The Absent Atonement
Genesis 12-35
December 21, 2014
This morning we didn’t start out with a particular passage to read
Because we are going to do something a little unique for us here today.
We are going to address an issue that has been very heavy on my heart
As we have been studying through the book of Genesis.
And this morning it seems that the time is right to do that.
As you know we’ve been studying Genesis
And we have called it “The Gospel According to Moses”
I have maintained from the beginning that Moses is not just streaming together random historical events, but is rather preaching the gospel to the children of Israel.
• We talked about how Moses taught us about sin in Adam.
• We talked about how Moses taught us about judgment in Noah.
• And now as we have examined the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob we’ve talked about salvation or even more specifically; grace.
Ever since we began the life of Abraham in Genesis 12
It has been one story of grace after another.
God’s election
God’s predestination
God’s preservation
God’s providence
Over and over and over
God has worked out His perfect plan in the lives of His chosen,
And He has done this in spite of their sinful choices,
Their stubborn natures, and their selfish tendencies.
God made promises and God won’t let them fail.
There is no doubt we have seen grace at its finest.
BUT ONE THING HAS BEEN NOTICEABLY ABSENT
(our Sunday school class talked about it briefly)
ATONEMENT
It is actually one of the things that has seemed to be a little bothersome
Throughout the study of the Patriarchs.
These men at times were terribly sinful,
And except for some natural repercussions,
There has been no demonstration of justice.
It seems as though God has just totally disregarded
The sins of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
And let me remind you that there have been plenty.
ABRAHAM
His idolatrous past
Joshua 24:2 “Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.”
Or passing of Sarai as his sister
Genesis 12:13 “Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you.”
Or having an affair with Hagar
Genesis 16:4 “He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.”
Or doubting God’s promise of a son
Genesis 17:17 “Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
Or passing of Sarah again
Genesis 20:2 “Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.”
Or clinging to Ishmael when he had to go
Genesis 21:10-11 “Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.” The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son.”
And yet despite all that sin, there is no heavy emphasis
On repentance or atonement for those sins.
It is almost distressing that God just sort of seems to
Ignore the sinful choices of Abraham and choose him anyway.
The same can be said for ISAAC
He also passed off his wife
Genesis 26:7 “When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my my wife,” thinking, “the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she sister,” for he was afraid to say, “is beautiful.”
He tried to give Jacob’s blessing to Esau
Genesis 27:1-4 “Now it came about, when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death. “Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; and prepare a savory dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.”
And of course there is JACOB
He was a liar
Genesis 27:35 “And he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.”
He committed polygamy
Genesis 29:27-28 “Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years.” Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.”
He endured idolatry
Genesis 31:19 “When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father’s.”
He was stubborn
Genesis 32:24-25 “Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.”
He grew apathetic
Genesis 34:30 “Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and attack me and I will be destroyed, I and my household.”
It has really been staggering the amount of sin these men committed,
And yet there has been no mention of them seeking forgiveness
Or there being any sort of atonement.
And to some extent this trend will continue.
JACOB’S SONS
We saw that they were murderers and thieves
Genesis 34:26-27 “They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went forth. Jacob’s sons came upon the slain and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister.”
Reuben will shock us later
Genesis 35:22 “It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.”
And we could read on about Judah and Tamar
Or the 11 brothers selling Joseph.
It is really quite staggering.
People who carry this notion that the God of the Old Testament
Was all wrath and no mercy obviously haven’t read Genesis.
Because Genesis is just the opposite.
Certainly we saw wrath with Adam and certainly we saw it with Noah.
But once we got onto the topic of God’s chosen; God’s elect,
We haven’t seen it at all.
There has been no anger
There has been no wrath
There has been no atonement
And it really leaves one a little bit baffled.
WHERE IS THE GOD OF JUSTICE?
• Where is that sacrificial atonement?
• Where is the necessary death for the payment for sin?
Quite frankly, we just haven’t seen it.
Now, it is only fair to point out that it is coming, but not in Genesis.
Moses’ gospel does in fact include sacrificial atonement – a lot of it.
Just bump ahead to Leviticus.
Sacrificial atonement saturates that book.
But the reality is that Moses will not introduce his atoning sacrifice
Until the book of Exodus.
It will happen during the 10th plague of Egypt when Moses tells the children of Israel that the death angel is coming and if they are to escape the just wrath of God then they must paint the blood of the Passover lamb on their doorpost.
And Moses reminds the children of Israel that such a sacrificial act
Will cause God to “pass over” them.
So Moses will introduce atonement into his gospel,
But right now it is noticeably absent.
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are making mistakes
And yet there has been no atonement.
WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE OF THAT?
TURN TO: Romans 3:21-26
I know you are familiar with this book and probably this chapter.
It is the chapter in which Paul introduces the atonement.
(21) “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,”
You should know by now that salvation is a quest for righteousness.
