Tuesday 112624
Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.
So, our study consists of two ground rules:
1st we ONLY read and follow what is found in the Holy Bible.
2nd we ONLY learn from a study by what effort we put into that study.
The verses we are going to study tonight:
Mark 9:30-31; Numbers 3:7; Deuteronomy 18:18; Isaiah 9:6; Genesis 12 :1-3,7; Hebrews 2:14-18; Romans 8:31; Philippians 4:13; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7; Ephesians 6:10-12.
So, let’s begin …
As I was studying, preparing this paper, I discovered a question that was proposed by an individual online … allow me to share it with you.
‘Why did Jesus speak of His death to the disciples if they didn’t understand it until after He was crucified?’
Mark 9
vs30 ‘…And from there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it…’
vs31 ‘…For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later…’
vs32 ‘…But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
The answer given online was that Jesus was speaking to His disciples, telling them prophesy of what was about to happen.
I, have personal feelings about this subject … I hope this will not turn some away from this study, but I must admit, common sense tells me the Israelites, from way back in the times of Moses, had a difficult time reading and gathering information or hearing what was being written down in the Old Testament.
I think a lot of their difficulty was the fact that they believed, as many do today, in changing the Word to fit around their own lives, rather than changing their lives to fit around the Word that God was telling them.
I’d begin, when the Israelite first hears of the coming of Jesus to save them.
Numbers 3:7 ‘…He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted…’ KJV (King James Version)
Numbers, the 4th book of Moses.
Deuteronomy 18:18 ‘…I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him…’ KJV (King James Version)
This was known by every Israelite. They knew the message and they verbally passed the word down to their young.
Deuteronomy, the 5th book written by Moses and passed down to his people.
Isaiah 9:6 ‘…For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace…’ KJV (King James Version)
Isaiah is said to have been written down between 740 to 700 BCE.
Of course, the Hebrew Bible of the Old Testament, was for many years, orated verbally to those in their household or tribe.
Some scholars believe the 1st 5 books of the Pentateuch were written during the time of Moses, around the 13th or the 15th century BCE, while others argue that they were written much later, during the Babylonian exile in the 6th century BCE, or even as late as the 4th century BCE
The oldest surviving Hebrew Bible fragments are the Dead Sea Scrolls which date around 250 BCE.
The Old Testament has prophesied in many different places of the coming of Jesus.
As I was searching through the internet writing this study, I came across a site from James Madison University, actually having the 613 Jewish commandments (mitzvot in Hebrew), extracted from the Old Testament. Not only are the 613 commandments written out, the corresponding book and chapter from the Old Testament is given for each command.
The Jew living in the times of Jesus, followed what the Pharisees taught them. They lived obeying 613 rules that man had determined most important in their lives.
Maybe this is just one example of how I cannot believe that men would follow another human being when it was God that originally gave the 10 Commandments to Moses, for him to pass on to the Israelite people.
The Israelites chose to listen to what another man told them to believe instead of listening and following the message that God had already told them how to live.
God chose Abram because he believed what God was telling him.
Genesis 12
vs1 ‘…Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee…’
vs2 ‘…And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing…’
vs3 ‘…And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed…’ KJV (King James Version)
And Abram believed God.
vs7 ‘…And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him…’ KJV (King James Version)
Abram believed God.
What could have happened between Abram, his belief in God and the Israelites at the foot of the mountain with their leader, Moses?
What could have happened between us, mankind today in the 21st century, with the Bible sitting right there next to us on a table, in a chair, on a bookstand, in a holder at church on Sunday morning, in the back window of our vehicles so others can see we have a Bible; what has happened that won’t allow us to open the covers and read what the Bible has written on the pages?
Why are so many afraid to read the Words of God?
Are our lives so messed up, that we have ALL just given up?
The main reason for any one of these questions has been known since Adam and Eve, way back in the garden. The reason so many have failed is because of the lying mouth of Satan.
But what is so unbelievable is that people today in the 21st century, are too afraid to open the covers and examine the Word. Most of them are clueless that Satan has already been defeated. The Bible tells us he has been defeated since the cross but so many today are allowing him the strength to keep us away from attaining what Jesus has done and given to us.
Hebrew 2
vs14 ‘…So, those people who become God’s children are human. They have human bodies. Because of that, Jesus himself became human like us. In that way, when he died he was able to destroy the Devil. It is the Devil who has power over death…’
vs15 ‘…Before, we were like slaves all our lives because we were afraid of death. But now, Jesus’ death makes us free…’
vs16 ‘…It is clear that Jesus did not come to help the angels. He came to help people who are from Abraham’s family…’
vs17 ‘…Because of that, it was necessary for Jesus to become completely like us, his brothers and sisters. He had to become God’s servant on our behalf, like God’s most important priest. In that way, he could serve God well and be kind to us. He died as a sacrifice so that God could forgive us for our sins…’
vs18 ‘…While Jesus lived on earth, the Devil tried to make him do wrong things. This caused Jesus to have much pain and trouble. But because of that, he can now help us not to do wrong things…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
Satan, the devil has been against us from our very beginning. In the devil’s mind, he needs us so that he can defeat God.
Romans 8:31 ‘…What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us…’ KJV (King James Version)
Our major problem is that we keep getting these messages whispered into our ears trying to let us know we have been defeated.
Philippians 4:13 ‘…I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me…’ KJV (King James Version)
Satan is not going to give up, he thinks he has won. He thinks he has defeated us.
1 Timothy 6:12 ‘…Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses…’ KJV (King James Version)
The time is coming when there will be no more time left for us to count on. When God determines that it is finished, IT WILL BE FINISHED.
2 Timothy 4:7 ‘…I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…’ KJV (King James Version)
God knows Satan is going to tempt us throughout our everyday lives. He knows that we are going to need His help to assist us in defeating the enemy, the devil. This is the number one reason God gave us the protection of His armor.
Ephesians 6
vs10 ‘…Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might…’
vs11 ‘…Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…’ KJV (King James Version)
We need to realize it’s not just another human being we’re trying to beat up.
It’s not another country we’re going to do battle with.
God has warned us and foretold who our enemy is. If we choose not to take His advice to protect ourselves, who are we going to be able to blame?
Ephesians 6:12 ‘…For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places…’ KJV (King James Version)
There is going to come a day when it is going to be too late for us to either defend ourselves or for us to prepare for what our future has planned for us.
God has already forewarned us. It is our responsibility to listen and protect ourselves from the evil that is present around us.
I love every one of you. God loves ALL of us, even more than we could ever imagine possible. Take the time to allow Him to come into your life and fulfill what He has given to you.
Open His Word every day of your lives and read of His Majesty.
Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen.
InHIM. ><)))o>