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When Moses asked Pharaoh to “Let my people go,” Pharaoh responded, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?” If Pharaoh could have jumped into the future to read the book of Hosea, he would have known that the Lord was a sovereign God (Chapters 1-3); a holy God (Chapters 4-7); a just God (Chapters 8-10); and a loving God (Chapters 11-14).
Pharaoh, of course, never had the benefit of the depth of knowledge that Israel was given through the mouth and pen of the prophet Hosea, and yet the people were as stony-hearted toward God as Pharaoh was those many centuries before.
Hosea is one of the most remarkable books of the Old Testament. No other messenger gives so complete an outline of the ways of God with His earthly people as does Hosea:
1)God suffers when His people are unfaithful to Him;
2)God cannot condone sin;
3)God will never cease to love His own; and, consequently
4)He seeks to win back those who have forsaken Him.
Hosea was a contemporary of Isaiah (for most of his ministry) and Amos (in his earlier years); he was the “Jeremiah” of the Northern Kingdom. His main target was the Northern Kingdom, yet his message encompassed the entire people of God.
“Not My People”?
One of the pivotal insights occurs in the setting aside of his adulterous wife, and in the remarkable naming of his children: Jezreel, Lo-ruhamah (”not loved”), and Lo-ammi (”not my people”). The blood of Jezreel figures prominently throughout Israel’s history and climaxes at Armageddon. In the New Testament the Holy Spirit confirms the application of these prophetic names to the State of Israel since they have been cast out of their land(Rom 9:26, 1Pet 2:10). Their restoration is one of the key pronouncements in Hosea. Dr. Charles Feinberg, an outstanding Jewish believer and scholar, says of Chapter 3:
“It rightfully takes its place among the greatest prophetic pronouncements in the whole revelation of God.”
The Fatherhood of God
Among the provocative hermeneutical insights is the strange application of Hosea 11:1 by Matthew (2:15), which links the Fatherhood of God toward Israel and His calling His Son out of Egypt. He didn’t just adopt them; He cared for them. How tenderly and compassionately the Lord taught and cared for His son, Israel. These words seem to parallel Moses’ description of Israel’s being carried through the wilderness as a father carries his son (Deut 1:31-32; 32:10-11).
In response to the love of God as seen in their redemption from Egypt, Israel, like a prodigal son, turned a deaf ear to God’s prophets, choosing Baal and other idols instead (Hosea 11:2, v.7; 2 Kgs 17:13; Jer 7:25; 25:4; Zech 1:4, et al).
“The Best of Times and the Worst of Times”
Their material prosperity was unequaled since Solomon (2 Kgs 14:25-28; 2 Chr 26:2, 6-15). Jeroboam had recovered all the territory lost to Israel, even the possession of Damascus. Yet material prosperity is not a guarantee of safety to a people whose stability rests not on the moral basis of the fear of God and obedience to His laws. Hosea’s warning was that God would use their enemies as His means of judgment.
An Incredible Book
The Lord’s self-disclosure in Chapter 11 is so intense that many rank it as one of the greatest in the Bible. Perhaps among the most surprising of the prophetic insights in Hosea is the discovery of the prerequisites for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
It is truly an amazing book and, like all of the books of the Bible, the Holy Spirit always rewards the diligent student. And Hosea is among the most rewarding.
Related Links:
• Hosea MP3 Download - Koinonia House Store
• Hosea Can You See? MP3 Download - Koinonia House Store
Summary of Malachi
Date and place: written in Palestine about 557-525 B.C.
Author: Malachi the prophet – one of the three prophets after the exile, the others being Haggai, and Zechariah.
Proof of authorship: we have the testimony of the book itself that Malachi wrote it [Mal. 1:1]
Theme: accusations from God and denials from Israel that He is rightfully accusing them of evil.
There are 14 statements of accusations from God and 10 rebellious answers from Israel [p. 925].
One of the greatest evidences of backsliding is a person’s HYPER-CRITICAL SPIRIT, his readiness to question everything, even God’s own statements, and his willingness to find fault with everybody, even the Lord.
