Pictures of the resurrection

Let's turn to the book of Genesis. I'll ask you to turn with me first of all to the book of Genesis and we'll read together in chapter two. The book of Genesis for our reference and in chapter two and just a note of thanks.

I know I speak not only for myself but my beloved brethren. Sincere thanks to the assembly here in Waterloo and Cedar Falls for all the work and kindness over this weekend. Genesis chapter two for our reference and look at verse number 15.

Genesis chapter two and at verse number 15. And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Verse 20 and Adam gave names to all cattle and to the fowl of the air and every beast of the field but for Adam there was not found and help that was meat for him. And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh thereof and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he woman a woman and brought her unto the man. And Adam said this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman because she was taken out of the man.

Look into chapter eight for a reference please. Genesis again and in chapter eight and at verse number one. And God remembered Noah and every living thing and all the cattle that was with him in the ark and God made a wind to pass over the earth and the waters assuaged.

Look at verse four and the ark rested in the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month upon the mountains of Ararat and the waters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month on the first day of the month were the tops of the mountains seen. Look at chapter 22 please.

We pick up the theme in chapter 22 and look with me at verse number one. Genesis 22 and at verse number one. And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt or test Abraham and said unto him Abraham and he said behold here I am.

Look at verse number three. And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and claimed the wood for the burnt offering and rose up and went into or onto the place which God had told him of. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off and Abraham said unto his young men abide ye here with the ass and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you.

Look down the chapter please. Look at verse number 19. It's the most remarkable thing because Abraham returns.

The lad returned as well but verse number 19 really doesn't record that. So Abraham returned unto his young men and they rose up and went together to Beersheba and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba. Look into chapter 41 please.

We'll take a I wasn't going to read this one but Genesis chapter 41. Genesis 41 and at verse number 42. And Pharaoh took off his ring from off his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had and they cried before him bow the knee and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt and I'll trouble you for a final reference in the book of Leviticus.

Leviticus chapter 23 and we see another picture here that I want to draw from the scriptures. Leviticus please and in chapter 23 and look with me at verse number 9. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them when ye be come into the land which I give unto you and shall reap the harvest thereof then shall ye bring a sheaf of the first fruit that's a singular by the way a sheaf of the first fruit of your harvest unto the priest and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it and you shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf and he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord and the meat offering and all the attendant offerings are then mentioned down to verse number verse number 14. God bless to us that reading or those readings of the sacred scriptures.