God has it, sinful man does not.
If man is to be saved he must obtain the righteousness that God requires.
Of course Paul has made the point time and time again
That this righteousness cannot be acquired through works of the Law.
No one ever saved themselves through religious action.
However, Paul reveals there that the righteousness of God is available.
(22) “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;”
The righteousness God requires is actually made available to sinful men
When they place their faith in Jesus Christ.
And this opportunity is for Jew and Gentile alike,
Namely because Jew and Gentile alike both need it.
(23) “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
There is not a man or woman who is not in need of the righteousness
That is acquired by faith in Christ.
All men are sinful
All men have fallen short
All men are spiritually bankrupt
And it is through Christ that sinful men obtain salvation.
(24-25a) “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.”
Now all of that should be very familiar to you at this point.
• Man is sinful
• The only way to be made righteous is through faith in Christ
God publicly sacrificed Christ to appease His wrath on sin.
And all those who trust in Christ
Have their sins atoned for as a result of His death.
And then comes the portion of the text I want us to see today.
As Paul is referring to the crucifixion of Christ,
He reveals the answer to the question we have about Genesis.
(25b) “This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;”
And there is the answer to problem.
• Why did God not judge Abraham for his idolatry?
• Why did God let Isaac get away with swapping off his wife?
• Why did God overlook Jacob’s lying?
• Why did God not reject Jacob’s murderous sons?
At the very least why didn’t God at least require some sort of sacrifice in order to pay for those sins?
All we saw was “the forbearance of God”
He just seemed to overlook it.
• Abraham is having an affair
• Isaac is disregarding God’s choice
• Rachel is stealing idols
• Jacob is lying
And God just keeps on blessing them like nothing is wrong.
That was certainly “the forbearance of God”
God “passed over the sins previously committed”
In His mercy He chose not to instantly deal with them.
• God just let them be for a time.
• He chose to be patient
• He chose to be long suffering
• He chose to pass over those sins
And all of that does wonders for God’s mercy,
But it certainly causes a person to question His righteousness.
Can a righteous God just choose not to punish sinners?
WELL, THAT WAS THE PURPOSE FOR THE CROSS.
• It was “to demonstrate His righteousness”
• And Paul said God did it “publicly”
The cross was there to show you that God is righteous.
The cross was there to show you that God is just.
HE DOES NOT LET SIN GO UNPUNISHED
He did not in the past, and does not today.
(26) “for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time SO THAT HE WOULD BE JUST and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
The cross demonstrated the justice and righteousness of God.
The guilty do not go unpunished
Isaiah 53:10 “But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,”
That is to say if Christ would be willing to offer Himself for the sins of others, God would be “pleased to crush Him”
WHY?
Because God’s justice demanded it.
God’s righteousness longed for it.
It was the cross of Jesus Christ
That proved that God is in fact a righteous God.
He had passed over centuries of sin…
He had left multitudes of sin un-atoned for…
AND WHILE HE CERTAINLY CAME ACROSS AS MERCIFUL,
IT DID NOT MAKE HIM LOOK HOLY.
The cross solved the issue.
But that brings up another question.
WHY WAIT?
• I mean, why not just go ahead and atone for Abraham’s sin right then?
• Why not just atone for Isaac instantly?
• Why not just atone for Jacob from the start?
Why don’t we read about God calling Abraham and saying, “Go sacrifice an unblemished lamb to atone for your sin, and then I will bless you.”?
Why don’t we read about God telling Isaac, “God sacrifice a bull, and then I will make a great nation out of you”?
Why don’t’ we hear God say to Jacob, “Go sacrifice the best of your flock at Bethel and then I will be with you and multiply you and give you this land”?
Why not atone for them right then and there?
THE WRITER OF HEBREWS ANSWERS THAT QUESTION.
Hebrews 11:39-40 “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.”
God was pleased with them because of their faith,
But they were not “made perfect”
And the explanation is that
God did not want them to be made perfect “apart from us”
God had a bigger plan.
He was not interested in having millions of singular atonements
And people being redeemed based on those millions of various sacrifices.
It was God’s will that all atonement happen as a result of 1 sacrifice.
That all of God’s people simultaneously be made perfect at the same time.
God wanted Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Paul and the writer of Hebrews and you and me to all be atoned for at the same place.
And of course you realize that that place was the cross.
Hebrews 10:11-14 “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”
Did you catch that statement?
“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”
It was ONE sacrificial act by which
Christ atoned for all of those who are sanctified.
All God’s elect had their sin atoned for at the same moment.
All together, in one act.
Which helps us understand what Jesus said:
John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
One act, atoned for all who are saved.
That is why when we put up a cross, Christ is not still hanging on it.
We don’t put up a crucifix, because Christ doesn’t have to suffer again. That one
act was sufficient.