The book of Malachi is a rebuke against the many sins of Israel, of which 32 are listed therein. [col.1] .
The prophet pronounces the moral judgment of God upon the exiles returning from Babylon more than Haggai and Zechariah do.
Furthermore, his book contains some of the most wonderful prophecies we have of the 1st and 2nd advent [Mal. 3:1-5], and of the ministry of Elijah and Enoch preceding the 2nd advent [Mal. 3:17-4:6].
Purpose: to rebuke the returning exiles for their many sins; to point out to them, at the very outset of their return and restoration as a nation, that God would not tolerate their sins anymore than He did the sins of their fathers [for which they went into ruin, destruction as a nation, and captivity]: to warn them of coming judgment if they would continue in sin; and to reveal to them certain events of the future in connection with the Messiah at His 1st and 2nd advents.
Matthew 20:28
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Philimon 17-18
If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.
If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account.
These scriptures and others state and illustrate the doctrine of redemption. In short, redemption means that one who is capable of redeeming and taking the place of another or others actually meets the demands of the law and becomes the legal substitute by paying the redemptive price for those who are condemned to death because of breaking the law.
In the case of man, Satan caused him to rebel against God and break His law, incurring the death penalty. Man, being under the sentence of death, could not pay his own death penalty, and also live again to enjoy freedom from sin and carry out the eternal purpose for which he was created. To carry out the eternal plan he had to be redeemed and brought back into full reconciliation with God in order to fulfill His holy righteous demands of the law and holiness of God. God undertook redemption work for man by sending Jesus Christ to die for him and resurrect him from the dead so that the original plan could be realized. This is plainly set forth in the following points on the philosophy of redemption:
1. All life, both vegetable and animal, is sustained and perpetuated by substitutional suffering and death of innocent victims.
2. God’s benevolence, and Holiness, and relationship to the human race made atonement necessary. He had made the race to live forever and carry out His eternal program, so when it sinned it was necessary for Him to uphold and vindicate the moral law and yet redeem eternal man from his enemy. If He permitted His enemy to escape with this attack on the eternal program He would be defeated in the eyes of all free moral agents who could join the rebellion trying to put God to complete defeat and eternal ruin.
3. Satan had kidnapped man and made him a slave to sin and a subject of eternal death. He held a pseudo sovereignty over humanity and that for ransom on the principal of possession and consent of a responsible agent, or government by consent of the governed. This was the only principal of government that a holy God could establish with the wages of sin as death and eternal life as reward for obedience. Satan’s rights are recognized in scripture. He is the god and prince of the world who had the power of death and hell before his defeat by atonement (Gen. 3:15, John 10:10, John 12:31, 2Cor 4:4, Col. 2:14, Heb. 2:14, Rev. 20:10)
4. God decided that through the atonement and substitution of an innocent victim to take the place of the guilty kidnapped race he would free it from Satan, thus legally and forcefully evicting him, restoring man’s dominion so as to carry on the eternal purpose.
5. The penalty has to be paid for man to go free. If sinful man had paid the penalty he would remain forever dead. If man was to become reconciled to God again and be restored to his original position, an innocent and a willing substitute had to be found to take his place who could fully meet the demands of the law and could represent both God and man. He had to be more than man to be able to live again after the penalty was paid. The only solution was for God to become man and pay the penalty letting man go free. This way God could be free from all accusations of injustice enforcing another to do what He Himself would not do, and His holy law, justice, and form of government would be magnified before all creation in all eternity.
6. One of the three divine persons in the Trinity became a man, took the place of man in paying the penalty thus meeting all the demands of God and His holy law and defeating Satan and his hosts. (Col. 2:14-17, Heb. 2:14-15, 1Pet. 2:24)
7. When Satan put to death the innocent sinless Christ, the court of heaven cancelled all his claims, rights, and pseudo sovereignty over his victims. Now he holds a false authority over them. His chief method now is intimidation. All who assert their legal redemptive, blood bought, and divine rights and resist him can be free from sin, sickness, and satanic powers. All believers now are representatives and officers of God’s law and can disposes and cast out devils. They have the power of eternity to act in Christ’s place now on earth. (Mark 16:17-18, John 14:12-15, John 15:16) All who refuse to do so and submit to Satan through unbelief are out of the divine will and will suffer what they permit satanic forces to do to them. (Eph. 4:27, Eph. 6:10-18, Mat. 17:20)
No human court can forgive and justify any man who continues to commit crimes. So it is with the court of heaven. The supreme judge is sworn to uphold the demands of the law in every case.
