You might not know this, but that last book of the Pentateuch, you know the one with a really long name that might be hard for some to spell, sets the tone for the rest of the Old Testament. I’m speaking of the Book of Deuteronomy, or the “Gospel According to Moses,” as some have so named it. In a nutshell, Deuteronomy is the Cliff Notes version of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.  However, just because it is a summary-like book of what was already revealed in Exodus through Numbers does not mean it is somehow less significant. In fact, I would argue quite the opposite. Here are ten of the (my) best reasons why Deuteronomy needs to be elevated in the eyes of many Christians.

1. After the Psalms, it is the second-most-quoted OT book by Jesus.
With over 300 quotations and allusions to the Old Testament by Jesus, we would expect Psalms, well-loved by all, to be at the top of the list, but few would expect Deuteronomy to be the second. Many would have gotten this question wrong at a Bible trivia game.  Every Bible book is important (see 2 Tim. 3:16), but for some reason, Jesus elevated Deuteronomy to second place on the list of His most-quoted OT books. Next time you read the book, keep this in mind and read it through a Jesus lens.

2. Christ used Deuteronomy quotations exclusively when tempted by Satan.
Deuteronomy does not seem like a go-to book for responses to temptation, but Jesus has fixed that misconception. All three of Jesus’ rebuttals to Satan’s temptations come from Deuteronomy. Jesus quoted from this book during a momentous event in His life in the Gospels; maybe we should pay more attention to the book as well.  
Matt 4:4; Luke 4:4 = Deut.8:3
Matt 4:7; Luke 4:12 = Deut 6:16
Matt 4:10; Luke 4:8 = Deut. 6:13

3. A second rendition of the Ten Commandments is found in Deuteronomy.
At the foot of Mount Sinai, in the pages of the Book of Exodus, is not the only place we find the Ten Commandments; they are also found in Deuteronomy 5. In addition, did you know that the section following the Ten Commandments (Deut. 6-26) is actually an exposition of the Ten Commandments? They are clarified and explained in more detail so that God’s children would know how to obey them.  

4. Deuteronomy is actually a 3-part sermon series by Moses.
As the old generation of Israel has passed off the scene during the wilderness wanderings, a new generation, unfamiliar with God’s requirements are about to enter the Promised Land. Moses needs to explain God’s requirements to the new generation, so what might the sermon series title be? “Second Chances,” “On the East Side of the Jordan,” or maybe, “Wilderness Wanderings 102?” Perhaps, crafting a sermon series title for Deuteronomy, the next time you read it, might be a fun exercise for a small group.

5. Deuteronomy provides guidance for kings (i.e. leaders).
Long before the people of Israel ever elected a king, Moses provided guidance and instruction for those future kings (leaders) in Deuteronomy 17:14-20.  While some of the guidelines are out of date, like don’t acquire too many horses (unless you own a ranch), the principles behind them are significant for leaders of all generations, Jewish or Gentile.
 
6. The time frame for the events of the book takes only one month.
In only one month, Moses conveyed all of Deuteronomy to a new generation. How hard this must have been to concisely summarize all of what God had revealed in Exodus through Numbers (not forgetting Genesis either), trying to capture the spirit of the law, and not every word – like Jesus would later teach in Matthew 5-7 (also Paul in 2 Cor.3:6). Do you see it? Maybe Jesus quoted Deuteronomy so often because it summarized the spirit of the law rather than its letter.

7. The keyword of the book is “remember.”
As the new generation was about to embark on the next part of Israel’s journey into nationhood (i.e. possession of a land), Moses wanted to ensure they did not forget who they were and Who they served. He wanted to remind them of four lessons: God’s faithfulness, holiness, blessings, and cursings. In a very similar way, every pastor is also called to be a “reminder” of God’s Word to his congregation, like Moses was to the nation of Israel.

8. The Shema is in the book of Deuteronomy.
What is the Shema? Shema, in Hebrew, means “hear,” and it begins the most important prayer in Jewish life (Deut. 6:4-9). You might recognize the first few verses of the prayer: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:4-5). The Shema was significant enough for Jesus to use it as an answer to the “greatest commandment” question in Mark 12:28-30.

9. A famous Messianic promise is found in Deuteronomy 18:15-19.
When Moses died, God promised He would provide a replacement, like Moses, whom God would raise up from among His people. The institution of the prophetic office officially began with Moses, and more prophets would follow, but Moses seems to hint at a future Prophet of Messianic rank. In the NT book of Acts, there are two very clear references: Peter in Acts 3:22-23 and Stephen in Acts 7:37, both applying this Deuteronomy passages to Jesus

10. Deuteronomy might be the inspiration Christ used for the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7).
Not every scholar agrees on this last reason, so it is a bit of a teaser that needs some more research. To me, however, the plausibility of this connection is significant enough to include it as a point. Maybe there are a few students of God’s Word who could make this their next Bible study?

This is one of my most beloved passages of Scripture, both because of how God’s power and tender love are displayed, and because He used Hannah’s story to give me hope during my years of infertility.

Hannah’s story, found in 1 Samuel chapter one, is best read in full, for we can only see its truest beauty when we know it is about more than Hannah wanting a child. It is about relationships, it is about God’s power withheld and poured out. We see the unkindness and even hatefulness of others, and we witness the deep love and encouragement of a husband. It is about the faithful act of worship, the emotions, prayers, faith, and hope of one whose heart is poured out before God. It is about the watchful eyes and encouragement of a priest, the power of prayer, the timing of God, and the waiting, while still pressing on in life. It is about God remembering the words of His daughter and pouring out His blessing on her. Likewise, it is about a daughter remembering and responding with a grateful heart and faithful obedience. It is about then, and it is about now - for ultimately, it is about us remembering and knowing, as Hannah did, just who our God is and what He can do when we humble ourselves before Him in faith - believing He is able.

Hannah was Elkanah’s wife. She was one of two wives. Scripture says that the first was Hannah and the second was Peninnah. Elkanah cared for Peninnah and their children, but Scripture makes it clear that he took special care of Hannah and loved her, even though the Lord had not enabled her to have children. Peninnah, however, did not treat Hannah with the same kindness as Elkanah. Instead, we are told that she was her rival, “an adversary who provoked her to the point of exasperation, just to irritate her, since the Lord had not enabled her to have children. This is how it would go year after year. As often as she went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah would offend her in that way.”

As for Hannah, she was very distressed. She prayed to the Lord and was, in fact, weeping. She made a vow saying, “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you would truly look on the suffering of your servant, and would keep me in mind and not neglect your servant, and give your servant a male child, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.”
1 Samuel 1:10-11

When Hannah made her vow to God, she did so with great respect and purpose. She did so in faith that God would give her the child she prayed for, and she reciprocated with a commitment “to dedicate the child to the LORD all the days of his life”. Look back to the earlier portion of the story where we read that she prayed often, and watch as she responds to the priest, humble but unashamed, and notice how she does not seek to hide her anguish from God. Do not miss how prayer and the encouragement from Eli, the priest, brought about a visible and inward change.

Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.” She said, “May I, your servant, find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and got something to eat. Her face no longer looked sad. They got up early the next morning. Then they worshiped the Lord and returned to their home at Ramathaim. Elkanah was intimate with his wife, Hannah, and the Lord called her to mind.
Then Hannah became pregnant.  
1 Samuel 1:17-20

It is also important to see how she went on with life, and when God sent the child she had asked Him for, she was neither forgetful nor oblivious, nor too caught up in life to respond accordingly, concerning the vow she had made to the Lord.

In the course of time, she gave birth to a son. And she named him Samuel, thinking, “I asked the Lord for him.” Then the man Elkanah and all his family went up to make the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow. But Hannah did not go up with them, because she had told her husband, “Not until the boy is weaned. Then I will bring him so that he may appear before the Lord. And he will remain there from then on.”

Then her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what you think best. Stay until you have weaned him. Only may the Lord fulfill his promise.” 1 Samuel 1:21-23

We can only imagine how difficult it must have been for Hannah to keep her commitment to leave this child she had longed for and prayed for behind, in the House of the Lord. Yet Scripture says that is exactly what she did.

She took him up with her as soon as she had weaned him, along with three bulls, an ephah of flour, and a container of wine. She came to the Lord’s house at Shiloh, and the boy was with them. They slaughtered the bull, then brought the boy to Eli. She said, “My lord. Just as surely as you are alive, my lord, I am the woman who previously stood here with you in order to pray to the Lord. For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me the request that I asked of him. So I also dedicate him to the Lord. For all the days of his life, he is dedicated to the Lord.” Then he (Samuel) bowed down there in worship to the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:24-28

If you are reading with us through the Bible reading plan, you will see that Hannah’s story doesn’t end there. As we read in the next chapter of 1 Samuel chapter two, “... But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.” 1 Samuel 2:21

“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7-9

These verses are the most familiar in the book of Joshua. In fact, if you take a Bible survey course, your instructor might refer to Joshua 1:9 as the key verse of the book, and you might also hear that the theme of this book is “victory.”

When comparing the books of Joshua and Judges, you find a sharp contrast between the two. Joshua mostly presents the victories that come from the obedience of the children of Israel, while the book of Judges describes a cycle of disobedience, defeat, and then deliverance after they repented.

However, the book of Joshua is not devoid of examples of disobedience and defeat, but we mostly see how a believer can live in victory as he follows the teachings of God’s Word.

1. For True Spiritual Success, One Must Be Committed to Following God’s Word

In verses 8 and 9 of the first chapter of Joshua, the Lord speaks directly to Joshua. He instructs him that the only way to success and prosperity is by strict adherence to the “Book of the Law,” which is what we refer to as the Pentateuch, the first five books of the law. Note that meditation and observation are important factors. One cannot truly keep the Word of God in His thoughts if he does not constantly seek to meditate on it. In fact, in the book of Deuteronomy, the Israelites were instructed to teach the scriptures to their children and to make this teaching part of their daily lives.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9

2. Successfully Following God’s Word Establishes a Powerful Testimony

In the second chapter of the book that bears His name, Joshua sent out two spies to Jericho prior to the famous battle that took place there. These spies entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab, who hid the spies on her roof under some stalks of flax that she had stacked there. Before the men retired for the night, Rahab told them that she knew the Lord was on the side of the Israelites, and because of the stories that the people of Jericho had heard about the God of Israel, their hearts “melted.” All courage had failed them, and so Rahab was convinced that the Lord God of the people of Israel was truly “the God in heaven above and on the earth below.”

The stories that she recounted were how God had dried up the Red Sea when the children of Israel came out of Egypt and how kings, namely Sihon and Og, were “completely destroyed.” These stories are retold throughout the Old Testament as a reminder to God’s people to trust in this same God who delivered them time and again.

Psalm 136 is a classic example of how God wanted His people to remember these powerful incidents day in and day out:

To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
For His mercy endures forever;
And brought out Israel from among them,
For His mercy endures forever;
With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;
And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;
But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever;
To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His mercy endures forever;
 To Him who struck down great kings,
For His mercy endures forever;

And slew famous kings,
For His mercy endures forever—
Sihon king of the Amorites,
For His mercy endures forever;
And Og king of Bashan,
For His mercy endures forever—

And gave their land as a heritage,
For His mercy endures forever;
A heritage to Israel His servant,
For His mercy endures forever;

Psalm 136:10-22

3. Blessings for Obedience and Curses for Disobedience

The book of Deuteronomy is a book of remembrance. In this book, Moses reviews God’s dealings with the children of Israel during their year of wandering in the wilderness. Chapter nine of Deuteronomy begins with God’s promise to drive out the inhabitants of the land that God was giving them:  

“Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the descendants of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?’  Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you”
(Deuteronomy 9:1-3)

Then Moses warns them against pride after success:

“Do not think in your heart, after the Lord your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land’; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out from before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people” (Deuteronomy 9:4-6).

Moses then reminds them how they provoked God to wrath when they made their own God, a golden calf, and angered Him at other times, including when they refused to take Kadesh Barnea.

Moses was so angry with God’s people in the matter of the golden idol that he broke the tablets on which God’s law was written. Moses reminds Israel, that because He had broken the tablets the Lord instructed him to, “Hew for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain and make yourself an ark of wood. And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you shall put them in the ark.”

In chapter 11 of Deuteronomy, we find the blessings that come from following God’s law and the curses that come from disobeying it. He concludes the chapter with these words:

“Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse:  the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today;  and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.  Now it shall be, when the Lord your God has brought you into the land which you go to possess, that you shall put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.  Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, toward the setting sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the plain opposite Gilgal, beside the terebinth trees of Moreh?  For you will cross over the Jordan and go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and you will possess it and dwell in it.  And you shall be careful to observe all the statutes and judgments which I set before you today.”

At the famous battle of Jericho, God gave a specific and unusual list of battle requirements for Joshua and his army to defeat the inhabitants of that city:

For six days, the men of war would march around the city once
During those six days, seven priests would march with them bearing trumpets
On the seventh, they were to march around the city seven times with the priests blowing the trumpets, and when they would play a long blast of the ram’s horn, the people would shout, and as the old spiritual hymn says, “the walls came tumbling down.”

God issued unusual commands throughout the Old Testament for battle strategy, for healing, and for testing His people to see whether they would obey His Word and trust His promises. God gave these unique requirements so that no human could take credit or claim the glory for the victories that came from the power of the Almighty.

Because of their obedience to Him, God’s people experienced a great and mighty victory. However, because of one man’s disobedience, defeat was just around the corner.

In Joshua 6, we read of the specific command that one of the Israelites disobeyed at Ai. “Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And you, by all means, abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”

Joshua led his army with great confidence to the city of Ai. After such a tremendous victory in Jericho, what could possibly go wrong? Much to the surprise of Joshua, Ai soundly defeated his army.

A man named Achan took a garment that he had coveted and caused the Lord’s favor to be removed from His people.

Joshua brings his inquiry to God about the reason for the defeat. God’s answer was quite direct: “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.  Therefore, the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.” God then had Joshua go through a process that would ultimately identify the culprit who had brought such devastation upon God’s people.

Our utmost attention to the instruction found in God’s Word is of paramount importance to our success or failure in the Christian life. We should use scripture as the Psalmist said, “as a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path.” Paul’s words to Timothy remind us that, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”
(2 Timothy 3:16).

Let’s take heed to God’s instruction and let it both correct us and instruct us in righteous living, so that He might “make our way prosperous” and “give us good success.”

Have you ever tried to comfort someone who was facing difficulties in life with the phrase “God is in control”? We use that phrase to try to bring some peace or relief to someone who might be facing physical, financial, or even spiritual issues in their life. To declare that God is in control means that He is sovereign. He has the power, wisdom, and supreme authority to do anything He chooses within His creation.

It is easy for us to believe in the sovereignty of God when it comes to His rule over nature and the universe. This is mainly because we know we cannot control or change anything beyond our sphere of self. Nature and the universe have existed before us and will continue into the future without us. However, we often find it is difficult to accept God’s sovereignty over our free will. Make no mistake, God is totally sovereign over all and everything. He knows our beginning and our end, and everything in between. God declares in Isaiah 46:8-10:

8 Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, 9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” (ESV)

There is nothing that happens that is outside of God’s sovereign knowledge. We are to obey God’s will; however, we also have the ability to disobey. We saw this in last month’s bible reading from Genesis. It was God’s will for Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, tend the garden, subdue the earth, and not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 1 & 2). Adam ignored God’s will and succumbed to his own will, and sin entered our world.

Our Bible reading for the month of February begins in Exodus chapter 9. January’s reading closes with Moses confronting Pharaoh. God had instructed Moses and Aaron on how to address Pharaoh, and Pharaoh was not impressed with Moses’ message from God. He said he did not know the Lord God of Israel, and therefore, he would not let Israel go. Pharaoh may not have known the Lord, but the Lord God of Israel knew Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt. At this point, God would use Moses, Aaron, and His power to reveal Israel’s God to Pharaoh and the Egyptians.

There are times when we are confronted with God’s Word and by the man of God who delivers that Word. We may not be impressed by that Word, but we are called to adhere to the Word. If we act as Pharaoh and refuse to acknowledge His warnings, we can certainly be corrected. The Hebrew writer tells us in Hebrews 12:25:

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns from heaven? (ESV)

The Hebrew writer was referring to the exodus generation who rejected the voice of the one sent from God.

Pharaoh’s rejection of God brought on a series of plagues upon his household and all the Egyptian people. The ten plagues against Egypt were divine judgments against the gods the Egyptians served. This was to show them that the God of Israel is above their gods and He is all-powerful and everlasting.

As we have already read in our January readings, as far back as Abraham, before the birth of Isaac, our sovereign God told Abraham in Genesis 15:13-16 that his descendants would be enslaved:

13 Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (ESV)

Why were the descendants of Abraham in Egypt? It was to fulfill the divine foreknowledge of God. God chose Abraham to be the father of the people He wanted to use to bless all of mankind. At the same time, He was being patient with the people who were living in the land of Canaan, which He had promised to Abraham and his descendants. These people were the Amorites, who were descendants of Ham. You remember him as the son of Noah, who was on the ark and survived the flood. How did Ham’s descendants become so wicked? Well, that is another story, but mainly because they rejected God.

Despite the hardship of being in bondage to Egypt, God blessed His people. They had grown from a small family of 70 to a nation of millions. Despite all the efforts the Egyptians made to prevent their growth, it always failed.

Pharaoh considered himself a god over Egypt. He did not acknowledge the God of Israel and was determined to actively reject the commands of God, even after seeing the mighty hand of God displayed in the first four plagues over the gods of Egypt. Pharaoh, through his own choosing, hardened his heart against God by refusing to let God’s people go. Pharaoh had made his choice (free will), which God used to harden Pharaoh’s heart even further, because God knew that Pharaoh would never let His people go. Does God know our hearts? Absolutely!  

God warns:

God instructed Moses to say to Pharaoh: ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” (Exodus 4:22-23, ESV)

Even with this warning to Pharaoh, he refused to let the people go. There are many things that are hard for our human minds and intellect to understand. God allows each of us a choice as to what we want to believe, just as He gave Pharaoh the right to choose. The Apostle Paul reminds us of God’s wrath if we continue in unrighteousness.  Paul writes in Romans 1:21-25:

“21 For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen”. (ESV)

Those who did not honor God were those who did not know God in a saving sense. They knew about God and that He existed, but refused to allow their knowledge to move into faith. They were given over to a “reprobate mind,” which means that God has given them over to their own demise. They have suppressed the truth and believed a lie, which results in God allowing them to continue to justify their sin and live an ungodly life despite their knowledge that God exists. God does not want us to be lost and go to a devil’s hell, but if we do, we go because of our own unbelief. Luke 19:10 tells us, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

We see Pharaoh choosing not to believe in God, even though he saw the mighty works of God. We see many today who refuse to believe and accept His free gift of a Savior. God knows their hearts just as He did Pharaoh’s. Pharaoh and those like him today could be what we call narcissists. A narcissist is someone who believes they are entitled, demands approval, and requires attention. They have a self-important attitude and are often arrogant. They are never wrong, and when their wrongs are brought to light, they twist the truth to blame others. We see this disorder in many people in our world today. As with Pharaoh, many of these stand in danger of God’s rejection, as He knows they will never open their hearts to Him, and may be given over to their own choosing.

