Matt 27:10 Summary of Seven Land Purchases 2/20/2011 ßà

· The Heritage of the Heathen (Psalm 111:6, Matt 5:5, Rom 4:13, Heb 11:8-10, 1Sam 2:6-8, Matt 13:44,38)

#1. Abraham Bought a Field (Gen 23:1-20, Gal 4:26)

#2. Jacob Bought a Field (Acts 7:16, Gen 33:17-20, 50:24-26)

#3. Boaz Bought a Field (Ruth 4:1-12, Deut 25:5-10)

#4. David Bought a Field (1Chron 21:1-27)

#5. Joseph Bought the Land of Egypt (Gen 41:25-57, 47:5-26)

#6. Jeremiah Bought a Field (Jer 32:1-44, 31:27-40, Rom 9:6-8, Gal 6:16, Heb 8:13, 2Cor 4:7)

#7. God Bought a Potter’s Field (Matt 27:1-10, Acts 1:15-19, Zech 11:10-14, Jer 18:1-6, 19:1-3,10-12, Ps 2)

#8. Christ Bought the World (Rom 9:18-24, Eph 1:4, 2:4-9, Luke 10:20, John 3:13)

Please open your Bibles to the Prophecy of the Psalms, Psalm 111:6 (2X). Let me jog your memory and let us summarize what we have seen in these past seven land purchases in the Bible. The sequence of these seven land purchases was not arbitrary. Perhaps you have noticed an increasing intensity as we covered one after the other. It was the intensity of coming closer to the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ every step of the way, because it was really the payment of Christ on the cross that was the main topic in these seven land purchases. In order to see that we have to see the symbolism contained in these seven land purchases. First of all we have to see:

· The Heritage of the Heathen (Psalm 111:6, Matt 5:5, Rom 4:13, Heb 11:8-10, 1Sam 2:6-8, Matt 13:44,38)

What is the heritage of the heathen? What do the heathen want for their heritage? Actually, all they want is this earth. All they want is a heaven on earth without God, for that is precisely what Satan has been whispering in their ears all their life. That is why they will spend a fortune on archaeology to prove that evolution is the true scenario of life on earth. Just billions of years in time and chance without God are all they need. That is why they will spend a fortune on astronomy to prove that life exists on other planets in the universe. Again, just billions of years in time and chance without God are all that they need. And that is why the nations of the world will spend a fortune on joining one another in a confederacy that leaves out God or any of God’s commandments, so they can prove that we can have a Utopia here on earth without God. This earth is the heritage of the heathen.

But what does God say about all this? God says, paraphrased, “I will take the heritage of the heathen away from them and I will give it to you. God says in Psalm 111:6 (2X),

Ps 111:6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.

God has shown to His people, His elect, the power of His works, the power of Christ crucified for His people, the power of the forgiveness of sins, in order that God may give His people the heritage of the heathen. And how is God going to give us the heritage of the heathen? Well, in these seven land purchases the land that was purchased represents not just that parcel of land, but is symbolic for the entire world. This is not my idea, this is God’s idea. You remember what the Lord Jesus said in Matt 5:5, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” God is not lying. He shall make us inherit the earth, which is presently a sin-cursed earth and worth almost nothing. But then He will transform this earth into a NH&NE, and then our inheritance will be of infinite value. Remember the meaning of a “synecdoche”? It is a figure of speech by which a part is representing the whole. In these seven land purchases the little parcel of land is representing the whole earth which is purchased for us, representing Christ on the cross buying this whole earth for us and for Him, which then is converted to a NH&NE. Let me illustrate this in one example. Please turn in your Bible to the epistle to the Hebrews, Heb 11:8 and also to Rom 4:13 (2X). We have here an example where God uses a small parcel of land, which He makes to represent this whole earth, and which God in turn uses to make us see the New Jerusalem and the NH&NE rise out of the ashes of the old earth. Here in Heb 11:8-10 God is informing us what He has revealed to Abraham, and it is a whole lot more than He has revealed to us in the OT. From the OT we understand that God promised Abraham the entire land of Canaan. But when we turn to Rom 4:13 we get a whole different view. Here we see the beginning of a synecdoche that God is developing before our eyes, for this parcel of land is not the only thing that God has in view. We read in Rom 4:13,