All sin must be confessed and the life consecrated to obedience to the moral law before one is justified and Satan loses his case in the court of heaven. If one commits sin and refuses to confess and rectify his life, Satan wins his case and God is under obligation to pass the sentence of the broken law. (Num. 14:18, Rom. 1:29-32, 1Cor 6:9-11, Gal. 5:19-21, Gal. 6:7-8, James 2:10).
Together the four Gospels describe the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus – the most important historical events of all time. Each Gospel has something unique to offer; the Gospel of Matthew is filled with the discourses of Jesus, and presents an exceptionally Jewish view of Jesus’ life and his fulfillment of Scripture. Because of its tremendous power and importance, Matthew, like the other Gospels, has been under constant attack from modern scholars. Despite arguments to the contrary, there is rich evidence that Matthew’s Gospel was written prior to the destruction of the Temple in AD 70, and that Matthew actually took down Jesus’ words verbatim.
Early Origin
As quoted by Eusebius in Hist. Eccl. 3.39, Papias states: “Matthew put together the oracles of the Lord in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best he could.”
Many scholars now believe that the Gospels were written before Paul’s first imprisonment of AD 57-60, and Risto Santala argues in The Messiah in the New Testament, p.47-48, that virtually all of the New Testament books were written before Jerusalem’s destruction. There is no hint in the New Testament of Nero’s persecutions after AD 64, nor of the execution of James, the Lord’s brother, in AD 62. There is not the slightest mention of the Jewish revolt against the Romans which began in AD 66. These historic events would have been irresistible in making many of the arguments in the New Testament documents.
Textual evidence suggests that Matthew was originally written in Hebrew. In hundreds of places the Greek sentence structure betrays a Semitic influence and implies a translation from the Hebrew. Jesus’ teachings in Matthew contain significant numbers of Hebrew/Aramaic puns, alliterations, and word connections. What’s more, Matthew is the most specifically Jewish Gospel, clearly written for a Jewish audience with a focus on Jesus as the Messiah in fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Papyrus Discovery
In 1994, a segment of the Greek text of Matthew’s Gospel appears to now have been dated before AD 66. Known as the Magdalen Papyrus, P64, it contains segments of Matthew 26:23, 31 on both sides of three fragments.
Carsten Peter Thiede, then Director of the Institute for Basic Epistemological Research in Paderborn, did the research on the Magdalen Papyrus. According to The Times of London, December 24 1994, he determined, “that the Gospel according to Matthew is an eyewitness account written by contemporaries of Christ.”
It appears that within five years after the death and resurrection of Christ, most of His words and deeds had been committed to a simple written Hebrew form and Matthew is, of course, assumed to be part of this compilation. Within a decade, this corpus would have been translated into a Greek version for church requirements. This body of information is often called the “Q-document” (for German, quelle, source). Around the year AD 50 the original material was developed into written Greek form and the “synoptic” Gospels were composed, probably since the persecutions were imminent. The key point is that eyewitnesses were still around to verify the details.
While some argue that Matthew, as an eye-witness, would not have depended on other sources for his Gospel, it can also be argued that he didn’t need to reinvent the wheel regarding the narrative of Jesus’ life. It had been sufficiently written down, and Matthew verified it by accepting much of it. Rather, the information unique to Matthew’s Gospel demonstrates that Matthew was indeed with Jesus – and with his pen in hand.
Stenographic Skill
There is, in fact, reason to believe that Matthew had the skills of a tachygrapher, or shorthand writer. As a former customs official, he would have had a working knowledge of tachygraphy, and thus may have been able to transcribe the Sermon on the Mount verbatim, just as Tertius and others were able to transcribe Paul’s more verbose utterances. (The reason Matthew’s Gospel is so much longer than Mark’s is that he includes these extensive discourses.) For more information on this skill, see our article, “The Bible in Shorthand.”