Pharaoh continued to actively reject the authority of the God of Israel. As a result, his heart was so hardened that he could no longer make a rational decision. In the first nine plagues, God revealed His power over the gods of Egypt, but Pharaoh refused to submit. Pharaoh, being the leader of Egypt, caused all the Egyptians to be affected by the plagues. Likewise, those who refuse to acknowledge God today bring hardships and burdens on those around them. We see God using Moses and Aaron to announce and perform these plagues. Moreover, we see that Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people, according to Exodus 11:3. The Israelites were also favored in the sight of the Egyptians and received silver and gold jewelry and great possessions from the Egyptians. How did God know this would happen when He told Abraham this hundreds of years before? Could it really be that God is all-knowing and sovereign? Don’t you ever doubt it.

Notice that, in presenting the tenth plague, God did not have Moses say “Let my people go”. Instead, Moses said, “Thus says the Lord”. This proclamation further reveals God’s sovereignty, because God had already pronounced the death of the firstborn through Moses when he first returned to Egypt. Remember chapter four, when God called Israel His first born son? God had warned Pharaoh at the beginning what would happen if he did not let Israel go. This is where God’s word comes to fruition, and it is time for His sovereign judgment. The death angel will pass through the land, and the firstborn of Pharaoh, the Egyptian people, and their livestock will die.

God’s people prepare to be free:

Moses prepares God’s people for deliverance. They must show their faith and trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They are commanded to prepare the Passover lamb and place the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts of each house. They were to eat the meat with unleavened bread. The meat was to be roasted (not boiled in water or raw). They were to eat it all, and any that remained until morning was to be burned.

They were to eat with their belts fastened, their sandals on their feet, and their staff in their hands. They were to be ready to move on short notice. It was a night of preparation and watching. We, too, are told to watch and be ready. Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming”. (NKJV)

There was a great cry throughout the land of Egypt that night, such as has never been before, or ever will be again. The cry was a cry of mourning, heartbreak, separation, and sorrow like never before. Every Egyptian house was affected. Pharaoh was devastated and gave the command for Moses and all the people of Israel to get out of the land. God’s son (Israel) was free.

Conclusion:

We are to humble ourselves and understand that we need a deliverer, for this world is in bondage to sin. Satan will try to convince us that we can be our own person and believe and do our own thing in life, without any consequences. Satan is a liar, and there is no truth in him. His end has also been predetermined, the same as Pharaoh’s. John 8:44 reminds us that, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies”. (ESV)

The God, who is sovereign, prepared a plan before the foundation of the world. That plan was to send His only begotten Son to this world to reveal God’s will for our lives and to be our sacrificial lamb ultimately. He was born of a virgin, and His name is Jesus. He walked before us, teaching and preaching about our loving God and to seek and save those who are lost. He never sinned and was deemed a perfect sacrifice for us, going to Calvary’s cross and shedding His blood for our sins. Only His blood is acceptable to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus hung on the cross, died, was buried, and God raised Him from the grave, and He sits at the Father’s right hand today, ready to intercede for those who will believe.

If we open our hearts and believe, we shall be saved. The blood of Jesus will be applied to our lives, and eternal death has no power over us. In believing, we have life and have it more abundantly. That life begins the very moment you believe.

Just as there was a reckoning for Pharaoh and Egypt, there will be a reckoning for this world and those who do not believe. There is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth and eternal punishment. It is a place of eternal death for those who do not accept and believe in Jesus as their Savior, and it is completely absent from the presence of God.

There is also a place prepared for those who believe. It is a place of eternal life for those who have trusted Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. It is a place of peace, joy, and comfort, a paradise of complete contentment. Once again, we will be able to be with the Lord and walk in His presence forever.

Our sovereign God has predetermined His plan, the end from the beginning, and He has provided a warning to us. We are to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, while it is called today. Hebrews 3:13, “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today”, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (ESV)

For those who already believe, continue steadfast in your faith. For those who are not ready, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today and be saved.

The Tabernacle diagram above is one of many artistic Bible sketches that you will find decorating the halls of our children’s ministry. The artwork was drawn from a perspective of looking down from the heavens into the camp of Israel. Besides fleshing out the living words of Scripture into a visual diagram, what many seem to enjoy is the symmetry and ordered nature of the artwork. When some have taken a long, silent gaze at the artwork, the New Testament verse “Let all things be done decently and in order” from 1 Corinthians 14:40 seems to be the preferred verse many will playfully cite. Although that verse finds its context in and around the discussion of speaking in tongues, the principle of the verse is universal. God values order and structure, and they are endlessly evident in His creation. Furthermore, the blueprints for the Tabernacle were authored by God Himself, passed down to Moses (Exodus 25:9). But sometimes, the satisfaction of a precise, clutter-free design can spellbind even the most astute observer. They miss the bigger picture – pun intended. Allow me to make some observations about this Tabernacle sketch, and hopefully, we will be reminded that God has a deeper purpose in all that He designs.

First, and hopefully the most obvious to all, is the location of the Tabernacle in relation to the camp of Israel. It is located in the very center of the camp of Israel. This speaks of God’s desire to dwell in the midst of His people, to dwell at the very center of their lives. Today, God’s presence doesn’t dwell in the Tabernacle or the Temple; the Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of each believer who has put their faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit goes wherever a believer goes, just like when Jesus says, “I am with you always.”

Second, the entrance to the Tabernacle could be approached only from the east, the side where Moses, Aaron, and the priests camped. If an Israelite was to approach the Tabernacle for something pertaining to his or her spiritual life, they needed to go through the proper channels of priestly leadership or instruction. Today, because of Jesus’ sin-sacrifice on the Cross, approaching Him does not require animal sacrifices or priestly intercession – we can go freely and boldly into His presence (Heb.4:16; 10:19-22).

Third, there were God-called clans (Merarites, Kohatites, Gershonites) that were responsible for the Tabernacle’s upkeep and moving the structure when it was time for the people to break camp. In general, these families took care of anything that was not priestly in nature. They were honored to be God-called servants of the Tabernacle. Today, being of a particular family or clan is not required for serving in God’s house. In fact, if you are a believer in Christ and are currently part of a church, you have been God-called to use your gifts to serve in that local church (1 Peter 4:10-11; Eph.4:12-16; Rom.12:6-8).
 
Remember, God has a deeper purpose in all that He designs. This is especially evident in His design and creation of humanity. Those plans were not passed down to someone else; God used His own hands to create humanity, and Jesus used His own hands to redeem humanity.

The Bible is filled with words of great theological significance, practical importance, and memorable prose. If one were to undertake the task of choosing the single word that defines the entire Bible, most would aptly select the word (name): Jesus. Could there be a weightier word than Jesus? Allow me humbly to suggest that there might be one: redemption. Such a majestic and overwhelming word. In its most basic definition, it means “to buy back.” After the fall of mankind in Genesis chapter three, it was God the Father who enacted a plan of redemption, deciding to use His Son’s sacrifice to “buy back” mankind. When Jesus begins His ministry in the New Testament, He states multiple times that He is following the Father’s redemptive plan (the Gospel of John notes this more than any other Gospel). Jesus serves the interests of the Father, and the Father’s primary interest is to ensure that redemption is offered to all mankind. In other words, redemption is so important to God the Father that He planned to sacrifice His perfect Son to ensure its fulfillment. God’s plan to “buy back” mankind is indeed the main point of the Bible, but it is more than that; it is the Bible’s central plotline. Redemption is more than just a term on a page; it is a narrative that develops over time and space. When a person decides to read selected portions of the Bible or even read the entire Bible canonically (cover to cover), a strong redemptive tone might not be readily conveyed. On the other hand, reading the Bible chronologically can unfurl God’s redemptive plan in the most coherent way imaginable. Allow me a few (or ten) paragraphs to connect the dots of God’s redemptive plan as it unfolds in history.

The Redeemer is Promised

The single most important part of all of God’s creation is mankind. The vastness, beauty, and design of our intricate universe were spoken into existence by God, but when it was time to create mankind, God formed him with His own hands – it was personal. Mankind was placed in the Garden of Eden, given a stewarding role over creation, and had unhindered access to God. At this juncture, redemption does not exist as a word or concept; there is no need to “buy back” anything because nothing has been taken yet.  When Adam and Eve decide to disobey God by taking the forbidden fruit (probably a fig), the soon-to-be and perpetual nemesis of mankind, simply called “sin,” reciprocates by taking more from them than they can fathom.  Sin fundamentally severed them (and all humanity after them) from direct access to God, and they immediately find themselves under His wrath.  But it’s in this destitute time and place, after committing the biggest mistake of all time, that God immediately shows up with a plan to “buy back” what sin has taken from mankind.  Specifically, Genesis 3:15 marks the beginning of the narrative of redemption in our time and space (theologians refer to this verse as the protoevangelium, which means “first occurrence of the Gospel”).  God promises that from the seed of the woman, there would come a Redeemer (Jesus) who would “buy back” mankind by offering His own body as a ransom payment for sin, thereby restoring to mankind all that was taken. However, instantaneously, God’s promise of sending a Redeemer is thrown into jeopardy as Cain kills Abel (Genesis 4). The first premeditated murder occurs one generation after Adam and Eve, as their sin powerfully asserts its reign over humanity. Adam and Eve have another son named Seth (Genesis 4:25), and it’s from his bloodline that the Redeemer would come. The war of preventing the Redeemer from arriving is far from over; it is just beginning, as is the enemy’s strategy of extinguishing the bloodline of the Redeemer.

Sin, the Nemesis of Redemption

Roughly 1,600 years later, sin has unleashed an infectious cancer that threatens to thwart God’s promise of redemption. One man in particular, Noah, who is of the Redeemer’s bloodline (Gen. 5; this is why the genealogies are significant), and his family, are chosen to restart humanity after a global flood detailed in Genesis 7-8. God keeps His promise of a future Redeemer by preserving Noah’s bloodline. After the Tower of Babel incident (Gen.11:1-9), the people of the earth scattered in all directions as they repopulated the earth. Among those people groups, one man in particular, Abraham, of Noah’s bloodline, is chosen to continue God’s plan of redemption. Up to this point in the narrative, God has not necessarily been quiet about His redemptive plan, as evidenced by the enemy’s attacks; however, with Abraham, God decides to be more vocal and transparent about His intentions. Genesis 12:1-3 states God’s intention to make an unconditional covenant with Abraham, decreeing that He would call out a special people for Himself and, through them (Israel), He would bless the whole world.

Doubt Has No Place in God’s Redemption Plan

Abraham believes God’s intent to carry out this unconditional covenant, but he and his wife, Sarah, have their doubts because she cannot have children. In fact, they actually act on this doubt. Before this conversation with God (Gen. 17), Abraham, at Sarah’s behest, fathered a child through Sarah’s handmaid, Hagar. It seems that the couple was content to allow the terms of the covenant to be passed down through Ishmael. Despite their lack of faith, God would indeed bless Ishmael, but he would not carry the bloodline of the Redeemer. When God tells Abraham that he and Sarah will have a son, both of them, at different times (Gen. 17:17 & 18:13), laugh at the notion because of their age. Ironically, when they have a son the following year, God tells them that he is to be named Isaac, which means “laughter.” The bloodline of the Redeemer continues through Isaac, as God said it would (Genesis 17:21). Fast forward to the end of the Book of Genesis. Through God’s sovereign hand in Joseph’s life, Jacob’s family is preserved from being extinguished by a famine in the land as they move to Egypt. The bloodline of the Redeemer has passed from Isaac to Jacob to Judah.

Redemption Foreshadowed

The 275 years between the end of Genesis and the beginning of Exodus allowed Jacob’s family to grow exponentially into a vast people whom the Egyptians enslaved. God hears the cries of Israel’s enslavement and sends Moses to bring the people out of Egypt, but Pharaoh would not let the people go without a fight. Through Moses, God brings plagues on the nation of Egypt because Pharaoh would not release Israel from enslavement. Pharaoh holds his ground for nine plagues, but the tenth one, which is called the death of the firstborn, breaks him. All households wishing to protect their firstborn son from being killed that night were to kill a lamb and smear its blood over their lintel (left, right, and top of the door). When the death angel saw the blood on the family’s lintel, the angel passed over the house, hence the word and later feast of Passover. Every year in the Promised Land, Israel was to celebrate the Passover. This means that every year, every Israelite would observe a feast designed to anticipate a perfect sacrificial Lamb who would save them from death. For a brief moment, fast forward to the moment when John the Baptist saw Jesus and uttered the words, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” John understood the connection to the Passover feast, but how could so many of his day miss the Redeemer?

Moses leads the people out of Egypt, across the parted Red Sea, and to the foot of Mt. Sinai. At Sinai, the nation of Israel received its law, including instructions for its sacrificial system, as detailed in Leviticus. Until Jesus’ future redemptive sacrifice, Himself, could be offered on the cross, a present solution was needed whereby an unholy person could come into the presence of the Most Holy God. The sacrificial system, temporary (and partial) in nature, was designed to meet this need. It was also a vivid reminder that atonement for sin requires a blood sacrifice (“…it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life,” Lev. 17:11), foreshadowing Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice by His own blood (Heb. 9:11-18). God’s people were to offer all sacrifices at the Tabernacle, which was always positioned in the middle of the Israelite camp, demonstrating God’s desire to be at the very center of His people’s lives.

Redemption and His Royal Bloodline

A new era in Israel’s history commences as the nation enters the Promised Land under Joshua. This land is the physical land that God promised to Abraham and his descendants; it is the land in which God’s redemptive plan will culminate with the sin sacrifice of Jesus on a cross outside Jerusalem’s gates (Heb. 13:12-14). From Joshua, through the dark and distressing days of the Judges, to the days of the monarchies of Saul, David, and Solomon, the bloodline of the Redeemer remains intact. It is through David’s bloodline that God adds a special clause to His redemptive plan, commonly known as the Davidic Covenant. The covenant with David builds upon God’s earlier covenant with Abraham, by specifying the royal bloodline through which God’s plan of redemption will be realized. It ensures the perpetuity of David’s dynasty and highlights the coming of the King whose reign would be eternal. This covenant with David begins to expand the description of the coming Redeemer first spoken of in Genesis 3:15, now described as royal and eternal.
 
Redemption Perseveres Despite All Odds

As the next king in David’s dynasty arose, the people asked themselves, “Is this the one?” Is this the coming Redeemer, the eternal King, who restores all that mankind had lost? Each time the people wonder, and each time disappointment sets in. Disappointment becomes a reality when Israel reaches a point where there is no king on the throne. The last king of Judah was taken into exile as Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon burned the city of Jerusalem and the Temple to the ground. Even though all hope seems lost, God’s plan of redemption continues to march forward. Seventy years later, under the Persian ruler Cyrus, the people are permitted to return to the Promised Land. Among the men who helped lead the people back to the land was Zerubbabel, who is of the Redeemer’s bloodline (Hag. 2:23; Matt. 1:12).

As Israel slowly rebuilds the Temple (Ezra) and the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah), the threats to her existence are far from over. The Book of Esther chronicles Haman’s plot to exterminate all Jewish people on one appointed day, although Esther’s courageous actions foiled the plot. During the Intertestamental Period, the Syrian ruler Antiochus IV attempted to get rid of the Jewish people and their Temple, but it was the daring actions of the Maccabe family that turned the tide. More than 160 years later, Jesus (both Mary and Jospeh were in the bloodline of David) was born into this world as a human baby boy. This is commonly termed the Incarnation. However, even when Jesus, the Redeemer Himself, was born into the world to continue the redemption narrative of the Father, the enemy does not give up; in fact, the enemy doubles down. Shortly after His first birthday, a visit from the Magi of the East inadvertently places His life as a baby in jeopardy as King Herod ordered all baby boys under the age of 2, in and around the town of Bethlehem, to be killed (Matt.2:16). When Jesus begins His ministry in His early 30s, the attacks of the enemies of redemption increased to the next level. Satan tried to tempt Jesus to sin, but he was unsuccessful; the people of Israel plotted to rid themselves of a King who didn’t meet their tradition-laden criteria through death by crucifixion, but death could not hold the Redeemer!

The REDEEMER

Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary was the pinnacle moment of God’s redemption narrative. It was the moment in time, as promised back in Genesis 3:15, wherein humanity would be “bought back” through Christ’s ransom payment of humanity’s sin debt. When a person accepts the gift of redemption, purchased by the blood of Christ, they are instantaneously reconciled back to the Father. Paul declares Jesus’ work best in Colossians 2:13-14, “…having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” The penalty for our sins was nailed to the cross: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Remember back in Genesis 12:1-3, it was God’s redemptive intent to bless all nations through Abraham (and Israel). Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross was not for the Jewish people only; it was also offered to the rest of the world (John 3:16; Heb.2:9; 1 Jn.2:2). Of course, just because it was provided to all of humanity, each person needs to make his or her own personal decision whether to accept or reject Christ’s gift of redemption. Sin, the perpetual enemy of redemption, is extremely powerful and should never be underestimated, ever. The infinitely sad reality is that some people have refused to accept Christ’s sacrifice on their behalf, and instead of being reconciled back to the Father, they are doomed to be eternally separated from Him. Let’s be extremely clear here at this point: God does not want any person, ever, to be separated from Him for all of eternity. If this were the case, then He would have never commenced a plan of redemption in the first place. He has lovingly provided a redemption plan for all of humanity that cost Him more than we will ever know.

Anticipating Redemption’s Future

The narrative of redemption is not yet complete. While Christ has indeed purchased our redemption, there is still coming a glorious day when Christ will return, physically, in the same manner in which He left (Acts 1:9), and inaugurate His eternal kingdom on earth. Israel will dwell in her land, and Christ will sit on a physical throne in Jerusalem, ruling as King of Kings for one thousand uninterrupted years (also known as the Millennial Kingdom). As magnificent as this Millennial Kingdom will be, with Satan bound up for its duration (Rev.20:1-3), the perpetual enemy of redemption, sin, will continue to assert its power. After the final judgment of mankind (Rev.20:11-15), a new heaven and a new earth are created. Decisively, God speaks these final, redemption-finishing words, “...Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man [again]. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Rev.21:3). This verse transports us back to before the fall of mankind into sin, all has been returned to the way in which God designed it to be from the very beginning – unhindered fellowship between us and the Creator. God keeps His redemption promise!

Among the most celebrated masterpieces of the Renaissance era are the Sistine Chapel frescoes painted by Michelangelo in the early 16th century. Yet in the following centuries, soot, grime, and even water slowly began to take their toll, diminishing a pure rendering of his original work. If it were not for an extensive restoration project undertaken in the early 1980s, observers today would not be able to fully appreciate his creative genius and unmatched skill as people did when it was first completed. The restoration project did not change the original, but it restored the vibrancy that had become marred.

Though all analogies have their limits, the restored masterpieces of Michelangelo can help us relate to a far grander and eternally significant restoration project – that between God and humankind. The first verse in the Bible establishes God as the Creator of everything, including time and space (Gen. 1:1). Within those measurable constructs, He created and laid out an order to the universe, culminating in the creation of humans (Gen. 1:26-27). What is significant about the uniqueness of humankind, though, is that it is the only thing created that is said to have been made in the image and likeness of God. Theologians refer to this concept by the Latin term Imago Dei. No other object or living thing bears that distinction. Thus, humans are unique in the animal kingdom because we have complex language abilities, relationship capacities, creativity, ingenuity, and a moral consciousness, among other characteristics that set us apart. Though we are not divine, we were made to reflect the Divine in our very being. The implication is clear – all humans have intrinsic worth because of the image of God stamped upon their very being.

