Numbers (Part 3) (BST 1-27-08)

Numbers (Part 3)
Bible Study Time 1-27-08
(From James Roberts 2-7-99)

Last week in our journey through the scripture, we looked at the book of Number, Chapters 9 and 10. We saw two means by which God directed the children of Israel as they traveled through the wilderness from Mt. Sinai to the Promised Land. The first was with the pillar of cloud by day. The cloud gave them their orders as to when they should move and when they should rest in the camp.

When the cloud rested upon the tabernacle, they were to remain in the camp. They were not to strike out on their own, but they were to rest in the camp as they waited upon the Lord. When the cloud lifted up, they knew it was time for them to resume their wilderness journey.

The second way that God gave direction to the children of Israel was by the sounding of the silver trumpet. It’s interesting to notice that silver is a picture of redemption, and only those who have realized the redemption that’s in Christ Jesus can hear clearly the sound of the silver trumpet.

When it was time for the children of Israel to move out, the cloud would lift up off the tabernacle, and the people would assemble in their assigned marching positions. Then, when the trumpet sounded, the first group would begin to march. When the trumpet sounded the second time, the second group would begin to move, and so forth, until the whole nation was marching, following the cloud as it moved through the wilderness. The silver trumpet was also used to sound an alarm in the camp and to call the people together for a holy convocation.

Now, this morning I’d like for us to look at the book of Numbers, Chapter 11, where we see that almost immediately after the children of Israel left Mt. Sinai, the people began to murmur and complain. This reminds us of the book of I Corinthians, Chapter 10, where the Apostle Paul tells us that these Old Testament events happened as examples unto us so that we might learn not to murmur and complain.

Since these Old Testament events were written as examples for our learning, we’re going to look this morning at some applications that we can draw from these illustrations. Notice as we began in verse one:

Numbers 11:1 (KJ2000)
1 And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some that were in the outlying parts of the camp.

Now, why is it that this fire started in the outlying parts of the camp? As it turns out, that is where the mixed multitude lived. The mixed multitude included the Egyptians who had left Egypt with the children of Israel. This probably included Egyptians who had married into Jewish families, but it may well have also included some Egyptians who had simply wanted to leave Egypt having seeing the judgments of God.

Whatever the case, we see further on in this chapter that it was the mixed multitude that first began to murmur and complain about their wilderness experience. Therefore, the fire broke out first in the outlying parts of the camp where the mixed multitude lived. Now, verse two:

Numbers 11:2-4 (KJ2000)
2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.
3 And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burned among them.
4 And the mixed multitude that was among them had a strong craving: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

Notice that it was the mixed multitude that began to have intense cravings for the things that they had left in Egypt. And what happened then? This desire soon began to infect all of the children of Israel so that the whole camp began to murmur and complain as they remembered the things that they had left in Egypt. They remembered all of the good things, but they forgot about all of the hardships they had experienced there.

At this point, let me say that the mixed multitude speaks of the world among believers. So often it is the people of the world who influence the children of God rather than the children of God exerting an influence over the world. This is not according to God’s will. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 12:

Romans 12:1,2 (KJ2000)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

In Exodus 11, we find the children of Israel being conformed to the mixed multitude. Oh, so many times Christian people will accept the standards of the world rather than accepting the perfect standard that is set by the word of God. It is God’s will for us to reveal to the world the righteousness of God so that they too can be taken out of the world and added to the family of God. Now, verse 4:

Numbers 11:4,5 (KJ2000)
4 . . . the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:

You see, they remembered all of those things that gave flavor to their food back in Egypt, but as we all know, many times the aftertaste of things such as onions and garlic can leave a foul taste in your mouth long after they have been eaten. Well, that’s the way it is with the world. It provides a passing pleasure, but it leaves a bitter taste after that moment of pleasure is gone. Now notice verse six:

Numbers 11:6-9 (KJ2000)
6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, besides this manna, before our eyes.
7 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium.
8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.
9 And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

Here we see that the people began to despise the manna even though the manna was an all-purpose food. The people could prepare that manna in so many different ways, but as they began to yearn for the things of Egypt, they grew dissatisfied with the manna that God had provided even though this manna was pleasant to the taste and profitable for nourishment. In John, Chapter 6, we see that the manna was a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the true bread from heaven.

The manna in the wilderness was pleasant food; it was nutritious food. It was an all-purpose food which supplied the daily needs of the people, and it was free for the taking. But sadly enough, the people in the wilderness began to lose their taste for the manna.

This is a picture for us today of the fact that many Christians, as they begin to be conformed to this world system and the things of the world, they will begin to value the things of the world more than they value Jesus Christ, the true manna from heaven. Now let’s read verse ten:

Numbers 11:10-15 (KJ2000)
10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.
11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Why have you afflicted your servant? and why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people upon me?
12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that you should say unto me, Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse bears the nursing child, unto the land which you swore to give unto their fathers?
13 From where should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.
14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.
15 And if you deal thus with me, kill me, I pray you, out of hand, if I have found favor in your sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.

Here we see Moses, the great leader of the children of Israel, confessing his inability to lead the people, and he complained to the Lord, saying, why have you given me these people to lead?

In the book of I Corinthians, Chapter 10, we find that the children of Israel were baptized into Moses as they followed the cloud and went through the Red Sea. In other words, God identified the children of Israel with Moses so that they became His people, but Moses freely admitted his inadequacies.

Moses is a picture of the insufficiency of the Law. Many people today look to the Law to supply their spiritual needs, but the Law is insufficient even as Moses was insufficient. Moses said, who am I to give these people meat?

The children of Israel were baptized into Moses, but according to Romans 6, believers today are baptized into Jesus Christ. This is not something that man can do. It is something that can be done only by the Holy Spirit. When we believe, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into Jesus Christ and identifies us with Him.

If you’re a believer today, you can say, I died with Jesus Christ. I was buried with Him, I was raised with Him, I am now ascended with Him and seated with Him in the heavens. You can say with the Apostle Paul, I am accepted in the beloved; when God wants to see me, He just looks over at His Son and He sees me in the Son.

In John, Chapter 1, John compares the ministry of Jesus Christ to that of Moses and says:

John 1:17 (KJ2000)
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

The Law was insufficient to meet the needs of the children of Israel, but the work of Christ upon the cross supplies our every need. Romans 8 says:

Romans 8:3,4 (KJ2000)
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the (righteous requirements) of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The Lord Jesus Christ, into whom we have been baptized, will never complain to the Father, saying, I am not able to bear them; why have you done this to me? No, Jesus Christ gladly owns us as His own, and He serves as our intercessor in the heavens today. If we sin, He pleads our case before the Father. We have an advocate with the Father in the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself.

How thankful we should be today for that which we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know Him today as your Savior? Have you trusted Him? If you have, you have been baptized into Him. You have been accepted in Christ, and He will supply every need that you have. He will be the manna from heaven that supplies your every need.

I see that our time it gone. Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time this morning.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

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http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Numbers (Part 2) (BST 1-20-08)

Numbers (Part 2)
Bible Study Time 1-20-08
(James Roberts from 1-31-99)

In our last lesson, we looked at the first eight chapters of the book of Numbers, and we’re going to continue in our survey of the book of Numbers in our journey through the scriptures this morning. Before we look at chapter 9, however, let me remind you that the book of Numbers gets its title from the fact that it starts with a numbering of the people, and it ends with a numbering of the people.