Rom 4:13, For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Now we hear that God promised to Abraham that he would be the heir of the world; not just the land of Canaan but the whole world. And so, the land of Canaan was representing this whole earth. What was so special about the land of Canaan? The land of Canaan represented of the kingdom of God on this earth, and thus the land of Canaan was a special place in God’s terminology. But now God takes the following step, and God transforms this earth to the NH&NE with one city in it, which is the New Jerusalem. Now we turn to Heb 11:8-10, and there we read,

Heb 11:8-10 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

In other words, by faith Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt in tents in the land of Canaan, looking forward to inheriting the world? No, they were looking forward to a city, the New Jerusalem, whose builder and maker is God In other words, the small parcel of land called the land of Canaan was one part of a synecdoche whereby the land of Canaan represented this whole world, and this world became one element of another transformation whereby this world was destroyed and a NH&NE was resurrected out of its ashes. Remember, the principles that God uses in bringing salvation and giving us the amazing future inheritance is through death and resurrection, and through destruction and rebuilding out of the ashes of what was destroyed. And look at how well this was communicated to us in 1Sam 2:6-8. Please turn in your Bibles to the Prophecy of 1Samuel, 1Sam 2:6 (2X). This is a portion of Hannah’s prayer of gratitude for the son, Samuel, she had received of the Lord, for conception is entirely by the grace of God. Samuel was going to be the last of the Judges in Israel before the nation became a monarchy. Entirely by God’s grace she received insight into the key principles of how God operates in the kingdom of man to reserve a people for Himself, and to save a bride for His Son. We read in 1Sam 2:6-8,

1 Sam 2:6-8 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

This is exactly how God operates so that it satisfies all His purposes and all His righteousness. God cannot leave His works in the hands of mankind, for we would mess it up for sure. If God intends to work a task having a certain goal, He must do it Himself, or else it will not get done. And so, since God is immutable, meaning He cannot change in the course of history, and since God is infinitely wise, meaning He does not learn from history, which implies that He knows entire world history from the end to the beginning, and since God is omniscient, meaning He can see entire world history from the beginning to the end, and knows all our thoughts every moment of our life for each one of His creation, it is absolutely necessary that if He would want to reserve a people for Himself to give Christ His bride, He must make that decision before He will create the first speck of dust.

God’s immutability, and His infinite wisdom, and His omniscience dictate that all the plans of God must be in place long before God begins to create the first speck of dust. This means that God reserved for Himself a people whom He called His elect, and predetermined their destiny. It means that these people are going to inherit the NH&NE where only righteousness dwells, and which God already prepared at the time of Gen 1:1. This is the only way His creation would be harmonious with the attributes of God. But now, God also created angels and mankind who have the capability to sin. Even though God did not create sin, neither does He tempt anyone to sin, God did provide the stage where sin could come into being. Now the righteousness of God as well as God’s grace enters into the picture. Since God is also infinitely righteous He must deal with sin in His elect people according to His righteousness, which means that Christ would have to come to pay for the sins of His people. This is grace; this is the unmerited favor of God. God bestows His favors entirely by grace. God is not obligated to save anyone. God does not owe us special favors. On the contrary, since God is righteous, God is obligated to cast the entire human race into Hell. But God has mercy on some, because God has elected a people for Himself. These are the people whom God wants to inherit the earth, and that is why He is giving us the heritage of the heathen. But we must see the symbolism of the little land purchases as representing the purchase of this earth by Christ on the cross, so that He can give us the heritage of the heathen. Please turn in your Bibles to the Gospel According to Matthew, Matt 13:44 (2X). Why does Christ want to purchase this sin-cursed earth? Is it not enough if He purchased only His elect people? God does not give a specific answer to this specific question, but God tells us what His operations are in the kingdom of man. Here in Matt 13:44 the Lord Jesus touches on this question with the following parable:

Mt 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Who does this man in the parable represent? This man represents the Lord Jesus Christ. The field is the world, for we read in Matt 13:38, “The field is the world.” The treasure represents the kingdom of heaven, which is the collection of all the elect throughout time. And how did the Lord buy this treasure? First He sold all that He had and then He bought the field, He bought the world, and thereby He owned the right to the treasure also. When did the Lord sell all that He had, and when did He buy that field? We read in Phil 2:6-8,

Php 2:6-8 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

And so, this is what we should have in the back of our mind when we read through these seven land purchases, and this was the focus of God’s purpose in placing these seven land purchases in the Bible, just like we have seen how God developed the giving of the land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as a picture of giving them the New Jerusalem, the city of God located in the NH&NE. Let us begin with #1.