God established that both male and female humans are image bearers. While this can imply many things, it certainly implies no less than worth and dignity, which are equally bestowed upon all humans. Irrespective of what humans do or activities they participate in, their identity is directly rooted in the person of God. Endowed as image bearers, humans are given the responsibility of ruling over the earth (Genesis 1:26) as God’s agents. This dominion reflects God’s authority and ultimate rule over the universe, including the planned stewardship of the earth. In essence, humans were created to represent the King’s image and likeness directly and to work in the Kingdom as His faithful representatives. This is highlighted in the placement of our first parents in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15).

The subsequent fall in the garden introduced sin to the human race, with its tragic consequences that affected our relationship with God, with each other, and even our work with the earth. While all humans retain the image of God, this image has been marred due to the disobedience of our first parents. Among the many things that changed, sin and death entered the human race, causing a separation of fellowship between God and humankind. Paul sums this up when he writes, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). The corruptive nature of sin infected the human race and began to be passed on through all the following generations. This transmission is clearly seen in Genesis 5:1-3, “In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God… And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.” Certainly, humans retained their intellect, creativity, emotions, communicative abilities, and other such characteristics, as mentioned before, but the image of God as once reflected in the sinless state was now marred because of sin.

This is why the gospel is so important – it is the only thing that can transform the distorted image of God in humankind back to the proper reflection. This restored image not only signifies acceptance and communion with God, but it also transforms our character and dealings with others. In sharing about God’s love and ultimate plan for those in Christ, Paul states, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Akin to a remodeling project, believers are in a lifelong sanctification process that is renewing the broken or blurred visages of the Imago Dei in their lives. This is not optional; it is the ordained plan of God. Paul likens this determined, transformative process as believers “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord [and] being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (II Cor. 3:18). There is an active sense that we participate in this process, but there is also a passive sense whereby we receive from God the deep character and image adjustments needed to align with and reflect the image of Jesus. While this renovation work is never complete in this life, it is assured in the life to come. Paul encourages believers that “as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” (1 Cor 15:49). This inclusive promise offers hope for everyone in Christ as the distorted image of Adam is replaced by the perfect image of Jesus.

I have a preacher friend who has a saying for difficult people in his life: “They are precious souls for whom Christ died.” While there is a bit of levity in the statement, it also reminds him that even the most difficult people have value – after all, Jesus loved them enough to die for them. One of the evidences of our image being transformed into that of Jesus is that we begin to see people as He sees them – people in need of salvation and restoration to God’s original blueprint. No matter how distorted and depraved that image may have become because of the effects of sin, there is transformative hope found in Jesus Christ – His grace is greater than any of our sin! May we, as image bearers being transformed by God, show love and compassion to our fellow image bearers who need to hear of God’s grace and the transformative power of salvation through Jesus Christ.

In 2023, my life group, Journey Through The Word, did a study called, “Enduring Hope”. These words are from the blog I posted for the final day of the study.

The last days of a study are always bittersweet for me. While I’m anxious to move on to the next adventure of our journey through God’s Word – I most often want to linger in the present adventure – soaking up more of the insight and wisdom in our current study. However, today’s final destination is such a perfect ending. We end on a grand note of encouragement, which offers us confidence in this journey and all of the journeys still ahead of us.

Scripture
Today’s journey leads us through Hebrews 6:10-20, where we will stop to focus our attention on Jesus, a sure and steadfast anchor for our souls.

19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

I invite you to read the larger passage, Hebrews 6:10-20, and consider the powerful message of enduring hope that we have been given. –

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. 11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.
13 Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.” 15 And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. 17 In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath, 18 so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:10-20)

“Put together, these separate images create a powerful message of reassurance. Christ has “anchored” our hope of “refuge” in the very presence of God: the “inner place.” Bibleref.com / Hebrews 6:19

Observations
This message is to believers. So, when the author says that “we ‘have’ this hope …” he is indicating that it is a given rather than something we might have, can have, or will have someday. When we choose to believe in Jesus Christ, we are anchored securely in the “very presence of God.”

The word hope has been mentioned over and over throughout our journey, and we have focused on many of its different aspects in Scripture. Today, we end our study with a reminder and the truth of who “this hope” is.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. -John 3:16

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. – Romans 6:9

And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. -1 John 2:25

Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2

By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. –Colossians 2:15-16

God’s Word makes it clear that Jesus is our Anchor of hope, and equally clear, that in the midst of life’s storms and trials our Anchor holds secure! Having cancelled our debt, through His death, Jesus is our trusted refuge and redeemer, our source of Truth and Righteousness – the HOPE of our faith – through whom we endure.

Jesus has anchored us – literally, placed us securely in God. We can have no greater hope than this. It is a hope that, when we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will surely endure to the end.

To know Jesus is to love Him –
to love Him is to trust Him –
and to trust Him is to fix our hope in Him.

Application
I’ve read that sailors at sea intentionally fix their anchors out from the ship in a safe and secure location, and I believe that Scripture teaches that the same should be true of believers. We must intentionally fix our ‘anchor’, our hope, in Jesus who is seated in Heaven at the right hand of God, the Father – rather than in this world or our circumstances. When our hope is fixed in Jesus we will be more and more confident in the promises of our God.

Prayer: Response to God’s Word
Oh, how we love Your Word - God! How precious are its truths and the reminders of our sure and present hope, namely, Jesus. Thank You for all He did on our behalf – to secure us safely in You; and to give us confidence in Your promises – that are all yes and amen in Him. There is truly no greater hope than this.

Every Christmas season, we’re surrounded by the language of gifts. Commercials count down the “must-haves,” stores promise the “perfect present,” and children rehearse their wish lists with the precision of seasoned negotiators. Yet even with the bustle of wrapping paper and decorated trees, believers know that the true wonder of Christmas cannot be measured by price tags or packaged in a box.

The apostle Paul captured the heart of Christmas in a single phrase tucked away in Galatians 4:4: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son.” That simple statement contains the entire message of Christmas, the entire sweep of Scripture, and the entire hope of the gospel. Christmas is not merely a season; it is the story of God sending His greatest gift at the perfect time, in the perfect way, to be received by the most undeserving people.

And that means something astonishing for every believer: In Christ, you are spiritually rich—richer than you could ever imagine.

This is the message we need in December, particularly in a season during which we become tempted to measure ourselves by what we lack rather than by what we have been given. But like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, sometimes we forget. Sometimes we need a reminder that the riches God has given us far outshine the circumstances we face.

If you follow LMBC’s Rooted Bible reading plan, be on the lookout for the December 10 reading, particularly the fourth chapter of Galatians:

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ (Galatians 4:4-7 NKJV)

Galatians 4:4–7 offers a powerful reminder of just how God richly blessed believers through the gift of His son, Jesus. In just four verses, Paul shows us that Christmas reveals three unshakeable truths that explain why Jesus is, truly, the greatest gift.

Why Is Jesus the Greatest Gift?

1. Jesus Was Sent by Our Sovereign Father
“When the fullness of time had come”

Christmas began long before the manger scene in Bethlehem. It began in the heart of a sovereign God whose redemptive plan was unfolding long before Mary ever wrapped the newborn Jesus in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger.

Before the curse, before the fall, before sin fractured the world God made, Adam and Eve walked in unbroken fellowship with their Creator God. Made in His image, entrusted with dominion, and placed in a world filled with goodness, they lived as beloved children in the Father’s presence. However, the fall changed everything. Sin shattered fellowship with God and others, scarred creation, and plunged humanity into spiritual lostness. Like wrapping a newly restored classic car around a tree, the separation brought about by sin was devastating. What God designed as beautiful became bent and broken.

Nonetheless, right in the middle of judgment, God whispered hope. Genesis 3:15 promised a coming “seed” who would crush Satan and reverse the curse of sin. With a single verse, the first Christmas promise appears in Scripture. From that moment on, the entire Old Testament becomes the search for the seed orchestrated by God Himself.

Tracing the Seed Through History

Paul’s phrase “the fullness of time” in Galatians 4:4 is loaded with centuries of divine preparation by a sovereign God. Scripture traces the coming Redeemer through the patriarchs and prophets:

• Through Abraham (Genesis 22:18).
• Through Isaac, not Ishmael (Genesis 26:2-5).
• Through Jacob, whose descendants would fill the earth (Genesis 28:14).
• Through Judah, from whom the scepter would not depart (Genesis 49:10).
• Through David, whose throne would be established forever (2 Samuel 7:12).
• Through a virgin (Isaiah 7:14).
• As Mighty God and Prince of Peace, (Isaiah 9:6).
• As the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53).
• And finally, Scripture leaves no doubt: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ” (Gal. 3:16).

The World Was Prepared

During the Intertestamental Period, the time between the Old and New Testaments, God, with meticulous care, arranged the stage for the coming of Jesus. Take a moment and consider the drastic political and societal shifts that occurred before and during the time of Jesus, and how God, in His great sovereignty, brought them about to prepare the world for the message of Jesus. The Roman Empire brought unprecedented peace, allowing the gospel to spread rapidly. The influence of Hellenism (Greek culture and ideas) gave the world a common language, allowing the New Testament, originally written in Greek, to flourish. Religious restlessness, from Jewish legalism to Greek philosophy to pagan superstition, created a hunger for truth. Roman taxation, despised by the Jewish people, funded the roads on which Paul himself would later travel to reach new cities and provinces with the gospel. Finally, Caesar Augustus, in a seemingly ordinary administrative edict, ordered the Roman census. In His sovereignty, God allowed this census to occur, which moved Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, fulfilling prophecy when Jesus was born there.

From a heavenly viewpoint, each of the previously mentioned events perfectly synchronized with God’s redemptive plan and timetable. From an earthly viewpoint, however, these events looked ordinary and disjointed. Among other things, the story of Christmas and the events leading up to Christ’s birth serve as a reminder that we often see God’s plan best in hindsight. Christmas stands as a reminder that God never loses control of the world. From the rise and fall of empires to the intimate details of our lives, God’s timing is flawless, His purposes never fail, and His plan is always on schedule.

2. Jesus Is Our Sufficient Savior
“God sent forth his son”

Christmas not only reveals the sovereignty of the Father but also the sufficiency of His Son, Jesus. In Galatians 4:4-5, Paul writes, “God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.” Each phrase is a treasure trove of truth about Jesus.

“God sent forth His Son” — Jesus is fully God.

The verb Paul uses, exapostellō, pictures a royal commissioning. God the Father did not send an angel, a prophet, or a heavenly warrior. He sent His own Son, eternally divine, the agent of creation, and the image of the invisible God. The baby born in Bethlehem was not merely from God; He was God!

“Born of woman” — Jesus is fully human.

The eternal Son stepped into time through the same doorway every person enters the world. Jesus took on flesh. He grew, He learned, He got tired, He wept, He experienced temptation, and He felt pain. He became a human, wrapped in flesh, in order to become a substitute on the cross, taking on our sin. This timeless truth fulfills Genesis 3:15, as God promised the seed born of a woman would crush the serpent’s head. Christmas is the beginning of the great victory that Jesus won at the cross on our behalf.

“Born under the law” — Jesus is perfectly righteous.

Jesus did not come as a detached observer. He entered our world under the same law that condemns us. But unlike us, He fulfilled the law completely. During His earthly ministry, Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Where we failed to obey, He succeeded. Where we sinned, Jesus lived victorious over sin, making Him uniquely qualified to redeem us. Only someone who was God could conquer sin, death, and hell. Only someone who was human could substitute in our place. Only someone who was sinless could die in our place. No one else in history meets those qualifications. Not even Clarence the angel!

“To redeem those under the law” — Jesus is our Redeemer.

Redemption in the ancient world involved paying a price to free someone from the power of another. Across the Roman Empire, enslaved people were regularly purchased and set free by a benefactor. At the arrival of Jesus, humanity was enslaved to sin, to the law’s accusations, and to spiritual powers we could not defeat or escape. However, thirty-three years after His birth in Bethlehem, Jesus paid the price for our sin in full. The manger exists because the cross was coming. Christmas points to Calvary!
 
The redemptive work of Jesus carries implications for our understanding of salvation. Because our pardon was purchased by Jesus on the cross, salvation is by grace, not effort. It is by faith, not works. It is by Christ alone, not by Christ plus anything else. Jesus gives eternal life entirely by grace to those who trust in Him. We can’t work for salvation, and we can’t work to keep it. Salvation is a gift received by faith. That’s good news! That’s the gift of Christmas.

3. Through Jesus, We Receive Spirit-Sealed Sonship
“That we might receive adoption as sons”

If the Father planned our salvation and the Son purchased it, the Spirit personalizes it.
Paul writes, “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Gal. 4:6). The language of verse six is tender and intimate. God’s Holy Spirit does not simply improve us; He lives within us! He does not merely reform us; He assures us. He does not simply teach us; He testifies within us. As believers in Jesus, we stand as adopted sons and daughters of the living God.

What “Sonship” Meant in the First Century

In Paul’s day, “sonship” did not serve as a sentimental term. Sonship constituted a legal status declaring a child had come of age and now possessed full rights, privileges, and inheritance. Fathers would set a date when children moved from minor status to adult sonship.

Before Christ, humanity lived under the guardianship of the law and stood immature, incapable of righteousness, and spiritually impoverished (Galatians 4:2-3). At the moment of salvation, however, God publicly and permanently adopts believers in Jesus as His sons and daughters.

Our sonship in God through Jesus changes everything! A servant obeys out of fear, but
a son obeys out of love. A servant has a detached master, but a son has a father. A servant earns wages, but a son receives an inheritance. A servant is poor, but a son is rich. God’s Holy Spirit, living within every believer, reminds us of the riches we possess as sons of God through Jesus.

The Riches of Our Sonship

Scripture describes our spiritual wealth through Jesus in vivid terms. As believers in Jesus, we possess “the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7; 2:7), “the riches of His glory” (Philippians 4:19; Colossians 1:27), “the riches of His goodness” including His kindness, forbearance, and patience (Romans 2:4), and the riches of His wisdom and knowledge (Romans 11:33; James 1:5). Jesus even promises the rich blessing of answered prayer to those who abide in Him (John 15:7). Additionally, Paul reminds us that all of these riches are found in Christ, “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

Not only do we enjoy spiritual wealth through Jesus today, there’s more on the way in the age to come! Roman adoption involved two ceremonies. A private ceremony would precede a public one. Spiritually, the first ceremony has been completed. The Spirit lives in us, our papers are sealed, and our sonship is certain. However, the second ceremony is coming. When Christ returns, believers will receive resurrected bodies, perfect righteousness, and an inheritance “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading”
(1 Peter 1:4). One day, we will be like Jesus, and our adoption will be complete. Christmas assures us that God keeps His promises.

Celebrating The Greatest Gift

Our world measures wealth by possessions, accomplishments, and circumstances. But Scripture measures wealth by grace, redemption, and sonship. Those who are in Christ are not spiritually middle-class. We’re not spiritually “barely getting by.” Through Jesus, we are spiritually blessed. Jesus is the greatest gift we could ever receive. Because God gave us His Son at Christmas, we are lavishly, eternally, and immeasurably rich!

The gospel of John presented Jesus in multiple ways compared to the synoptics. John shared his eyewitness account (the last three and a half years of Jesus’ ministry) and seems to ignore much of what Matthew, Mark, and Luke described. Why is John’s gospel so different? For instance:

• “Jesus’ genealogy
• an account of our Lord’s birth
• any events in our Lord’s childhood
• our Lord’s baptism
• our Lord’s temptation
• The Sermon on the Mount
• The account of John the Baptist’s doubts
• any casting out of demons
• any healing of lepers
• any parables of our Lord
• an account of our Lord’s transfiguration
• the selection and sending out of the 12, or of the 70
• any eschatological (prophetic) address
• a pronouncement of woes on the religious leaders (e.g., Matthew 23)
• the institution of the Lord’s Supper
• an account of our Lord’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane
• an account of our Lord’s ascension.”¹

Apart from the cleansing of the Temple, Leon Morris points out: “nothing else in the first five chapters of this Gospel is to be found in any of the Synoptics.”² As we can see from a simple reading of John’s Gospel, we immediately notice he painted a different picture. Furthermore, a careful analysis reveals John wrote about many things not contained in the other Gospel accounts. For instance, note several unique images:

• Jesus as the Creator (John 1)
• Jesus as the “only begotten” of the Father (John 1)
• Jesus as the promised “Lamb of God” (John 1)
• Jesus revealed as the great “I Am” (John 6:35)
• Jesus turning the water into wine (John 2)
• Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (John 3)
• Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well (John 4)
• Jesus shows mercy to the woman caught in adultery (John 8)
• Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11)
• Jesus washing the disciples’ feet (John 13)
• The Upper Room Discourse of our Lord (John 13-17)
• Jesus’ teaching on the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 14-16)
• Jesus’ high priestly prayer (John 17)

Professor Edwin Blum of Dallas Theological Seminary surmised, “John’s distinctive portrait of Jesus contains 93 percent original material in comparison to the Synoptics.”³ Most scholars agree that the purpose of John’s gospel is found at the end of his book: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name” (John 20:30-31). This simple yet profound book was written to convince men and women that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah, the only Savior of mankind and by believing in His name, they may have everlasting life.

Nonetheless, John presented the Person of Jesus Christ in several unique ways. Charles Ryrie further explained, “This is the most theological of the four gospels. It deals with the nature and person of Christ and the meaning of faith in Him. John’s presentation of Christ as the divine Son of God is seen in the titles given Him in the book:”⁴ So how does John portray the person of Jesus Christ? Let me share six ways:

LOGOS

First, John portrayed Jesus as the Logos (Word). “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Englishman’s Greek Concordance shows us the word translated “Word” is (logos).⁵  John Phillips says the word logos, “was familiar to Greek philosophers and a word adopted for his own purposes by Jewish philosopher Philo. To the Greeks, the word had reference to the abstract conception that lies behind everything concrete – to the ideal, to what we could perhaps call wisdom. Thus, when John calls Jesus “the Word,” the logos, he is referring to Him as the thinker, the omniscient genius behind the created universe.”⁶ F.F. Bruce sheds light on this word when he says, “What is meant is that the Word shared the nature and being of God, or (to use a piece of modern jargon) was an extension of the personality of God. The NEB paraphrase ‘what God was, the Word was,’ brings out the meaning of the clause as successfully as a paraphrase can. John intends that the whole of his gospel be read in the light of this verse.”⁷ John introduced Jesus as the Pre-existent God of the universe who was involved in the creation process. Merrill C. Tenney further explained the concept when he said, “The use of logos implies that John was endeavoring to bring out the full significance of the Incarnation to the Gentile world as well as to the Jewish people. He does not adopt the Greek concept in its entirety, but he uses this term to indicate that Jesus had universal rather than local significance and that He spoke with ultimate authority. He was preexistent, involved in the act of creation, and therefore superior to all created beings.”⁸

There are five things we learn about Jesus, the logos in John chapter 1:

1. We learn the logos is pre-existent  (John 1:1-2).
2. We learn the logos is God (John 1:1c).
3. We learn the logos was involved in the creation process (John 1:3).
4. We learn the logos possessed life eternal (John 1:4).
5. We learn about the incarnation of the logos (John 1:14).