At the close of the book, the people were numbered to determine the number of people that would be going into the Promised Land. However, at the beginning of the book, the people were numbered to determine the number of fighting men in each of the tribes.

All the tribes except the tribe of Levi were numbered for battle. Levi was not numbered for battle because it had been set apart and numbered for the work of the tabernacle. It’s very interesting to see also that this first numbering determined the position and order of the tribes around the tabernacle as they camped as they marched through the wilderness.

The first eight chapters of the book of Numbers give us the details of the first census, but then in Chapter 9 we see that it was time for the people to leave Mt. Sinai, but first God told them to observe the Passover. It had been a year since their departure from Egypt, and it was, therefore, time to observe the Passover once again.

The children of Israel had observed the very first Passover in Egypt before they left in their glorious exodus, and they were told at that time to observe the Passover on that very day every year as a memorial to the Lord. Now, a year later at the foot of Mt. Sinai, it was time to observe the Passover once again.

However, according to the Law, if a person was ceremonial unclean, he was prohibited from participating in the ceremonies and festivals of the Law. As it turned out, there were several men who were ceremonially unclean because they had touched a dead body. When they explained their situation to Moses, Moses said that he would go and inquire of the Lord.

What a wonderful thing to do. Moses didn’t just make up a declaration or an ordinance off the top of his head, but he said that he would go and inquire of the Lord. When we have problems or questions that arise in our lives, we need to go and talk to the Lord. He will give us guidance and direction through His word. The Psalmist said:

Psalms 119:105 (KJV)
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

When Moses inquired of the Lord, the Lord said that if a person was ceremonially unclean or if they happened to be on a journey during the set time of the Passover, they should keep the Passover in the following month.

After the Passover, it was time for the children of Israel to set out for the Promised Land, but how were they to know when and where to go? When Moses set up the tabernacle, a cloud formed over it to indicate the presence of the Lord, and God told Moses that He would use this cloud to give the children of Israel guidance in their travels through the wilderness.

When the cloud lifted off the tabernacle, the people were to pack up and then follow the cloud wherever it went. When the cloud moved, they were to move. When the cloud rested, they were to rest. God said, when the clouds rest, you rest, whether it’s two days, a month or a year.

This is a great lesson for us today. Sometimes God simply wants us to wait and rest in the Lord. However, there are other times when God wants us to move out and take action. Well, how can we know when it’s time to wait and when it’s time to move?

When we trust the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within our lives, and the cloud in the wilderness is a picture of the Holy Spirit. As we look to the word of God, the Holy Spirit gives us direction. Again, we refer to the thoughts of the Psalmist, who said:

Psalms 119:105 (KJV)
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

On their wilderness journey, the cloud gave the children of Israel direction, but that was not their only means of direction. The Bible says that God told Aaron’s sons to blow silver trumpets to signify different commands.

When the cloud lifted off the tabernacle, the people would get ready to move, but when the cloud started moving, Aaron’s sons would blow the silver trumpets and the first group of tribes would start to march. When Aaron’s sons blew the trumpets the second time, the second group of tribes would start to march. After the third trumpet blast, the third group of tribes would start to move.

The trumpets told the people exactly when it was time to move. However, the trumpets were also used to signal the people for the various feasts and for the tribal councils. They were also used as an alarm to signal danger and as a call to battle. Obviously, they used different trumpet sounds to signal the people for the different occasions and situations.

In the New Testament, we see in the book of I Corinthians that some of the people had the gift of speaking in tongues, but their misuse of this gift had created confusion within the church. So when Paul wrote to them in his first letter, he gave them a prescribed order in which they were to use their gift. He said that they should not just randomly use their gift. To illustrate his point, he turned to the trumpet sounds that were used in the Old Testament by the children of Israel. He said:

1 Corinthians 14:7-9 (KJ2000)
7 And even things without life which give sound, whether flute or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is played?
8 For if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for the battle?
9 So likewise you, except you utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? . . .

Paul was reminding the Jews in particular there in Corinth of the trumpet sounds in the Old Testament, and of the fact that the children of Israel depended upon their understanding of the distinctive sounds of the trumpet to know what they were to do when the trumpet sounded.

From this we can also conclude that God has given us distinctive marching orders in the scriptures. However, He has given different marching orders for different groups of people in different ages, and God expects us to be so familiar with His word that we will know exactly what God is directing us to do today. God told Timothy:

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJ2000)
15 Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

So in the book of Numbers, God used the cloud over the tabernacle and the sound of the trumpets to give specific direction to the children of Israel. It’s worthy of mention that when Solomon finished the work of building the temple in Jerusalem, he held a great service to dedicate the temple to the Lord. As they worshiped the Lord, the presence of the Lord in the form of a cloud filled the entire courtyard. But then, as the service continued the cloud slowly moved from the courtyard into the temple and then into the Holy of Holies within the temple.

The cloud in the Holy of Holies signified that this was the very dwelling place of God upon the earth. The cloud remained there in the Holy of Holies for the next five hundred years, but then the children of Israel were carried away into captivity because of their sin. At that time Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, and Ezekiel wrote from Babylon that he saw in a vision the cloud of glory as it was leaving the temple. The glory of the presence of the Lord had departed from Israel.

We can praise the Lord, the glory of the Lord did return to the earth. The nation of Israel once again beheld the glory of the Lord when Jesus Christ lived and ministered on the earth. John said:

John 1:14 (KJ2000)
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

On the mount of transfiguration, Peter, James and John saw the glory of the Lord, and someday the Lord Jesus will come back in His glory to establish His kingdom on the earth. Today, we have the glory of God dwelling within us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

In Numbers, Chapter 10, we read that:

Numbers 10:35-36 (KJ2000)
35 . . . when the ark moved forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let your enemies be scattered; and let them that hate you flee before you.
36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.

Well, today, believers have the ever-present glory of the Lord within them, but we never have to ask the Lord to return to us. God has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us.

Do you know Him today as your Savior? If you don’t, you can accept Him today and then you too can have the ever-present glory of the Lord living within you.

Numbers (Part 1) (BST 1-13-08)

Numbers (Part 1)
Bible Study Time 1-13-08
(James Roberts from 1-17-99)

In our previous lessons in our journey through the scriptures, we have been looking at a survey of the books of Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus, and we’re ready now for our study on the book of Numbers. These books are so very vital to our understanding of the Old Testament that I think it’s good for us today to take a short break and review some of those very important things that we have seen in those first three books of the Bible.

All of the things that we see in the Old Testament really have their foundation right here in these first five books of the Bible. In the book of Genesis, we find the book of beginnings. In the very first statement, we find a very simple and concise statement of how God created the heavens and the earth. It says:

Genesis 1:1 (KJ2000)
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Man might have his speculations and theories of the big bang and all of those other kinds of things, but here in Genesis 1:1, we have a firsthand account of One who was there, who has revealed how He did it.

Genesis 1:1 (KJ2000)
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

This is a very simple statement that must be believed.

We also find in Genesis that God created the first man. Again, man has all kinds of speculations about the origin of man and the origin of the various families, and these theories of evolution have such a tremendous effect on our lives and on our psychology today.

According to the evolutionary theory, man started out as a one-celled amoeba in a slimy, primeval ocean, but then somehow that little one-celled amoeba evolved to the point that it could climb out onto the dry land and then evolved into the magnificent moral creature that man is today. Well, that’s all just the speculation of man.

In the book of Genesis, we find the beginning of the human family. God said:

Genesis 1:26 (KJ2000)
26 . . . Let us make man in our image . . .