There's a couple of references just for sake of time that I haven't taken today and so I might call upon your knowledge of the scriptures when it comes to those references from the sacred page of of God's word. I was present in Rose Isle just a few weeks ago actually I was up in Rose Isle Manitoba and on the concluding night of ministry I had the privilege of taking up the ark of the covenant and as I was sitting there just before the meeting just sitting musing and perhaps a measure of nervousness for myself as well sitting musing upon certain things thinking about the ark and some of these great things that the bible suggests to us as I was sitting there I began to think of the picture of the ark of the covenant going down into the waters of Jordan. Now I'll come back to that I didn't read it from the book of Joshua it's found in the book of Joshua chapter 3 and into Joshua chapter 4 and as I was musing upon the ark going down into the waters of Jordan it's a great symbolic picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and that's really what I have before me just for a few minutes I want to pick up where our brother Jason left off yesterday in the ministry you you know and I know that when it comes to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus it's stamped right through the scriptures this is the day of the resurrection even in the world the world that we are living in even in the religious world they are marking this day and they are linking this day to the resurrection of Christ of course we go through the scriptures and we find that there are prophecies of the resurrection our brother I think it was our brother Jason mentioned yesterday psalm number 16 you remember the writer of that psalm he's looking forward to the Lord Jesus and the resurrection of Christ and the great prophecies of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and he says thou wilt not leave my soul in the unseen realm nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption and that text tells us two things about the Lord Jesus and about his resurrection it identifies first of all his soul and his spirit thou wilt not abandon my soul to the unseen realm it also identifies his body nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption and the Lord Jesus knew that God would take care of his his spirit and his soul that's why upon the cross he was able to say father into thy hands I commend my spirit and he also knew when he did that that God would take care of his body because resurrection is stamped on the old testament and the prophecies of the old testament regarding the resurrection they are many they are varied and they are seen of course when we come to the gospels in the gospels it's not so much prophecy of the resurrection when we step into Matthew's gospel chapter 28 and Mark's gospel chapter 16 and Luke's gospel chapter 24 and John's gospel chapter 20 we've got the profile of the resurrection it was quite a thing beloved saints it was early in the morning in fact isn't it John's gospel you would almost think that progressively it's getting darker because John says in his gospel it was yet dark and yet they came to the sepulcher and when those ladies arrived at the sepulcher with the great question on their heart the question was this who shall roll away the stone thank God that was answered that two-ton stone that had been rolled to the door of the sepulcher you and I know an angel came from heaven and with dramatic mighty sovereign power rolled back the stone and he sat upon it and he announced why seek ye the living among the dead he is not here he has risen come see the place where the Lord lay it was early in the morning when they came to where he lay and the sun had scarcely risen on that far off eastern day he is taken he is taken was their anguish cry he is risen he is was the angel's reply and so beloved saints never forget this morning or this afternoon that in the old testament we've got great prophecies of the resurrection in the gospel records we've got the profile of the resurrection when we come to the new testament epistles we get the precepts of the resurrection it's amazing just how many fundamental doctrines that the new testament presents that are based upon the resurrection of the Lord Jesus just go through the book of Romans I've hardly time today to unpack some of this stuff but just go through the book of Romans how does Paul open the book of Romans Romans chapter one the resurrection the great doctrine of justification Romans chapter four the resurrection the great doctrine of salvation Romans chapter 10 the resurrection and so forth it goes and so beloved saints stamped on the new testament epistles are precepts Colossians chapter three and verse number one since she be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead it lifts our spirits beloved beloved saints it directs our steps it lifts our eyes and as it lifts our eyes it lifts our eyes to a resurrected ascended man at the right hand of God and that has changed everything it has changed the parameters on earth it has changed the parameters between heaven and hell beloved saints as I speak today here we have in the new testament the great precepts of resurrection what I want to do for a few minutes and I try and make it as brief as possible I'm going to pick up from the old testament not so much prophecies of the resurrection and I'm not even going to identify the profile of the resurrection and it's not the precepts of the resurrection what I want to do just for a few minutes is just to take a look at some of the pictures of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus which are found in the old testament they are many I've identified seven now I'm going to have to admit to you I might not deal with the seven but I've identified seven I read maybe about five there and perhaps two others we could see I read about Adam there in the garden of Eden and I want you to think of a picture of resurrection that's linked to Adam I read about the ark Noah's ark in Genesis chapter 8 and when we look at Noah's ark again we see a picture and something linked to the Lord