The logos, God in the flesh entered this world through a womb He created and was  born of a virgin enabling Him to dwell among men. This logos, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, humbled Himself by taking on a human body, accepting the limitations of sleep, hunger and thirst. Here we see so many great theological truths such as the kenosis, the hypostatic union, the incarnation, and the mediator ministry of this One made flesh. Bruce says it so beautifully, “To expand the implications of the incarnation of the Word in terms of historical or systematic theology would carry us beyond the Evangelist intention. What he is concerned to emphasize here is that God, who had revealed or expressed himself—‘sent His word’—in a variety of ways from the beginning, made Himself known at last in a real historical human person: when ‘the Word became flesh’, God became man.”⁹ How else did John portray Jesus?

LIGHT

Second, John portrayed Jesus as the Light. He said, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same  came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” (John 1:7-8). The word “light” is found 43 times in the first 12 chapters of the gospel of John. In chapter 1 and verse 9 John tells us that Jesus is the “true,” authentic Light, “which lights every man that comes into the world.”  Does this verse mean every man who enters the world is given a measure of the light at birth? A.T. Robertson offers some interesting thoughts on this verse. He said, “The Quakers appeal to this phrase for their belief that to every man there is given an inner light that is a sufficient guide, (it’s called the Quaker’s text). But it may only mean that all the real light that men receive comes from Christ, not necessarily that each one receives a special revelation.”¹⁰ George Beasley-Murray says, “In face of false claims (concerning John or any other alleged prophet-redeemer) the authentic Light is affirmed to be the Word who illumines the existence of every man (positively and negatively), for salvation and judgment; see 3:19-21.”¹¹ Three times in the gospel of John, Jesus calls Himself the Light of the world (See John 8:12, 9:5, 12:46). In reference to the phrase “the Light of the world,” Lenski says, “The emphatic ‘ego’ means I and I alone, I and no other.”¹² Christ and Christ alone is the Light of the world that gives life. Two other times Jesus boldly proclaimed to be the Light of the world. Jesus gives to every man the wonderful promise that if we believe on Him we will not continue in darkness (John 12:46).  Lenski said, “Yet note the universality in both the term ‘the world’ and in ‘everyone that believes’ (the present participle as in v.44 and v.45). This term ‘everyone’ is like a blank space into which every believer is entitled to write his own name, or—Jesus himself by his Word writes it there for him”¹³ Praise God. Jesus is the Light of the world.

LAMB

Third, John portrayed Jesus as the Lamb. John wrote, “The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The day before this proclamation, the Sanhedrin interrogated John the Baptist about whether or not he was the Messiah. In verses 20-27 of chapter 1, John recorded this cross-examination by the Sanhedrin as well as the response of John the Baptist. It was now the following day, and Jesus had arrived at Jordan when the messenger saw Jesus coming and announced to all mankind, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.” Concerning this proclamation John Phillips offers this insight, “The Passover feast was approaching, a feast that commemorated the Exodus of Israel from Egypt, the birth of the Hebrew nation, and the demonstration of redemption by the blood of the lamb. We can be sure that Jesus chose this moment unerringly for his formal presentation to the nation by his now famous herald. From John’s first words we can see that he had the approaching Passover in mind.”¹⁴ Blum further reveals, “the Passover lamb (Ex.12) and Isaiah’s mention of the Messiah’s likeness to a lamb (Isa. 53:7) may have been in John’s mind. John, by the Holy Spirit, saw Jesus as the sacrificial Victim who was to die for the sin of the world (cf. Isa. 53:12).”¹⁵  In the gospel of John the title “Lamb” (amnos) is designated for Jesus two times. But it is interesting to note John uses another word for Lamb, (arnion) in the book of Revelation revealing more of a triumphal title, glorifying the sacrificial work of the Lamb. According to the Englishman’s Greek Concordance, Lamb (arnion) is found 27 times in the apocalypse, and 26 times refers to the redemptive nature of Jesus as the Lamb of God. In John’s gospel the Lamb “takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The Montgomery’s New Testament translation says, “who takes and bears away the sin of the world.” Concerning the words “takes away”, A.T. Robertson says, “airo, to bear away.”¹⁶ It is interesting to note the Englishman’s Greek Concordance reveals airo is also translated “lift up” in Acts 4:24. John reveals to us Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away, who bears up, who lifts up the sin of the world and places it on another (Jesus, our sin-bearer). Thus, He is the Lamb.

LIFE

Fourth, John portrayed Jesus as Life. Three times in the gospel of John Jesus is said to be “life.” Notice, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Also verse 48 of this same chapter, Jesus again said, “I am that bread of life.” Here is the first of the seven “I am” revelations of Jesus found in the gospel of John.

Notice with me the other six listed in this book:

1. “I am the Light of the world”  (8:12).
2. “I am the Door of the sheep”  (10:7).
3. “I am the Good Shepherd”  (10:11,14).
4. “I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25).
5. “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (14:6).
6. “I am the True Vine” (15:1).

The Gospel of John is a portrait of Jesus using various titles. John wanted the Jew as well as the Gentile to understand historically who Jesus was. So, he begins his description of life with, “I am the bread of Life.” In verse 51 of this very same chapter, Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eats of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). This bread is said to be “living bread” in reference to Jesus, who bestows life everlasting upon all those who appropriate Him by faith. Concerning the word “flesh”, it is interesting what Beasley-Murray says, “The “bread” is defined as “flesh” rather than “body”, almost certainly by reason of the Evangelist’s insistence that the Word became flesh (1:14).”¹⁷ The Incarnate Logos became flesh and tabernacled among us for thirty-three years and went to the cross to give His life a ransom so that we might possess life everlasting.

The second passage of Scripture that described Jesus as life is found in John 11:25 where Jesus proclaimed to be the resurrection and the life. Speaking to Martha, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). F.F. Bruce makes this observation concerning verse 25, “This is more than an announcement of the general resurrection on the last day; this looks forward to Jesus’ own rising from the dead and affirms that believers in him, being united by faith, will share his risen life even though they experience bodily death.”¹⁸ Jesus shared this promise with His disciples in the upper room, “Because I live, you shall live also” (John 14:19). Because of His resurrection all those who believe He is Messiah will also share with Him this eternal life. Concerning this statement made by Jesus, “I am the resurrection and the life,” Blaikie said, “The terms are not synonymous. When Christ says, “I am the Life,” He claims an attribute of God. None but God is “the Life,” and can impart it. “I am the resurrection” implies that He can keep life when given and restore it after it is lost. These powers measure the difference between the finite and the infinite.”¹⁹

The third passage that described Jesus as life is found in John 14:6 where Jesus boldly announced He is the Life. “Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Once again Jesus in an uncompromising way declared He is the way, the truth, and the Life.  Earl Radmacher shares with us these interesting thoughts, “Having made these three exclusive claims concerning Himself, Jesus then states unequivocally that He is indeed the exclusive means for anyone approaching the Father. When He says, “except through Me” He is saying unequivocally that entrance to heaven is exclusive to Him.”²⁰ Jesus is not only the Creator of life, the giver of life, the sustainer of life, but the scripture says, He is “the Life.”  We must keep in mind that there are not multiple ways to God, but only one way, through the living person of Jesus Christ. The context of this passage points to Jesus in verse 10 and reveals, He was the One crucified and risen from the dead. He is the only truth, the only way, and He is the only life. The evangelist portrayed Jesus as the Life.

LOVE

Fifth, John portrayed Jesus as Love. Any study of Johannine Christianity will reveal to the student the indescribable love of God. In the Gospel of John alone the word love in its various forms is found 44 times and in John’s epistles it is recorded 40 times.  The evangelist presented Jesus and His great love for all humanity. Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The word “greater” (meizon) is translated “greater 34 times and greatest 9 times.”²¹ The greatest of all love is revealed and demonstrated in the person of Jesus Christ as He freely offers His life on the cross for sinful man. John not only tells us that Jesus possessed the greatest and highest form of love for mankind, but He tells us the reason Jesus loves us with everlasting love. John claimed, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that does not love does not know God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). The disciple whom Jesus loved, gives us another description of God, “God is love.” Zane Hodges further explains, “This statement affirms that His basic nature is characterized by love. Naturally the statement does not mean that God has no other attributes, such as wisdom and justice. But it does indicate that love is fundamental to what God is and to what He does.”²² Dodd takes us a step further when he says, “All His activity is loving activity. If He creates, He creates in love; if He rules, He rules in love; if He judges, He judges in love. All that He does is the expression of His nature, is—to love.”²³ Probably the most well-known verse in the Bible is John 3:16 where Jesus proclaims His love for the whole world. Concerning this amazing revelation of God’s love, Adam Clarke says, “Such a love as that which induced God to give His only begotten Son to die for the world could not be described; Jesus Christ does not attempt it. He has put an eternity of meaning in the particle so and left a subject for everlasting contemplation, wonder, and praise, to angels and to men.”²⁴

LORD

Then finally, John portrayed Jesus as Lord. In John chapters 14-17 Jesus encouraged those who believed He was the Messiah and were threatened with expulsion from their Jewish synagogue. In chapter 13 Jesus taught His disciples a great lesson in humility and servanthood as He washed the disciples’ feet. He told them of the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit that would guide them into all truth in chapters 14-16. Jesus shared with them the key to bearing fruit was to abide in Him. He shared many intimate discussions with the disciples as He focused His attention on training the twelve to do ministry. But in John 14 during one of those special training sessions Jesus had to reveal to Philip just exactly who He was. “Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, Show us the Father” (John 14:8-9)? Jesus clearly declared to Philip He is the Father. If you have seen me (Jesus) you have seen the Father. In the Gospel of John, the phrase “the Father” is found 156 times. By using repetition Jesus wanted the world to know with certainty that He was the Father. As Bultmann observes, “The implication behind the reproachful question is that all fellowship with Jesus loses its significance unless He is recognized as the One whose sole intention is to reveal God, and not to be anything for Himself; but it also implies that the possibility of seeing God is inherent in the fellowship with Jesus. What need is there for anything further?”²⁵ Jesus not only wanted the disciples to know who He was; He wanted them to comprehend He was the Lord God, the Creator of the universe. In John 20:19-25, we have another classic Johannine illustration teaching the deity of Jesus Christ. John tells us about the Sunday evening after Christ arose from the dead, when the disciples were secretly assembled together for fear of the Jews, “the door was shut”, yet, Jesus suddenly and mysteriously appears on the scene in His new resurrected body and stands in the middle of the room. The disciples saw the prints in His hands and the scar on His side. During this special meeting Jesus re-commissioned the disciples and breathed upon them the Holy Spirit. There was only one problem, Thomas was missing from this very important meeting. After they found Thomas in verse 25, the ten disciples began to rehearse this historical event with the doubter. Discouraged and disillusioned Thomas told the other disciples he would not believe, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side.” Eight days later, Jesus reappears to the disciples and Thomas was present this time. Notice the reaction of Thomas after He saw the resurrected Jesus. The text said, “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be to you. Then he said to Thomas, reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side: Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, ‘My Lord and my God’” (John 20:26-28). Thomas realized that Jesus the Messiah was God in the flesh. Blum further claims, “Thomas’ response, My Lord and My God! Is the high point of the Gospel. Here was a skeptical man, confronted by the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. He announced that Jesus, the Man of Galilee, is God manifest in the flesh.”²⁶ Thomas was no longer faithless but became faithful to his resurrected Savior.

A study of Johannine Christianity reveals a portrait of a person named Jesus Christ. Every stroke of John’s inspired brush portrays a beautiful “Master” piece of the incarnate God of the universe who desires His creation to trust Him as the supreme sacrifice for the sins of the world. In a most fitting way John completes His portrait of Jesus with these words, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written everyone, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen” (John 21:25). Jesus is the Logos, the Light, the Lamb, the Life, Love and the Lord. Oh, what a beautiful Savior.

^{1  Bob Deffinbaugh, That You Might Believe:  A Study of the Gospel of John (Biblical Press, 1998). 38.
2 Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, The International Commentary on the New Testament (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI: 1971), 190.
3 Edwin Blum, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, John (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1973), 269.
4 Charles Ryrie, The Ryrie Study Bible expanded edition, Introduction to John (Chicago, IL: Moody Press 1994), 1615.
5 The Englishman’s Greek Concordance of the New Testament, ninth edition (Zondervan Publishing House 1903), 462.
6 John Phillips, Exploring The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications 1989), 16.
7 F.F. Bruce, The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1983), 31.
8 Merrill C. Tenney, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Vol.9 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House 1981), 28.
9 F.F. Bruce, The Gospel of John pg. 40.
10 A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament vol. 5 (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press 1932), pg. 9.
11 George R. Beasley-Murray, Word Biblical Commentary vol. 36 (Waco, TX: Word Books Publisher 1987), 12.
12 R.C.H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel (Augsburg Publishing House 1943), 593.
13 Ibid, pg. 894-895.
14 John Phillips, Exploring The Gospel of John pg. 39.
15 Edwin Blum, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, John (Chariot Victor Publishing 1973), 274.
16 A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament vol. 5 (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press 1932), pg. 23.
17 George R. Beasley-Murray, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 36 (Waco, TX: Word Books Publisher 1987), pg. 94.
18 F. F. Bruce, The Gospel of John pg. 244.
19 W.G. Blaikie, The Biblical Illustrator, St. John vol. 14 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House), pg. 268.
20 Earl Radmacher, and Greg Derickson, The Disciplemaker:  What Matters Most to Jesus (Salem, OR: Charis Press, 2001), pg. 106.
21 The Englishman’s Greek Concordance of the New Testament ninth edition (Zondervan Publications House), pg. 478.
22 Zane C. Hodges, The Epistles of John (Irving TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 1999), 184.
23 C.H. Dodd, The Johannine Epistles (MNT. London:  Hodder and Stoughton, 1946), 110.
24 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1967), 905.
25 Rudolf Bultmann, The Gospel According to John: A Commentary trans. George R. Beasely-Murray, ed. By R.W.N. Hoare and J.K. Riches (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster, 1971), pg. 608-609.
26 Edwin Blum, The Bible Knowledge Commentary John (Colorado Springs CO: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1973), 343-344.}

In seminary, I took a Bible class that was simply titled “Romans.”  If you know anything about Romans, you know that Romans can be one of the most theologically complex books in the New Testament (some even say the whole Bible). I thoroughly enjoyed the class and all of our discussions, but I was not looking forward to finals week. When that fateful week arrived, our instructor told us we only needed a Bible and a blue book for our exam. (For those who are unfamiliar, a blue book is a small, 16-page blank book used for writing essays as part of a test or exam.) But then, on second thought, our instructor said, “You might want to bring two blue books.” My heart dropped, and my brain almost had a panic attack. The long-awaited day of judgment finally arrived. Our instructor said, “You have only one question to answer for the final exam: ‘Explain the Book of Romans.’” After picking myself up off the floor, I took a deep breath, and I began to write, and write, and write. Ninety minutes later, the exam ended, and I turned in two blue books completely filled with my explanation of Romans. Are you dying to know how I did? Keep reading.

The way I, and others in the class, managed to author such massive essays was because we had memorized the famous “S” outline of Romans. The “S” outline is an alliteration of the book of Romans, which takes the reader through the entire content of Romans. There are variations to this “S” outline, but this is the one to this day, to the very writing of this article, that I can still recite: Salutation, Sin, Salvation, Sanctification, Sovereignty, Service, Conclusion. No outline is perfect, or for that matter, inspired, but I hope the extended outline might be beneficial for your reading and studying of Paul’s magnum opus.

You will be delighted to know that I passed the class, and well…as for my grade on the final exam… come find me, and I will tell you.

Salutation (1:1-17)

• Greetings (1:1-15)
• Theme (1:16-17)

Sin – Righteousness Demanded (1:18-3:20)

• The Gentiles are guilty (1:18-32)
• The Jews are guilty (2:1-3:8)
• The whole world is guilty (3:9-20)

Salvation – Righteousness Declared (3:21-5:21)

• Justification described (3:21-31)
• Justification illustrated (4:1-25)
• Justification explained (5:1-21)

Sanctification – Righteousness Defended (6:1-8:39)

• Set free from the bondage of sin (6:1-23)
• Struggle with sin (7:1-25)
• Spirit’s power to mortify sin (8:1-39)

Sovereignty – Righteousness Declined (9:1-11:36)

• Israel’s past: God’s elect (9:1-29)
• Israel’s present: God-rejected (9:30-10:21)
• Israel’s future: God-restored (11:1-36)

Service – Righteousness Demonstrated (12:1-15:13)

• In relation to ourselves (12:1-3)
• In relation to the Church (12:4-8)
• In relation to society (12:9-21)
• In relation to government (13:1-14)
• In relation to other believers (14:1-15:13)

Conclusion (15:14-16:27)

• Paul’s plans (15:44-33)
• Paul’s personal greetings (16:1-16)
• Paul’s closing remarks (16:17-27)

The Book of Acts begins by dropping the reader right into the middle of a teaching session that Jesus was conducting with His Apostles. It is apparent that the Apostles were not satisfied with knowing about the kingdom; they were obsessed with knowing when it was to come.  Notice how verse six , of chapter 1, shows their persistence, “they kept asking Him, has the time come…” (NLT). Undoubtedly, the Apostles had a personal stake in this question; they wanted the kingdom to begin soon because that would mean the overthrow of the Roman government and the end of the oppression of the Jewish people once and for all. Perhaps this question is not overtly selfish, but it does have pride-like undertones when viewed in the broader context. Let me take a moment to explain.

God did indeed promise in the Old Testament that the nation of Israel would be instrumental in the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth, but what the Jewish mind failed to remember is that the kingdom of God has always been a plan for all people. God’s promise to restore that which was lost in the Garden of Eden (Gen.3:15) through sin was not only for the nation of Israel (the nation of Israel was not even in existence at that time). The plan of God’s kingdom has always been centered on Christ as the only way to make salvation available for all people, not just the nation of Israel. When Christ returns at the second coming, He will re-establish the kingdom of God that was lost in the Garden of Eden through sin (we often term this period as the “millennial kingdom” focusing on the 1,000-year aspect; Rev.20:3). It is during this time that Jesus will be ruling over the earth, with the nation of Israel functioning in the unique way that God intended.

Isaiah 42:6 tells us that Israel was to be a light to the Gentile nations, a bright light that would draw all the nations around them to the one true God. Unfortunately, the Bible reveals that the reverse happened. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel pulled away from the one true God and went after the gods of the nations around them, and in the New Testament, when Jesus, the Light of the World, shows up, the Jewish people still reject Him. It seems apparent that the Jewish people are so preoccupied with their unique role in the kingdom of God that they have forgotten the original plan of redemption for all humanity. Christ did not forget the original plan; in fact, His death and resurrection were integral to the plan. Like acts in a play, Christ knew that more were coming, and He also knew that the Father had already written the ending; so, Christ tells the Apostles not to worry about the future; the Father has it all under control.  They needed to focus on their present task, not their future role in the kingdom of God.

As the Apostles received this commission from Christ on the Mount of Olives, something remarkable happened: Jesus ascended into the heavens. As Jesus ascends into the heavens, two supernatural beings suddenly appear beside the group, asking the Apostles why they are staring into the sky. Then, these two supernatural messengers deliver their message of hope:  Jesus is coming back! But look carefully at verse 11 and read the entire sentence: Jesus is coming back in the same manner that He went into heaven. This verse is one of the strongest proof texts for a literal and physical return of Christ in the future.