So He:

Genesis 2:7 (KJ2000)
7 . . . formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

He saw that it was not good for man to live alone, so He created a woman to be a helper for him. That woman was called Eve because she was the mother of all living. So here we have the first parents, and we see clearly that they both came from the very creative hand of God.

If we’re going to believe in the second man, the Lord from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, God’s own Son, who came into this world to die for our sins, it’s very important that we believe also in the Genesis account of the creation and the origin of man. After all, the very same book that tells us about Jesus Christ also tells us about the true origin of man and of the universe.

In I Corinthians 15, Paul refers back to Adam and says:

1 Corinthians 15:47 (KJ2000)
47 The first man is of the earth, made of dust . . .

Now if Adam was in fact the first man then there is no room for men who were prehistoric. If there were men before Adam, then Adam was not the first man. But Paul confirms the Genesis account of creation by calling Adam the first man. There were no men on the earth before Adam.

Adam was created by God, and Eve was created by God, and they were the first parents. Therefore, all of us can trace or genealogy back to Adam, himself. And just as God created Adam in His image and in His likeness, so all of us are born with Adam’s likeness.

The book of Genesis tells us that Adam introduced sin into the human race when he and his wife were beguiled by Satan. They rebelled against God, and they ate of the forbidden fruit. God had said:

Genesis 2:17 (KJ2000)
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.

When they ate, they died spiritually. According to Romans, Chapter 6:

Romans 6:23 (KJ2000)
23 . . . the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5 tells us that:

Romans 5:12 (KJ2000)
12 . . . by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men . . .

One of the reasons that man wants to get rid of the historic Adam is that it would do away with the origin of sin in the human family. If you can do away with the truth concerning the original sin of Adam and Eve, then you can also do away with John 3:16. John says:

John 3:16 (KJ2000)
16 . . . God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

In Genesis, however, we not only see the origin of the sin problem, but we also see God’s promise of the Redeemer. God said to the serpent:

Genesis 3:15 (KJ2000)
15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

The Lord Jesus Christ came as the Seed of the woman with no earthly father. Though He was born of a woman, God was His Father. When Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead, He wounded Satan with a deadly wound which provides deliverance from the dominion of Satan for all who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

As we move on through Genesis, we see the first catastrophe on the earth. During the time of Noah, God destroyed with a great flood the heavens and the earth that had existed from the time of the creation. The heavens and the earth that we see today are the result of that great flood.

After the flood, God dealt with Noah and his descendants, but once again sin became so prevalent that God chose to deal exclusively with one man and his descendants. That man, of course, was Abraham.

God gave Abraham certain promises that form the basis for God’s dealings with man throughout the rest of the Old Testament. All of the promises that were made to Abraham will someday be fulfilled when Jesus Christ returns to the earth at His second coming.

At the close of the book of Genesis, we find Abraham’s descendants down in Egypt where they were known as the children of Israel. They had grown into a very large ethnic group, and the Egyptians had made them their slaves. In Exodus, we see God sending Moses back to Egypt to deliver the children of Israel.

God demonstrated His mighty power to the Egyptians and to the nation of Israel through various judgments. The greatest of these judgments was the last, and it was a judgment in which God killed all of the firstborn sons throughout the land. Only those families who had the blood of the Passover lamb applied to the doorpost were spared.

This stands as a great illustration to us of what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us when He shed His blood on the cross. He was the Lamb of God without spot and without blemish who went to the cross to die for our sins. He did this so that we might become the children of God, so that we might find rest, and safety and security under the blood of the cross.

After the blood of the Passover lamb was applied and the lamb was eaten, God brought the children of Israel up out of Egypt. They crossed the Red Sea on dry land, and then God took them to Mt. Sinai where He gave them the Law. And so it was that the children of Israel became the nation of Israel.

The Law Covenant which was given to the nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai was in effect until the Lord Jesus Christ came to the earth. The book of Hebrews shows us clearly that when Christ came and shed His blood, He established a new and better covenant with Israel.

When God gave the Law, He gave instructions for the building of the tabernacle and for the ceremonies which would be conducted in the tabernacle. God also gave instructions for the ordination of Aaron and his sons as the priests of Israel who would perform the ceremonies of the tabernacle.

The book of Leviticus tells about the different sacrifices that the people were to bring as an offering to the Lord. All of those sacrifices, of course, pointed to the work of Christ upon the cross. Jesus Christ was and is God’s perfect sacrifice for sin.

In Leviticus, we see the various ordinances or laws by which the children of Israel were to live. These laws and ordinances revealed the perfect righteousness of God, and they were given to teach the people how to live and walk in the righteousness of God.

Also in Leviticus, we see the feast days which were for the most part to be great celebrations of joy. However, one of those feasts days was to be a very solemn occasion. The Day of Atonement was a day in which the people would inspect their lives and repent of their sins. On this day the High Priest was to go into the Holy of Holies in the innermost part of the tabernacle to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the altar. This blood would cover his own sins as well as the sins of the entire nation of Israel. This was God’s method of dealing with Israel’s sin until the time that the Lord Jesus came to shed His own blood as the atonement for the sins of the whole world.

The last part of the book of Leviticus tells us about the Sabbath days and the Sabbath years. It also tells of the year of the jubilee in which God would proclaim liberty throughout the whole land of Israel. Then there were also some Laws concerning any vows that the people would make before the Lord.

This brings us up to the book of Numbers which is so named because of the numbering of the people which took place at the beginning of the book and at the end of the book. We’ll be looking at that book in the weeks to come, but at this point, I’d like to ask if you have ever really trusted this One who loved you enough to come into the world to die for your sins? How wonderful it is to see God’s plan for the ages and how He has dealt with people in times past, but God wants you to know that He loves you and that He loved you enough to die in order that you might have eternal life.

Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time this morning.

Matthew (Part 16) (BST 1-6-08)

Matthew (Part 16)
Bible Study Time 1-6-08

In Matthew, Chapter 26, we read that Jesus was arrested and falsely accused of blasphemy. In Chapter 27, Pilate consented to the death of Jesus, and we read that:

Matthew 27:27-29
27 . . . the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28 . . . they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: . . . they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

Jesus had been announced as the Promised Messiah. He had done many miracles to prove that He was the Hope of Israel, but rather than a crown of royal jewels, He was given a crown of thorns. Rather than glory, honor and praise, He was mocked and humiliated.

A thousand years before Christ, the Psalmist recognized the glory of the Messiah and said:

Psalms 96:1-13 (KJ2000)
1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his wonders among all people.
4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give unto the LORD, O you families of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations that the LORD reigns: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13 Before the LORD: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

The Psalmist knew the glory which would emanate from the throne of the Messiah, and the Jews of Jesus’ day knew this as well, but they found it impossible to believe that this Jesus of Nazareth was really the One for whom they longed. The writer of the book of Hebrews said that Jesus despised the shame but still endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him.

Matthew says that the soldiers:

Matthew 27:30-32
30 . . . spit upon him, and took the reed, and struck him on the head.
31 And after . . . they had mocked him, they . . . put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32 . . . as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

The Apostle John tells us that Jesus actually carried His own cross for at least part of the way before Simon the Cyrenian was compelled to help. Jesus had come to offer Himself as the King of the Jews, but He was willing to bear the cross which would bring salvation to all who believe.

At this point in time, the salvation that Jesus was offering to the Jews was both spiritual and political. If accepted by the Jews, it would bring spiritual salvation to the soul as well as a political kingdom.