Your Challenge
Matthew’s thoroughness and precision lends many special insights as one delves into his detailed presentations. His rendering of the Seven Kingdom Parables in Chapter 13 are remarkably parallel to the Letters to the Seven Churches in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3. His presentation of Jesus’ confidential briefing to His disciples about His Second Coming in Chapter 24 is an essential foundation in any eschatological (end-time) study. He also focuses specifically on Jesus’ fulfillment of Old Testament Scriptures.
This very basic book of the Bible is a most rewarding study to both novice and experienced Bible students who are willing to diligently dig in.
Related Links:
• The Gospel Of Matthew - Crandall University Religious Studies
• The Bible in Shorthand - Koinonia House
• The Gospel of Matthew - Koinonia House
• Matthew MP3 Download - Koinoinia House Store
Isaiah 52:13-15
Behold My servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
As many were astonied at Thee: His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.
So shall He sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at Him: for that which had not been told them shall they see: and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Prudent defined:
Heb. Sakal, to be circumspect and intelligent; considerate; expert; prosperous; to deal prudently; be skilful; have good success; behave self; guide wittingly [v13]. It is translated ,behaved wisely [1 Sam. 18:5; Ps. 101:2]; prosper [Dt. 29:9; Jos. 1:7; 1 Ki. 2:3]; good success [Jos. 1:8]; deal prudently [Isa. 52:13]; and understand [Dan. 9:25]
Exaltation Planned:
In God’s plan, this always follows humiliation, suffering, obedience and conformity to the chief end in life - the highest good of all [Mt. 23:12; Lk. 14:11; Lk. 18:14; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 5:8-9]. The Heb. Ruwm, means, to rise to a high place; to be lifted up to a high position.
Messiah Anointed:
Heb. Shamem, to stun; grow numb; stupefy; be shocked; make amazed; be astonished; wonder.
Translated astonied [v14] astonishment; wondered; amazed; astonished.
Jehovah’s Servant:
Jehovah’s Servant, not the servant of Satan, man or sin.
This servant is not Israel, the church, or the prophet himself, but the Messiah who was predicted in Isa. 7:14; Isa. 9:6-7; Isa. 42:1; Isa. 52:13; Isa. 53:11; Isa. 65:8.
His exaltation is first introduced as this is the eternal aspect of the Messiah [Isa. 52:13, 15]; and then His humiliation is dealt with in detail as this is the immediate step to His exaltation [Isa. 52:14; Isa. 53:1-12].
This chapter should have started at Isa. 52:13, for it begins the detailed description of the Messiah in suffering and exaltation. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT AND COULD BE CALLED THE HEART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.
No other portion of the Bible of like size, gives the reasons for the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ.
NO OTHER PART OF THE BIBLE HAS CREATED MORE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE FRIENDS AND FOES OF CHRISTIANITY.
Job 2:10
But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
We rightly suppose that Job was a very religious man, and that he was acquainted with God and religious as it was understood and practiced in those days.
He no doubt knew of the many traditions and revelations of God up to that time, being a grandson of Jacob.
He was born 352 years after Noah died, and about 200 years after Shem died. This would allow for dates as follows:
-1 - Shem 502 years after flood [Gen.11:10-11, or contemporary with Abraham 75 years. He died the year Abraham left for Canaan [Gen.12:4].
-2 - Abraham 25 Years to Isaac [Gen.21:5]
-3 - Isaac 60 years to Jacob [Gen.25:26]
-4 - Jacob was about 85 when Issachar was born.
-5 - Issachar was about 30 years when Job was born.
-6 - Job was about 70 when he was afflicted, according to some scholars. This would make it only 772 years after the flood.
From the above we can understand how Job could know about the religious belief and practices of Shem, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob-their spiritual experiences and the doctrines adhered to. We find many of the great doctrines of the Bible in the Book of Job.
The name Chronicles is from the Hebrew Dibrei hayyamim, words of the days.