While the words of the two messengers were full of hope and excitement, they were also a reminder for the Apostles to stay focused on the task ahead of them.  Oliver Wendell Holmes famously said, “Some people are so heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good.” While that quote is catchy, the real truth is quite the opposite. The Apostles turned the world upside-down for the cause of Christ because they were so heavenly-minded. In his famous work, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis says, “It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world (heaven) that they have become so ineffective in this.” The word “witness”, used almost 40 times throughout the book of Acts, is one of the most crucial words in the entire book. The word defines our vital role in God’s plan. Just like God instructed the Apostles to be His witnesses, we, too, have a job to witness (testify) to others of what Christ has done for us.  

Jesus, the changing colors of autumn, and the collision of the Old and New Testaments are just a few of my favorite things.

Before I go on with this, let me back up for a minute. Recently, Pastor Jeremy mentioned that Isaiah was the favorite prophet of the Gospel writers. Since one of my favorite things about the Bible is that it is, from start to finish, the narrative of Jesus Christ, Jeremy’s statement sent me on what I call a Scripture squirrel hunt. Simply put, I chased down all of the verses in the Gospels that used the words of Isaiah. While the writers sometimes mentioned the writing of other prophets, Pastor Jeremy was right, Isaiah was by far the most quoted. The hunt revealed nine references from the Prophet Isaiah in Matthew, six in Mark, six in Luke, and four in the book of John. I focused mainly on the writings of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, since that is where our Bible reading leads us this month. For me, the true beauty of the verses is the link between the Old Testament’s somewhat obscure passages of prophecy and the New Testament’s vibrant colors of their revelation, for it is here that we see not only Isaiah’s prophecies of the Christ but the wonderment of their fulfillment.

Now, I invite you to take some time throughout the month to enjoy not only the beauty of autumn’s colors all mingled together, but to read the following passages for yourself and enjoy the even more profound beauty of the Old and New Testaments colliding.

Isaiah 6:9 …  Closed eyes and ears … Matthew 13:14; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10
Isaiah 7:14 … Virgin with child … Matthew 1:23
Isaiah 9:1 … A light in the darkness … Matthew 4:15
Isaiah 29:13 … They worship in vain … Matthew 15:7; Mark 7:6
Isaiah 40:3 … Voice in the wilderness … Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:2; Luke 3:4
Isaiah 42:1 … Behold My Servant … Matthew 12:18
Isaiah 42:4 … Hope for Gentiles … Matthew 12:21
Isaiah 42:6 … Light to the Gentiles … Luke 2:32
Isaiah 49:6 … Light to the Gentiles … Luke 2:32
Isaiah 53:4 … Carried our diseases … Matthew 8:17
Isaiah 53:12 … Numbered with transgressors … Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37
Isaiah 56:7 … A house of prayer … Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46
Isaiah 61:1 … He anointed me to preach … Luke 4:17
Isaiah 66:24 … Fire is not quenched … Mark 9:48

Have you ever wondered why there is a blank page in your Bible that separates the Old Testament from the New Testament? Most assume it is just a simple, bookish way to show separation between the Old and the New. But should we show a separation? The Bible is one grand narrative of God’s redemption and reconciliation of mankind collated into two volumes. Since both Testaments are part of God’s grand narrative, why is there a need to disconnect one volume from the other with a “blank” page of separation?

The First and Second Testaments

Think for a moment about the terms we use to describe the two Testaments. Why use the terms “old” and “new?” Using these terms makes it seem that one is old, outdated, and of no relevance to us today, while the other is new, up-to-date, and applicable to us today. However, using the terms “first” and “second” to refer to the Old and New Testaments implies that these two Testaments are part of the same narrative.  Further, when we place the two Testaments in a sequence of first and second, a fundamental truth about the nature of the two Testaments rises to the surface. That truth is stated like this: one cannot properly understand the second without the first. What this means is that the First Testament is foundational; more significantly, it’s how God decided that He wanted to start His grand narrative of redemption and reconciliation of mankind. From a temporal perspective, the First Testament is older than the Second Testament, but just because something is older does not mean it has less value; some would argue it has more value because it is older, or first.

On the other hand, in the grand scope of God’s plan, a Second Testament was desperately needed to complete God’s narrative. The Second Testament contains the most vital part of God’s grand plan: Jesus. Galatians 4:4 says that at just the right time, God sent His Son (the Incarnation) to fulfill God’s redemptive plan. It happened at the perfect time, which occurred during the time of the Second Testament. Some would say that the Second Testament is more important than the first for this one specific fact; their point here is powerful. However, pitting the First Testament against the Second does not align with the holistic approach. In a narrative, there are many parts. Some are short while others are long, some are dramatic while others seem dull, some are confusing while others are enlightening, some are comedic, some are life-altering, but in the end, all parts have value and support the grand narrative. Both Testaments rely on each other to reveal God’s grand narrative of redemption and reconciliation; you cannot understand one without the other.

The Intertestamental Period

Perhaps the “blank” Bible page does not signify separation. Maybe it could serve as a reminder of the time gap between the two Testaments (hence the title Intertestamental or between the Testaments). If this is true, then that blank page is worth 400 years. When the New (Second) Testament opens, 400 years of history and changes have taken place. The Persian Empire has been replaced by the Greek Empire, under which the Jewish people suffered greatly. The Jewish people are divided into religious groups, mainly the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Roman Empire replaces the Greek Empire, putting all of Judea under the control of the Caesars; Caesar appoints Herod as King over Judea. Rome would tax and control the Jews, and eventually, Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross. Roman, Greek, and Jewish cultures were mixed together in Judea as the Second (New) Testament opens. The landscape has changed significantly from the close of one Testament to the beginning of the next one.

400 Years of Silence    

One more observation about that “blank” Bible page. The Intertestamental Period has another name; it is also called the “400 Years of Silence.” Why use the term silence? It has to do with God’s voice being silent. This means that for 400 years, no new Scripture had been written – God’s voice was silent. Even though God’s voice was silent, time and time again, He continued to be faithful to His people. However, after a certain point, the silence became deafening, and some Jews believed that God had abandoned them. Thankfully, God did not remain silent forever. One day, an angel of the Lord appeared to Zachariah the priest in the Temple at Jerusalem (Luke 1:11-12). For the first time in four hundred years, God directly interacted with humanity using one of His angelic messengers. Although his wife, Elizabeth, was barren, and both were advanced in age, the angel tells Zachariah about the future birth of his son, John. Zachariah’s son, John, would be tasked with one of the most significant responsibilities in all of Scripture - the forerunner of Jesus. A forerunner is one who is tasked with announcing the arrival of the King, and John faithfully heralded this message until his dying day. It was the announcement of the coming Messiah, Jesus, that caused God to break the silence!

We may not understand why God chose the specific time in history to send His Son into the world (Galatians 4:4), but we must trust that His timing is always perfect. Even in the midst of our own silent times, when we feel that God’s voice is so far from us, we must trust that He has our best interests at heart. Just like the Jewish people, who were patiently awaiting the coming of the Messiah, we can rest assured that God is always at work, fulfilling His plan in His perfect timing. There might be a “blank” page in your life-narrative right now, but take heart! When God turns the page to the next part of your life-narrative, it could be the beginning of something great or maybe something not so great. Regardless of how we view our next chapter and the changes that will take place, we must remember that nothing surprises God. He is with us every step of the way, both in this life and the life to come!

Jesus: Servant, Son of Man, King!

Congratulations! You have completed reading the Old Testament in your Rooted Bible Reading Plan for 2025. We now move on to the New Testament and begin with the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

We might consider Matthew, Mark, and Luke the first evangelists, who used similar accounts and often used the same language in their gospel writings. I find it interesting that God used three men from different backgrounds who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the synoptic gospels. These books of the Bible are referred to as synoptic because they are written from a common viewpoint, which is the Greek meaning of “synoptic”.

These men recorded the teachings, the miracles, and the proclamation of a kingdom to come as revealed through Jesus’ short three years of ministry. Jesus’ brief time here on earth revealed the mind and love of God and provided a means for mankind to be redeemed. His life and teachings, as recorded in the synoptic gospels, altered the course of history and ushered in the age of Grace.

The Three Evangelists

Matthew:
Matthew identified himself in Matthew 9:9 as a man sitting at the receipt of customs. Mark and Luke identify Matthew as a tax collector by the name of Levi. Many in the scripture were given two or three names. God changed Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Saul to Paul, Simon to Peter, etc., and maybe Levi to Matthew. Matthew means “gift of God or gift of Yahweh”.

Matthew was a Jewish tax collector, serving under Herod Antipas, who was the tetrarch of Galilee, which did not make him a popular individual among the Jews, and he would be considered a traitor to his people. This certainly would not qualify him to be a follower or one of the called Disciples of Christ. Yet, when Jesus called him to follow, Matthew must have seen in Jesus an opportunity to be freed from his service to Herod and his unpopularity with the Jews. It was an offer for a new life; therefore, Matthew immediately left his tax collector’s booth to become a devoted follower of Jesus, not realizing where this new journey would take him.

As with all of us, when Jesus calls, we can be redeemed to God and become a follower of Christ with everlasting life in Him. If we follow His call, then nothing in our past will matter. The Gospel of Matthew continues to be a source of spiritual guidance for all who answer the call to be a Christ Follower.

Mark:
Mark, who is identified in the scripture as John, Mark, and John Mark, grew up in Jerusalem. There was a house church in his home where his mother was a staunch supporter of the apostles and many Christ followers of the first century. It appears Peter was a favored apostle, and Mark became a close friend of Peter. Peter even called Mark (Marcus) his son in the faith. (1 Peter 5:13).

In Acts chapter 12, we read about Peter being arrested, placed in prison, and awaiting the death sentence by Herod the king. The church was gathered in the house of Mary, the mother of Mark, holding a prayer meeting for Peter’s safety. When an angel of the Lord freed Peter from prison, he immediately went to Mary’s house and to the followers who were gathered there.

Mark also accompanied Paul and his cousin Barnabas in mission work. Thus, Mark’s gospel is based greatly upon his close relationship with Peter, his sermons, and his ministry experiences with Paul and Barnabas.

Luke:
We are not given much information about Luke in his earlier years of life. We do know he was a Gentile who had come to faith in Christ. However, we don’t have any definite information about his conversion to Christ. It is believed his conversion was after Pentecost. Luke was identified in Paul’s letter to the Colossians as a beloved physician.

As a physician, Luke would have been highly educated, but we do not see that he ever elevated himself or his position in his writings. He was a humble man and did not call attention to himself. Luke proved to be a historian as he accompanied Paul, documenting much of Paul’s ministry. Luke is believed to have conducted careful research and interviews with eyewitnesses, including the apostles and other early followers of Jesus, which he used in writing his gospel and its sequel, the book of Acts. Because Mark and Luke had both travelled with Paul, they obviously knew each other. Luke was able to learn much from Mark due to his relationship with Peter, who was a disciple of Jesus. Luke acknowledges this in the very beginning of his gospel (Luke 1:1-3).

Luke, being the only non-Jewish writer of the New Testament, was chosen and inspired by the Holy Spirit to write his gospel to affirm Jesus as the Son of God and His humanity as the Son of Man.

Differences in the Synoptic Gospels

Because of the different backgrounds of these three men, the Holy Spirit inspired them to write their gospels in such a way as to convince their readers that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah and Savior of mankind. These gospels contain many similarities because of the flow of information between the writers, but also have purpose in their differences. Matthew wrote mainly to convince the Jewish people that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah; Mark wrote mainly to show Jesus’ miracles and works as a servant, while Luke wrote mainly as a physician and educated man to emphasize Jesus’ humanity as the Son of Man.

Jesus as King

Matthew’s gospel was directed mainly to the Jews. Being a disciple, he spent much time with Jesus. It appears his heart was for the Jewish people and he wanted to convince them that Jesus was their King. The Jews had been waiting for centuries for the Messiah to come and establish a new Kingdom. They were looking for a king who would rule the world with justice and free them from the rule of the Roman Empire. They were looking for a worldly king and not a spiritual king. They did not accept Jesus because He did not come in the way they had anticipated or expected. Matthew directed his gospel to the Jews to prove that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah who fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament, which they had ignored.

Matthew, being a Jew, knew his audience well. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he put together a well-documented account of the life and ministry of Jesus. He begins his gospel by declaring the genealogy of Jesus, starting with Abraham to David, continuing from David to the exile to Babylon, and from the exile to the Messiah.
 
Matthew tells about the birth of Jesus, emphasizing Joseph’s angelic encounter more than Mary’s. Although he makes it clear that Mary was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit, his attention to Joseph was to convince his readers that Jesus was the promised king through the lineage of David. He shares that Joseph was told the child was to be named Jesus, which means “the Lord saves”. Matthew also reveals that the child would be named Immanuel, meaning “God with us”, to fulfill the prophecy that was spoken by the prophet Isaiah.

Matthew notes that after Jesus was born, wise men (Magi) from the east came looking for the one born King of the Jews. They came to Jerusalem and asked Herod where they might find Him. The priests and scribes said it is written by the prophet that Bethlehem would be the place that would produce a Ruler who would shepherd the people of Israel. The Magi are only mentioned in Matthew’s gospel to add more convincing proof that Jesus is the long awaited King.

After documenting more prophecy from Jesus’ flight to Egypt, the massacre of the male children at Herod’s command, and the return to Nazareth, Matthew tells of John the Baptist and Jesus’ baptism. Then Matthew records Jesus’ ministry, teachings, parables, and miracles.

Matthew’s Gospel is the only one to include The Sermon on the Mount. Can you imagine the number of people who gathered that day? Some Bibles call this a large crowd, while the KJV and NKJV say there was a great multitude. There were people from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond Jordan.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew records the key words of Jesus, “Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law of the Prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus spoke of love, forgiveness, and humility. He also addressed issues of justice, equality, truthfulness, kindness and respect, and showing compassion to one another. As I said at the beginning of this writing, Jesus came to show us the mind of the Father and how to do His will, and to provide a way of salvation through His sacrifice.

Matthew compared the Old Testament prophetic writings with the historical and eyewitness accounts of the disciples in order to prove that Jesus is the promised Messiah. As you read his gospel, you will find references to prophecies from Isaiah, Micah, Hosea, Jeremiah, Psalms, Malachi, and Zechariah. You would think with this many compared prophecies, the Jews would have recognized and accepted Jesus as their Messiah.
Through Jesus’ life and ministry, Matthew gives us a clear message that Jesus is the Christ, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords.  Jesus gave His life on Calvary, was buried, and rose from the grave. He ascended back to the Father and is coming again. The question for us is, are we ready? Matthew leaves us with the final words of Jesus to go, and as we are going, preach, teach, and make disciples, which is called the Great Commission.

Jesus as Servant

Mark’s gospel was intended to be an encouragement to the Christians in Rome, as well as for all Christ followers like you and me. He reveals that the Son of God was willing to lay aside His deity and become an example as a servant for all humanity. Mark’s key verse is found in chapter 10, verse 45, as Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Although Mark’s gospel begins with acknowledging Jesus’ divinity as the Son of God, we see Jesus declaring in this verse that He has come in human form to serve by example and ultimately sacrifice His life for our ransom.

Mark does not record the angelic visits to Mary and Joseph or even mention the virgin birth of Jesus. He begins his gospel with John the Baptist preparing the way of the Lord, as prophesied by the Old Testament Prophets. He continues with the baptism of Jesus, Satan tempting Jesus, and then right into Jesus’ ministry.

While Matthew’s gospel records and references many Old Testament prophesies to establish Jesus’ identity, Mark’s gospel records some 18 miracles of Jesus to convince the people that He is the Christ. Jesus’ acts of healing, compassion, and power confirmed His identity with the disciples. When He asked them, “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter confidently answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29).

Mark had many personal experiences with the Apostle Peter. It is believed that Peter probably was the one who led Mark to faith in Jesus because Peter called Mark his son (1 Peter 5:13). As a young man, Mark became acquainted with Paul and accompanied Paul and Barnabas on Paul’s first missionary journey. Mark abandoned Paul and Barnabas early in the journey and returned home, which upset Paul greatly. Later on, Mark developed into a faithful and reliable follower of Christ, as Paul revealed in his letters.

Mark provides us with Jesus’ words on greatness and how it is measured by our service to one another. Jesus gave the example. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Mark’s gospel closes with the resurrection of our Savior. Like Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels, Mark recounts the visit of Mary Magdalene and other women to the tomb early on Sunday morning. The stone at the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away and they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting in the tomb. He told them not to be afraid, but to go and tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus would meet them in Galilee. Matthew records that the young man in the tomb was actually an angel who addressed the women, and Luke records that two men stood by them in shining garments, and later described these men as angels. Some people contend this to be a contradiction between the gospels; however, these are merely heavenly beings that provided the message where the risen Savior would meet His disciples.

Jesus, The Son of Man

Luke’s gospel begins with him putting together an orderly account of the life of Jesus based upon his careful review of things fulfilled, and the evidence provided by His eyewitness followers. Luke provides the most extensive and thorough story of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Unlike Matthew and Mark, the Holy Spirit uses Luke, as a gentile physician, to focus on Jesus as a man, without sin, who would become the perfect sacrifice for man’s redemption.

Luke records the miraculous conception and birth of John the Baptist. John’s parents, Elizabeth and Zachariah, were well-advanced in age, but the angel Gabriel announced to Zachariah that they would have a son, and his name would be called John. John would be the one to prepare the way of the Lord, as it is written in the Prophets. Luke tells of John’s birth, his circumcision, and how Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.

Luke goes into detail about the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary to announce the birth of Christ and the events that would take place through the pregnancy and birth. Matthew records the angel’s visit to Joseph, while Luke records the angel’s visit to Mary. Matthew and Luke wrote about the Christ for different audiences and from different perspectives. Mark’s gospel doesn’t even address Jesus’ birth.

Luke records the decree of Caesar for a census that took Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. An angel appearing to the shepherds with the news of Jesus’ birth is not recorded in the other two synoptic gospels. Luke makes no mention of the Magi as found in Matthew’s gospel. Luke continues to record Jesus being circumcised and presented in the temple. In the temple, Simeon and Anna meet Jesus and rejoice. At the age of twelve, Jesus is found in the temple, amazing the teachers with His wisdom. Later at the age of about thirty, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist and overcomes the temptations of Satan.

From Luke’s careful review of the fulfilled events and collected information from eyewitness followers of Jesus, Luke records the public ministry of Jesus. His gospel closes with Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus’ last words, recorded in Luke’s gospel, are found in Luke 24:49: “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” After this, Luke’s gospel seems to end abruptly, but remember, he also wrote the Acts of the Apostles, which picks up where he left off in his gospel writings.

It is interesting that Luke, being a Gentile, wrote more of the New Testament than any other author. He wrote 24 chapters in his gospel and 28 chapters in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, which accounts for about 25%. The Apostle Paul wrote the second most in his letters to the churches.

Conclusion

Although the synoptic gospels are similar, they differ in their intended audiences and are presented from different perspectives. We are blessed to have these gospels compiled within our Bible as evidence for us that Jesus is the King of Glory. We also see His great love as He took on human flesh to become a sacrifice for us, and it is by this example we can see how to serve one another in love.