Matthew says that:

Matthew 27:33-35
33 . . . when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and for my clothing did they cast lots.

King David knew about the coming glory of the kingdom, but He also saw the agony and the suffering of the Messiah. In Psalm 22, he said:

Psalms 22:1 (KJ2000)
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?

Psalms 22:6-8 (KJ2000)
6 . . . I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 He trusted in the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

Psalms 22:16-18 (KJ2000)
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing.

David wrote about the glory and the humiliation of the Messiah, and these prophesies were used extensively by Matthew and the other Apostles after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord to prove that Jesus had fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies. We see this in Matthew 27 as Matthew reminds the Jews that:

Matthew 27:45,46 (KJ2000)
45 . . . from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Matthew 27:50-54 (KJ2000)
50 (Then) Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks were split;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints that slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

This centurion was one of the few who were able to see with spiritual eyes the truth of who Jesus really was, but for the most part, the rest of the Jews continued in their spiritual blindness, rejecting any notion that Jesus had come from God to be their Savior and King.

In Acts, Chapter 2, Peter plainly declared to the Jews that when they killed Jesus, they killed their Messiah. He said:

Acts 2:22,23 (KJ2000)
22 You men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Acts 2:32,33 (KJ2000)
32 This Jesus has God raised up, of which we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured forth this, which you now see and hear.

Acts 2:36 (KJ2000)
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Peter said that it was not by accident that Jesus was killed, but that Jesus was actually delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. You see, Jesus had agreed before the creation of the universe to submit to the death of the cross.

God’s love is eternal even as God is eternal, but who was the object of His love prior to the creation. Throughout the ages of eternity past, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit loved one another. As Jesus said:

John 5:20 (KJ2000)
20 . . . the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does . . .

According to Peter, it was the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who established a Covenant of Redemption before the creation. The plan included the creation of man with human intelligence and the capacity to make decisions according to his free will.

With this free will, they knew that man would sin and that he would need a Savior if he was to avoid the wages of sin. Since the wages of sin is death, it was decided that God the Son would enter into the human race so that He could shed the innocent blood for sin’s atonement. In so doing, He would also reveal to man the righteousness of God.

God’s purpose in giving the Bible to us today is that we might be made aware of God’s plan of redemption. Of course, God doesn’t just lay the plan out all at once in the Genesis, Chapter 1. No, but we do see hints of this plan all through the Old Testament.

However, once the death, burial and resurrection of Christ was accomplished, God started revealing through the Apostles what God had been planning since before the beginning.

John said:

John 1:1 (KJ2000)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:18 (KJ2000)
18 No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

John the Baptist said:

John 3:34, 35 (KJ2000)
34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.

The Father had committed this work of redemption to the Son, and the Son was committed to accomplishing this mission so as to bring glory to the Father. This kind of love the world knows nothing of. It is a divine love which is pure and eternal. When the people marveled at the miracles of Jesus, Jesus said:

John 5:20-24 (KJ2000)
20 . . . the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that he himself does: and he will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
21 For as the Father raises up the dead, and gives them life; even so the Son gives life to whom he will.
22 For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son:
23 That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honors not the Son honors not the Father who has sent him.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears my word, and believes on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

In these words we sense that Jesus is offering to these lost sinners the opportunity to enter into the realm of God with all of the spiritual blessings that are to be found in that realm. These blessings go far beyond our material world. Only these spiritual blessings can satisfy the longing soul of man.

Jesus Christ offered Himself to the Jews as their Messiah and King, but He knew that before He could rule as the Son of David, He would have to die as the Son of God. Jesus Christ loved the Father and made a covenant with the Father that He would accomplish this task. Jesus said:

John 10:17,18 (KJ2000)
17 Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Jesus Christ came to the earth in accordance with His covenant with the Father. Jesus agreed to lay down His life so that all who believe might pass from the realm of death into the realm of life where the members of the Godhead fellowship together.

This answers the question of why Jesus would agree to die for sinful men who would hate Him and spit upon Him and kill Him. He agreed to do this because He and the other members of the Godhead experience the kind of love that man knows nothing about. It’s the kind of love that brings salvation to sinners and then transports sinners into the realm of God’s righteousness.

Paul said that when we put our faith in Christ, we are baptized into Christ and that because of our position in Christ, we become Sons of God as well. In Romans 8, Paul said:

Romans 8:1 (KJ2000)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:14-17 (KJ2000)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by which we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, so that we may be also glorified together.

When we were baptized into Christ, we were baptized into the fellowship of the Godhead. We became joint-heirs with Christ of all that Christ enjoys as the Son of God. Then, Paul follows up this thought with the realization that we are also called to suffer with Christ.

If Jesus was willing to face the death of the cross in order to accomplish the will of the Father, how can we do less than dedicate ourselves to the will of God? Paul said in Romans 12:

Romans 12:1-2 (KJ2000)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Well, it certainly has been a pleasure studying with you this morning, and I’ll look forward to studying with you again next week at this same time.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Matthew (Part 15) (BST 12-30-07)

Matthew (Part 15)
Bible Study Time 12-30-07

Matthew says that when Joseph found out that Mary was with child, he planned at first to put her away privately so as to avoid a public scandal. But then, the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said:

Matthew 1:20,21 (KJ2000)
20 . . . fear not to take unto you Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Well, as you know, it’s that time of the year again when people start thinking about turning over a new leaf and adopting New Year’s resolutions. However, the word of God explains that human beings do not by nature have the will power to simply turn over a new leaf. The fact is that it takes the power of God to change the direction of a person’s life. Our inability to have total self control is a result of our sin nature, but fortunately, Jesus Christ came into the world to save his people from their sins.

Through simple faith in the blood of Christ, we can be forgiven of our sins and freely given the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin and then provides the motivation and the power to turn away from sin. What a beautiful thing it is to know that we can have a New Beginning through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Apostle John had the privilege of seeing the ultimate conclusion of the New Beginning which was promised to Abraham and his descendants. While he was on the Isle of Patmos, John saw a vision of the future and said:

Revelation 21:1-5,7 (KJ2000)
1 . . . I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new . . .
7 He that overcomes shall inherit all things . . .

Jesus said, “Behold, I make all things new.” This is the ultimate New Beginning with all things being made new.

The city that John saw coming down out of heaven is the city that Abraham was looking for. Hebrews 11 says:

Hebrews 11:8-10 (KJ2000)
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should later receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing where he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrews 11:13 (KJ2000)
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, . . . were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

Hebrews 11:16 (KJ2000)
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared for them a city.

This city was also the hope of the Apostle Paul at the time that he wrote the book of Galatians. In Galatians 4, he said:

Galatians 4:25,26 (KJ2000)
25 For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Today, we no longer look for the New Jerusalem, that heavenly city which will come down from heaven to be the capital city of the world. This hope was promised to Abraham, and it will only take place when God fully implements all of the terms of His New Covenant with the nation of Israel.

By the end of the period of time covered by the book of Acts, the nation of Israel had been offered the full implementation of the New Covenant, but Israel refused to enter into that covenant because of their unbelief. Therefore, it was time for a new beginning in God’s program for man. At the end of the Acts period, God set aside Israel’s New Covenant program and began revealing the program for us today. This is the program for the Church which is the Body of Christ.

