weekly Wednesday services and special gatherings. I testified of the grace I received from my study for the first time in 1968, and then in 1983 through a 6-month Bible study at the Wonji-Dong Retreat Center. Since then, I've added to and modified the study and shared it on different occasions both at home and abroad throughout 2005. The study blessed both me and the congregations with the overflowing inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

I delayed publishing this book because I doubted the need for such a book. However, I organized my studies into expository format at the strong urging of my fellow ministers and beloved congregation in 2007, in commemoration of the 50th "Jubilee" year anniversary of the ministry of His humble servant. Though this book may be inadequate as fruit presented before God, I took the courage to share it with the world because of the enormous grace that the congregation and I had received. I earnestly hope that even lager waves of grace sweep across the churches throughout the churches through this book.

This book is certainly not a theological or scholarly piece of work. I merely organized what I proclaimed through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit after repeatedly kneeling in prayer, and after reading the Bible through and through. I was greatly blessed by the writings of the forerunners of faith as I referred to them in my research for this book. I borrow the words of the author of Ecclesiastes and confess, "That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun" (Eccl 1:9)




(Eccl 1:9)That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So, there is nothing new under the sun.

The content of this book can hardly be considered complete in describing the infinite Word of God. It is a mystery that cannot be understood entirely even through a lifetime of research and study. I ask that you read this book with Christ-like heart of understanding, forgive any awkward sentences and give generous advice on any unintended mistakes.

When Peter asked, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him," Jesus answered in Matthew 18:22, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." I ask that you overlook any of my shortcomings with the love and mercy of Christ. If there was anything accomplished through this inadequate servant, I confess that it was not the work of this 80-year old sinner, but completely the work of the Lord.

Just as King David confessed, "My times are in Your hand" (Psa 31:15), the life I have lived and the history of the Pyung Kang Che-il Church are wholly in God's sovereign hand of grace. Truly, the mighty strength of God and the power of the Holy Spirit have been present. As I advance beyond the 50 years of ministry made possible only by the grace of God, I feel immensely grateful for the opportunity to leave a trace of this immaterial life in the form of this meaningful book.

Finally, I take this opportunity to express my gratitude toward my fellow ministers, elders, leaders, and the congregation of the Pyung Kang Che-il Church, as well as all the helping hands that have made this book possible. In addition, I would like to thank my wife and children for their prayers and support.

I pray that Jesus Christ, the only Savior who died on the cross for all our sins and rose again on the third day, will always be with His churches around the world. Furthermore, I yearn for the day when the whole universe and all its people are filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (matt 28:19-20; Isa 11:9; Hab 2:14). I lift up all the glory to our only living God. Hallelujah!



(matt 28:19) "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (20)teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. "

(Isa 11:9) They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.

(Hab 2:14) "For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.





October 27, 2007
From the Prayer Room at the Pyung Kang Che-il Retreat Center
Servant of Jesus Christ, Rev. Yoon Sik Park

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