The Father's Promises to the Son Regarding His Soul and Body
The Father's Promises to the Son Regarding His Soul and Body
“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psa 16:8-11
These verses are quoted by Peter in Acts 2, and specifically applied to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
When written by David, they were prophetic in that he wrote them before the resurrection of Jesus happened, but they also reveal the agreement made between the Father and the Son in eternity past, which was made prior to David writing them.
The person speaking is Christ. “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand,” the Holy Spirit revealed to David the Son's recounting of the Father's promise to him; to him the Son, not to David. Christ says the Father is at his right hand, not that he is at the Father's right hand! But other scriptures tell us Christ is at the Father's right hand, so we see here the parity, the equality of the Father and the Son; as is said in Jhn 1:2 “the word (Jesus) was with the Father.” The Greek word “with,” is the preposition “pros” which means “before,” as in face-to-face, equal relation; equal status; parity.
Christ then says his “flesh” will rest in hope. Not his person, but the human body he will assume will rest in the grave, in hope, assured that the Father will firstly, not leave his soul in hell, and secondly, not allow his body to decay.
When the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit “drew up” their plan to save the elect, the Father determined that the Son would become a man, and die for the elect.
“But in those sacrifices (the Old Testament animal sacrifices) there is a remembrance again made of sins every year (because they were repeated over and over again). For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he (Jesus) cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou (the Father) wouldest not, but a body hast thou (you Father) prepared me (Jesus): In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure (the animal sacrifices, because they were not suffiecent to take away sin).” Heb 10:3-6
The Old Testament system of animal sacrifice, was to show that God required blood to cover sin, but that the blood of animals was obviously not of sufficient worth or of lasting value to do the job; those sacrifices pointed to the true sacrifice that was to come: the death of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The Father had predetermined that the Son would assume a human body, and die for the elect, and so the Father prepared a body for his Son.
When they drew up this plan, this contract, this covenant, among other things, the Father promised the Son these two (2) things:
Firstly, that he would not leave (abandon) his soul forever in hell, and secondly, that he would not allow his human body to decay.
With those promises, the Son then says in the next verse, Heb 10:7 “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me), to do thy will, O God.”
The plan to save the elect, along with these 2 promises of the Father to the Son, and the Son's assent to the Father's wish, were written in “The Book,” The Lamb's Book of Life, which recorded the agreement between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and named the beneficiaries of the Son's death. The beneficiaries are The Elect, whose names were also written in that same book, as the named beneficiaries of his death, just like a life insurance policy. I make an agreement with the Insurance Company, that upon my death, they make a payment to my Beneficiaries. The Elect were the beneficiaries of the death of Christ, just as he and the Father agreed. This Agreement was made, and written down in “The Book” before the world was created.
So let us look at those two (2) promises which the Father made to the Son.
Firstly, the promise regarding the Son's soul.
Secondly, the promise regarding the Son's body.
Firstly regarding the Son's soul, the Father specifically promises that it would not be consigned to hell forever.
To understand this promise, we need to understand 2 words: “soul” and “hell.”
“Soul” is the Hebrew word “nephesh” Strong's # H5315. Its basic meaning is “life force” “animating force” hence soul, that which lives after the body dies; our true self.
“Hell” is the Hebrew word “sheol” Strong's # H7585. Its basic meaning is “the place of the dead” “the grave” “hell”. Half the time it is translated “hell,” and half the time “grave or pit”.
Even though 1Pt 3:18-19 speaks of Christ preaching to those in “prison” (hell ?), and the Apostle's Creed says “he descended into hell” (the Creed in NOT inspired !), there is much debate about where Christ was, and what he did, during the 3 days his body lay in the Tomb.
For the point of this Blog, where he was (does “Sheol” mean “hell” or “grave”), does not matter, what matters is that the Father promised the Son that his soul would not stay there forever; the Father promised the Son that he would accept his death as “payment in full” for the sins of his people; the Father tells the Son, “You will succeed!”