Jesus concerning resurrection I mentioned Isaac and I read about Isaac in Genesis chapter 22 and again the Holy Spirit indicates something about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus we read about Joseph the days of his prison experience are over he's 30 years of age and God brings him from the prison God puts him right upon the throne and as we look at Joseph we'll be able to see something of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus we saw the wave sheaf Leviticus chapter 23 our brother yesterday he read first Corinthians chapter 15 Christ the first fruit afterward they that are Christ that is coming and that first fruit thing is based upon Leviticus chapter 23 and it presents the resurrection of the Lord Jesus the two that I didn't read you say what about what about the two that you didn't read Numbers chapter 17 Aaron's rod and we get a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and the one that I started my comments with the ark of the covenant going down into the Jordan again beloved saints I would suggest to you it's a picture of the resurrection so that's seven a seven-fold picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus stamped here on the page of sacred scripture the first one then what about Adam as I'm looking at Adam in Genesis chapter 2 I want to suggest to you that what we're looking at is this we're learning something of the purpose of a resurrected man you and I know that what is identified in Genesis chapter 2 now I want you to listen to this what is identified on the page of Genesis chapter 2 does not happen chronologically after Genesis 1 now I'll just wait for a moment right oh you say Adam was put into a deep sleep we read well I didn't take time to read but if we had read the opening verses of Genesis chapter 2 you would almost think that the seventh day has come it's not called the Sabbath day in Genesis chapter 2 you would almost think the seventh day has come and after the coming of the seventh day God says everything is very good and as a consequence and subsequent to that seventh day then Eve is formed could I suggest to you that's not correct chronology when Eve was formed beloved saints let me suggest to you that took place on the day when Adam was created that took place on the sixth day now don't forget when did the Lord start working you and I know the Lord started to work on the Lord's first day of the week he started his work on the first day so on Sunday he started to work Monday he works Tuesday he works and right through those days until the sixth day what's the what's the sixth day beloved saints oh you say we can do the math as well that's a Friday the first Friday that we ever see in the scriptures was the sixth day could I suggest to you beloved saints on the sixth day the first sixth day in scripture the first Friday in scripture on that day there was a man went into darkness there was a man was placed into a deep sleep and here is Adam as we consider Adam on the first Friday in the Bible and he's put into darkness and he's put into a deep sleep and his side is opened and once his side is opened on that particular day from the riven side of the man is brought forth a rib and built upon that rib God brings forth a bride now you've got the picture already here on this first sixth day this first Friday the man goes into darkness there comes a stage we're not given we're not given the details but there came a stage when Adam was brought forth from that state and there came a stage when Adam was brought forth from the darkness and I would suggest to you it's a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and stamped stamped right here in Genesis chapter two stamped upon the page of scripture is the great purpose of a resurrected man into darkness into the depth his side was opened I think that you and I know already where I'm going in my mind in that I would suggest to you without dogmatism please I think Brandon and I are leaving fairly soon not just exactly sure of the time frame could I suggest to you I know all don't believe this but I personally am very satisfied that the Lord died on a Friday and as he died there on Friday he went into darkness and as he's there in the darkness and in the deeps his side was opened and from that side that was opened the great purchase price was paid and you say what was the whole purpose of it all right here in Genesis chapter two we get the first picture of resurrection from the darkness from this state of death God brings a man and he brings him back to life in a sense and his side is riven and from the side of Christ there is going to be a bride John hears in the book of the revelation come he says and I will show thee the bride the lamb's wife the first picture of of resurrection is Adam and the great purpose of a resurrected man maybe I won't stay too long with the next one I'm moving now not to Adam but we're with Noah's ark and as we're looking at the ark of Noah you'll notice in Genesis 8 it says this the waters were diminishing and the waters were assuaged and it says this that on the 17th day of the first month it says that the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat and you say what's the picture here it's not so much the great purpose of a resurrected man could I suggest to you that we're getting a picture right here in Genesis chapter 8 of the place that's going to be associated with a resurrected man the ark oh you say where is the ark the ark is left on the mountains in that elevated place if you and I had got to see that ark it was uplifted on the mountains of Ararat could I suggest to you that God is giving us a picture of the place that this resurrected man is going to occupy where is he today beloved saints the man that died in the gloom field darkness of Golgotha as I'm looking at you this afternoon my beloved brethren beloved sisters where is this man and you say we know where he is he's crowned with glory and honor in fact the bible says psalm 110 sit thou at my right hand until I make thy foes the footstool of thy feet and we're getting a picture in the ark of the place of this resurrected man in the heights