The Greek name Paraleipomena, means things omitted.
It is from the Latin name Chronicon that we get our word Chronicles.
The 2 books, like 1 and 2 Kings, were only one originally. The division was the work of the Septuagint translators, and it was adopted by Jerome, then by various branches of the Western Church.
The Hebrew meaning is literally ‘the daily acts and occurrences’, a title originally applied to the accounts of the reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah.
Afterward, CHRONICLES was applied to the book taken from these narratives. The 2 books of Chronicles are not new history; they cover many things written before.
They belong to quite another part of the O.T. because they do not follow in sequence after the books of the kings.
They are, according to the Jewish canon, the conclusion of the O.T. and the genealogies here lead to those of the N.T. They begin with the first Adam and end looking forward to the 2nd Adam.
They deal primarily with the kingdom of Judah, because Christ was to be the successor of David on an eternal throne. As compared with 1 and 2 Kings which give the history from the human standpoint, and 2 books of Chronicles give the history from divine standpoint.
The former records are as man ruled the history, the latter, AS GOD OVERRULED IT. Cp. Saul’s death in 1 Samuel 31: 6 with 1 Chronicles 10:13-14; also note that only 4 verses are devoted to Hezekiah’s reformation in Kings [2 Ki. 18:4-7] whereas 3 whole chapters are given to it in Chronicles [chpt 29-31]
The books of Chronicles give God’s standpoint, pointing to the moral side and giving reasons for both judgments and mercies.
The books of Kings are chronological in order: whereas, in Chronicles chronology is sometimes ignored in order to bring out causes or consequences for the purpose of comparison and contrast between records.
In Kings we have the complete history of both houses of Israel, while in Chronicles we have only that which pertains to the houses of Israel, while in Chronicles we have only that which pertains to the house of David and of Judah as being founded on the covenant God made with David of the tribe of Judah, as in 2 Sam. 7 and 1 Chron. 17.
The Chronicles are entirely independent of the books of Samuel and Kings and the differences between them are designed to be so.
Many critics create their own difficulties by first assuming that all the books should be alike; and because they are not, they conclude that there are many discrepancies and corruptions in the text when actually the writings are full of divine instruction, some containing additions for our learning.
A table of parrallel passages may be used as a harmony between Samuel and Kings on one hand and Chronicles on the other - Page 421, 423 & 426: Dake A.R. Bible.
“And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses…And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them…And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.” - Exodus 12:14-17
The Passover week started this Monday at sunset as the 15th of Nisan began. Jewish families gathered to enjoy the Seder together in homes all across the world. The Passover Seder is not generally eaten in synagogues or public places, but remains a family-oriented meal eaten in remembrance of God’s passing over the Hebrew dwellings when He slew all the firstborn children of Egypt. It celebrates the freeing the children of Israel from the slavery of Egypt.
Chametz:
In preparation for the Passover, Jewish homes have been thoroughly cleaned and counters have been scrubbed to make sure that no leaven, no chametz (like “humits” with a guttural Scottish “ch” as in loch) remains in the house. The children of Israel did not have time to wait for bread to rise before eating their meal, and they were ordered to eat, “with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover.” (Exodus 12:11). Cleaning the leavening out of the home also represents cleaning pride (which puffs up) out of our hearts.
The Seder Plate:
The Passover is eated on the evening of Nisan 15, and the Seder plate is the focus of the whole service:
• Zeroth: a portion of the shank bone of a lamb to represent the paschal offering. Many Messianics do not include this because of Hebrews 10:9-14.
• Haroseth or Charoses: a mixture of apples, almonds, raisins and cinnamon mixed with a little wine. This symbolizes the mortar used by the Israelites during the Egyptian bondage.
• Karpas: either parsley, celery, lettuce, onion or potato, used to dip in the saltwater, a reminder of both the tears of hardship and slavery as well as the resolve and intense effort of the Jew.
• Hazereth: the green top of a bitter herb. Symbolic of lowly origins, suffering, and resolve.
• Baytzh: a hardboiled egg, which is the token for both grief over the destruction of the Temple and, at the same time, a symbol of the resurrection.
