Promises and Fulfillment

OBJECTIVE

To study and appreciate the promises of the Old Testament and witness God's faithfulness, love, and thoughtfulness through the fulfillment of these in the New Testament.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

Read Luke 4:16-30

Memory Verse: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Lk. 4:18-19).

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 25 Minutes

The Promised Seed (Gn. 3:15)

After Adam and Eve sinned through the provocation by the serpent, God questioned Adam, who blamed Eve, who blamed the Serpent for this sin

God spoke to the serpent, saying, "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than all the wild animals of the earth. On your breast and belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall be on guard for His heel" (Gn. 3:14-15 LXX)
God then said to Eve "I will greatly multiply your pain and your groaning, and in pain you shall bring forth children. Your recourse will be to your husband, and he shall rule over you" (Gn. 3:16 LXX)
Finally God said to Adam, "Because you heeded the voice of your wife, and ate from the one tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it,' cursed is the ground in your labors. In toil you shall eat from it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground from which you were taken. Earth you are, and to earth you shall return" (Gn. 3:17-19 LXX)

Adam and Eve were created for life, to live in perfection, abiding in God's love, walking and conversing with Him in the bliss of paradise

They were put into great dismay and turmoil as a result of sin when they were separated from God due to the consequence of sin and were cast out lest they stretch forth their hands and eat from the tree of life

In a hopeless situation where everything was lost in a moment, God provided a promise of salvation through the Seed of the woman

God placed an enmity between the serpent's seed, which are who sin and whoever does not practice righteousness (cf. 1 Jn. 3:8-10), and the woman's seed, which is Christ

Christ, the new Adam, took flesh from His mother, the Virgin Mary, the Second Eve who listened to the command of God, so that He may bruise the head of the serpent through the cross

Although childbirth was to be painful with great labor and turmoil, Virgin Mary gave birth to Christ in great joy, as Isaiah also prophesied, "before she travails in labor to give birth, before the pain of birth pangs comes on, she escapes it and bears a male" (Is. 66:7 LXX)

The thorns that sprouted forth from the earth as a result of the curse of sin became a crown on the head of a savior so that He may turn for us "the punishment into salvation" (St. Gregory's Liturgy)

The cross was placed in the ground as to sanctify the earth which had become cursed through sin

As Adam was called to return to dust, Christ bore the "image of the man of dust" so that we may "bear the image of the heavenly Man" (1 Co. 15:49) so that we may share in the glory of victory of Christ (cf. 1 Co. 15:57) and cry out, saying, "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" (1 Co. 15:55)

Therefore this promise in Genesis 3:15 was fulfilled in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as witnessed by the Evangelists and attested to throughout the New Testament

Covenants in the Old Testament

The covenant evolves and expands with each renewal

Adam (marriage)
Noah (family)
Abraham (tribe)
Moses (nation)
David (Kingdom)
Christ (all of humanity). We are the holy and catholic (universal) Apostolic Church.

Every time there is a new covenant, there is a:

Blood bond
Test
Sign
Blessing and a curse

We find five covenants in the Old Testament:

Adam

When the Lord God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, he made a covenant with our father Adam, as the figurehead and representative of all men, a covenant which Adam broke, by which he plunged the human race into sin and death and placed us all under the curse of God's holy law.
What was the covenant between God and Adam? It is a covenant with a couple, man and woman, with no children, binding God with his children as a family in the Garden.

Noah

It is announced prior to the flood (Gn. 6:18) but is established after the flood subsides (Gn. 8:20-9:17)
Here, God promises that He will never destroy the world through a flood again (Gn. 8:21-22; 9:11-15)

Abraham

God promised Abraham (1) to make him into a great nation and (2) to bless the earth through him
God establishes this covenant in Gn. 15:18
God announces a universal covenant in Gn. 17 through circumcision

Moses

Israel must keep God's covenant by submitting to its requirements, explained in Ex. 20-23
Israel were to be differentiated from the other nations and to be set aside to be God's chosen people, reflecting His wisdom

David

In 2 Sm. 7 and 1 Chron. 17, God establishes a covenant with David to establish David's throne

The New Covenant

This covenant is explicitly mentioned in Jeremiah 31 as well as the institution narrative in Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25, 2 Corinthians 3, Hebrews 8)

The Final Covenant

Eternal life

God's Promise to Abraham

God promised Abraham a son, and that his seed would be multiplied and would be like the stars of heaven in multitude and the sand which is by the seashore (cf. Gn. 22:17)

This promise was fulfilled in Isaac himself as Abraham was without child, and through Isaac came Jacob and the twelve tribes of Israel
The Church recognizes that this promised seed is Christ, who blessed the inheritance of Abraham by the preaching of the Gospel that extends throughout the whole earth

Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it and was glad (Jn. 8:56) because Abraham believed in the promise God gave him, namely that through Isaac his seed would be multiplied

