Everyone likes a mystery—even God. He actually wrote one. It is commonly called history. In a good mystery you often know the ending but you don’t know the twists that get you there. Once you know the ending you start looking back over the story to find all the clues you saw and the ones you didn’t see. The more you go back over it the more you see what was missed the first time. God devised history in a way that those with submissive hearts would see things that proud hearts would always miss. Full understanding for anyone, however, requires an explanation from the author.

If we are to understand the mystery as explained in the New Testament, there are several essential passages of Scripture that I recommend you read carefully: Ephesians 3:1-13; Colossians 1:24-29; Romans 11:25-28, 16:25. Each of these passages express common aspects, but also add a bit more to the understanding of the mystery that can only be explained in Jesus, the Messiah.

One of the most obvious aspects is that Paul endured much persecution because he understood the mystery while many of his contemporaries didn’t. It seems that when others don’t see the keys to the story, they get very angry at those who do. Paul was continually accused of being against the Jews, the temple, and the Law. This reveals to us that their understanding of history did not encompass what God had revealed to Paul through the risen Christ, and without that vital piece of evidence, history comes to a wrong conclusion.

So how do we interpret history?

First, we must recognize that history is not self evident. That is, we cannot find the meaning by just knowing all the facts. We must have an interpreter, and he must not only know the facts but also the meaning behind them. That interpreter is God. He created and purposed everything. Nothing has happened that did not fit into His purpose.

There are those who believe that history can be properly interpreted through observation. They point to the evidence that any rational person would consider valid to prove the existence of God and His faithfulness. This line of thinking tends to rely solely on the prophecies that are fulfilled in such an obviously literal manner that anyone would recognize it. Though these prophecies are valid, there are many more clues that need divine revelation to make the story come out right. Israel had the observational view, but they missed the real point of the story. As a result they rejected the Messiah who had been promised in many texts which could only be understood through revelation.

The story of history moves from partial to full, shadow to substance, and natural to spiritual. The New Testament explains in full what the Old Testament tells in part. Paul says his assignment is to make the "word of God fully known." Only after the Christ-event could anyone know how history would really work out. As the gospel went from primarily Jewish disciples to primarily Gentile disciples, the mystery was still being explained.

Is there a central theme?

I suppose we could say that history reveals a good God who is totally in charge. He shows His goodness in creation. He made everything that was made out of His love. He wanted a people who could enjoy His life as much as He does. He blessed the couple in the garden with His fellowship, with the dignity to partner with Him in subduing the earth, and with the resources necessary to carry out their assignment. Later, after the fall of mankind, He revealed Himself to Abraham as the blessing God. He chose Abraham to be blessed and be a blessing to the whole world. He blessed Abraham’s offspring in various ways, and finally, He blessed the world by sending His Son to be the Savior of all, to restore everything to its original purpose.

Then, we could say that history reveals this sovereign, good God as one who rules by His word. He spoke, and creation happened. He spoke, and Abraham became a nation. He spoke, and Israel became His son. He spoke through the prophets, and Israel found hope. Finally, He spoke through His Son, Jesus.

Throughout time we see blessings evident on those who are under His word. When His word is neglected or rejected, the blessings cease and curses appear. At the end, we discover that it was Jesus the Word who was the agent of creation and that He is the sustainer of history. Since the Bible is the record of God’s work in history through Jesus, we know it is the word of God. Some decide whether the Bible deserves the right to be called the word of God based on whether or not it affects our lives. Actually, it is the word of God because of its relationship to Jesus, the ultimate and final Word of God.

Another part of history’s theme is that God chose to save mankind by using mankind. He did it the only way possible to preserve His justice and mercy. He was faithful to His creation and to His covenant. He never violated the dignity of man’s image, but it never got out of His control. He worked through the choices of mankind to bring mankind a Savior out of mankind, so mankind could again experience the life shared with God.

How significant is Israel in history?