In addition to those mentioned above, more items are essential to the Passover Table: Unleavened Bread, Wine and the Haggadah.
Matzo:
The Unleavened Bread. These are flat, bland, cracker-like wafers, which are both striped and pierced (Isa 53:5; Zech 12:10). There are three matzos and usually are placed in what is called a Matzo Tash, a square white silk bag that is divided up into three compartments for the three matzo wafers.
Why three matzos? The Jewish tradition is that the three represent or symbolize unity. Here are some theories: The Unity of the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; The Unity of Worship: Priests, Levites, and the Congregation; The Unity of the Crowns: The crowns of Learning, Priesthood, and Kingship. Or, another suggestion: The Unity of God: The Trinity-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Four Cups of Wine:
The Four Cups and their meanings are taken from Exodus 6:6-7:
• Cup 1 - The Cup of Consecration: “I will take you out of Egypt.” Simply put … God delivers, He alone intervenes! All the miracles and the plagues were part of the plan of God to deliver Israel from Egypt. In spite of their hardships, He was with them. The same is true today!
• Cup 2 - The Cup of Deliverance: “I will take Egypt out of you.” Becoming the people of God takes work! Knowing what the Lord requires and then becoming like Him, representing Him to the world around us.
• Cup 3 - The Cup of Redemption: This is the cup that Jesus used to memorialize His blood. Without this cup we cannot be completely transformed into His image! (1 Cor 11:24-26).
• Cup 4 - I will take you to be My people: Jesus is waiting for the marriage feast before He drinks from this cup (cf. Mishnah, Pesahim 7:13). Passover wine was red and mixed with warm water. Why? It reminded them of the blood of the Passover lamb: But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water (John 19:33-35).
The Haggadah:
The literal meaning is “telling” or “showing forth.” It is the same root used in Exodus 13:8. The Haggadah not only tells us what to do at the Seder, but also when, how, and why. The modern Haggadah is based on ancient writings in the Mishnah and dates back to the second century.
How the Seder Begins:
The Haggadah book is opened and the Host reads from it. Everyone has a pillow in order to relax and to enjoy the celebration of their being freed from the bondage of slavery. The wife then has the honor of lighting the white Passover candles and saying a blessing:
“Blessed art Thou, O LORD our God, King of the Universe, who sanctifies us by Thy commandment and commands us to light the lights of the Passover.”
Elijah?
Two cups at the table are usually larger and more elaborate than the others. This night they are silver (remember that silver symbolizes blood and, thus, redemption). One sits at the head of the table, the other at a prominent spot before an empty chair. It awaits the lips of Elijah. The Prophet is the invited guest to every Seder and who, according to Malachi, is to announce the coming of the Messiah.
The Breaking of the Matzo:
Early in the Seder, the Host takes the middle matzo and breaks it in two, leaving one half in the middle and puts the other half under the cloth for the “afikomen.” It is always wrapped in linen and hidden in a dark place.
The Four Sons:
The Wise, Wicked, Simple, and Foolish Sons each play a part in the Seder meal by asking questions and getting instruction from the Host.
It’s Personal:
In every generation each individual is bound to regard himself as if he had gone personally forth from Egypt. As it is said, “And you shall relate to your son on that day saying, this is on account of what the Eternal did for me, when I went forth from Egypt. Thus it was not our ancestors alone, whom the most Holy, blessed be He, then Redeemed, but us also did He redeem with them. As it is said, He brought us forth from thence in order to bring us in, that He might give us the Land He swore to our ancestors.”
What has God done for you? Remember one of your weapons in witnessing is your testimony-your story! In general people don’t want to be preached to but they love to hear stories… ” Let me tell you what Jesus has done for me …”
Jesus is The Lamb of God, The Middle Matzo, The Afikomen, and The Third Cup of Wine. The only Greek word in the Haggadah is “afikomen” and its literal meaning is “He Came!”
[See our briefing, The Feasts of Israel for further study.]
