God is timeless. I mean, of course, that he transcends time. He is present in eternity past and eternity future. Time is not out of his control nor is it something outside himself. If we believe that he created everything, the concept of time must be of his design and he will use it to his purposes. I believe Dr. Seuss would say, “Now there’s a think to think in your thinker!”
When we study the prophecies of Scripture these ‘thinks’ become unmistakable. Let’s think them together in the first 5 prophecies in the gospel of Matthew.
Matthew begins his gospel by taking us back in time…go ahead…read it. It’s only a genealogy. It won’t hurt you. Notice how the whole focus of Matthew’s select parts of the genealogy of Jesus keep the ground level, I mean he shows the humanity of Jesus. This is his earthly right to the throne…but back on track.
When you don’t skip the genealogy and you recognize the timeless dominion that God has over, well…time, these prophecies we now come to make sense:
In the next two chapters of Matthew we meet five prophecies of suffering that Jesus, his family and his people would live through. Prophecies. Five plannedsufferings that the Son of God, his selected family and their selected people would live through. Think about that carefully. Each mode of suffering was planned. Each person who would suffer was selected. Matthew’s genealogy beautifully sets the pattern of ‘selection thinking’ for us.
We read in the first prophecy (Matthew 1:23) that a virgin is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. After over 400 hundred years of silence God breaks into our physical world with what appears to be scandal. Did Mary give in to the desires of the flesh? No. God comforts Mary in this burden of suffering by declaring it was himself who is the father of the child.
The second prophecy (Matthew 2:6) tells us there will be a ruler (not Herod) who will care for Israel from the line of David. That seems wonderful! This is what we’re waiting for God! Gifts are given, Jesus is worshipped, at last the King is here to overcome the Roman rule (read Luke and the shepherds)! Yet shortly after the costly gifts are given Joseph is called to flee – back to the original place of bondage for God’s people (Matthew 2:13). This leads to the third prophecy fulfilled in Matthew 2:15. God planned to have his selected family flee to the place of former bondage. Then another plan is executed: God called Joseph to leave Egypt and come back to his own country. (More on this…one moment please.)
The fourth prophecy is Matthew 2:18. Herod murders all the babies, 2 and under in Bethlehem.
Philip Ryken says this in his commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations:“Rachel represents every mother in Bethlehem. She died in Ephraim, just outside Bethlehem. When Herod killed the baby boys in the vicinity of Bethlehem, it reminded Matthew of Rachel, who went weeping to her grave at Ramah, not far away.” (Preaching the Word – Jeremiah & Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope)
Resting in the spoken Word of God provided protection for Joseph and this little family, one of whom would save the world. This is a great reversal. Think about this: the many were killed and the One was saved that the One who was saved would give life to the many (2 Corinthians 5:15)!
(Back to the fleeing from Egypt.) Joseph did come back to his own country. However, he could not go back to his own home. Joseph must take his new family to the planned-by-God-home in the Gentile infused northern Israel town of Nazareth. A fifth prophecy fulfilled (Matthew 2:23). Jesus, freely leaving Egypt, is the Saviour of all, even the Gentiles (Isaiah 19:16-25; Ephesians 3:1-6).
Suffering is a treasure of growth for the sufferer and a model for the watcherAs you look at the suffering in these first couple of chapters of Matthew you see the grand plan that God purposed before the beginning of time for his people. Whatever we suffer does not just come upon us (James 1). It was provided for our growth and for the glory of God as our responses and growth and changing into Christlikeness feels its way toward Christian maturity (think Philippians 2).
The beatitudes (Matthew 5:2-12) provide a place for us to transcend beyond the suffering and then to lean into it. This passage provides practical help for us to see that as we sufferers can provide a picture of purpose and design to those with whom we interact. The (now) written Word of God still provides direction and hope for our suffering. That is a great comfort from a timeless God!