God Treats Us with Lovingkindness & Truth

God Treats Us with Lovingkindness & Truth Dr. Joseph Chang 6/1/2014 BOLGPC

Psalm 57:3 • 3那要吞我的人辱罵我的時候，　神從天上必施恩救我，也必向我發出慈愛和誠實。(詩 57:3)3He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; Selah God sends his love and his faithfulness. (Ps 57:3)

Psalm 57:3 • 3那要吞我的人辱罵我的時候，　神從天上必施恩救我，也必向我發出慈愛和誠實。(詩 57:3)3He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; Selah God sends his love and his faithfulness. (Ps 57:3) • Lovingkindness “慈愛” (ds,x, , checed) • Truth “誠實/真理” (tm,a/, 'emeth)

A. God treats us with Truth(tm,a/, 'emeth) • 37"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." 38"What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. (John 18:37-38) • “How much does truth sell?” “Can it feed you?”

20For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2Cor 1:20) • God cannot go against the truth.

B. God treats us with Lovingkindness(ds,x,, checed) /covenantal love. • 1. These two parties are God and his people. • 2. A biblical illustration—husband and wife. • 3. Because of this relationship, God loves his people in a very special way—He gives and He demands.

I. Genealogy Shows God’s Lovingkindness and Truth • Matthew 1:1-17: • 1A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: 2Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 4Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,

I. Genealogy Shows God’s Lovingkindness and Truth • 5Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, 6and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, 7Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, 8Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah,

I. Genealogy Shows God’s Lovingkindness and Truth • 9Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, 11and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor,

I. Genealogy Shows God’s Lovingkindness and Truth • 14Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, 15Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, 16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ. (Matt 1:1-17)

I. Genealogy Shows God’s Lovingkindness and Truth • A. Toward Abraham: • 1The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen 12:1-3)

I. Genealogy Shows God’s Lovingkindness and Truth • OT • 1. God loves Jews—It’s an end • 2. God loves Jews—It’s a mean to an end. • NT • 1. Jesus loves the church—I am the last one. • 2. Jesus loves the church—There are many after me. X V X V

I. Genealogy Shows God’s Lovingkindness and Truth • B. Toward David(2Sam 7:8-16) : • 8"Now then, tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. 9I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. 10And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning

I. Genealogy Shows God’s Lovingkindness and Truth • B. Toward David(2Sam 7:8-16) : • 11and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. "'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

I. Genealogy Shows God’s Lovingkindness and Truth • B. Toward David(2Sam 7:8-16) : • 14I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me ; your throne will be established forever.'" (2Sam 7:8-16)

I. Genealogy Shows God’s Lovingkindness and Truth • David’s Response(2Sam 7:18-20) : • 18Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD? 20"What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. (2Sam 7:18-20)

Start from your tithing • 10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. (Mal 3:10)

從你的十一奉獻開始 • 10萬軍之耶和華說：你們要將當納的十分之一全然送入倉庫，使我家有糧，以此試試我，是否為你們敞開天上的窗戶，傾福與你們，甚至無處可容。(瑪 3:10)

1000 years later, Jesus, a descendant of David, came to this world. He will come again as King of kings and Lord of lords. • 3He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; Selah God sends his love and his faithfulness. (Ps 57:3)

II. To the Faithful, God shows himself faithful • 25To the faithful (dysix', chaciyd) you show yourself faithful (ds;x', chacad), to the blameless you show yourself blameless, (Ps 18:25) • (Matt 1:18-25) • 18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

II. To the Faithful, God shows himself faithful • 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." 22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

II. To the Faithful, God shows himself faithful • 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us." 24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Matt 1:18-25)

3這不是那木匠麼？不是馬利亞的兒子雅各、約西、猶大、西門的長兄麼？他妹妹們不也是在我們這裡麼？他們就厭棄他。（厭棄他：原文是因他跌倒）(可 6:3)3Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. (Mark 6:3)

Application/應用 • Treat God’s servants with lovingkindness./用慈愛來對待神所使用的人.

III. God remembers his people • Exodus—God remembers the Israelites • Immanuel—God remembers the human race • 20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matt 1:20-21)

Conclusion • Ponder on the lives of Abraham and David • Know that the Lord is of lovingkindness and of truth.

God Treats Us with Lovingkindness & Truth