Related Links:
• Christ in the Passover - Koinonia House
• Studies on Easter - Koinonia House
• 66-40: The Feasts of Israel Briefing - Koinonia House
THE MOST QUOTED BOOK
Whose sermons are quoted most in the Bible? The answer may surprise you. Just as the New Testament epistles are our primary interpretive commentary on the historical narratives (the Gospels and Acts), the most venerated portion of the Old Testament - the Torah - has, within it, its primary commentary in the form of three sermons by its principal author, Moses.
Moses was eminently qualified to speak for God. He was more than Israel’s human Lawgiver: he was the founder of Israel’s religion; he was the mediator of the covenant at Sinai; he was Israel’s first prophet. (Though God called Abraham a prophet, Israel did not then exist as a nation.) Through Moses, God set such a high standard for the people that all subsequent prophets lived under his shadow, never attaining to it, until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not surprisingly, the New Testament authors mentioned Moses more frequently than any other Old Testament person. His concluding remarks after a 120-year lifetime have been handed down to us as the Book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy is essentially a series of sermons by the greatest Old Testament prophet. Jesus Himself quoted more from Deuteronomy than from any other portion of the Old Testament. (In a sense, Deuteronomy is the “Book of Romans” of the Old Testament.)
The Hebrew title of the book is ‘elleh haddebarim (”these are the words”) in keeping with the Hebrew custom of often titling a work by its first word(s). The English title Deuteronomy stems from the Septuagint’s mistranslation of Deuteronomy 17:18, “this repetition of the Law.” The Septuagint translated those words deuteronomion (deutero means “two” or “second,” and nomion is “law”; lit., “second Law”), which were rendered Deuteronomium in the Vulgate, Jerome’s fourth-century Latin translation of the Bible.
Moses’ words were addressed to all Israel, an expression used at least 12 times in the book. Its frequent occurrence emphasizes the unity of Israel which was brought about by God’s mighty deliverance of the nation from Egypt, and by her acceptance of His covenant at Sinai. They were uniquely God’s people, the only nation on earth that had as its “Constitution” the Word of God.
Sometimes very crucial progress occurs at an excruciatingly slow pace. From Horeb to Kadesh Barnea was only about 200 miles. The Israelites turned an 11-day journey - from Horeb (another word for Mount Sinai) to Kadesh Barnea, the first site for entering into the Promised Land from the south - into a 40-year wandering in the wilderness before they came to their second potential site for entering the land. It took only three days to get Israel out of Egypt; but it took 40 years to get “Egypt” out of Israel! As Stephen pointed out centuries later, the Israelites had always been slow to believe God.
Moses’ review of the Law includes many crucial issues such as the legitimacy of war, the role of capital punishment, divorce, as well as the proper forms of worship, keeping the Sabbath, etc. But the surprise for many are the prophetic aspects of this foundational book: the future history of Israel-including an astonishing prediction of the Holocaust, etc. However, all Scriptures are Christ centered, so perhaps most challenging for the dedicated students are the “types” and “macrocodes” throughout the book. We find them in the roles of the goel, the Kinsman-Redeemer, the cities of refuge, the levirate marriage, and the many calendar issues.
God has not changed since then. Man has not changed since then. And God’s primary message through His servant Moses was Love. Not a list of do’s and don’ts, not legalism, but relationship. And, of course, the ultimate consummation of all these things was, and is, fulfilled in our Kinsman-Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. God always rewards the diligent student, and a careful review of this foundational book is guaranteed to be life-changing! See our Expositional Commentary on Deuteronomy for an in-depth study!
Related Links:
• Deuteronomy - MP3 Download - Koinonia House
• The Joy of Teaching God’s Word - Koinonia House
- FROM: Koinonia House News Letter
Exodus 32:32-33
Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book. [Dake].
Moses believed that names could be blotted out of the book of life [v32]. Cp Rom. 9:3.
This is the first mention of the book of God in which all the names of the righteous are written. It is referred to throughout Scripture under various terms, being called, “Thy Book” and “My book” [Ex. 32:32-33]; “the book of the living” [Ps. 69:28]; “the book” [Dan. 12:1]; “the book of life” [Phil. 4;3; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:11-15; 22:18-19]; and “the Lamb’s book of life” [Rev. 21:27].