The Church which is the Body of Christ is the Church which God has been building in heaven for the past 2000 years. It is the church to which all believers belong regardless of their religious background. This heavenly church is a church which nobody can join. Imagine that, a church that nobody can join. Only the Holy Spirit can add a person to this church.

When a person believes, he is baptized into Jesus Christ and identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Today, this baptism makes him a member of the Church which is the Body of Christ, and it can only be performed by the Holy Spirit of God. In Colossians 2, Paul says:

Colossians 2:10-12 (KJ2000)
10 And you are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, in which also you are risen with him through the faith of the working of God, who has raised him from the dead.

We are circumcised, we are baptized, all by the working of God, and this is the start of the believer’s personal New Beginning. But praise the Lord, this is just the starting point. Paul says that this work of the Holy Spirit within the life of the believer is just the down payment or the guarantee of that which is to come. At some point in the future, the whole Church which is the Body of Christ will be redeemed as the purchased possession of Christ.

Well, when is this redemption of the Church going to take place? Ephesians is one of the books which talks exclusively about the Church which is the Body of Christ, and so when Paul speaks of the redemption of the purchased possess, he is talking about the rapture of the church.

Philippians and Colossians also speak exclusively about and to the Church which is the Body of Christ, and so we see Paul talking about the rapture of the Church in both of these books. In Colossians 3, we read:

Colossians 3:4 (KJ2000)
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory.

In Philippians 3, Paul says:

Philippians 3:20-21 (KJ2000)
20 For our citizenship is in heaven; from which also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our humble body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body . . .

Now this is the ultimate New Beginning for us today. Our New Beginning starts when we are baptized into Christ, but our New Beginning will not achieve its ultimate goal until we are caught up to be with the Lord, and we are given our new, glorified body.

What will happen after that, we don’t know, but we do know that God has big plans for us. In Ephesians 2, Paul says that God:

Ephesians 2:6,7 (KJ2000)
6 . . . has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

There is no mention here of the New Jerusalem. There is no mention here of our leaving the glory of heaven to come back to the earth when the New Jerusalem comes down to the earth. It could be that we will serve the Lord in the New Heaven while those with the hope of Israel will enjoy the New Jerusalem on the earth. That is, of course, just speculation, but it is food for thought.

The New Beginning for those with the Jewish hope begins with their baptism into Jesus Christ and into His death, burial and resurrection, and it ends with their rapture at the end of the tribulation period and their entrance into the kingdom of the New Earth. The New Beginning for us as member of the Church which is the Body of Christ begins with our baptism into Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection, but it ends with our rapture before the tribulation period and our entrance into the heavens.

Regardless of a person’s future hope, the power behind the New Beginning is provided by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 21, Jesus spoke of the Jewish hope and said in verse 5:

Revelation 21:5 (KJ2000)
5 . . . Behold, I make all things new . . .

And then in verse 7, He said:

Revelation 21:7 (KJ2000)
7 He that overcomes shall inherit all things . . .

Well, who are those who have the power to overcome? In Revelation 12, John said:

Revelation 12:10,11 (KJ2000)
10 . . . I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb . . .

Those who overcome the forces of the antichrist and the devil during the tribulation period will inherit all things, and their power to overcome the devil will be provided by the blood of the Lamb, who is Jesus Christ.

In Revelation, Chapter 5, we see Jesus taking the book with the seven seals of judgment, and when He takes it, the four beasts and the twenty-four elders sing a new song which says:

Revelation 5:9 (KJ2000)
9 . . . You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood . . .

The New Song, the New Heaven, the New Earth, the New Jerusalem, all are part of the New Beginning that God has planned for those with the hope of Abraham, and again, it is made possible by the power of the shed blood of Christ.

For those of us who are members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, our New Beginning is made possible by the blood of Christ as well. In Ephesians 2, Paul says that we who were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. In Colossians 1, Paul says that we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. And then he says that Christ has made peace through the blood of His cross.

Clearly, all redemption is based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Whether we talk about the hope of the Jews or whether we talk about the hope of the Church which is the Body of Christ, it’s all made possible by the blood of Christ.

Perhaps, as we approach a new year, we should fill our hearts and minds, not so much with the failures of the past or with our resolutions for the future, but with thoughts of the New Beginning which God has already provided for us through the shed blood of Christ. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, he taught that what we entertain in our minds is very important. He said:

Philippians 4:8 (KJ2000)
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

What could be more pure, or more just, or more lovely than the inheritance of perfection which God has promised to all those who believe in Jesus.

We know that we are not perfect now, but we’re moving in that direction. In fact, Paul says that:

Ephesians 4:11,12 (KJ2000)
11 (God) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

We’re not perfect yet, but we know that someday we will be because Paul says:

1 Corinthians 13:10,12,13 (KJ2000)
10 . . . when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

We’re not perfect yet, but someday we will be, and then our New Beginning will be complete.

It’s been a pleasure studying with you this morning, and I’ll look forward to studying with you again next week at this same time.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Matthew (Part 14)
Bible Study Time 12-23-07

We’ve been studying the book of Matthew for the past few weeks, and in this book we are given valuable information regarding the one person who can guarantee us eternal life. Matthew says that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, God the Father spoke from heaven saying:

Matthew 3:17 (KJV)
17 . . . This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Jesus had a public ministry in which He healed the sick, made the lame to walk, and raised the dead. At one point, Jesus spoke to his disciples and said:

Matthew 13:16-17
16 . . . blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them.

Isaiah was one of those prophets who desired to see the day when the Son of God would walk upon the earth and preach the word of God. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah spoke of the coming of the Son of God and said:

Isaiah 9:2
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined.

Matthew tells us that Jesus was born as the Son of God. He says:

Matthew 1:18-21
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.
20 But while he thought on these things, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Then Matthew goes on to say that the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus was in accordance with another of Isaiah’s prophesies. He says that:

Matthew 1:22-25
22 . . . all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

There are those who say that Isaiah’s prophesy concerning the virgin birth was merely pointing to the fact that Isaiah’s wife would be a virgin until the conception of their first child. But this thought is contrary to the word of God.

Matthew emphatically states that the birth of Jesus was the direct fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy. He said, all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet.

Furthermore, Matthew says that while Mary was still a virgin, Jesus was conceived in her womb by the Holy Spirit and that Joseph and Mary shared no marital intimacy until after Jesus was born. That’s just as plain as language can make it, and we have to conclude that Jesus was the Son of God and that He was, indeed, Lord at His birth.

To prove to the people of his day that He was the Son of God, Jesus did many undeniable miracles. He did these miracles out in the open and in full view of all the people, but in spite of these miracles, He was rejected. He was falsely accused of blasphemy, and then He was crucified as a criminal. However, Jesus proved once again that He was the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead. Matthew says that:

Matthew 28:1-8,16,17
1 . . . as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the sepulcher where they had laid the body of Jesus.
2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not: for I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that Jesus is risen from the dead . . .
8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

The disciples had believed in Jesus because they had seen His miracles, and they had heard Him speak with such great authority. But even some of them had a hard time believing that He had actually been raised from the dead. Matthew said that when they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted.

Millions of people since the time of Christ have had to deal with all of the issues that Matthew and the other gospel writers present in their accounts of the life of Jesus. Was Jesus really born of a virgin? Did He really do all of those miracles? Was He really raised from the dead?

This world has no lack of controversies, but honestly in regard to most of them, it makes little difference what stand we take. However, this is one of those controversies that we have to get right. Our point of view on this issue has consequences which are eternal. What we believe on this issue will determine our quality of life here on earth, and it will determine our eternal destiny.

