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Introduction

Moses proclaimed to the Israelites just before the entry into the land of Canaan, “Remember the days of old, consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you” (Deut 32:7; cf. Job 8:8; 15:18; Deut 4:32). “The days of old,” which is the divine history of salvation, and the “years of generations,” which include God’s administration of redemption that appears in that history, are all recorded in the Bible. Thus, the prophets of old carefully studied the Scriptures to understand God’s work of salvation and discern God’s administration suitable to the fullness of the times (Eph 1:9–10; 1 Pet 1:10–11).

The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is the Word of the living God, which reveals His total sovereignty and enfolds the great history of redemption in which He saves fallen mankind. The links between generation to generation in this history of redemption are the covenants that God made with His people, and these covenants became the lamp, shining upon each era (2 Chr 21:7; Ps 119:105).

Having begun with the promise of the “woman’s seed (or offspring)” in Genesis 3:15, the lamp of God’s covenant to save fallen mankind continued to burn and shine through each time period, being renewed through each generation. Finally when the fullness of the time came, Jesus Christ came to this world as the fulfillment of the covenant (Gal 4:4). Jesus Christ, the mystery of God hidden from the past ages and generations, has now been revealed to His saints (Col 1:26–27; 2:2).

The genealogy of Jesus Christ is a synopsis of the divine history of redemption and God’s work through the covenant. The New Testament begins with the introduction, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt 1:1). This is a great proclamation that Jesus Christ is the completion and fulfillment of the Old Testament history and the beginning of the New Testament history (John 1:17). Thus, the genealogy of Jesus Christ is the epitome of the history of redemption, which crosses the boundaries of the Old and New Testaments and opens up a new path to interpreting the entire Bible from the redemptive perspective.

Since 1968, I organized what God’s grace has helped me realize through the genealogy of Jesus Christ and proclaimed it from the pulpit through many worship services. I later revised and supplemented my sermons and preached it numerous times. Each time I preached, many believers who were blessed by the sermons encouraged me to publish the material in a book, but I refused. I thought it would be unthinkable to write a book regarding the genealogy of Jesus Christ which can be called the apex of the Old and New Testaments. However, I did not want any of the grace that I had received to be lost just as our Lord said, “Gather up the leftover fragments that nothing may be lost” (John 6:12). Furthermore, in earnest hope that my writing would be of some help to my fellow pastors and laborers, I now carefully lay out this book entitled The Unquenchable Lamp of the Covenant.

In my mission to understand God’s plan for salvation as revealed in Matthew 1, I carefully searched from cover to cover all the writings and research on the genealogies written by my predecessors of faith. Moreover, I continually researched and studied in order to gain insight about the times in which the people in the genealogies had lived and learn the significant meanings hidden in the original languages of the Bible. However, researching the genealogy of Jesus Christ is an enormous task that covers the entire Old Testament. Thus, I apologize that I was unable to clarify and deliver all the precious treasures hidden in the messages regarding the genealogy. This book is not a perfect piece of work, so I welcome and greatly appreciate any constructive criticism aimed at improving this book.

The God whom we serve and believe in is greater than all (John 10:29) and this great God sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ. He sent Jesus Christ, who was in the bosom of the Father, to save each one of us who is no greater than a speck of dust (John 1:18). Jesus bore all our sins and subjected Himself to indescribable shame and curses unbearable even for sinful creatures and was nailed on the cross. On the cross, His flesh was torn and subject to torment as He shed His precious blood and died to complete the great work of salvation. Without the redemption of Jesus Christ, there is no one who can escape God’s wrath or receive salvation from sin.

Indeed, this cross is a testimony of the love of our great God for mankind who was filled with sin and heading toward death (Rom 5:8). It is a brandmark of a love that will not fade for all eternity. Thus, we who have been saved must kneel before the cross of Jesus Christ and confess in tears that we are the foremost of all sinners (1 Tim 1:15). We must remember the cross for all eternity, give thanks for the cross, know only the cross, and boast only of the cross (1 Cor 2:2; Gal 6:14).

The cross is not something we carelessly use to receive salvation and dispose of like a paper cup, thrown out after its usage. Rather, it is the power of God that ceaselessly manifests in those who receive salvation (1 Cor 1:18). The cross is the fountainhead wherein the eternal life that Jesus Christ has promised to us springs forth unceasingly (1 Jn 2:25). During the last supper with His disciples the night before the cross, Jesus took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to His disciples saying, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” (Matt 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25; Heb 9:20; 10:29; 12:24; 13:20).

The precious blood on the cross is the blood of the covenant, which gives eternal life. The spirit of the man whose sins have been forgiven through this precious blood is the lamp of God (Prov 20:27). The believers of Jesus Christ must break the power of darkness and become lamps that brighten all the nations; their flames must blaze brightly until the grand fulfillment of redemption.

I poured out my heart and soul into writing this book with Jesus Christ’s blood-stained cross on my heart and with prayer that my unworthy writings may testify of Jesus’ blood. There would be no greater joy than to see the readers of this humble book become true people of the cross who follow in the steps of Christ (1 Pet 2:21), and become living lamps of God. People of the cross are those who have their names recorded in the book of life. Those who dwell on the earth and whose names are not recorded in the book of life will worship the beast (Rev 13:8) and will be thrown into the lake of fire which burns for all eternity (Rev 20:15). However, those whose names are recorded in the book of life of the Lamb will enter the glorious New Jerusalem (Rev 21:27).

I pray that we may all fight the good fight each day and never lose heart, finish the course and keep our faith until the end (2 Tim 4:7), and overcome this world through faith and become victorious (1 Jn 5:4–5). Then, when the Lord says, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt 25:34), it is my prayer that you are able to boldly answer, “Amen.”

As an unworthy sinner, I am not only grateful for the salvation I have received through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, but also for the immense grace of God which has allowed me to work as His steward preaching His Word for over 50 years. Furthermore, my heart is moved with gratitude for the grace that has allowed me to confess my faith and express the essence of my theological beliefs through these books before the sun sets on my life. Though I am planning to write 12 books as part of The History of Redemption series, God must direct my steps in order for me to accomplish this (Pro 16:9), so I entrust all plans and authority into His hands.

It is not by the efforts of this old man alone that these books were published. It was made possible by the wonderful work of God’s hands and the help of many people around me that my age-worn manuscripts could be put into book format and testify of God’s Word.

I thank my beloved fellow pastors, elders, and all the members of the congregation for their prayers without which I would not have been able to publish my first book, The Genesis Genealogies; my second book, The Covenant of the Torch; and now, The Unquenchable Lamp of the Covenant. Moreover, I earnestly thank President Taek-Joong Kim of Samyoung Printing and his staff and the staff of Huisun Books, giving all the glory to God.

I sincerely hope and pray that all the godly servants of God who read this book and all the churches around the world that have been purchased with the cost of Jesus Christ’s blood will come to understand God’s redemptive administration through the genealogy of Jesus Christ, share the same inspiration in God’s word, and respond to His call with “Amen.”

Abraham Park March 7, 2009 Servant of Jesus Christ on the pilgrim’s path to heaven