Because the term “book of life” does not appear in all of these passages it does not mean that the reference in any one instance is to something else. Just as we have several names for the Bible – “the Holy Scriptures” [Rom. 1:2; 2 Tim. 3:15]; “the Oracles of God” [Rom. 3:2; Heb. 5:12; 1 Pet. 4:11]; “the law of the prophets” [Lk. 24:25-44]; “the Word of God” [Mk. 7:13; Rom. 10:17; Heb. 4:12]; “the Sword of the Spirit” [Eph. 6:17]; and others; so we also have several names for the book of life. Scripture teaches plainly that God blots the names of sinners out of His book. The Psalmist predicted it to happen in the case of Judas [Ps. 69:2—28]. Christ warned of it regarding all who would not overcome sin [Rev. 3:5; 22:18-19].
THE BOOK OF LIFE:
12 times the book of God is mentioned:
1 - Blot me out of “Thy book” which You have written [v32]
2 - Whoever hath sinned against Me, Him will I blot out of “My book” [v33]
3 - Let them be blotted out of “the book of the living” and not be written with the righteous [Ps. 69:28; 109:13].
4 - Thy people shall be delivered [translated], everyone that shall be found in “the Book” [Dan. 12:1].
5 - Rejoice, because your names are “written in heaven” [Lk. 10:20].
6 - Whose names are in “the book of life” [Phil. 4:3]
7 - He that overcometh … I will not blot out his name out of “the book of life” [Rev. 3:5]
8 - Names not written in “the book of life” [Rev. 13:8; 17:8].
9 - Another book was opened, which is “the book of life” [Rev.20:11-12]
10 - Whosoever was not found written in “the book of life” was cast into the lake of Fire [Rev. 20:15]
11 - They which are written in the ‘Lamb’s book of life” [Rev. 21:27]
12 - God shall take away his part out of “the book of life” [Rev. 22:18-19]
Here God confirmed the belief of Moses that names can and will be blotted out of the book of life when men sin and incur the eternal death penalty for sin [v33]. This, God’s word, not man’s, is definite, not doubtful: and universal and eternal in application, not local and limited.
7 proofs Aaron’s name in book of life:
He was born again [Dt. 32:18]
He was holy [19:6; 22:31; Lev. 11:44-45; 21:6-8].
He had his name written in heaven [32:32-33].
He was a prophet [7:1]
He was a miracle worker [7:1-17; 8:6; 11:10; 12:1; Ps. 77:20]
He was in God’s grace or favor until he sinned in the matter of the golden calf, for he was in charge of all Israel at that time [24:14; 32:1]
He had seen God and had eaten with Him on Sinai [24:1-11]
Aaron had his name blotted out:
This is what God said He would do for those who had sinned in the matter of the golden calf [32:32-33]. That Aaron sinned is plainly stated [32:1-6, 21-24, 30]; therefore, it can only concluded that his name was blotted out along with names of others who sinned at that time. Both God and Moses said he sinned [32:7-10, 30-33]. Aaron was a special object of God’s wrath [Dt. 9:20].
Aaron was forgiven and spared:
God forgave Aaron and others in Israel after much intercession by Moses and after atonement was made and sin acknowledged [32:11-14, 30-33; Dt. 9:12-21]. After his name was blotted out and put back in the book of life, he continued as high priest for about 38 years [39:1-43; Lev. 6:9; 8:1-36; 13:1; 16:1-23].
7 Uses of “blotting out”:
Curses [Num. 5:23]
Names under heaven [Dt. 9:14; Dt. 29:20; 2 Ki. 14:27]
The remembrance of Amalek [Dt. 25:19]
Transgressions [Ps. 51:1; Isa. 43:25; Isa. 44:22]
Iniquities [Ps. 51:9].
Sins [Acts 3:19]
Laws of Moses [Col. 2:14-17].
In all the above cases the meaning is clear – a complete cancellation and an annulment of whatever was blotted out. A name being blotted out of the book of life means that it is no longer in the book; likewise, sins that are blotted out are no longer held against a person. – Dake A.R.B.: P. 153
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