We know that no one can believe in Jesus unless he is drawn by the Father and his eyes are opened by the Holy Spirit, but at the same time there is solid evidence that the gospel accounts are true. What about the empty tomb in Jerusalem? What about all those prophesies that Jesus fulfilled in every detail? Well, this evidence, while significant to those of us who believe, may mean little to those whose eyes have been blinded by the god of this world. Nevertheless, the Apostle John said:

John 1:11-12
11 (Jesus) came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John the Baptist said:

John 3:36
36 He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.

Jesus said:

John 3:16 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

If a person is to experience the salvation of God, he must get this question right.

From the beginning, Jesus emphasized the importance of believing the gospel. Mark 1:14 says:

Mark 1:14-15
14 . . . after (John the Baptist) was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Jesus taught the necessity of believing the gospel, but it was the Apostle Paul who formalized the doctrine of salvation by faith. In Ephesians 2, he said:

Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul was able to reveal for the first time the spiritual processes that work to bring about a person’s salvation. He said:

Romans 3:21-22
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe:

Paul says that when a person believes, he is justified, or made righteous, in the sight of God. This is the same for all believers. There is no difference from one person to another:

Romans 3:23-25
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 (We are) justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood . . .

The word propitiation is a reference to the mercyseat in the Old Testament tabernacle. The mercyseat was the lid on the Arch of the Covenant, and this is where the blood of the animal sacrifices was placed. The blood of these animal sacrifices provided a temporary atonement for sin. Every year a new sacrifice was offered, and the sins of that year were pushed forward to the next year.

Well, in Romans 3, Paul says that the blood of Jesus has provided a permanent atonement for sin. His blood has been applied to the mercyseat of God’s heavenly tabernacle, and His blood has been set forth as the propitiation for sin. His blood provides eternal redemption, but only for those who are willing to believe. Salvation comes through faith in His blood.

Often people will ask, how can I know that I am saved? Well, we know that we are saved if we believe that the blood of Jesus is able to save us. If we believe that we have to add other things to the blood of Jesus because the blood of Jesus is not quite powerful enough to save us, then we have good reason to doubt if we are saved. But for those who believe in the power of the blood of Jesus, their salvation is eternally secure.

The mercyseat is where man comes face to face with God. Those who put their faith in the blood of Christ are accepted by God. Therefore, Paul says in Romans 5 that:

Romans 5:1 (KJV)
1 . . . being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Now, Paul was the first to admit that up until he met the Lord on the road to Damascus, he did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God or that Jesus had come back from the dead. He dismissed such thoughts as pure foolishness. But as Paul was walking along on that road to Damascus, the Lord Jesus spoke to Paul, and Paul could no longer deny what was obviously true. Jesus was alive, and Jesus was the Son of God.

Paul said that when he did finally come to this realization, his life was changed forever. When he put his faith in Christ, he became a completely different person. He was amazed at the changes that he saw in himself. The old Saul had passed away, and the new Paul had come to stay.

Well, as God continued to work in Paul’s heart, Paul grew in his understanding of what had actually happened to him on the road to Damascus. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul said:

Galatians 2:20
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The Lord had revealed to Paul that when he put his faith in Christ, he was identified with Christ on the cross, so that in a spiritual sense, he was crucified with Christ. But Paul was also indentified with Christ’s resurrection, so that Paul was able to live his life as a totally new person, a new creation in Christ.

In the book of Romans, Paul called this identification with Christ a baptism, and he said that every believer experiences this spiritual baptism. The moment a person believes, he is baptized into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. In Romans, Chapter 6, Paul says:

Romans 6:3-5 (KJV)
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

So God revealed to Paul why his life had undergone such a radical change, but God also revealed to Paul that this change was intimately related to his future eternal hope. In Romans 8, Paul says:

Romans 8:1,14,16,17
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ . . .

Paul knew that Christ was going to inherit all things and that he would be a joint-heir with Christ in this glorious inheritance. He said, if I have to suffer for Christ’s sake, that’s OK:

Romans 8:18
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Paul saw a glorious change in his life, and he knew that a glorious future awaited him. That’s why he could say:

Romans 1:16
16 . . . I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes . . .

Well, it certainly has been a pleasure studying with you this morning, and I’ll look forward to studying with you again next week at this same time. I hope you have a very merry Christmas.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Comments and Peace Church Events

Comments:

All comments to this blog are welcome. To publish a comment to any article, go to the end of that article and click on the "Comments" link. All articles can be found in the archive section to the right.

If you would like to listen to an article on the internet, go to:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

If you would like to receive an article as an mp3 audio file, just send me an e-mail to that effect.

To send me an e-mail, click on the envelope with an arrow which is to the right of the "Comments" link.

Peace Church Events:

Men's Prayer Breakfast – January 5, 2008

Preparation – Dr. Leon Fischer

Devotional – Pastor James Roberts
Summer Camp 2008 -- July 18-21, 2008

Matthew (Part 13) BST 12-16-07

Matthew (Part 13)
Bible Study Time 12-16-07

In Galatians, Chapter 4, Paul says that:

Galatians 4:4 (KJ2000)
4 . . . when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law

This time of the year we emphasize and meditate upon the amazing truth that God send His own Son, Jesus, into the world. That alone is simply mindboggling. It makes us feel kind of like Mary must have felt when she was told about the fact that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit. We are inclined to ask with Mary, how can this be? Could it possibly be true that God would send His Son into our world of sin and death to be born as a little baby in a stable? Well, wonder of wonders, this is the truth.

As we go about our daily lives, we may live with the understanding and the belief that Jesus is the Son of God and that He did come out of heaven to be born in Bethlehem, but somehow as we go to work and get the groceries and balance the checkbook, we may fail to truly walk in the full realization of the significance of the birth of Jesus. One of the great things about Christmas is that at this time of the year, we get the opportunity to think about and meditate upon the wonder of the birth of Christ, and then of course, to think about the end result of His birth which is the death of Jesus which saves us from our sins.

We’ve been studying in Matthew about the fact that Jesus was born of a virgin and that He came to save His people from their sins. We’ve seen the miracles of the Lord Jesus and His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The Passover feast was scheduled for six days after the Lord’s triumphal entry, and as the time for the celebration drew near:

Matthew 26:17-18 (KJ2000)
17 . . . the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where will you that we prepare for you to eat the passover?
18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at your house with my disciples.

Does this statement not bring conviction to all who love the things of this world? Jesus was and is Jehovah God, the God of all creation, and yet He spent His time on earth with no possessions of His own. Jesus was born in a stable to a peasant girl, and throughout His life, He apparently owned very little. Matthew says that at one point in Jesus’ ministry:

Matthew 8:19-20 (KJ2000)
19 . . . a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.
20 And Jesus said unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.

We, humans, are plagued with tremendous insecurities. We sense our own mortality, and we somehow feel that if we can accumulate enough stuff, we’ll live forever. Jesus had no such allusion. Rather, He was content to walk by faith, knowing that the Father in heaven was in fact Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord who will provide.

When Jesus needed anything in this material world, it was always provided. During this week before the Passover, Jesus stayed with Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany. This was perfect because it was a couple of miles east of Jerusalem just on the other side of the Mt. of Olives. When Jesus needed a place to eat the Passover meal, God provided the house of this disciple whose name is never mentioned, but I’m sure that someday we’ll meet him, and we’ll rejoice in the reward that he receives.