in the glory mind you it was quite a day when he went home the risen Christ the day that he went home and he lifted up his hands you know that Luke's gospel opens with a priest Luke's gospel in picture form closes with a priest you think of that man taking manhood to the throne of glory there had never been manhood on the throne of glory before and there was a man left Bethany and he went up as one of our brethren used to tell us as he went into heaven the angels marveled in silence and he went past the angels and he went past the rank of seraphim and they didn't speak and he went past the rank of cherubim and again they were silent and he went past the archangel Michael the archangel and Michael the archangel looked on in wonder and that man sat down on the right hand of the majesty in the heights in silence and beloved saints God broke the silence in heaven and God saluted his son there was a salute given when Christ sat down in glory you say you're taking it too far meek and that's way too far for sanctified imagination today no it's not that's the word that's used in Hebrews chapter 5 listen to what Hebrews 5 says verse number 10 called of God and high priest the word that's used there is saluted by God and when he sat down on the throne of glory the silence of heaven was broken and God looked to a man on the throne of glory the throne that God himself occupied eternally and God said thou art my son this day the day of ascension have I begotten thee back from the scene of the dead beloved saints when it comes to Noah's ark it's the great place that we are linking this resurrected man let me come quickly then to Genesis chapter 22 in Genesis chapter 22 it's not the purpose that is linked with this resurrected man and it's not the place in the mountains in the heights that's associated with this resurrected man in Genesis 22 it's the presentation of a resurrected man the father's about to leave the servants the supreme test in Abraham's life three times in Abraham's life he had to rise early in the morning he rose early in the morning to cast out the bond woman and her son he rose early in the morning to look over the cities of the plain to stand before his God and the third time in Abraham's life when we read he rose early in the morning was when God said to Abraham take now thy son thine only Isaac whom thou lovest get thee to the land of Moriah and he's now leaving the servants and he's leaving the animals and they're going up to Moriah and just as he leaves the man Abraham says you stay here with the animals I and the lad we go yonder and worship and listen to it now in one supreme statement of faith I and the lad we go yonder and worship and we will come again to you and the events of Moriah the place what a place it was those people those servants were standing in the place that's a unique thing isn't that John's gospel right in the very place John identifies the place for us in the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden and you and I know that it's John's gospel that gives so minutely the presentation of a resurrected man twice over actually in John's gospel you get the garden John is the gospel that presents couplets to us in a very unique way you remember in John's gospel there's two deaths in John's gospel there's two resurrections in John's gospel there's two fires in John's gospel there's two feedings the feeding of the five thousand and the feeding on the shore in John's gospel chapter 21 and right through John's gospel is just full of couplets before the Lord Jesus went to the cross John 18 he went into the garden and after the cross there's a resurrected man appears and what a presentation it is Isaac the presentation of a resurrected man what a presentation is found in John's gospel chapter 20 in the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden and there was a woman standing in that garden I referenced her yesterday Mary was her name Mary Magdalene and the Lord Jesus presented himself to that lady you read John 20 again you see in verse number one of John's gospel chapter 20 it says Maria Mary you see in John's gospel chapter 20 and verse number 11 it uses the Greek name again it says now Maria the Lord Jesus rises from the dead the Lord Jesus appears to Mary she supposes him to be the gardener and he says to her Mary who you say that's the same Greek word that's used in verse number one that's the same Greek name that's used in verse number 11 no it's not actually preserved in the Greek text the Lord Jesus looked at her and he didn't say the Greek name he says Miriam the presentation of a resurrected man beloved saints you say why did he call her by name that's John's presentation you know in John's gospel he knows his own sheep he calleth them all by name he knows every sheep that's here this afternoon I gotta hurry here but he knows every sheep that's here this afternoon in John's gospel he calls Simon Peter by his name Simon Simon in John's gospel he calls Thomas by his name and right through John's gospel he knows everyone by name beloved saints Isaac the presentation of a resurrected man it was quite a day when Abraham it's not recorded for us Abraham and Isaac make their way down the mountain and back he comes in the very place from where he was crucified will you say what about um what about uh Joseph maybe I'll give you this one and move on with Joseph it's not the purpose of a resurrected man and it's not the presentation of a resurrected man and it's not the place associated with a resurrected man with Joseph it's the power of a resurrected man in Genesis chapter 50 Joseph comes to the throne and as soon as Joseph comes to the throne Joseph is given seven things now I'm not going to give you the seven things young people you you can sort the seven things yourselves it's right there in the text there used to be a man that we used to listen to his name was Mr. Bentley in ministry meetings like this you go to a ministry meeting on a Monday night and he'd give you homework just like I've given you and he'd tell you there's seven things in Genesis chapter 41 and when you came to the meeting on the Tuesday night he'd stop