#1. Abraham Bought a Field (Gen 23:1-20, Gal 4:26)

The first land purchase was when Abraham bought the field of Machpelah, near Hebron, from Ephron the Hittite. Sarah died, and Abraham needed a burial place for Sarah. God says of Sarah in Isa 54 that she is a representation of all the saints throughout time. God says in Gal 4:26 that Sarah is a symbol for the Jerusalem that is above, and that “she is the mother of us all”, not referring to the mother of all mankind, but to all of us who are of the elect. Likewise God calls Abraham the father of all who are of the elect. God is prompting Abraham to act out the role of Christ in the atonement. That is why Abraham said twice to the children of Heth, “that I should bury my dead out of my sight?” God tells us that this action of Abraham was a shadow of God burying His elect at the time Christ died and was buried. Lovingly God buried us with Christ. Since we were in Christ from before the foundation of the world, we were crucified with Christ, and we died with Christ, and we were buried with Christ. His human soul went to heaven, but his body went into the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea, and God the Son, the Second Person of the Triune Godhead, was still in His body. That is why we were buried with Christ, and this was the purpose of the burial of Sarah. Abraham bought this burial place from the Gentiles, which was a shadow of Christ buying the world from the Gentiles. Abraham paid for it the full price; in fact he insisted on paying the full price, 400 shekels of silver, which was a shadow of Christ paying the full price to give us the inheritance of the whole world. Again you see here a synecdoche whereby the field of Machpelah represented the whole world. And thus in summary, the historical purpose of this land purchase was to provide a burial place for Sarah. But since Sarah represented the complete body of believers, we can see that this land purchase was a shadow of the purchase of the whole world by Christ on the cross, to provide a burial place for all the saints who have died with Christ, who have experienced the second death with Him and in Him. Abraham bought the field of Machpelah from the Gentiles, which is a shadow of Christ buying the world from the Gentiles. They owned it, for after Adam’s sin this world is ruled over by the Devil, and all the unsaved are slaves of the Devil. The name Machpelah means “a fold”, or “a sheepfold”. That is a fitting name for the treasure that Christ bought when He bought the world, but He paid a special price for His sheepfold. Christ bought the world (Agorazo), but He redeemed His sheepfold (Exagorazo).

#2. Jacob Bought a Field (Acts 7:16, Gen 33:17-20, 50:24-26)

The second land purchase was when Jacob bought the field of Shalem, near Shechem, from the sons of Hamor. Jacob is called Abraham, because Jacob had the same characteristics as Abraham, and both Jacob and Abraham are a representation of God. Jacob bought the field from the Gentiles, which was a shadow of Christ buying the world from the Gentiles. Jacob paid for it the full price, 100 Kesitah, which was equivalent to 400 shekels of silver, which was a shadow of Christ paying the full price to give us the inheritance of the whole world. The purpose of this land purchase was to build an altar there unto the God of Israel, out of gratitude for what God has done for him. But eventually the place also became the burial place for his son Joseph, who was a figure of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the field of Machpelah the field of Shalem, near Shechem represented the whole world, which is again a synecdoche. Now, if we look at both land purchases, the purchase of the field at Machpelah and the field of Shalem near Shechem, we can see: #1, that both fields were bought from the Gentiles, #2, that both fields ended up as burial places, #3, that both fields cost the buyers 400 shekels of silver, #4, that both fields represented peace, not to the Gentiles, but to Abraham and to Israel, for Shalem means peace, and Machpelah means the sheepfold where the sheep find peace. #5, Abraham’s field was near Hebron. Is it not curious that both Shechem and Hebron, with their suburbs, were chosen by Joshua to be “Cities of Refuge”? And who may abide in the City of Refuge? They are all those who have come to realize that they are guilty of murder, but their crime has been committed unawares or unwittingly. It means that all of us who have been saved are aware that we fall in this category; we are guilty, and we need a Savior who is the Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest according to the order of Melchisedec.

#3. Boaz Bought a Field (Ruth 4:1-12, Deut 25:5-10)