Jehovah-Jireh provided for Jesus, and He will provide for us as well as we walk by faith. It was Paul who wrote to the Philippians and said, I am so thankful for the gift that you sent to me; not that I need anything, but I’m excited about the reward that you will receive when we stand before the Lord.

So the disciples did as the Lord instructed them. They made arrangements to observe the Passover meal in this little upper room, and Matthew says that:

Matthew 26:20-25 (KJ2000)
20 . . . when the evening was come, he sat down with the twelve.
21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
23 And he answered and said, He that dips his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
24 The Son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.
25 Then Judas, who betrayed him, answered and said, Teacher, is it I? He said unto him, You have said.

In the scriptures, Judas and the antichrist are the only two who are called sons of perdition. Jesus called Judas the son of perdition in His high priestly prayer in John 17, where Jesus prayed over His disciples, saying:

John 17:12 (KJ2000)
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name: those that you gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

The Apostle Paul referred to the antichrist as the son of perdition when He wrote to the Thessalonians about the Day of the Lord. He said:

2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJ2000)
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for (the Day of the Lord) shall not come, except there come the falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Therefore, in Judas we see the spirit of the antichrist in the sense that Judas determined in his heart to oppose the Lord Jesus. But then Matthew says that as Jesus and His disciples were eating the Passover meal:

Matthew 26:26-28 (KJ2000)
26 . . . Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink you all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Now this is very significant because this is the first time that the disciples were given any instruction regarding the New Covenant. We can’t be sure, but it may be that some of the disciples were familiar with Jeremiah’s prophesy concerning the New Covenant. If not, this statement by the Lord would certainly have been a crash course. So what did Jeremiah say? In Jeremiah 31:31 we read:

Jeremiah 31:31-33 (KJ2000)
31 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; my covenant which they broke, although I was a husband unto them, says the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, says the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

So the New Covenant was going to cause the Law of God to be written in the hearts of the people, and this of course was going to happen by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jeremiah goes on to say that the end result of this covenant will be that:

Jeremiah 31:34 (KJ2000)
34 . . . they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Some say that we are now in the kingdom of the New Covenant. But if we were, we would not have to tell our neighbors about Jesus because in the kingdom everyone will know Jesus. He’s going to be the one who is seen on TV every day while He rules over the nations from His throne in Jerusalem. And during the kingdom, all of the Jews in particular are going to be saved. As Paul says in Romans 11:26:

Romans 11:26 (KJ2000)
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

It’s hard for us to imagine a world in which the Jews have dominion over all the earth, but the Bible is very clear about the fact that Gentile dominion over the earth is going to come to an end, and Paul says that when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, all Israel will be saved and their salvation will take place all at once. Isaiah, Chapter 66, says:

Isaiah 66:8-9 (KJ2000)
8 Who has heard such a thing? who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? says the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? says your God.

God says, I’ve brought Israel this far, and I’m certainly not going to abandon her now. Israel will go through the fires of the tribulation period, but she will be saved at once, and she will enjoy the kingdom that was promised to her.

Now that’s what Jeremiah is talking about when he says that someday all Israel will know the Lord, and he says that nothing can keep God from fulfilling this promise to Israel. He says that as long as the sun, the moon and the stars are fixed in the sky, God will preserve the nation of Israel because He will fulfill all of His promises to her.

When Jesus said, “This is my blood of the New Covenant,” this was truly a powerful, earth-shattering statement. All that the Jews had longed for for thousands of years was about to take place.

Twenty-five years later, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Gentiles in the churches of Galatia and said that Jesus was sent into the world to redeem those who lived under the curse of the Old Covenant Law. He said that all of the promises which were given to the Jews could only be fulfilled through the power of the New Covenant. Galatians 4:4 says:

Galatians 4:4-6 (KJ2000)
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Well, this is the New Covenant. It is the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit which cleanses the believer and positions Him in Christ as a Son of God. Then Paul says:

Galatians 4:21-25 (KJ2000)
21 Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the free woman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from mount Sinai, which brings forth to bondage, which is Hagar.
25 For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

Paul says that Ishmael stands for the Old Covenant Law and that those who live by the power of that Law will never inherit the promises which were given to Abraham. Then he says:

Galatians 4:26,28 (KJ2000)
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

The Jerusalem which now is will be destroyed and the New Jerusalem will come out of heaven and descend to the earth. This is the heavenly city for which Abraham longed, and this is the city which is the hope of the New Covenant. This city will never be destroyed.

Abraham looked for this city, John looked for this city, and as Paul wrote to the Galatians, he was obviously looking for this heavenly city which is symbolized by Sarah. But this is not what we are looking for today. We are not waiting for the New Jerusalem to come down out of heaven as the capital city of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

No, when the Jews rejected the message of the New Covenant, God set the New Covenant program aside. This heavenly city is not going to come down out of heaven until after the tribulation period. But we know that even before the tribulation period, Jesus Christ is going to appear in the heavens and then we too will appear with Him in glory. That’s what we’re looking for today as members of the Church which is the Body of Christ.

In the fullness of time Christ was born. He was sent by the Father to shed His blood as the atonement for sin. Jesus referred to His blood as the blood of the New Covenant, but it is the same blood that cleanses all believers. Believers who lived under the Old Covenant are cleansed by the shed blood of the New Covenant, and we today who are members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, we too are cleansed by the same blood. It’s the same blood of Jesus that cleanses all believers.

During the Acts period, Paul was reaching out to the Gentiles who would be going into the kingdom with the Jews. The other day, my wife, Joan, and I were talking about Simeon’s proclamation at the time of Jesus’ dedication in the temple. Simeon said that Jesus would not only be the glory of the children of Israel, but He would be a light to lighten the Gentiles. Simeon knew that many Gentiles would be blessed with Israel in the kingdom. Reaching out to the Gentiles with the Gospel of Jesus Christ was all part of the New Covenant program.

The Apostle Paul was certainly aware of this aspect of the New Covenant because he was the one that God called to go out to the Gentiles to tell them how to be saved by believing in Jesus. He said in 2 Corinthians, Chapter 3, that he did this as an able minister of the New Covenant.

Miraculously, wherever Paul went many Gentiles put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, like the believers that Paul was writing to in Galatia. So as Paul wrote to these believers in Galatia, he wanted to confirm to them the truths of the New Covenant. He told them that they were going to be blessed with Abraham in the kingdom because they had the same kind of faith that Abraham had. He told them that this made them, in a spiritual sense, the children of Abraham.

When the Jews rejected the New Covenant Kingdom, however, this program was set aside and the program for the Church, the Body of Christ, was brought in. As we saw in the book of Jeremiah, the New Covenant program was the subject of prophesy, but Paul said that the program for the Church, the Body of Christ, was never revealed to anyone until it was revealed to him.

When Christ appears in the glory of heaven and we are taken up to be with Him, then God will once again offer the New Covenant Kingdom to the nation of Israel during the tribulation period. During that time the nation of Israel will be saved, and when Jesus returns the kingdom of the Jews will be established at once.

Well, it certainly has been a pleasure studying with you this morning, and I’ll look forward to studying with you again next week at this same time.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Comments and Peace Church Events

Comments:

All comments to this blog are welcome. To publish a comment to any article, go to the end of that article and click on the "Comments" link. All articles can be found in the archive section to the right.

If you would like to listen to an article on the internet, go to:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

If you would like to receive an article as an mp3 audio file, just send me an e-mail to that effect.