you at the door and he'd say have you got the seven things I used to think it was a great way of emptying an audience no one did the homework but you can sort it yourself now when it comes to Joseph he gets the ring and he gets the robe and you can identify the other things right there in the text and what we are learning is this he is set over all the power of a resurrected man what about the sheaf the sheaf of firstfruits from Leviticus chapter 23 could I suggest to you that's the priority of a resurrected man they took it's well known in history most likely it was on on the 14th day in the evening of the 14th day the priests they led a company outside the city and there was barley which had been designated and there was one sheaf that had been tied and the priest would bring people outside the city and they would come to that one sheaf and he would raise a sickle and the priest said to the people shall we rape and the people replied they said we shall rape and he lifted the sickle and he said with this sickle and the people replied with that sickle and the priest took the the sickle and he cut down the first sheaf of barley the first one was cut down you say what did they ever do with it they kept it over the sabbath day and you see on the next day the day following the sabbath now follow me through now the 14th day was the day when christ died the 15th day is the day when he's in the tomb the sabbath day the saturday and you say what about the next day the next day that priest took that sheaf and he moved into the very presence of god and he waved it before the lord lifted it up and he waved it before the lord you know what it tells me the great priority of a resurrected man when when the priest lifted that sheaf up you know what he was saying this is the first this is the first of a mighty harvest which is going to follow you know beloved saints here we are not we alone thy loved ones all confessed with glory with thee there with thee shall be blessed you know beloved saints we shall be with christ forever but he's first root ever and always christ is first he is the first fruit of a mighty harvest that is going to follow let me come to numbers chapter 17 numbers chapter 17 is not any of the the other things that i've mentioned including the priority of a risen man when we get to numbers chapter 17 there was rebellion in the camp that's never a good thing never a good thing there's rebellion in the camp and they come to moses and they say aaron has taken too much upon himself the heads and the princes of the tribes of israel and the lord he says to moses take the staff of the princes of the tribe and he says along with the staff or the rods of the princes of the tribe he says take the staff that is errands and put it before the lord now you and i know you folks work with wood here you cut down a stick once it's cut down then you clean the branches off it that's dead that's the whole idea and they put it up before the lord and they leave it in the lord's presence and when they come into the presence of the lord following that you say what happened it was aaron's rod it budded and it blossomed and it brought forth fruit and you say what's the picture here it's not so much the purpose of a resurrected man it's not the presentation of a resurrected man it's not the place associated with a resurrected man it's not the power of a resurrected man it's not the priority of a resurrected man could i suggest to your beloved saints this speaks to us of the priesthood of a resurrected man christ as the high priest of his beloved people is seen and identified in aaron's rod that budded that brings me to the last one the ark of the covenant i'm sorry to have gone over these so fleetingly today but you can unpack some of those contexts yourselves joshua chapter 3 they come to the eastern border of the land of canaan there is the great jordan river that speaks of death joshua must have been wondering how will we ever cross and the lord says to joshua he says joshua first the ark of the covenant will go and joshua and those men that were waiting and watching they saw the priest bearing the ark that beautiful vessel covered completely with a cloth of blue the heavenly man and they saw the priest coming to the riverbed of jordan they saw the waters of jordan move aside stand up in a heap and as the waters move aside they saw the fruit the feet of the priests going down into where jordan flowed and you say what's the picture now could i suggest to you just as i finished this afternoon this is the pathway of a resurrected man down into the dark waters of jordan he went he stood in the waters of jordan and it was a clear path through and all the people passed over you know beloved saints you and i will never face what he faced you and i will never fear the waters of death oh sure the lord's people die but there's no eternal death for us he took the judgment he stood in the sinner's place and the priest stood firm is what we read in joshua chapter three and you say is that the end of the story thank god that's not the end of the story there came the moment all the people passed over and those priests bearing the ark they start the march they had moved downward into the waters of jordan they stood firm on the riverbed of jordan and now the moment comes up joshua must have watched up out they come the picture of the resurrection of the lord jesus you say you didn't give us your p on that well just in case i've spoiled more sermons than you know by getting to the last point and not not giving the last one you say what's the last one this is the pathway of the resurrected man they stood on the other side of jordan and they watched and they started to sing you say what did they sing though in the grave he lay jesus my savior he tore the bars away jesus my lord up from the grave he arose beloved saints today we are linked to a risen christ may we never forget that there is a real man in glory he bears the marks of darkel gotha we are linked to a risen christ may god help us today to live in light of the fact that someday he'll call us and he'll say to us up leave go the resurrection of the lord jesus