Obviously, Israel was a major player. God chose to work through Abraham’s descendants to bring the world a Savior. Abraham was not better than others. God selected him to be the servant to the world. His descendants were not better either. They were God’s vessel of mercy. They would be the microcosm of humanity that God would use to bring about His redemption. For God’s version of salvation to take place, there needed to be a full disclosure of the depths of sin. Then, there needed to be a substitute who would satisfy God’s justice and display His mercy. It would all be done in a way that salvation would be open to everyone on the basis of faith.

So God brought some two-million of Abraham’s descendants out of Egyptian bondage. To historical observers this was just another event in the evolution of nations. But God explained that this event was pivotal to the purpose of history. He gave them His Law. It was good. It showed how life should be lived in covenant with God. It offered order, peace, and productivity. Israel was thrilled. God had given them something no other nation had. But here is one of the major twists in the story: they couldn’t keep the Law. Only in the New Testament do we discover that God gave His Law to expose the depth of sin in mankind (Romans 7). Israel was the world’s model. Privileged beyond all nations with the explicit laws of God, she could not keep it. All peoples had the law written on their consciences and could see its imprint on creation, but Israel had the clear statutes written down. She failed, just as surely as any Gentile nation would have done. (Adam and Eve did, remember?) This failure proves that no one can be righteous by keeping the law. Israel did the world another favor. But she was not done.

It was through the descendants of Abraham that Jesus was born. He came as the ultimate Israelite. He represented Israel as the final sin-bearer. When He died, it was to fulfill Israel’s destiny as "the kingdom of priests" and to save all who would come to Him in faith. Even in their worst moment, when they rejected the Messiah, they were part of the human element in crucifying the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Their rejection of the Messiah opened the way for salvation to be offered to the rest of the world. If they had not rejected Him there would have been no crucifixion and no salvation.

The necessity of Israel’s failure adds another twist to the story as explained by God’s revelation. If they had received the Messiah, they surely would have confused His mercy with their ethnic rights. After all they were special. They had rights to God.

As a result of their failure, they had to realize that the Gentiles received the inheritance which they were promised. These uncircumcised Gentiles enjoyed fellowship with God. They were called His sons. They enjoyed the Spirit of God in them. They became the new kingdom of kings and priests. So Israel would have to humble themselves and receive the same mercy the unqualified Gentiles received. This is how "all Israel will be saved." God’s Israel has always been those who believe Him. Now He is revealing that His people are from both ethnic Israel and from non-ethnic Israel. (See Galatians 3:7, 9, 14, 29, 6:16; Romans 9:6-7.)

God has dealt with the sin issue that came into history through Adam. He used Adam’s descendants to eliminate it. In the process, He has revealed His mercy in ways that the human mind could not envision.

Now there is an Israel of God on earth to carry on the purpose of proclaiming the gospel to the world. Those who respond will be equipped to again engage in subduing the earth in partnership with God himself. The new people of God on earth are not marked by ethnicity. They are only divided by whether they are "in Christ" or outside Christ. Ethnicity does not give advantage or disadvantage. The blessings of the sovereign, good God come on those who trust Christ alone for their righteousness. They have the Spirit of Christ to fulfill the Torah. They have the body of Christ filled with the Spirit to fulfill the need for the temple. They have the identity of being sons of God. They have the whole world as their sphere of rule instead of a small piece of land between the river and the sea. They have the renewed purpose to bless the world by presenting a Savior who died for their sins and lives for their hope. They operate under a new covenant that transforms them instead of exposing their flesh.

History has meaning. It is not left up to the observer. He or she could not interpret it without God anyway. God has devised it and carried it out. He has used time and humanity to display His glory. All along the way, we see His mercy shine. He always picks the needy. He likes to show His grace to the unqualified, so He has worked it so that all are in that category. That is good news to those of us who are not in the elite class. We are candidates for His mercy.

If the big story of history has meaning, then our story must have meaning. God has us where we can be a part of the purpose to bless His world through our relationship with Christ. We can accept our place and rely on mercy or strive to gain blessings in another impossible way. Surely we have learned history’s lesson that only those who live under the rule of God’s word are blessed with order, peace, and productivity. His word today is consistent with His Word in Christ and with the record of His acts in history. He is not hesitant to speak to us, and He has given us ears to hear what He says.