By Robert Anthony September 20th 2024 Jesus began the whole of His ministry with the words, “The Government of heaven is at hand!” Of course, in the Bible it is written, “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17) but a kingdom in Jesus' time was most certainly their form of government.
A kingdom is quite simply a form of government. When Jesus spoke those words, “The Kingdom is at hand” everyone among Israel knew exactly what He was saying, “This oppressive government that has rule over you, the Romans, has an expiration date, the government God has promised you from the beginning... is at hand!”
Something over time has done a tremendous job relegating the written word of God into a mere religious book stealing from it the honor and awe it is due. There is no ancient book on earth that chronicles our history, the earth before the flood, the truth of creation and generally the story of God with His children better than The Holy Bible - in fact no ancient book even comes close! And yet the written word of God is so much more than a History Book!
Not to minimize the spiritual nature of the Word of God, not to minimize the eternal overtones and undertones throughout… but consider who the written word of God was written by and to whom it was originally written for... "A Family"!
There is no book on earth like it!
Moses wrote those first five books (what the Jews today commonly refer to as their Torah, torah is Hebrew, of course means, The Instruction) for his own family – that generation of the twelve sons of Jacob who was about to receive their promised land. One could say that the Bible is one families story kept throughout generations! Amazing thought, right!?
But lets extract religion out of this story even more! What do you call a document given to a people giving instruction for how to govern and land and a nation??? Perhaps, “A CONSTITUTION”!?
Seems clear to me that God gave this family, who would become a nation, their own constitution just before leading them into what would be their eternal homeland. He gave them this constitution in preparation for how to govern their new nation. God said, “Keep this word, this law, this constitution and you will remain FOREVER in this land. But break this constitution and I will remove you, and scatter you to the nations!” (Deuteronomy 28)
Then came the Son of God.
Jesus showed up as a type and shadow of Moses but so much more! He came to minister to His family and to multiply Greatly His family. Jesus promised to deliver them (back) their Promised Land, saying, “The Government of God (over this land) is at hand.” Yes, Absolutely it would have been assumed by ALL of His audience that Jesus was referring to the Promised Land - He was very direct and obvious in teaching that the intended government of God would soon be returning to the land!
But was Jesus really that much like Moses? Did Jesus go atop a mountain and receive a New Set of Laws, or a New Constitution to Israel!? Well, actually, in a way, He did! Here are some of the things Jesus did just like Moses:
1. Jesus is atop a mountain with God – Matthew 17. 2. Jesus gives them New Laws – John 13:34. 3. Jesus takes them into the wilderness to teach the people God’s ways – Luke 4:42+ 4. Jesus gives them a structure and order for leadership – Mark 10:41-45 5. Jesus Promises to them rule over the Promised Land – Matthew 24:15. 6. Here is Jesus reconfirming the covenant made unto the fathers and that law given to Moses – Matthew 5:17-20. 7. Here is Jesus promising, like Moses, that this world will end – Luke 21.
So the written word of God is a book of history, a spiritual guide and blessing, a book of wisdom and education but to all who would believe, it is also Our Constitution!
And Jesus gave us His Constitution just like Moses.
Starting from the very beginning of His ministry: “The Government of God is at hand” and then very early in His ministry, He brought them out into the wilderness, fed them bread MIRACULOUSLY, just like Moses (remember the manna) and gave them His law – we call it to this day, “The Beatitudes” (Matthew 5-7). Then He went atop a mountain and revealed God to a chosen three of His disciples.
It can be said while the Old Testament was the Constitution for the Old Covenant, the New Testament is the Constitution for the New Covenant.
Does the word, law still bother you?
I will admit throughout my youth I had trouble with this word, Law. Hahaha. But seriously. I was rather wild, hurting and unruly in many ways. Sitting down a younger version of Robert Anthony to teach me a set of laws would have felt confining, unfair and even dictatorial! However.... If someone had explained to me these things better, with more love and patience, with more understanding and truth... I like to think I would have listened!
Something to consider, the “Ten Commandments” literally translates from Hebrew in English, “THE WORD OF GOD”!!! The Hebrew word “Dabar” is translated here, “Commandments” and they are commandments in a way, but they are so much more! Think about this, when Jesus came to the earth, John wrote, “The Word of God dwelt among us, The Word of God became Flesh!” But that same word is, “Dabar” in Hebrew. So it could be written, “The 10 Commandments became Flesh and Dwelt Among us” and that would be true!!
How amazing is that!
Our society and culture (perhaps thanks to the 60’s and 70’s) hates rules – you can debate me but on a whole (especially the young) people despise instruction, rules, corrections, laws, etc. It is rather unique to meet anyone in today’s America who love law and order. But what if it was presented better? What Biblical truths were presented with less crushing and dominance and moreso with love, acceptance, forgiveness, patience, mercy and even, kindness… and LOVE! Maybe it would be more palatable? And maybe people would realize it is God actually, loving us!
But in a way that’s exactly what Jesus did – He magnified the love of God, injecting His love into heaven’s message to the earth!! How often did He reteach the laws of Moses!? How often did He teach them rules, laws and order? How often did the Pharisees try to catch Him breaking their law? How often was the debate over the laws of God with Jesus!? Even when He was condemned to die on the cross, the argument by Pilate, “I find no fault in this man” – Pilate testified, “He broke no laws!” Even His debate with satan was over law and order.
We as a society and culture tend to despise law and order because it has been used against us, with dominance and brutality, fear and condemnation rather than in truth, with love and mercy: God gave us His law, His commandments, His WORD – He gave us His Truth TO LOVE US!! Not to control, confine, dominate or crush us into submission.
God is telling us over and again, “I love you. I want to bless you. I want to bring you into a land of promise, into a life of promise. I have plans for you, good plans, plans you know not of! Trust me. You can not get to the blessing by yourselves. You have to go along with my ways. I will teach you how to get Victory! And you will need to learn how to do this….”
Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and that you might live it more abundantly!” (John 10:10) Jesus said, “For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.” (John 17:8). This Word, this Constitution from God, was given to us from Jesus that we might have ABUNDANT LIFE!!! And then, without it, rejecting it, denying the truth, denying the way of abundance and love – How are we to find Life!?
The Kingdom of God is a government. When Jesus returns, He is returning as a King, a ruler, an authority over a land and over the whole of the land! He is returning to rule the earth in righteousness, justice, prosperity, blessing and love! And we have His kingdom now! “The kingdom of God is within you!” He told us (Luke 17:21). And He has given to us His constitution for His coming government. And we can live this kingdom now!
Our Constitution from God has been mistaught, misused, abused and manipulated by evil men since the day it was written! And it will continue to be warred against, even until the last day. But, children of God, remember, this is the Word, the only Constitution that Sets Us Free!!
We can trust His Constitution. We can trust Him. He will finish what He started. He will bring us to the Victory just like He promised. He restored Israel after 2,000 years! Every single thing He continues to promise, He performs! We can trust Him. And we can love one another.
The Best is yet to Come.
May God’s bottomless and unending love be received by us all…
Amen!?
Greatest brotherly love and affection,
With anticipation and expectation for the day!
-Robert
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