The third land purchase was when Boaz bought the field from Ruth the Moabitess, who inherited the land from Mahlon, the firstborn son of Elimelech and Naomi. When Elimelech left Bethlehem to go to the land of Moab he abandoned his parcel of land. But when Naomi came back she received back the parcel of land, which she now shared with Ruth as the legitimate owners. Now Boaz bought the field from Ruth the Moabitess. Boaz bought this land from a Gentile and he too paid for it the full price, although the amount was not explicitly stated. The purpose of this land purchase was for Boaz to be in the role of the Kinsman-Redeemer, like Christ is our Kinsman-Redeemer, to raise up seed for the inheritance of Mahlon, in order that his name be not put out of Israel. First of all Boaz needed to be the nearest kinsman, and for this he qualified. Secondly, Boaz needed to marry Ruth so that he could raise up seed for Mahlon, who would inherit the land that Boaz purchased for him. Thirdly, Boaz purchased Ruth, which was a grand picture of the bringing in of the Gentiles through the cross of Christ into the Kingdom of God, for in the NT dispensation the salvation of God’s elect included all the nations of the world. Fourthly, the parcel of land that Boaz bought was a picture of Christ buying the whole world when He hung on the cross. It is this world which God will give to all His saints to inherit, but which God will transform on the last day into a NH&NE where only righteousness dwells.

#4. David Bought a Field (1Chron 21:1-27)

The fourth land purchase was when David bought the land and the threshing floor from Ornan the Jebusite. The Angel of the Lord smote the nation of Israel with a great plague. God commanded David to set up an altar there, specifically, in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the Lord, that the plague may be stayed from the people.” The purpose of this land purchase was to build an altar there and to sacrifice on that altar, so that the plague might be stayed from the people of God. But God’s people are not the Jews, or the nation of Israel. According to the NT God’s people are the remnant chosen by grace out of every tongue, and tribe, and nation, and people of the world. For them the plague is stayed. And what is that plague? The granddaddy of all plagues is the wrath of God, for to be cast into Hell is the worst thing anyone can experience. But Jerusalem was spared, just like the body of saints is spared the plague of eternal damnation in Hell. Just like Abraham bought the field of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite (a Gentile), and just like Jacob bought the field of Shalem from the sons of Hamor (the Gentiles), and just like Boaz bought a parcel of land from Ruth the Moabitess (a Gentile), so now David must buy a parcel of land from Ornan the Jebusite (also a Gentile). Just like in the previous 3 land purchases David insists on paying the full price. David bought the land from a Gentile and he paid for it the full price, 600 shekels of gold. Ornan wanted to give it all away for free, but David could not accept that, for the full price had to be paid. David said, “I will not offer anything unto my God of that which cost me nothing.” This altar and the sacrifices that David offered upon it was a picture of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, so that the plague of Hell might be removed from His people. And miraculously the Lord answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. Was this altar also a burial place? Indeed, the plague of Hell was removed for those who were in Christ, who died with Christ, and who were buried with Christ. We must see the spiritual picture in this historical event. David fills the role of the role of the Lord Jesus Christ who offered the most perfect offering on the altar of the cross in AD 33. David purchased the land and the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, which is a picture of Christ buying the world for His elect. Let us look at the shadow and the substance in five different ways as it is revealed to us in this historical event: God sent fire from heaven, which consumed the sacrifices on the altar of burnt offerings. Through this sign the LORD indicated: #1. God's acceptance of the sacrifices. When Christ offered Himself on the cross that was the only acceptable sacrifice in the eyes of God. #2. God's acceptance of David's prayer for forgiveness. Christ's prayer on the cross for forgiveness of the sins of His people was the only accepted prayer that brought forgiveness of sins. #3. God's acceptance of the price of 600 shekels of gold that David paid for the threshingfloor and for the land. Christ's atonement was the only payment God accepted as the full price for the redemption of His people and the full price for the world that they stand on. #4. God's forgiveness for David's sin of pride. When Christ was crucified that was the only time any sins were forgiven. #5. God was going to stop the plague that had killed 70,000 people and save Jerusalem. All that was accomplished through animal sacrifices, which in reality could not take away one sin. That is the conclusion we arrive at when we harmonize the O.T. with the N.T. When Christ was crucified that was the only time the wrath of God was satisfied for the sins of His people, the heavenly Jerusalem.

We can clearly see that this entire story was only a shadow; it was only a picture of what Christ was going to do on the cross. The LORD answered David by fire from heaven, which consumed the sacrifice on the altar. Was there any fire from heaven at Calvary? If all these burnt offerings in the OT were shadows of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, then certainly there must have been fire from heaven at the cross. But there could not have been a bolt of lightning from heaven, because the Lord Jesus Christ could not be consumed in the process. The fire from heaven was not visible to mankind. Historically, this land and this threshing floor became the place where Solomon built the Temple. But the spiritual meaning is that the OT temple was only a shadow of the complete body of both OT and NT saints.