That is why we say that when we take the Lord’s Supper this morning it will not turn into Christ’s body or Christ’s blood as the Catholic’s do.
He does not have to suffer again.
That one death on the cross was absolutely sufficient
To atone for all the sin of all of God’s people.
And just for a moment think about the enormity of that.
It is massive enough if you think about all the sin that you’ve ever committed
(not to mention those you have yet to commit)
Your sin alone makes a massive burden.
But Christ bore the debt of all the sin
Of all of God’s redeemed for all the ages.
• He took the wrath for Abraham’s idolatry
• He took the punishment for that affair with Hagar
• He bore the blame for Abraham passing of Sarah twice
No wonder Jesus said:
John 8:56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
Abraham’s sin had been “passed over” but not forgotten,
Not until Christ paid that debt.
Hebrews 9:11-12 “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
It was on that day Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were finally made perfect.
It was on that day their sin was finally atoned for.
That is why you read Luke 16 and see that rich man die and go to Hades,
He can look across and see Lazarus with Abraham.
Abraham was in paradise, but he wasn’t yet in the presence of God.
He was comforted, but not yet made perfect.
It wasn’t until Christ died and entered that more perfect tabernacle that Abraham (along with you and I) was made perfect.
It all occurred at the cross.
Every sin, every transgression, every short coming of all God’s people through all the ages fell on Christ on that day.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Isaiah 53:6 “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
It all fell on him.
• DO YOU SEE THE ENORMITY OF THE CROSS?
• DO YOU SEE THE MAGNITUDE OF WHAT CHRIST DID THERE?
He bore a massive debt
He took a massive blow
On that day God took out thousands of years
Of righteous indignation on Him.
AND IT WAS SUCCESSFUL!
Hebrews 9:11-12 “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”
Hebrews 10:11-14 “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”
The joy to that for you and me
(those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ)
You can know your sins have been atoned for.
Hebrews 10:19-22 “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
1 John 5:13 “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
It is the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon which our faith rests.
We are not even like Abraham or Isaac or Jacob or even Moses who looked forward to the day when the perfect One would come and atone for their sin.
We are able to look back at the cross with confidence
And see that our debt has been paid.
Jesus Christ already finished it.
Jesus Christ already paid for it.
He atoned for it all.
BUT THERE IS ONE MORE THING WE MUST RECOGNIZE
IN THIS GREAT PLAN OF GOD
We saw that God would not even atone for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Apart from the cross of Jesus.
He wouldn’t even erase their debt apart from the cross
WHY WOULD SOMEONE THINK THAT THEIR SIN CAN BE REMOVED APART FROM IT?
Why would you assume that there is another way to be righteous before God,
When God wouldn’t even make the Old Testament saints righteous
Apart from the sacrifice of Christ?
We hold that no one can be saved apart from Christ
Simply because no one ever was saved apart from Christ.
Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Jesus Himself said:
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Or even think about the Christmas season.
Do you remember when Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus into the temple at 8 days old to circumcise Him?
Simeon saw Jesus and said:
Luke 2:25-32 “And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
They all knew it.
Had God been merciful? Absolutely
Had God been gracious? Without a doubt
“in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed”
But they all knew that God was righteous and without atonement
There could be no salvation.
They all knew that God was holy and unless the sin debt was paid,
There would be no gospel of good news.
• That is why Abraham rejoiced to look forward and see the day of Christ
• That is why Moses gave a “Passover Lamb” to point to the future one
• That is why Simeon rejoiced when he saw the baby Christ.
They were all looking to that one future day of total atonement.
So when you read Genesis,
And you wonder where the atonement is in Moses’ gospel,
It’s not just curiously absent, it’s PURPOSELY absent.
Atonement didn’t happen for 2,000 more years.
Hebrews 11:39-40 “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.”
But when Christ came He bore it all.
And that is what we come to remember this morning.
We come to remember the most amazing, profound, sufficient,
And enormous sacrifice that the world has ever seen.
On that one day on the cross Jesus Christ
Bore all the sin of all of God’s children for all the ages.
It is the most praiseworthy event in all of human history,
And we come to remember it this morning.
• We eat this cracker and we remember the body that was pierced
• We drink this juice and we remember the blood that was spilled
• We examine ourselves and we remember the price that was paid
And as Paul said:
1 Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
That is what we are doing here today.
We are proclaiming the death of the Lord.
We are letting it be made known that we believe the death of Christ
To be the sufficient and sole means of redemption for humanity.
There is no other way of salvation because this way is sufficient.
And as we prepare to partake of the table of the Lord
We will have a time of preparation.
1 Corinthians 11:27-32 “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.”
We come to examine ourselves.
• Have I placed my faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?
• Is that evident in my obedience to Him?
It is a holy and sacred moment of remembrance and communion with the Lord as we ponder His amazing sacrifice.
Pray