The Church Fathers recognize that Abraham witnessed the fulfillment of the Lord's promise, that his seed was exceedingly blessed, and that from God had raised up children unto Abraham (cf. Mt. 3:9) so that we are children of Abraham, having received the promise of the inheritance in Christ (cf. Rm. 4:12; Gal. 4:28)

God's Promise to David

God spoke through to David through the prophet Nathan and promised him that his throne would be established forever

"When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever" (2 Sam. 7:12-16 NKJV)

The Lord Jesus Christ was the "expectation of all nations" (cf. Gn. 49:10 LXX) and the "sure mercies of David" (cf. Is. 55:3 NKJV)

Therefore the Incarnation of the Lord is the fulfillment of this promise to David, that his seed would be Christ, and that his throne would be from generation to generation

Psalm 88 LXX

"O Lord, I will sing of Your mercies forever; I will proclaim Your truth with my mouth from generation to generation; for You said, 'Mercy shall be built up forever; Your truth shall be prepared in the heavens. I made a covenant with My chosen ones; I sore to David My servant, I shall prepare your seed forever, and I shall build your throne from generation to generation'" (Ps. 88:1-5 LXX)
"I shall make him, my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. I shall keep My mercy for him forever, and My covenant shall be trustworthy with him. I shall establish his seed unto ages of ages and his throne as the days of heaven" (Ps. 88:28-30 LXX)
"What kind of man is there who will live and not see death? Will he deliver his soul from the hand of Hades? Where, O Lord, are Your mercies of old, which in Your truth You swore to David" (Ps. 88:49-50)

The entirety of this Psalm may be divided into three parts:

The first part, as referenced in verses 1-3, focuses on God's activity in the creation of the heavens and the earth
The second part, as referenced in verses 4-5 and 28-30, relates to God's covenant and promise with respect to the house of David
The third part, as referenced in verses 49-50, demonstrates moments in history where the covenant was preserved despite threats and crises throughout history

"God's promise to David, with respect to the everlasting stability of his throne, is fulfilled in the kingship of Christ, for the Son of David now sits forever enthroned at God's right hand, executing both prophecy and promise" (Christ in the Psalms, Psalm 88 LXX)

We see that God wishes to be born from the man whose heart was after His, just as He took flesh from the womb of the Virgin who dedicated her heart and body entirely to Him

"Incline your ears and follow my ways. Listen to Me, and your soul shall live in good things; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the holy and faithful things of David" (Is. 55:3 LXX)

As God made a covenant with David who desired God's heart, so does God declare salvation to all those people whose heart long for His, that, as David, they may obtain and enjoy an eternal reward, dwelling in the Kingdom of God which is established through the seed of David, which is Christ

Therefore it is not only David that is seated with Christ at the right hand of His Father, but rather all of us who are baptized and joined in the body of Christ are offered through the Ascension of Jesus, brining mankind to Heaven, bestowing upon them a special dignity, being "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that we may proclaim the praises of Him who called us our of darkness into His marvelous light" (cf. 1 Pt. 2:9)

"To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Rev. 3:24)
"Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Rm. 1:3)

Therefore this sanctification occurs through Christ who took what is ours and given us what is His, taking flesh from the seed of David that we may be partakers of the divine nature (cf. 2 Pt. 1:4), that we too may be born of water and spirit and may escape from the corruption of the world and abide in the light in union with our Lord Jesus Christ

The Promise of the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34 NKJV)

"Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jer. 31:31-34 NKJV)

As discussed in a previous lesson in this module, "How to Read the Old Testament," the terms Old Testament and New Testament mean Old Covenant and New Covenant

Therefore the Church Fathers recognize this promise as an instance when the Old Testament refers to the New Testament by name, demonstrating their union and presenting the New Testament as the fulfillment of the promises of the Old Testament

Since the Old and New Covenants are given through Christ, the Lawgiver, each bear witness of Him and the salvation He offers through His body and blood, by which we may be partakers through the gift of Holy Baptism, which is participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Old Covenant is set aside, which is marked by circumcision, unleavened bread, and the literality of the sabbaths and sacrifices, and the New Covenant is taken up, which is the law of the Spirit of life (cf. Rm. 8:2), by which we serve God in spirit (cf. Pp. 3:3)

By this promise, we pass over from the types to the fulfillment and from the shadows to the reality, which is fulfilled in Christ, who offers transformation through baptism, the circumcision of the heart which is cutting off the love of the flesh and the world, and the participation in the true manna which is His body, by which we live forever

This covenant is not written on the stone tablets as was the Old Covenant, but rather this New Covenant is written on our hearts, that God dwells in us so that we are transformed by Him, being His chosen people, being taught by the Holy Spirit, being temples of God

The Lord causes us to move past the rigidness and cruelty of the law and towards the mercy and compassion of grace by commanding us to love our neighbor as ourselves, so that we may live according to the New Covenant ascribed in our hearts