#5. Joseph Bought the Land of Egypt (Gen 41:25-57, 47:5-26)

The fifth land purchase was when Joseph bought the entire land of Egypt during the seven-year famine from the Egyptians. Joseph bought the land from the Gentiles and he paid for it with an indefinite amount of (no not grain, but) bread (that is what the Bible says), which stands for Christ, the Bread of Life. This also means that Joseph paid for it the full price, for Christ is more valuable than any amount of money. The purpose of this land purchase was for Joseph to function as the Savior of the world, and to give the land as a grand present to Pharaoh, who represented God Himself. Joseph fulfils the role of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when he purchased the land of Egypt it was a token for Christ purchasing the world when He hung on the cross. Christ purchased the world by giving Himself. Joseph, in the role of Christ, purchased the world by giving Himself, the Bread of Life, as food for the people. At this time the land of Egypt was not yet the house of bondage, for the persecution of Israel started only after Joseph died. And when all of history is finished then Christ shall deliver all creation and all the saints unto God (1Cor 15:28) that God may be all in all, and this is pictured when Joseph gave the entire land of Egypt as a present to Pharaoh. Here again is a great picture of the bringing in of the elect Gentiles into the Kingdom of God. Was this a burial place? Yes it was for all those living in the land of Egypt, for in this picture all those living in the land of Egypt were identified as the elect from the Gentiles. And thus they were crucified with Christ, they have died with Christ, and they were buried with Christ.

#6. Jeremiah Bought a Field (Jer 32:1-44, 31:27-40, Rom 9:6-8, Gal 6:16, Heb 8:13, 2Cor 4:7)

The sixth land purchase was when Jeremiah bought the field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin from his cousin Hanameel. This was the only land that was not purchased from the Gentiles, but very soon it became the property of the Gentiles until the Jews returned from Babylon. We do not know how large that plot of land was, but Jeremiah paid the full price, 17 shekels of silver. And again this is a synecdoche, for this little plot of land represented not only the land of Canaan, but it represented the entire world. The purpose of this land purchase was to demonstrate to Jeremiah, and to all the witnesses in the court of the prison, that God will start over with a New Covenant and with a new Nation, after the cross. What period in time did God have in view when He starts all over with a New Covenant? The answer is found in the passage from the previous chapter. And when we come to Jer 31:40 we read there, “And the whole valley of the dead bodies unto the brook of Kidron, and so on,” which refers to all the dead bodies of Israel left by the army of Babylon, this whole valley shall be holy unto he Lord. And then follow the words, “It shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more forever.” Forever means forever. Do not tamper with the word “forever.” This cannot refer to the period of time between the Jews’ return from Babylon in 537 BC and 70 AD, for in 70 AD Jerusalem was again destroyed by the Romans. And thus we must interpret Jer 31 according to the spiritual meaning of these verses. The spiritual meaning is that after the cross God is starting over with a new nation of Israel, the Israel of God, as defined in Rom 9:6-8, and Gal 6:16 as the remnant chosen by grace out of all the nations of the world, and with a New Covenant, for the old covenant with its ceremonial law will gradually vanish away (Heb 8:13). These are the people that will repopulate the kingdom of God, as pictured by the land of Israel in Jer 32:44. And then the interpretation of Jer 33 will harmonize completely with this view of the NT time. Jeremiah was puzzled by God’s command to buy the parcel of land in Anathoth so close to the time that the entire land will be given into the hands of the nation of Babylon. Most likely it was also a burial place, because the Babylonian armies slaughtered nearly 2 million Jews, for only a few thousand were taken to Babylon. And the deed to this land purchase was put in an earthen vessel. What does this mean? It means that this deed was made secure, and hidden, and the deed would be reopened when the new nation of Israel would come alive in the NT time, and then the deed would be read and understood that God has started over with a new nation of Israel and with a New Covenant. This is what God has in view in 2Cor 4:7, where He refers to people as earthen vessels. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

#7. God Bought a Potter’s Field (Matt 27:1-10, Acts 1:15-19, Zech 11:10-14, Jer 18:1-6, 19:1-3,10-12, Ps 2)

