27/06/12

Moses and all the Prophets wrote of Him

Luke 24:27 - And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.


I have written on this message before but since our God is an ever new, of whom we see something new every moment and who always creates something new in our lives, thus I would share something new that I learned connected to this scripture.

As I stated before I am currently teaching on Acts at a place in Mumbai and as I teach I too learn a lot from the Lord. Currently I am on the justification of Stephen before the council but him to death. In his argument Stephen summarizes past events highlighting the important parts all in a nut shell. At one place he quotes Amos with regards to Israel's walk in the wilderness. He quotes the Lord telling the Israelites that they never made offerings and sacrifices to Him, but when we read the books of Moses the Israelites did make many offering and sacrifices in the wilderness. If they were not making to the Lord then who were they offering these sacrifices to?

The Lord called the Israelites His people not because they behaved as His people or pleased Him in any way but called them His people because He saw His Son coming out from them. Even when the Lord blessed Abraham, He blessed him keeping his seed (Jesus Christ) as the focus. So the Israelites were really not Israel-the people of God for they never abided by the Lord or truly worshipped Him.

I was reading today about Latin manuscripts written by Pope Damascus I in 372AD as note to his secretary Jerome who later was known as St. Jerome by the Catholic Church. In these notes Damascus writes about the various religions that existed during the times of Jesus in Judaea. In it he also wrote about the variations in Judaism due to the influx of beliefs and ideology of other religions. This corruption of Judaism was not only during the times of Jesus but from very early days. Judaism is believed to be based on the Law the Lord given through Moses but the Bible tells us the contrary. The Bible says the Israelites never understood what the Lord gave through Moses and they did their own. Even though at many times the Lord was angry with them on this factor yet He never consumed them for the Lord saw Jesus amongst them. Jesus came out from amongst them when they rejected Him and His Spirit led His early disciples to form Christianity.

In today's message also the Lord is pointing out to the Old Testament to the books of the Prophets including Moses. Although Moses was a Prophet himself yet his books are always named separately and the books of the other Prophets as another lot. The books of all the Prophets excluding Moses collectively are a copy of what the Lord spoke through Moses (Psalms are also arranged accord to the books of Moses) but when we read it in text we do not see this. It is only when the Spirit of the Lord expounds them to us we will realize the Lord confirm things at least twice in the books and later manifested them through Jesus Christ.

The Bible is called the Word of God and there are no old and new Laws but only one Law that is the Law of the Lord which was given through Moses and the Prophets and then manifested, explained and complied by Jesus. If we need to understand the books of the Prophets and the books of Moses we need to understand them through Jesus Christ and to really know Jesus Christ we need understand these books. The only way out of this catch 22 situation is when the Spirit of the Lord reveals the scriptures to us. It is the Father (Holy Spirit - the Father of man Jesus) Who reveals the Son (Jesus) and it is the Son (Lord Jesus Christ) Who reveals the Spirit (Holy Spirit) that is why when Jesus instructed His disciples to baptize people in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, yet they baptized people just in the name of Jesus. Not going against the command of Jesus but knowing it was an expanded instruction of being baptized in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Today the Lord is telling us we will know Him and His Word only when we are baptized (immersed) in the knowledge of Him. So let us ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus Christ to us and to know His Word.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, your instructions to man was existing from the foundation of creation. Terah, Abraham and Jobs knew You even before the Word was spoken unto them. Lord, your Word existed from beginning and was manifested in Jesus Christ in the flesh. Lord we pray You expound the books of Moses and the Prophets to us that we may know Jesus better...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Acts 7:42 - Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

Amos 5:25 Did ye bring unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

Acts 3:25 Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Matthew 12:2-8
2 But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath.
3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him;
4 how he entered into the house of God, and ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?
6 But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here.
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.

Matthew 23:13-36

Luke 2:22-24
22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord),
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are my words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)