If Jesus was consigned to hell forever, it would mean that his death was not sufficient for the sins of his people; it would mean he failed, BUT his soul was reunited with his body, re-animating his body, causing it to become alive again, and rise from the dead.
How do we know that the Father accepted the Son's death as payment for the sins of the Elect? He raised him from the dead! He does not consign him to hell or the grave forever, he calls him back to himself, to be at his right hand forever. The fulfillment of this promise, shows us that Christ's sacrifice was accepted by the Father.
This is the reason why Peter quotes this in Acts 2; he is telling the Jewish Nation that the Resurrection of Jesus, shows he is the Christ, show that the Father accepted his death as payment for sin, and shows that he is now at the right hand of God.
Jesus was restored to his place of honor and glory, which he had occupied before he came to earth.
“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me (notice the past tense “hast given”): for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” Jhn 17:24
This is the enthronement of Jesus Christ, the God-Man, to the highest place in heaven, the right hand of God, having defeated the devil, having paid for the sins of his people, and been resurrected from the dead by the Father as public declaration to the entire Universe, ie Satan and the evil angles, the good angles, the Four Living Creature, the Seraphim, the Cherubim, and all people, living and dead, that Jesus' death was accepted: “Paid In Full.”
Secondly, the promise regarding the Son's body.
In Act 2, Peter first quotes Psa 16:8-11, then follows up with this statement:
“Therefore (David) being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.” Act 2:30-35
Jesus was in the tomb for 3 days: starting Friday afternoon, all day Saturday, and the early part of Sunday; his soul then re-enters his body, and he rises from the dead on Sunday morning.
We see how God worked out even the calendar to accomplish his perfect plan, Jesus the True Passover was killed, Saturday being the day of rest, he rested in the tomb, and Sunday being the day of life, he rose from the dead, as the Prince of Life (Act 3:15).
Also, on a cultural note, the Jews believed that the body became corrupt after 4 days in the grave. Think of what Martha said to Jesus at her brother Lazarus tomb side: “Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.” Jhn 11:39
That is another reason, why Jesus body was only in the grave 3 days, and why it is said, “neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption;” bodily corruption: bloat, putrification.
Scientifically, there are 5 stages of decomposition for dead bodies. Forensic scientists use these stages to determine how many days a body has been dead. The second stage is called “Bloat.”
“At this stage, the microorganisms residing in the digestive system begin to digest the tissues of the body, excreting gases that cause the torso and limbs to bloat, and producing foul-smelling chemicals including putrescine and cadaverine. Cells in tissues break down and release hydrolytic enzymes, and the top layer of skin may become loosened, leading to skin slippage. Decomposition of the gastrointestinal tract results in a dark, foul-smelling liquid called "purge fluid" that is forced out of the nose and mouth due to gas pressure in the intestine. The bloat stage is characterized by a shift in the bacterial population from aerobic to anaerobic bacterial species.”
“Bloating: As bacteria process the body, gases are produced as byproducts. Without anywhere to go, the body becomes bloated over time until so much pressure has built up that the gas ruptures the skin creating new openings for flies and hastening the decomposition process. The maggots now hatched from the fly’s eggs feed on the surrounding body tissues.”
We have seen this happen to dead bodies among the Angave, who do not embalm their dead. The Jews also did not embalm, they wrapped bodies with cloth and spices. They were well aware of how the body decayed!
The Father promised his Son Jesus that his body would not putrefy, suffer bloat!
Rather, Jesus becomes the First Born from the dead (Col 1:18), receiving a new body, “the old put on new,” an immortal body (1Co 15), whereby we know that we too shall be raised from the dead, and receive new bodies.
“Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Php 3:21
The resurrection of Christ from the dead, as proof of the Father's acceptance of his death as “payment in full” for he sins of his people, also shows us that we to will receive new bodies on the Last Day; this is a huge theme in the New Testament.
Christian will be resurrected to Eternal Life in Heaven; un-beleivers will be resurrected to Eternal Death in Hell.
Both are forever.
Christian, may the resurrection of our Lord Jesus greatly encourage you.
25 July 2024