We see many paintings of what artists envision Christ to look like. However, it is Isaiah the prophet who gives a description of Jesus. “He hath no form or comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2).

We get a picture in the gospels of Jesus’ life in action and His overwhelming emotions. The power of His presence can be seen in the responses of the people who were touched by His love. The gospels tell us that the common people followed Him gladly, and the children that came to Him were comfortable in His presence (Matt. 19:13-14). He acknowledged those who were outcast and responded to them in love. He made the sorrowing glad.

The gospels reveal our Savior’s strength, kindness, peace, and love. Yet, He came to His own creation, and His own did not receive Him; but to as many as did receive Him, He gave them the power to become the children of God. (John 1:11-12)

As we read these gospels, may we be convinced that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, and by believing, open our hearts and receive Him. Through our faith and by His grace, we can have the power to become the children of God.

“Come, return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces; now He will heal us. He has injured us; now He will bandage our wounds. In just a short time He will restore us, so that we may live in His presence. Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of the dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” Hosea 6:1-3

I recently did a Bible study called Faithful Love¹, which focuses on the book of Hosea. Hosea is actually one of my favorite books of the Old Testament, and I have read and studied it often. However, this time things hit me a bit differently, perhaps because it has been a while since I’ve studied it, or maybe because I used a different study method. One of the things that stood out to me was Hosea’s prayer in chapter 6. I don’t remember noticing before what great words of wisdom Hosea prayed over the people in verses 1-3. In the first three weeks, as I read and studied through the first five chapters which describe God’s people chasing after other gods, God’s anger with His people for their idolatry, and their refusal to return to Him – it was quite easy, or at least tempting, to convince myself that I do not have idols or practice idolatry. Of course, according to the definition of idolatry, this would mean that I never devote myself to anything more than I devote myself and time to God.

The definition of idolatry, according to Webster, is “the worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing.” An idol is anything that replaces the one, true God.²

In reality, I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to at least consider a few things – people, pleasures, foods, time, etc. – I sometimes, if not often or regularly, tend to place before God and His desires/will for my life.

So, on the day when my Bible study time included the passage from Hosea 6:1-3, along with Lamentations 3:22-24, and 1 Peter 5:6-7, it was an eye-opening reminder not to be fooled. Just because we’ve dressed our idols up in the 21st century, allowing them to become commonplace, so much so that many are widely accepted in homes and communities and even churches, doesn’t mean they are any less of an idol.

Maybe this doesn’t hit you the same way that it hits me – perhaps you have all possibilities of idolatry under control – but if I’m honest, I don’t. I have, through the 63 years of my life, struggled from time to time with the issue. So, I find myself thankful that, like Israel, even when I have turned to other “gods,” I am, by God’s grace and mercy, invited to return to the Lord with the assurance that He will respond. James said it like this in chapter 4, verse 8 –  “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

The testimony of Scripture is that God alone is worthy of worship. Idol worship robs God of the glory that is rightfully His, and that is something He will not tolerate (Isaiah 42:8). Idolatry extends beyond the worship of idols and images and false gods. Our modern idols are many and varied. Even for those who do not bow physically before a statue, idolatry is a matter of the heart—pride, self-centeredness, greed, gluttony, a love for possessions, and ultimately rebellion against God. Is it any wonder that God hates it?³

“Whoring after other gods”, a phrase used many times in the Bible,  seems like a harsh and awful statement – but it is nonetheless what God said His people were doing in Hosea’s day, what James warned against in the New Testament, and sadly, what I know I have been guilty of at times. Thankfully, as the author of Lamentations pointed out, God’s love is faithful and His mercies are new every morning. This has been one of my life verses since I was 28 years old, and I’m still clinging to it today. The thought fills me with hope, for I know that because of God’s great love, I am not consumed! Instead, I am invited into His presence. I’m given the gift of His Word and His Spirit and entreated to know Him more, and I have learned that knowledge is power. In this case, it is power against sin, as indicated by David in Psalm 119:11, where he wrote, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

God’s Word isn’t just power against sin, though; it is also the knowledge of what pleases Him, and it offers us the power to see sin, turn from it, and do what is right. Consider the words of Paul to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

Oh, how I pray for faithfulness to Him – a faithfulness that imitates His faithful love to me, leads me closer to Him, keeps me mindful of what is right to do, and makes me quickly repentant of any sin. May I heed the words of Hosea and be quick and faithful to turn back to God and press on to know Him more and more. Why? Because of these words from Hosea chapter four –

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge … and a people without understanding will come to ruin”.  Hosea 4:6 and 16

^{1 https://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg/faithful-love/
2 What is the definition of idolatry? | GotQuestions.org
3 What is the definition of idolatry? | GotQuestions.org}

1. Was every prophet divinely called into service by God?

Unlike the office of the priesthood, which was ancestry-based (you needed to be a descendant of Aaron), the office of the prophet was a divinely appointed call. Well-known prophets, such as Moses, Samuel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, or Isaiah, were called into service through a dream or vision, which we have a written account of in Scripture. The call of the prophet Jeremiah (1:4-19) leaves no room to question Who called him into office.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”   (Jer. 1:5)

However, not every prophet’s divine encounter that called them into office was recorded in Scripture. The lack of a written description of a prophet’s call (and commission) does not make them any less significant. Think of the prophet Nathan, who was a “court prophet” (one who gave counsel to the king) during the days of King David. Nothing is recorded of his divine call into office, yet consider some of his critical pronouncements: he told David that God was going to establish a covenant with him called the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7); he had to confront David over his sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam.12); as Adonijah conspired to take the kingship, Nathan assisted an aged David in carrying out the plan to make Solomon the next king (1 Kings 1); when King Hezekiah became king and desired to repair the temple for worship, Nathan the prophet had left instructions to follow concerning the Levite musicians; there is even a book named for Nathan (and several other prophets) that is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 29:29. Nathan was an instrumental court prophet during the reigns of David and Solomon. Nathan is a case in point: just because some prophets do not include an extensive account of their call in Scripture does not make their call or commission any less significant.

We can make an analogy here: a Christian who has a dramatic conversion experience is not more significant to God than a Christian whose conversion might be termed as ordinary. To God, every believer who accepts Christ’s gift of salvation is unique and valuable and loved! (God even loves those who reject Him). To God, every believer who accepts Christ’s gift of salvation has a divine calling on their life – the Great Commission (Matt.28:18-20). Whether a Christian’s salvation experience is dramatic or not, all Christians, like the prophets before, are entrusted with the commission to be ambassadors for God, especially to those within our sphere of influence.

2. Who was the first to hold the office of the prophet?

Moses was the first to hold the office of the prophet. Moses is a well-known name in both the Old and New Testaments; only Jesus and David are spoken of more frequently than Moses. Much of the time, our reading and studying of the life of Moses centers around his actions. He leads Israel out of Egypt; he parts the Red Sea; he ascends Mount Sinai to bring down God’s instructions for life (Ten Commandments) and worship (Tabernacle blueprints); he continues to minister to the faithless wilderness generation; he faithfully turns over the leadership of Israel to Joshua because he, too, cannot enter the Promise Land; and he preaches his most famous sermon (i.e. Book of Deuteronomy) in an effort to prevent the new generation from repeating the mistakes of the old generation.  Moses is the chief human figure in Exodus – Deuteronomy. He does so much for the Israelite nation as their leader that we often forget that he is also their God-appointed prophet, called into service through a divine encounter with Yahweh (Exodus 3).

Towards the end of Moses’ prophetic career, God instructs Moses that He wants to establish the office of the prophet (Deut.18:9-22). Not only did God desire the Israelites always to have a prophet in their midst who spoke for Him, but God also knew that a prophetic voice would be desperately needed in the near future. Listen to God’s warning about the land of Canaan, a land whose groups, clans, and tribes were bent on fostering a culture of idolatry.

“When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you...” (Deut.18:9-12)

This is one of the key reasons that God wanted the Israelites to drive out the inhabitants of the land; He was concerned that the Israelites would adopt these idolatrous practices if they lived alongside them in the land. God desired for His people to listen to His divinely appointed prophet(s) and not the false gods of the land; Deuteronomy 18:14-15 makes this point succinctly:

“For these nations, which you will dispossess, listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you. “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.”

God designed the office of the prophet for the spiritual well-being of His people and to remind the people Who they served. God wanted Israel never to forget that they are His people. Sadly, as a whole, Israel did not drive out the idolatrous inhabitants in Canaan, and only two generations later, the nation entered one of the darkest periods of its history. Yet despite their continual failure, He does not give up on His people. The establishment of the office of the prophet would guarantee that there would always be a voice calling His people back to worship of Yahweh. The office of the prophet reached a culmination with the incarnation of Christ; He was the Prophet (He is also Priest and King). In the New Testament, during his second sermon, Peter connects the office of the prophet and applies it to the person of Jesus.

“…God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.” (Acts 3:21-22)

The office of the prophet that Moses wrote of in Deuteronomy ceased to exist long ago with the completion of God’s Word – the Bible. Even though we are privileged to possess God’s holy words ... the world, the flesh, and the Devil (1 John 2:15) seem to employ every waking moment powerfully coaxing us to serve their interests. We have God-called pastors who are tasked with calling God’s people back to Himself (more about this later), but more importantly, we have a powerful ally called the Holy Spirit. He indwells every person who puts their faith in Christ, helping and encouraging each one to stay loyal to God.

3. Are prophets called by other names?

The name, “Man of God” appears early in the biblical narrative, used for men like Moses (Deut.33:1), Samuel (1 Sam.9:6), and Elijah (2 Kgs.1:9). It was a name used to emphasize the moral character and holy calling of a prophet; 2 Kings 4:9 describes the prophet Elisha as the “holy man of God.”

Two Hebrew words, both with a verbal root meaning “to see,” are used to translate the name “Seer.” Although 1 Samuel 9:9 and 1 Chronicles 29:29 indicate that the offices of the prophet and seer were synonymous, the designation as “seer” was commonly used by the people in relation to how a prophet received revelation. A prophet would receive divine revelation from God through the medium of a dream, a vision, or a supernatural illumination.

“Servant of the Lord” is an atypical name for a prophet. Moses, Joshua and David (who were not prophets), and Jesus are called “servants of the Lord.” It is a name used to describe a prophet’s holy and close relationship to God (1 Kgs.14:18). God frequently speaks of the prophets as “my servants the prophets” (2 Kgs.9:7, 17:13; Ezk.38:17; Zec.1:6). The prophet Jeremiah used the phrase more than any other prophet; Israel did not listen to “my servants the prophets” (Jer.7:25, 26:5, 29:19, 35:15, 44:4), therefore, judgment is coming by means of the Babylonians.

The name, “Messenger of the Lord,” fine-tunes the task of the servant of the Lord. In the most basic sense, a prophet was a messenger who received a message from God and delivered it. Haggai (Hag.1:3) and John the Baptist (Mal.3:1) are both called messengers of the Lord. Furthermore, the uniqueness of the name “messenger” lies in its dual application to supernatural beings, particularly angels (though not all supernatural beings function as angelic messengers). Messenger (Hebrew: mal’āk) can be used to denote both human and supernatural messengers. Humanly speaking, prophets are generally referred to as messengers of the Lord (2 Chr.36:15-16; Isa.44:26), but in the unseen realm, some supernatural beings (i.e. angels) are tasked with delivering messages to humanity. Most of the time, these messengers are not named in the Scripture text, but occasionally we find that some have proper names, such as Gabriel, who delivered messages to Daniel (Dan.8:15, 9:21), Joseph (Lk.1:19), and Mary (Lk. 1:26).

4. Did all prophets write Bible books?

In the English Bible, the Old Testament is commonly divided into five sections: the Pentateuch, the Historical Books, the Wisdom/Poetry, the Major Prophets, and the Minor Prophets. The last two sections, Major and Minor Prophets, commonly referred to as “writing prophets,” comprise 25.6% of the Old Testament. Many Christians at least know the names of the writing prophets, especially if they memorized all the Bible books in a catchy song. However, there are other prophets whose messages were not officially compiled into a Bible book, such as Elijah and Elisha. We have a narrative of their ministries in 1 and 2 Kings, but they did not collect their writings into an official Bible book. Other prophets collected their writings into a book, but that book has been lost to history (or has it?). Earlier, Nathan the prophet was noted for the influence he had as a court prophet during the reign of King David. Nathan, along with Gad and Samuel, collected their material into books according to 1 Chronicles 29:29. Others that could be added to this list are Ahijah the Shilonite and Iddo the seer (2 Chr.9:29), and Shemaiah the prophet (2 Chr.12:15). 2 Chronicles 33:19 informs the reader that during the reign of King Manasseh, he had a group of seers, “…and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel…”.

If you’ve read thus far, then you might be asking the question…what happened to those other books? Have they been lost to history?  Did you notice any repetition in the above paragraph? (Hint: Bible book). Altogether, the Chronicler (a.k.a. the fancy name for the author of 1 and 2 Chronicles) identified more than 30 sources that were used in writing 1 and 2 Chronicles. Most of these sources were official annals, genealogical records, and prophetic records.¹ So, technically speaking, nearly all the prophets had their writings collected into Bible books, just not in the fashion that most would expect. It is incredible to realize that even the obscure prophets, some of whom were only named once, had their writings collected and included in the canon of Scripture, preserved through the ages for Christians to read and learn from in the 21st century.

5. Did all prophets predict the future?

The short answer is no; not every biblical prophet predicted future events. In fact, as one reads the breadth of the prophets in Scripture, it becomes clear that the foremost role of the prophet was not predicting the future but preaching and reminding the people of their responsibility to obey the law. Sometimes, interwoven in a prophet’s message, there might be a prediction of the future. Furthermore, care must be taken to explain what type of future the prophet is predicting; in other words, the prophet’s lifetime, centuries after his lifetime, or the end-times future. Some Scriptural examples will help with comprehension. The prophet Elijah declares that there will be a season of no rain in Israel (1 Kgs. 17:1; 18:1), and then three years later God tells Elijah, the drought is over, and I am going to send rain. Elijah predicted a future even in his lifetime; he did not predict a distant, end-of-the-world event. In the New Testament, the Apostle John’s visions (Rev. 4-22) are of distant, end-time events. The prophet Daniel predicted events that would occur in his lifetime, in the next few centuries beyond his lifetime, and distant, end-time events. What can be confusing is trying to interpret the type of future the prophet’s message entails, but do not be disheartened; the Holy Spirit, who indwells every Christian, can illuminate our understanding of the Scriptures. Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 that a Christian’s understanding of both the complex and straightforward truths of Scripture is bound up with the active work of the Holy Spirit; it is the Spirit of God who alone comprehends the thoughts of God (1 Cor. 2:11).
 
6. What was the main role(s) of a prophet?

The prophet has two main roles: preacher and a watchman. As a preacher (and teacher), he was tasked with calling the people to obedience to the Law. This is the essence of why God established the office of the prophet for the nation of Israel. Whether a prophet is rebuking, reminding, encouraging, persuading, or reasoning with the people, all of it was done to procure a response of obedience to the already revealed Law – the one that Moses received on Mt. Sinai (Exo. 19-31). Today, in a similar vein, a pastor preaches and teaches from the already revealed Word of God; he is to, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Tim.4:2). Pastors today, like the biblical prophets of old, are tasked with calling the people back to the obedience of God’s Word.

The second role of the prophet was to be a watchman. From a purely physical perspective, a watchman was tasked with warning the people of impending danger, usually intruders or military threats (2 Kgs.9:17). The Bible also mentions watchtowers that were constructed (Isa. 5:1-2) so that the watchmen could rise above the landscape and warn of potential threats. From a spiritual perspective, prophets were tasked with warning the people of spiritual dangers. During Ezekiel’s divine call from God as a prophet to Israel, God says, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me” (Ezk.3:17; 33:7). As watchmen, the prophets were “to sound the alarm and warn of the approaching spiritual peril.”² Both the pastor and the prophet are divinely called to be watchmen, to sound the alarm when they see danger on the horizon.

7. Why did the prophets refer to the land so much in their messages?

The land that God gave to Israel (the Promised Land) means more to Israel than the Western world will ever understand. “The land of Israel was God’s switchboard to communicate His truth to a lost world…their obedience to the Lord while they lived in the land would produce spiritual fruit among the nations (Deut.4:5-8).”³  Israel was never commanded to leave the land; they were to live in accordance with the laws God gave them, which would draw the nations of the world to come and see the God they served. This is precisely why God gave specific rules and regulations for the upkeep and maintenance of the physical land. The condition of the land was a visible sign of Israel’s spiritual condition. Obedience to God’s laws brought prosperity and blessing from God’s hand, but disobedience brought discipline that often came in the form of drought, famine, or even plagues.⁴ The prophets continually warned the people that judgment was forthcoming if they did not obey God’s laws. Sadly, Israel does not listen to the generations of prophetic voices.

“And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy.”
(2 Chr.36:15-16)

For generations, the prophets preached the same sermons, time and again, but the people continued to showcase their idolatrous hearts. The long-suffering and compassion of God had reached a limit; discipline was imminent. God used the nation of Babylon to take Israel into exile. Removal from the land was the ultimate consequence of her failure to obey God’s laws. Ironically, the length of time Israel remained in exile was intrinsically tied to the land itself. Second Chronicles 36:21 explains, “… until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years” (2 Chr.36:21).” Israel had violated the law of the Sabbatical Year (Lev.25:1-7; 26:34-35, 43) “which decrees that every seven years the entire land must lie fallow to observe a Sabbath for Yahweh free from agricultural exploitation.”⁵ The land was supposed to rest every seven years, but Israel failed to do this; therefore, removing her from the land allowed the land to receive the rest that it was designed to receive under God’s laws.

Why did the prophets refer to the land so much in their messages? Because the very identity of Israel is inseparably linked to the land of Israel.

^{1 Howard, Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books, 238-42.
2 Freeman, An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophets, 50.
3 Katulka, Israel Always, 27.
4 Benware, Survey of the Old Testament (rev.ed), 193.
5 Albertz, Israel in Exile: The History and Literature of the Sixth Century B.C.E., 13.}

The book of Isaiah stands out as a rich and majestic masterpiece of messages from God to His chosen people, unveiling His holiness, judgment, compassion, and faithfulness. Readers often find themselves drawn into the convicting messages and vivid prophecies handed down by God through the prophet Isaiah. For over 2,500 years, believers have been challenged by the message of Isaiah, comforted by its promises, and amazed by the accuracy of its predictions.

Did you know that some have recently called into question the unity of Isaiah? Although various aspects stand out as unique, a quick look at the structure and form of the prophetic book reveals a remarkable, unified voice and vision for a people living in tumultuous times.
 
The Issue

Critical scholarship in recent years has given rise to the claim that Isaiah is not a single book, but rather a compilation of works from several authors who wrote during different periods of Israel’s history. Citing dramatic changes in style and content between chapters 1-39 and 40-66, some scholars contend that the second part of Isaiah is the work of a second author who lived much later. Others push the issue even further, suggesting a third author composed chapters 56-66 of Isaiah.

Although the views of a “Deutero-Isaiah” and “Trito-Isaiah” have grown in popularity among certain academic circles, they have also led some to question the ability of Scripture to predict future events. Traditionally, readers of Isaiah gained courage and inspiration from its confident revelation of future promises through the unified testimony of a single man of God. Those who propose that Isaiah stands as a collection of multiple authors writing during various time periods must first disregard a series of important factors pointing to continuity within all sixty-six chapters of the book.