The seventh land purchase was made by God Himself when He purchased the Potter's Field with the money that Judas Iscariot threw back into the temple. The priests took the money out of the temple treasury and gave it to Judas. This was not Judas' money; Jesus was not the property of Judas; this money belonged to God. When Judas threw the money back into the temple it became again God’s money. And thus Christ paid the full price for that Potter's Field, 30 pieces of silver, which was the price of a slave. This was the value of Christ in the eyes of the scribes and Pharisees. And with this money the chief priests purchased the Potter’s Field where Judas had hanged himself, but where Judas fell down in the process of hanging himself and was shredded by the sharp pieces of broken potter’s vessels. But in actuality the chief priests acted by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, so that it really was God who bought this Potter’s Field. This field became a burial place. Judas the son of perdition was buried there, according to Acts 1:18-19, and all those who died unsaved are buried there with him, according to Matt 27:7. Symbolically, this Potter's Field is now used to bury strangers in. Which strangers are buried there? They are the "Strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world". We are not the strangers who are symbolically buried in that field, for we died with Christ; we did not die with Judas Iscariot. And we were buried with Christ in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea. This field is called Akeldama, “the field of blood” unto this day. Why unto this day? Whose blood was shed to purchase this field? It was Christ blood, for He purchased this field of blood where Judas was buried, and Judas acted completely in accord with the Prophecy of Zechariah. But when we also look at the Prophecy of Jeremiah we see that the Field of Blood, and Akeldama, and the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and Gehenna, and Tophet are al synonyms for the same Hell. That is why it is the Field of Blood unto this day. There is where Judas Iscariot is buried, and there is where all the unsaved will be buried forever. The purpose of this land purchase was to demonstrate to US that God remains in full control of everything that goes on in history and that God is faithful in fulfilling His promises in Scripture, al the way to Hell and all the way to the NH&NE. Yes, all the way to Hell is also a promise of God which He is faithful to fulfill.

#8. Christ Bought the World (Rom 9:18-24, Eph 1:4, 2:4-9, Luke 10:20, John 3:13)

One burial place is Akeldama, the Field of Blood, or the Potter's Field, where Judas, the son of perdition, has been buried and where all those who are strangers to the God of the Bible will be buried. From there they will be resurrected on the Last Day and stand for Judgment, and every last one will be cast into Hell.

By the grace of God there is another burial place. It is the cave of Joseph of Arimathaea, where Jesus body was gently laid down. The story of the Potter and the clay has been retold in Rom 9, where God now applies this object lesson to individual people. You see, before the foundation of the world the Father chose a Bride for His Son from a people that deserved to go to Hell. And God said: “I am the Potter you are the clay. Can I not make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? Then know and understand that entirely by My grace, by My unmerited favor, I have placed you in Christ, so that when Christ was crucified, you were crucified with Him, when Christ died, you died with Him, when Christ was buried in the cave of Joseph of Arimathaea, you were buried with Him, and when Christ arose from that cave, you arose with Him, and when Christ ascended into heaven, you ascended with Him, and when Christ was seated on the right hand of the Father, you were seated with Him, and when Christ was glorified, you were glorified with Him, and all that is in the past tense. All that did take place even though you did not exist yet, and your soul was not created yet. Do you understand this?” And we have to admit, “No Lord, we do not understand this.” But all this was written in the Bible, and thus we believe it. Please turn now to the Gospel According to Luke, Luke 10:20 (2X). The only way we can make it understandable to us, humans, is when we remember that before the foundation of the world only God existed, and He has revealed Himself as a Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, three spirit persons, and yet one God. When we speak of Christ existing before the foundation of the world we realize that we speak of God the Son, but as a Spirit, for this was before His incarnation in the womb of Mary. Please turn now to the Gospel of Luke 10:20, and there we read,

Lu 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

We understand that when we read in Eph 1:4 that the Father has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, it means that the Father has placed our names in the mind of God the Son. And when Christ walked on this earth, God the Son walked on this earth, but He also was present in heaven. Therefore we read in John 3:13,

Joh 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

And so, the Lord never ceased to be God the Son. Therefore, because of His presence in heaven, our names are written in heaven, in the mind of God the Son. And when Christ was buried, even though His human soul had departed to be with the Father in heaven, God the Son was present in that body that was buried, so that our names were buried with Christ and in Christ. This is a rather simplistic view of us being in Christ, but for now this makes it understandable to our human mind.

There is one subject matter that dominates all seven land purchases, and that is that the full price has been paid. Abraham and David even insisted on paying the full price. They may not have realized that this is indeed the most important feature in all seven land purchases, for they all, except Judas, were in the role of Christ on the cross paying for the sins of His people, but at the same time purchasing the ground on which we stand. And Christ had to pay the full price to satisfy the righteousness of God. That is why the full price had to be paid for the little piece of land in these seven historical events, for they represented the whole world that Christ was buying for His people, but which was a synecdoche seven times over.

AMEN. Let us turn to the Lord in prayer.