Therefore even our worship becomes a fulfillment of this promise, for the true worshippers worship in spirit and truth as the Lord proclaimed (cf. Jn. 4:23-24)

The Promised Ministry and Restoration (Is. 61:1-6)

This promise, which was read in the introduction of this lesson, was fulfilled in Christ's ministry, which began with His baptism and the descent of the Holy Spirit at the Holy Theophany

The Holy Spirit which mankind chased away when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden returned and made a permanent home through the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ

The promise in Isaiah was "to proclaim the good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to declare the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of recompense, and to comfort all who mourn; to give those who mourn in Zion glory instead of ashes, the oil of gladness to those who mourn; the garment of glory instead of a spirit of indifference. They shall be called generations of righteousness, the planting of the Lord for glory" (Is. 61:1-3 LXX)

The promise of good news is fulfilled through the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who preaches salvation and eternal life to those who believe in Him, who are baptized and receive the promise of the Holy Spirit
The brokenhearted are those who had no hope after the sentence of death, who now recognize salvation in Christ who fills our hearts with joy and gladness
Those who are captive are those in bondage of sin as well as those who remain in Hades, who the Lord rescues by putting sin to death on the cross and descending into Hades to release the captives and minister to their souls
The Lord promises to restore sight to the blind, which happens literally through miraculous healing but, more importantly, spiritually by granting them eyes to behold the light of Christ
The Lord preached "blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Mt. 5:4)
The acceptable year of the Lord is fulfilled in that He was born of a virgin in the fullness of time (cf. Gal. 4:4)

The Promise of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32)

"And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

God spoke through the prophet of Joel, promising the Holy Spirit, and Jesus being God reminded the Apostles of this promise, saying, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you..." (Acts 1:8)
Peter recognized that this promise was fulfilled at the Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the heads of the Apostles as tongues of fire and equipped them with tools for ministry

This promise was made to all people, whether male or female, young or old, rich or poor, prophet or otherwise, so that the Holy Spirit may dwell in each person's heart for the purpose of sanctification and transformation through the work of the Holy Trinity

The Church Fathers recognize that the gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon the believer through Chrismation following Baptism, and that those who refuse baptism, like the pharisees, refuse to receive the Holy Spirit and therefore refuse to receive counsel of God, wisdom, sanctification, and salvation

APPLICATION (Action) - 5 Minutes

Looking for God's promises in the Old Testament and seeing the fulfillment of these promises in the New Testament demonstrated the faithfulness of God

As we said in the lesson regarding reading the Old Testament, the purpose of Scripture is the presentation of God's love for mankind and mankind's response to that love

Since we already received so much content in the lesson, we can simply contemplate that we received the greatest promise through the Holy Spirit, who is the seal of our salvation (cf. Eph. 1:13-14)

By calling the Holy Spirit the "guarantee of our inheritance," St. Paul is using colorful imagery to convey that the Holy Spirit is our taste of heaven and the blessings therein

Moreover our Lord Jesus Christ gave us a very simple and personal promise, that He is with us even until the end of the age (cf. Mt. 28:20)

With these beautiful promises in mind, we can always be assured in the hope of the kingdom of heaven, the presence of God in all circumstances of life, and the blessings received by the Father through the Son (cf. Eph. 1:3), that we may always have hope, whether in the best or worst circumstances, and may rejoice in the Lord always (cf. Pp. 4:4)

Therefore we read the Old Testament as an entire text dedicated to the blessings of the Father we receive through Christ by the gift of the Holy Spirit, knowing that we are God's chosen people and are called to be united with Him through the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ which we are made worthy to receive through Holy Baptism

These promises are very personal and are made to us

God promises that He will be with us and will hold us up

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand" (Is. 41:10)

He promises life because He is the resurrection and the life

"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, thought he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (Jn. 11:25-26)

As a father knows how to give gifts to his son, so God promises to give good things to those who who ask of Him

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; known, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (Mt. 7:7-8)

The Lord promises to dine with those who open the door of their heart and allow Him to enter

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Rev. 3:20)

Regarding all these promises, we have great hope because we know God who makes these promises is faithful

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it" (1 Th. 5:23-24)
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Heb. 10:23)
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pt. 3:9)

DISCUSSION/ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

Option 1

Read the following Psalm from the NKJV and identify various promises the Lord makes, or verses describing the faithfulness of the Lord to His promises

Create a list or keep track of the promises and the fulfillment of those promises, whether these fulfillments are mentioned in the text of the Psalm or whether we may determine their fulfillment from the New Testament

Psalm 145 NKJV

I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. 5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. 6 Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. 7 They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. 9 The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. 10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, And Your saints shall bless You. 11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, 12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. 14 The Lord upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. 16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. 18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. 19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. 20 The Lord preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.

Option 2

Refer to attachment. Present promises God made and have the youth reflect on if any of these have already been fulfilled in their life or someone they know.