By examining Isaiah’s use in the New Testament, historical and archaeological discoveries, and internal evidence, readers discover remarkable continuity and coherence within this prophetic masterpiece.

The Evidence
New Testament Use

The New Testament affirms Isaiah’s unity in clear terms. John, in his gospel account, quotes from both the first and latter sections of Isaiah, citing Isaiah 53 and Isaiah 6 in the same passage and attributing each passage to “Isaiah the prophet” (John 12:38–41).  Jesus himself read from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue and declared, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21), directly affirming these words as Isaiah’s prophecy. The early church had no confusion about authorship and considered the book a single, unified work.

Historical & Archaeological Discoveries

For centuries, both Jewish and Christian traditions accepted Isaiah’s unity without question. The idea of multiple authors emerged only in recent years, coinciding with the rise of higher criticism. Furthermore, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 provided powerful evidence for Isaiah’s integrity. Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest Hebrew manuscripts were from approximately 900 A.D. The Dead Sea Scrolls constitute one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century, as many of the scrolls date back to around 250 B.C. Among this incredible discovery is the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaᵃ), which dates to around 125 B.C. and contains all sixty-six chapters as one continuous scroll, with no divisions suggesting multiple authors.

Themes, Theology, and Structure

Readers of Isaiah find the internal unity of Isaiah striking. A key phrase, “the Holy One of Israel”, appears consistently throughout all sections of the book, binding the entire message together. The shift in tone between judgment (chapters 1–39) and comfort (chapters 40–66) simply reflects a change in subject matter and not a change in author. The book follows a purposeful, thematic flow from warning to hope, displaying the same theological depth throughout.

Interpretive Challenges

Ultimately, the challenge of Isaian authorship and unity lies in whether or not God’s Word can be accepted as predictive prophecy. The naming of Cyrus 150 years before his birth is not a problem for God, who declares “The end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10). Viewing Isaiah as prophetic revelation removes the need to divide it into separate authors.

The Importance

The unity of Isaiah highlights the reliability of Scripture and the providential power of God. If one prophet could speak so clearly about events far beyond his own lifetime, it proves Scripture is trustworthy and divinely inspired. Recognizing Isaiah as a single, unified work strengthens confidence in the Bible’s authority and reassures believers that every promise made will ultimately be fulfilled in God’s perfect timing.

Isaiah is more than a collection of ancient writings; it is a single, Holy Spirit-inspired revelation of God’s holiness, justice, and salvation. The evidence from Scripture, history, archaeology, and internal themes all point to one prophet with one vision. The God who spoke through Isaiah is the same God who controls history and keeps every promise He makes. Trusting the unity of Isaiah means trusting the words of an unchanging God who speaks with perfect clarity across the ages.

How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!
She weeps bitterly in the night,
Her tears are on her cheeks;
Among all her lovers
She has none to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
They have become her enemies.
Judah has gone into captivity,
Under affliction and hard servitude;
She dwells among the nations,
She finds no rest;
All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.
Lamentations 1:1-3

From the opening verses of Lamentations, we would have no idea that by the middle of the third chapter, we would find some of the most comforting scriptures that the Word of God has to offer. The very title of the book, Lamentations, is not at all enticing to the reader. To lament, according to our English dictionaries, means to express deep grief or sorrow, and is often used in poetry or song. In the Bible, and particularly here in the book of Lamentations, it carries the idea of crying out loudly.

The theme of God’s looming judgment over the nation of Israel, due to their unfaithfulness, is a very familiar one to the prophets of the Old Testament. Here, the prophet Jeremiah is in deep grief over the devastation to the city of Jerusalem during the Babylonian captivity.

But God, in all His righteous indignation, still loves His people, Israel. Jeremiah expresses that so well in verses 22 and 23 of Lamentations chapter 3.

The sharp contrast seen in Lamentations between God’s wrath on His people and His love for them is similar to the book of Nahum, where we see the prophet Nahum lamenting over the city of Nineveh. Though the people of Nineveh had turned to the Lord during the preaching of Jonah, they had reverted to their evil ways, and God’s judgment was just around the corner. Nahum’s prophecy is filled with despair throughout the book, and yet offers this gem in the very first chapter: “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.”

Though Lamentations is filled with sorrow and gloom, we still find in the third chapter these words of solace:

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.

28 Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him;
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust—
There may yet be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
And be full of reproach.

31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies.
33 For He does not afflict willingly,
Nor grieve the children of men.
Lamentations 3:22-33

The most familiar of these verses are verses 22 and 23. Let’s look at three ways that these two verses describe our God.

He Is a Merciful God

God’s mercy is a constant theme throughout the Bible, though it often surprises us to find it in the Old Testament. The church age in which we live has often been called the Age of Grace, which seems to carry the connotation that God was not gracious or merciful in the Old Testament, and yet, there are an abundant number of references to God’s mercy in these scriptures. Psalm 100 ends with “His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures through all generations.” Psalm 136, which details God’s dealings with Israel, ends each verse with the phrase, “His mercy endures forever.” The prophet Joel implores his readers, “Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful.”

David, when being asked to choose between three judgments for him to receive for a sin that he had committed, pleaded for God’s mercy, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are great.” Mercy, according to Micah, is something that the Lord requires us to love: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

Continuing the theme of God’s mercy in the New Testament, Jesus taught us that God’s mercy is also something we should emulate and incorporate into our lives when He said, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). We read in Ephesians 2 of God, who is “rich in mercy.” In this chapter of God’s Word, Paul describes a destructive course that all of mankind is pursuing until God steps in and saves us by His grace. As believers in our daily walk with the Lord, we are told in the book of Hebrews to come before the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and grace to help in time of need.

In calling men to receive God’s gift of eternal life, the hymn writer, John Stockton, wrote, “Come every soul by sin oppressed, there’s mercy with the Lord.”

Thomas Chisolm, the author of “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” wrote a song about God’s mercy after the Lord had met a great financial need in His life.

The mercies of God What a theme for my song
Oh I never could number them o’er
They’re more than the stars in the heavenly dome
Or the sands of the wavebeaten shore

Chorus

For mercies so great, What return can I make
For mercies so constant and sure
I’ll love him, I’ll serve Him with all that I have
As long as my life shall endure

According to Jeremiah, God is not only merciful, but he is also full of compassion.

He is a Compassionate God

Through His compassion, He saves us. Lamentations 3:22 and 23 make it abundantly clear that God’s mercy is available to us because of His great compassion, and therefore, we can be saved from the punishment we deserve. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed because His compassions fail not.”

Perhaps this compassion is most clearly and famously seen in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Notice the parallel from Lamentations 3:22 and John 3:16. In our English Bibles, we have the word “consumed,” and John 3:16 uses the word “perish.” In Lamentations, we read about compassion, and John talks about God’s love. The Christian Standard translates the verse in Lamentations this way: “Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish.”

Christ’s very mission on earth was “to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). As He dealt with the people that He healed, the scriptures say that He was moved with compassion, and when Jesus saw the crowds that came to see and hear Him, He looked on them with great compassion, because they were like sheep without a Shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

Jesus loved us so much that He bore our sin in His own body on the cross that we might be saved from eternal punishment. “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). The word “propitiation” carries the idea of satisfaction, especially relating to God’s wrath concerning our sin. A phrase from the modern hymn expresses it well: “For on the cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” Some liberal theologians have expressed concern over that phrase of the hymn and have suggested it be changed to “For on the cross as Jesus died that love of God was magnified.” Most certainly, we can see that the love of God is most magnified in the fact that God’s wrath was satisfied.

The indescribable love of God, which is beyond our understanding was very well expressed in these lyrics, “Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretched from sky to sky.”

His Mercy and Love Keep us

Notice in Lamentations 3:22, not only does God’s love keep us from perishing, but it never ceases to sustain. In Romans 8, Paul tells us that God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all. Paul then asks and answers the question, “Who shall separate us from the love of God, shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” The triumphant conclusion of the passage is that “nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

He is a Faithful God!

With such mercy and compassion as constant as the morning sunrise and as consistent as the waves of the ocean, it is no wonder that Jeremiah’s prophecy explodes into praise with the phrase, “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

There are numerous other scriptures that proclaim God’s faithfulness. For instance, in Psalm 36, King David describes God’s faithfulness as reaching to the clouds, and in Psalm 89, Ethan the Ezrahite declares, “with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.” Both Psalms begin by mentioning the mercy of God. Then Paul, in his second epistle to Timothy, describes God as remaining faithful even when we are unfaithful (2 Timothy 2:13).

Jesus Christ is called a merciful and faithful high priest in the second chapter of Hebrews, and in 1 John, with grateful hearts we read that “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When we consider the mercy, compassion, and faithfulness of God as described by Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:22 and 23, I believe we can find no better summation of this passage than the lyrics that Thomas O. Chisholm wrote many years ago. Using this passage and a few words from the book of James, he wrote:

“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow—
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain:
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”

The Book of Jeremiah is a collection of sermons preached by the “weeping prophet” (Jer. 9:1, 10; and 13:17). Thomas Constable said, “Babylon” is mentioned 162 times in the Book of Jeremiah (Babylonian Captivity). No wonder Jeremiah was weeping. In fact, Jeremiah preached a heartbreaking message of doom to a stiff-necked people. He began preaching around the age of 17 and labored more than 40 years proclaiming, “the Word of the Lord.” He was forbidden to marry or have children (Jer. 16:1-2) and was put in prison for his preaching.² Jeremiah wasn’t a rock star personality. He wasn’t known for his popularity, but he was known for his prophetic preaching. In other words, Jeremiah would never be mistaken for Joel Osteen.  Let me illustrate. The word “prophet” is found 96 times in the book of Jeremiah.  Jeremiah was first and foremost the messenger of God.³ Furthermore, he had to deal with the false prophets, too.⁴

The word “prophet” is the Hebrew word נָבִיא nab,i meaning a spokesman for God. A prophet did three things.  First, a prophet would “foretell” or prophesy future events. For instance, Jeremiah constantly foretold Judah about the coming Babylonian captivity. He was relentless…begging the people to repent. As you read his prophecy, he preached the same sermon day after day. The title of the sermon was, “Judgement is Coming.” This is the only sermon Jeremiah had in his repertoire.

Second, a prophet was not only a “foreteller,” but he was also a “forth-teller.” In other words, he would fiercely cry out against the sins of the people. He would preach, “Thus saith the Lord,” in its various forms, some 411 times. The book of Jeremiah is the inspired Word of God (Jer. 1:1-11, 2:1-31) with a special emphasis on the “forth-telling” of the prophet (Jer. 5:14; 7:27-28; 9:20; 20:9; 25:8-13). Who can forget the famous chapter where the King of Judah, Jehoiakim, cut up and burned sections of Jeremiah’s prophetic scroll (Jer. 36:1-32)? Third, the prophet asked question after question in his prophecies. There are over 130 questions in the book of Jeremiah, mostly rhetorical.⁵ This is very Jewish. Nonetheless, the prophet asked questions and then answered them in his sermons/prophecies. So, what was the main problem?

A Heart Problem

The main problem was a heart problem. The people followed the dictates of their own hearts. Jeremiah said, “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts” (Jer. 3:17). The word “follow” אַחַר achar translated “pursuing” four times and gives the idea of going your own way.⁶ The word “dictates” is translated “stubbornness” some ten times and refers to our imagination. In other words, just do whatever your heart imagines… this is very dangerous. The darkness and depravity of the human heart are beyond comprehension. Jeremiah described the human heart as “evil” and “desperately wicked,” even downright depraved (Jer. 17:9-10). The world says, “follow your heart,” but the Bible says, “follow Jesus.” Following your depraved heart can be a dangerous choice (Jer. 9:11-14; 11:8; 13:10; 16:12; 18:12; 23:17). What does it really mean to follow the dictates of our evil hearts?  

First, it means a life of disobedience. Jeremiah proclaimed, “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward” (Jer. 7:23-24). What happens when you follow the counsels and the dictates of your evil heart? Verse 24 says, they “…went backward and not forward.” This is a vivid description of Judah and Israel. We need to remember that a life of disobedience always takes you “backward,” not “forward.” Sin always takes you back, holds you down, and keeps you from moving forward.

Second, it leads to utter ruin. Jeremiah reminded Judah, “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of jackals. I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. Who is the wise man who may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? Why does the land perish and burn up like a wilderness, so that no one can pass through?” (Jer. 9:11-12). How does God describe the ruin?  “A heap of ruin” (pile of rubbish, v.11); “a den of jackals” (no people, v.11); “desolate” (a waste, devastation, v.11); “without inhabitant” (no people, v.11); “perish” (destroy or to obliterate, v.12); “burned up like a wilderness” (ugly and utter ruin, fire destroys, v.12). A heartbreaking picture of the future ruin of Judah/Jerusalem because of the coming Babylonian captivity. This is what happens when you follow the dictates of your own heart.
 
Third, it means to abandon Scripture and pursue the idols (the Baals) of our hearts (Jer. 9:14). This is something their fathers taught them. Idolatry and Baal worship were a huge problem. In fact, Israel and Judah became serial idolaters. Jeremiah preached sermon after sermon on idolatry.⁷ Unfortunately, Judah discovered, you mold the idol…then the idol molds you. Don’t follow the dictates of your own evil heart.

Fourth, it means to choose “your heart” over His voice (v. 7c). Highlight three words, “Obey My voice.” The prophet said, “For I earnestly exhorted your fathers in the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, until this day, rising early and exhorting, saying, ‘Obey My voice.’ Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone followed the dictates of his evil heart…” (Jer. 11:7-8). The phrase, “earnestly exhorted,” is found twice in v. 7 and means to preach, to protest, to testify. Is consistent expository preaching a thing of the past? Is sound biblical preaching enough? Do we crave the entertainment model so deeply that we let culture dictate how we worship? Perhaps these questions are ones we need to ponder.

Three key words: “word, walk, and worship.”  Jeremiah lamented, “Thus says the Lord: ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the Lord, ‘that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear’ (Jer. 13:9-11). They “refused to hear” and “they would not hear.” Thus, they became like this beautiful “sash” that was good for nothing…a wasted life.

Jeremiah repeated the same sermon in Jeremiah 16:10-12. He proclaimed, “And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the Lord pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Because your fathers have forsaken Me,’ says the Lord; ‘they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me and not kept My law. And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me.” Same three words: word, walked, and worshiped. Show the word, pronounce the word (great disaster), walked after other gods, and no one listened to Me. Again, in Jeremiah 18:12, the same sermon, “And they said, “That is hopeless! So we will walk according to our own plans, and we will every one obey the dictates of his evil heart.” When the Word is not enough, you’re in a dangerous place spiritually (See also Jer. 23:16-17). The cycle of ignoring “His voice” and “following your own evil heart” is disastrous. Unfortunately, Judah did not learn the lesson.

Conclusion

Now I understand why the expression “backslidden” is found 14 times in the Book of Jeremiah and only 17 times in the entire Old Testament.⁸ Why? Jeremiah made it simple. When you turn a deaf ear to the Word of God to follow the dictates of your own evil heart, and you worship idols, then most likely you’re backslidden. Jeremiah preached against the “perpetual backsliding” of Judah (Jer. 8:5), her continual idol worship, and pronounced doom on their rebellion (Babylonian captivity).

Yet, God gave Judah plenty of space to repent, but she would not. He made a promise to Judah, saying, “amend your ways and your doings” then “I will cause you to dwell in this place,” meaning Jerusalem (Jer. 7:3). He even urged them, “For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever” (Jer. 7:5-7). Jeremiah even preached “obedience” some 38 times to Judah but to no avail.⁹ Nevertheless, they rebelled and disobeyed. Thus, they spent seventy years in Babylonian captivity. Why? Because they followed the dictates of their own evil heart.

_{Constable, Notes on Jeremiah (2006 edition).
2 Jer. 18:18; 20:1-3; 26:8-11; 32:1-2; 33:1-3; 37:15-21; 38:5-28.
3 Jer. 1:4-10; 7:13, 25, 25:1-4; 26:5-16; 29:19; 32:33; 35:14-15.
4 Jer. 2:8; 5:13, 31; 14:14-15; 23:9-37.
5 A rhetorical question is asked for dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer. Some were asked by Jeremiah and some asked by the Lord: Jer. 2:5-32; 3:1-5; 4:14; 5:7-9, 5:18-31; 7:8-11; 8:8, 12; 10:7; 13:22-27; 14:19, 22; 16:10-13, 20; 22:28-30; 23:18-29; 32:26-27; 44:7-9.
6 Thomas (1998). NAS Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries, Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc.  
7 Jer. 1:16; 2:5-28; 5:18; 7:6, 18, 30-31; 8:2; 10:8-14; 11:12-17; 12:16; 16:11-18; 18:15; 19:4-13; 23:13, 27; 25:6; 32:29-35; 43:12-13; 44:3-5-25; 46:25; 48:35; 49:3; 50:2, 38; 51:17, 52.
8 Jer. 2:19; 3:6, 8, 11, 12, 14, 22; 5:6; 8:5; 14:7; 31:22; 49:4.
9 Jer. 3:13, 25; 7:23-28; 9:13; 11:3-8; 12:17; 17:23; 18:10,-12; 22:21; 26:13; 32:23; 34:10-17; 35:8-18; 38:20; 40:3; 42:6-21; 43:4-7; 44:23.}

The book of Ecclesiastes stands as one of the most intriguing and philosophical books of the Bible. Often misunderstood as pessimistic or cynical, it is in truth a deeply theological exploration of life, meaning, and human limitations. It was written by a man of great wisdom and experience, King Solomon, who had everything the world could offer: wisdom, wealth, fame, and power. Yet, his reflections reveal a soul weary from the vain pursuits of worldly satisfaction. His final exhortation, found in Ecclesiastes 12:1, captures the central message of the entire book: “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). This closing imperative not only concludes the book but also crowns it, summing up the purpose of life under God.

Vanity of Vanities

Solomon begins Ecclesiastes with the startling declaration: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). The Hebrew word translated “vanity” is hebel, which literally means “vapor” or “breath.” It describes something fleeting, elusive, and insubstantial. Solomon isn’t saying that life is meaningless in an absolute sense, but rather that it is transient and inexplicable when viewed solely from an earthly perspective.

He then proceeds to survey the major pursuits of life: wisdom, pleasure, work, wealth, and legacy. In each, he finds the same result—none of them can ultimately satisfy. In Ecclesiastes 2:11, he concludes, “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.”

Solomon is not dismissing wisdom or work outright; rather, he is pointing out that apart from God, these things do not offer the permanence or purpose we crave. His insights are both honest and sobering. It leads us to confront the question: What really matters in the end?

Life Under the Sun

One of Solomon’s most repeated phrases is “under the sun,” which appears nearly thirty times. It refers to life from a purely human, earthly perspective. When we attempt to find ultimate meaning in anything under the sun, we are bound for disappointment. Pleasure fades, wealth can be lost, people forget our achievements, and death comes to all.

This realism doesn’t lead Solomon to despair, but to a critical conclusion: true meaning must be found beyond the sun, in the eternal God who made everything. The frustrations of life point us beyond themselves to our Creator. Solomon isn’t calling us to abandon the world, but to see it rightly—as a gift from God rather than a god in itself.