To send me an e-mail, click on the envelope with an arrow which is to the right of the "Comments" link.

Peace Church Events:

Men's Prayer Breakfast – January 5, 2008

Preparation – Dr. Leon Fischer

Devotional – Pastor James Roberts
Summer Camp 2008 -- July 18-21, 2008

Matthew (Part 12)(BST 12-9-07)

Matthew (Part 12)
Bible Study Time 12-9-07

Matthew was an Apostle of Jesus Christ who was sent out by the Lord Jesus to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Matthew had walked and talked with the Lord Jesus. He had witnessed the power of God flowing through Jesus as Jesus healed the sick and cast out demons. Matthew was there when they arrested Jesus, and He actually saw Jesus after Jesus was raised from the dead.

Some twenty years after the Lord’s resurrection and ascension, Matthew was prompted by the Holy Spirit to document the story of Jesus. In the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew told about the life of Jesus from His birth to His ascension. The Holy Spirit prompted Matthew to tell this story because the people needed to know the truth about Jesus Christ.

About sixty years after the ascension of Christ, the Apostle John wrote to the seven churches in Asia. He wrote as the Lord Jesus directed him, and as he wrote to the church at Ephesus, he said:

Revelation 2:2 NKJV
2 "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you . . . have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;

These saints at Ephesus were dedicated to the truth. They resisted any attempt to change, or dilute or modernize the word of God. They simply held fast to the truth of God’s word as it had been revealed to the true apostles of Jesus Christ.

The Ephesian saints had the testimony of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, they had the testimony of Peter and Paul, and they tested and evaluated every doctrine by the standard revealed in the written word of God.

They were wise to do this for someday every person will be judged according to that which is revealed in the word of God. We will all be judged by our personal response to that truth which has been revealed concerning Jesus Christ. As John the Baptist said:

John 3:34-36 NKJV
34 . . . He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Noah and his family went through the great flood. They witnessed the salvation of God, but within a few generations after the flood some of the descendants of Noah turned their backs on God. In Romans, Chapter 1, the Apostle Paul was apparently making reference to these rebellious descendants of Noah when he said:

Romans 1:18-25 NKJV
18 . . . the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Noah’s sons were Shem, Ham and Japheth. One of Ham’s sons was Cush who was the father of Nimrod. The Bible says that Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord, and many believe that Nimrod was not only a skillful hunter of beasts, but he was a mighty hunter of men. He became a ruthless tyrant who conquered men and established an empire.

Nimrod built the city of Babylon in Shinar and Nineveh in Assyria. As you may recall, it was the Assyrians who later conquered the ten northern tribes of Israel, and it was the Babylonians who later conquered the two southern tribes of Judah.

Nimrod led the people of Babel to build a great tower in which the stars of the heavens were worshiped. When God confused their language and drove them into the outer regions of the earth, these rebellious people took their idols and their idolatry with them. Thus, Babel became the fountainhead for all of the pagan religions of the world.

Nimrod is a picture of the antichrist who will come during the tribulation period. Like Nimrod, the antichrist will establish a great empire, and he will establish this empire on the foundation of an evil religion teeming with heresy and the filth of every conceivable abomination. The antichrist will suppress the truth, and the wrath of God will ultimately be poured out upon Babylon, the capital city of His empire.

Like Nimrod, the antichrist will oppose the truth of God, but the truth of God is not that easily overthrown. Jesus said that He is the Truth, and when Jesus Christ returns to the earth to destroy the antichrist, He will come from heaven sitting upon a white horse, and He will be called “Faithful and True.” The Apostle John saw a vision of the coming of the Lord and said:

Revelation 19:12-16 NKJV
12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

At this point in the tribulation period, all those who have opposed the truth will be destroyed, and Jesus Christ will rule over the earth in a kingdom of righteousness.

As Matthew penned his gospel, he documented the truth about Jesus. He wrote about the good news that Jesus is the Son of God who came down from heaven to be born of a virgin and live among men. He wrote about the great and mighty miracles that Jesus performed. Matthew wrote about the suffering that Christ endured upon the cross, and then he wrote about the Lord’s resurrection and ascension.

Those who believed this message and put their faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah were given eternal life. We see in the scriptures examples of those who were saved by simply believing the truth about who Jesus was. When Jesus told Martha that He is the resurrection and the life, He asked Martha if she believed that. She responded by saying:

John 11:27 NKJV
27 . . . "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

When the Lord Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”, Peter said:

Matthew 16:16 NKJV
16 . . . "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

When Philip told the Ethiopian that God required him to believe in Jesus with all of his heart, the Ethiopian said:

Acts 8:37 NKJV
37 . . . "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."*

These people were given eternal life simply because they believed the truth concerning Jesus, that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. As Jesus explained it to Nicodemus:

John 3:16 NKJV
16 . . . God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Then Jesus said:

John 3:17-18 NKJV
17 . . . God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Since the time that Matthew wrote his gospel, God has given further revelation concerning not only the life of Christ, but the work of Christ upon the cross. This revelation was given to and through the Apostle Paul. It was Paul who revealed all that Christ actually accomplished for us on the cross.

Paul said in Romans, Chapter 3, that when Christ was crucified, He did not simply die a martyr’s death, but He was actually accomplishing the mission which had been assigned to Him by the Father. The truth is that Jesus was sent into the world by the Father to shed His blood for the sins of the world. Romans 3:24 says that we are:

Romans 3:24-26 NKJV
24 . . . justified freely by (God’s) grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood

Now this word propitiation refers to that which appeases or satisfies the requirements of God so that the blood of Jesus was set forth by God as that which satisfies God’s righteous requirements. Jesus provided the propitiation by His own shed blood. Paul goes on to say that God did this:

Romans 3:25-26 NKJV
25 . . . to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Paul is clearly teaching here that without the shed blood of Jesus, God would not be free to forgive sin. It would be unjust for God to forgive sin without the penalty for sin having been paid. Therefore, God sent Jesus into the world to pay the penalty for sin, and since the penalty for sin is death, Jesus came into the world to die for the sins of the world. Because Jesus died, He was able to pay the penalty for sin with His own shed blood.

This is something that Matthew did not explain in his gospel because Matthew didn’t know about this. This great truth was hidden in the Old Testament scriptures until it was taught by the Apostle Paul. Way back in Deuteronomy 29:29, Moses said:

Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV
29 "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever . . .

This truth concerning the work of Christ upon the cross was one of those things which was a secret that belonged to God until God revealed it to the Apostle Paul. Accordingly, Paul said in Romans, Chapter 2 that:

Romans 2:12,16 NKJV
12 . . . as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law
16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

All people will someday be held accountable for what they have done with Paul’s gospel, that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and that He was buried and that he rose again the third day. As Paul wrote to the Romans, he said:

Romans 10:8-11 NKJV
8 . . . "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."*

This is the truth of God’s word. There are certain things in the Bible which we cannot fully understand, and there are different interpretations which are all perfectly justified, but the gospel according to Paul is one of those things concerning which there is no room for any divergence of opinion.

To deny this truth or to dilute this truth would be to deny the truth of God which brings salvation. Therefore, Paul said:

Romans 1:16-17 NKJV
16 . . . I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

The saints of Ephesus stood firm for the truth of God’s word, and that is exactly what God wants us to do. May we take to heart the words of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians when he said:

Colossians 2:6-10 NKJV
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

It’s been a joy to study with you this morning, and I’ll look forward to studying with you again next week at this same time.

Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/