God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Limits

In chapters 3 through 6, Solomon reflects deeply on the rhythms and seasons of life. In the famous passage of Ecclesiastes 3, he writes, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). This passage affirms that while we are not in control of time, God is. He has “made everything beautiful in its time” and “also He has put eternity in their hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This points to a central theological reality: humans long for permanence and purpose because they were made for an eternal relationship with God.

Yet, Solomon also acknowledges that God’s purposes are often mysterious: “No one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This invites a perspective of humble trust and reverence, not frustration. Life is a gift to be enjoyed with gratitude and awe, not a puzzle to be fully solved.

Riches and Pleasure Are Futile

In chapters 4 through 6, Solomon offers a poignant critique of wealth, oppression, and the endless pursuit of more. He observes that many people labor tirelessly, not out of joy, but out of envy: “Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:4). Others never pause to ask, “For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?” (Ecclesiastes 4:8).

Solomon was no stranger to luxury or indulgence. He testifies in chapter 2 to having pursued every pleasure imaginable, withholding nothing from himself. Yet, he found it all hollow in the end: “He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

The key problem is not with wealth or pleasure in themselves, but with making them our ultimate goal. When gifts replace the Giver, they become burdens rather than blessings. Solomon’s solution is not some form of asceticism, but rightly ordered enjoyment: “It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage” (Ecclesiastes 5:18).

The Call to Wisdom

In the middle sections (chapters 7–11), the tone becomes more proverbial and reflective. Solomon gives practical counsel on living wisely in a fallen world. Life is unpredictable, full of irony and injustice. The righteous sometimes suffer, and the wicked often prosper. Yet, Solomon does not advocate some sort of fatalism. Instead, he calls for wise, balanced, and humble living.

He encourages enjoying life while recognizing its brevity: “Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works” (Ecclesiastes 9:7). He also emphasizes the importance of generosity and risk: “Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1).

These exhortations build toward a greater goal: living life fully, but not foolishly—with God in view, not self at the center.

Remember Now Your Creator (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

The final chapter brings the whole book to its poignant climax. Ecclesiastes 12:1 exhorts, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come.” This is the crescendo of Solomon’s lifelong reflection. The word “remember” here does not mean mere mental recollection, but active, relational acknowledgment. To remember your Creator is to live in continual awareness of Him, to reverence Him, and to orient your life around Him.

Why should we do this in youth? Because the course of life is set early, and the habits formed during that time shape one’s destiny. Solomon warns that days of trouble, aging, and decline are coming. Eyes will grow dim, strength will fade, and desires will wane. He paints a poetic and sobering picture of old age (Ecclesiastes 12:2–7), culminating in the return of the spirit to God who gave it.

In other words, life is short and sacred. The only way to live well is to live in the present with the end in mind.

Fear God and Keep His Commandments

The book concludes by reinforcing the same message: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14).

Solomon is not preaching legalism here. The fear of God is a reverent trust and awe, not terror. It is the posture of a heart rightly aligned with its Maker. To fear God is to live wisely and worshipfully. The call to keep His commandments flows out of this reverence, not as a burdensome duty, but as a grateful response.

We know that salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, not earned by our works (Ephesians 2:8–9). We must remember that Ecclesiastes is not a manual on how to be saved. It is a book of wisdom about how to live meaningfully after receiving new life from God. The judgment it speaks of is not necessarily about eternal salvation but about the evaluation of one’s life in light of God’s truth (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10).

Living WIth An Eternal Perspective

In spite of what some may think, Ecclesiastes is not a dark, foreboding book; it is a deeply realistic and redemptive one. Solomon invites us to peel away the illusions of self-sufficiency and earthly permanence. He shows us that life without God is ultimately unsatisfying, no matter how successful or pleasurable it may appear at the moment.

His final call—”Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth”—is not a footnote, but the foundation. It encapsulates the wisdom of a man who had everything, tried everything, and found that only one thing matters: to know, reverence, and walk with God.

In a world of distractions and false promises, this ancient voice speaks with fresh clarity. It reminds us that meaning is not something we create but something we receive. It is found not under the sun, but in relationship with the One who made the sun.

So let us hear the conclusion of the matter. Let us remember our Creator today—not some future day. Let us live right now in light of eternity, and in doing so, discover the joy, freedom, and wisdom that only God can give.

Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs) has, by far, produced a plethora of interpretations over the centuries. If you need some interesting, rabbit-hole reading, then look up the interpretations of Song of Songs; you will not be disappointed. However, with so many interpretations, the problem of finding the correct one becomes a fundamental issue that must be solved if we are to understand the book’s meaning. For the last millennium (and probably longer), the allegorical approach to the book has found favor in both Jewish and Christian circles. For the Jewish person, the book is a demonstration of God’s love for His people, Israel; for the Christian, the book is a demonstration of God’s love for His bride, the Church. The good news is that in more recent centuries, interpreting the book in a literal fashion, rather than symbolically/allegorically, has gained wider acceptance. It seems that the main reason for this resurgence is that interpreters are actually listening to the text (insert sarcasm here). The book is a love poem between a man and a woman, and therefore replete with many metaphors. To reinterpret those metaphors as a covenant love between God and Israel, or as a mystical love between Christ and His Church, is to miss the plain reading of the text. When it comes to the interpretation of Scripture, the text is always king, and Song of Songs is no exception.

Could it be that the interpreters of the past, mortified to think that God could have included such a love poem in Scripture, decided to reinterpret the plain meaning of the text to be suitable for all ages? If we are reinterpreting plain meanings to be more suitable for all ages, then why not those body-specific laws in Leviticus? Or what about the conquest in the Book of Joshua and those entire cities that were devoted to destruction? Or the gruesome incident in Judges 17-21? God created man and woman with a desire to love each other. If you read the Genesis account closely, you will realize that it was God who said that it was not good for man to be alone. Let that sink in for a moment. God knew that mankind needed someone other than Himself to love, that is a profound statement on so many levels. Why wouldn’t God want to celebrate that profound love in the Scriptures?

I think a proper interpretive scheme for Song of Songs should be a literal-didactic one. Let me explain. Literal means the language of the text is literal, and didactic means there is a universal lesson taught from the book. Solomon and the Shulamite are the two main characters in the book. Solomon had known many women, but the Shulamite had not known any man, as she was carefully guarded by her brothers. Solomon had the ability to offer the Shulamite anything her heart desired, but the Shulamite was able to offer Solomon something all his riches could not buy: a love that was exclusive. She, not Solomon, teaches us that a love that is mutually exclusive between a man and a woman is the design that God had from the very beginning. The next time someone asks you about Song of Songs explain to them that the Shulamite is the real hero of the story, she was wiser than Solomon.

If you didn’t know, my wife and I were privileged to visit Israel earlier this year. On one Saturday afternoon, after visiting the magnificent Qumran National Park where the Dead Sea Scrolls were unearthed, we began making the trip up to Jerusalem, where our trip would end. In this short, 45-minute trip to Jerusalem, we experienced a significant elevation change. Qumran is roughly 1200 feet below sea level, while the Old City of Jerusalem is roughly 3800 feet above sea level, so we climbed almost a mile in elevation. During the climb, watching the scenery and being somewhat oblivious to the spiritual connotations (there are so many to consider), one of our guides mentioned the Psalms of Ascent, which caused my Bible brain to kick back into gear.

Three times a year, all Jewish males were required to travel to Jerusalem to attend the three feasts required by the law: Passover, Feast of Weeks, and Feast of Tabernacles.  All three of these feasts required an offering of “first fruits” to be made at the temple as a way of thanking God for His provision. The upward climb to Jerusalem is where the Psalms of Ascent come into focus. These Psalms (Psalms 120-134) were sung throughout the trip up to Jerusalem.  Some traditions also say that the priests sang these Psalms (songs) as they walked up the steps in the temple.

My wife and I got a chance to sit on the temple steps and hear a reading from the Psalms of Ascent. As I listened, I began imagining all the pilgrims and worshippers singing these Psalms as they entered the temple complex to offer their sacrifices. Today, because of Christ’s finished work on the Cross, we don’t need to bring a physical sacrifice into the temple. His life, ministry, death, resurrection, and assurance of His return have provided everything we need. So, while worshippers and pilgrims from all over Israel sang these Psalms of Ascent as they traveled to Jerusalem, reflecting on how God had provided for them and been faithful to them, we too can read, study, and sing these same Psalms with the same mindset. He is our Provider!

One of the most godly men who ever lived said, “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). Can I get an amen? Exegetically and experientially, we know what this verse is talking about. We all have lived out this verse. But for Job, there was a time in his life when things went from bad to worse. Things just began to spiral out of control. The snowball effect took over, and Job became the poster child for bad things happening to good people. Yet we all know there was a divine purpose behind Job’s suffering. God did not let Job suffer needlessly. Why? God had a plan. God doesn’t waste pain, problems, and ultimately His purpose. So, why do bad things happen to good people? The Book of Job gives us four reasons:

First, bad things happen to good people to prove us. What are your motives? Do you serve God simply for who He is, or do you serve God for what you can get from Him? Satan, also called “the accuser of the brethren,” accused Job of serving God only because God prospered him (Job 1:9-12). The Devil inquired, “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (Job 1:9). He further claimed, “Remove the hedge from around him and he will curse you to your face. You’ve blessed the work of his hands, and you’ve prospered him. Satan said, stretch out your hand and smite all he has, and I bet he will curse you to your face” (Job 1:8-12). With God’s sovereign permission, Satan was allowed to move on Job, but Satan could not touch him physically...yet (v. 12). So, with four rapid-fire disasters, Satan destroyed Job’s livestock, his servants, and his children. Immediately, one disaster right after the other. It appeared God was punishing Job. After struggling with the catastrophic events of the Sabeans (1:15), the fire of God (1:16), the Chaldeans (v. 17), and the tornado-like winds (v. 19), only the four messengers survived (Job 1:13-19). Would Job still serve God? Would he pass the gut check? The text says, “Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and fell to the ground and worshipped” (Job 1:20). Job still worshipped¹ and announced He was a servant of the Most High God even in the midst of tragedy and hardship. Bad things happen to good people in order to prove us. Job proved His relationship with God was real.

Second, why do bad things happen to good people? Bad things happen to good people to purge us. The purging or purifying process is not always fun. God is shaping us and molding us into His image. Sometimes, He must cut with the sword…His divine scalpel (His Word). This can be painful, yet very profitable in removing the unhealthy things in our life that shouldn’t be there. Other times, God will use biblical sandpaper to smooth over our rough edges. Even Job understood the shaping process, for he said, “He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. 11My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside (Job 23:10-11). The expression “tested” carries the idea that God is purging us in order to purify us. Job used the example of gold. He joyfully claimed, after I’m purified, I shall come forth “as gold,” refined and cleansed. I will be better because of the purifying process. Even in the New Testament, James understood the purging process. He said, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4). James knew “testing” was productive. Why? The testing of our faith “produces patience.” God is building up my endurance. God is purging us, preparing us, perfecting and completing us. Sometimes bad things happen to good people because God is purging us.

Third, why do bad things happen to good people? Bad things happen to good people to perfect us. God used suffering in the life of Job to perfect him. Not in the sense of making him sinless, but to mature him as a follower of God. In reality, Job needed some encouragement. He just lost his family, his wealth, his health, and his emotional well-being. Job was at rock bottom. The Scripture says that when Job’s three friends heard of all his adversity, they made an appointment to come and mourn with him. But when they saw Job, they didn’t even recognize him. He was so frail, so sick, so broken. The text says when his friends saw him, “they lifted up their voices and wept.” Job was sitting on the ground (not in a chair or a recliner) but in the dirt. So, his friends sat down on the ground “with him.” For seven days, no one said a single word (Job 2:11-13). Then Job opened his mouth and “cursed the day of his birth” (Job 3:1). Job was in a dark place. He begins to question God, “Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb” (Job 3:11)? Job continues to ask a series of “why questions.” But in reality, even if Job knew why, the pain would still be the same. He had no ease, no rest, no peace, just trouble (Job 3:26).

But things got even worse. After seven days, Job’s “friends” felt compelled to share their opinions. So, chapter after chapter, they each evaluate Job. Really, all they did was torture him with their pharisaical judgment. His friend Eliphaz concluded that Job must be living in sin. He even spouts off by saying, “whoever perished being innocent” (Job 4). He even told Job; God is punishing you (Job 5). Job was just looking for some encouragement. He wisely said, “To him who is afflicted, kindness needs to be shown by his friends” (Job 6:14). Yes! I couldn’t agree more. Nonetheless, friend number two, Bildad, takes a shot at Job. Bildad said, Job, all you need to do is repent. Your sons have sinned, and God has cast them away (Job 8:4, 20-22). All that Bildad did was to further inflict Job with emotional pain. Then, friend number three (Zophar) continues to urge Job to repent. But Job says, I haven’t done anything wrong. Zophar called Job an “empty-headed man” and compared him to a “wild donkey” (Job 11:12). Wow! With friends like this, who needs enemies? Job even called his friends, “worthless physicians” and begged them to just be silent and that would be “your wisdom” (Job 13:4). They broke him in pieces with their words and tormented his soul (Job 19:2). Job begged for pity from his friends, but they did NOT extend pity to Job (Job 19:21-22). After all the torment from his friends, after all the suffering, Job mustered enough strength to say, “Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. 6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live” (Job 27:5-6). Thankfully, Job did “hold fast” to his integrity and righteousness. God was perfecting Job.

Fourth, why do bad things happen to good people? Bad things happen to good people because God is teaching us to trust Him. Day by day, Job was learning to trust in the Sovereign God of the universe. Theologically, Job knew God was in control even though his life was totally out of control. Job was discouraged. How could he go on trusting the Lord? How did Job really feel? He cried, “When I looked for good, evil came to me; And when I waited for light, then came darkness. My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest; Days of affliction confront me. I go about mourning, but not in the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help (Job 30:26-28). Job continued trusting God even when no one else would help. With all the faith he could muster, he said, “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You” (Job 42:1-2). Sometimes your only choice is to trust God. His shoulders were pressed against the wall. There was no place to turn. Job didn’t choose his affliction, but he chose how he would respond to the affliction. How would Job maneuver through the setbacks? Could Job make a comeback? Do bad things really happen to good people and even make them better people? How does the story end?

God wasn’t finished with Job. And God wasn’t finished molding his friends. In fact, the last chapter of Job tells us God was angry with the opinions of Job’s friends. Furthermore, they were not representing God correctly like Job was (Job 42:7). God “accepted” Job and picked Job back up (v. 9). Fortunately, Job was back. The period of molding and shaping was over for a while. Therefore, the Lord “restored” Job’s losses (v. 10). God turned things around for Job and God even “gave Job twice as much as he had before” (v. 10). Now he receives encouragement from his family. His brothers, his sisters, and even his friends returned to console and comfort Job (v. 11). And now the Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than his beginning (v. 12). So bad things do happen to good people. But why? Because God was molding and shaping His servant in the image of His Son. So, God used pain, suffering, and heartache to teach Job to trust Him. God proved him, purged him, and perfected him, and Job learned to trust in the goodness of God. Instead of getting bitter, Job got better. And when you get better, you flip the script. You STOP asking, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” And you begin asking with great observation, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” There’s a BIG difference, and the answer is AMAZING. Yes! AMAZING GRACE.

^{1 Worshipped ḥā·wā(h) means to publicly declare. See Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Logos Research Systems, Inc.}

Every Psalm can stand on its own
By this, I mean that Psalms do not contain chapters, like in a traditional Bible book; each Psalm is unique and can function as a stand-alone song. Therefore, for example, when referring to Psalm 23, it is incorrect to say Psalm chapter 23; instead, refer to the Psalm as Psalm 23. This misconception of Psalms having chapters likely stems from the fact that all 150 Psalms are collected into five books (most Bibles will note this), which makes one naturally assume that each Psalm is a chapter of those books. Furthermore, the reason that all 150 were collected into five books is still a mystery, but Jewish traditions say it was done to mimic the five books of the Pentateuch – I think this is the reason.  

Many Psalms have superscriptions
116 of the 150 Psalms contain superscriptions or titles. The sad thing is that many English Bibles treat the titles as secondary and put them in a smaller font size, but they are not to be minimized! The original Hebrew text demonstrates that these superscriptions are not in smaller fonts, and many are considered verse 1 or part of the first verse of each Psalm. There is no indication that they are secondary or added later. If a Psalm has a superscription, it’s there for a purpose. Sometimes, it gives the reader valuable context; other times, it might be authorship or the audience for whom the Psalm was written. So, if a Psalm has a superscription, rest assured, it’s part of the original Hebrew text and therefore part of God’s Word.

Psalms is not the original title
The original title of the Book of Psalms was Tehillim (“praise songs”), but the English title “Psalms,” originating from the Septuagint’s Greek rendering Psalmoi, also means “songs of praise.” The title reminds the reader that the Psalms are songs of praise, the ancient hymnal of God’s people. The poetry that forms each Psalm was often set to music; in fact, some older English Bibles have Psalms set to music, and in those Bibles, sheet music was placed next to the Psalm.

There is a Psalm for everyone
All Psalms come under the literary style of poetry, but as one might assume, not all Psalms are the same. Over the years, scholars and bible students have categorized the Psalms into various types or genres: hymns, laments, prayers, thanksgiving Psalms, royal Psalms, wisdom Psalms, and the list goes on. Sometimes, entire sections of particular Psalms have their own genre. Case in point are the Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134), designed to be sung by Jewish pilgrims traveling up to Jerusalem for feast days. Then there are categories like Imprecatory Psalms, Penitential Psalms, Messianic Psalms, and every once in a while, you find a Psalm that has a mix of genres like Psalms 9,10, and 123. With such a large variety of Psalms showcased in the Book of Psalms, the reader is sure to find one that is special and life-giving to them.

Pray the Psalms
Augustine, the famous church father, was obsessed with the Psalms. He wrote a commentary on them that took him 26 years to complete.  His very first sermon came from the Psalms.  To him, the Psalms were an integral part of his spiritual life. Augustine says, “If the psalm prays, you pray. If the psalm laments, you lament. If the psalm exalts, you rejoice. If it hopes, you hope. If it fears, you fear. Everything written here is a mirror for us.” Augustine realized the value of the Psalms, which take all human emotions and affections and convert them into prayer.

The Psalms were not all written by David
While David is the author of half of the Psalms, the other Psalms were written by multiple authors: Moses, Solomon, Asaph (David’s chief musician), the sons of Korah (Levitical choir), and Heman and Ethan (worship leaders in the Temple). Amazingly, 49 Psalms have no authorship attached to them, which means that 1/3 of the Psalms are anonymous.  Furthermore, not all Psalms were written during the days of David either. It is estimated that the writing of the Psalms spans almost a thousand years: from the days of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness (Psalm 90) to the days of celebration when Israel is released from the Babylonian captivity and can return home (Psalm 126).

The Psalms are Christocentric
Jesus quoted from the Book of Psalms more than any other Old Testament book.  He began His earthly ministry (wedding of Cana, John 2:17) quoting from the Psalms, and He ended His earthly ministry (on the cross, Luke 23:46) with a quote from the Psalms. Some Psalms may be written about the King or Messiah, while Christ might speak others directly to God. As you read through the Psalms, looking at each one with a Christocentric eye, some aspect of Christ will come into view from every one of them.