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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaugh
Better than the Blood
of
Bulls and Goats
FROM THE DESERT TO THE
CROSS
THE PROPHETS
LESSON EIGHT
Before and during the time of David there were prophets in the land. Moses was called prophet, Deborah was called a prophetess of God and Samuel was called the prophet of God. Samuel founded a school of prophets during the time of King Saul. 1 Samuel 19:20. The great Elijah and Elisha were prophets. Nathan was a prophet during the time of David, and David himself moved in the gift of prophecy. We call the results of that gift of prophecy, Psalms. The gift of prophecy prior to the time of David did not, as a whole, center upon future events. Instead, the main duties of the prophets were to denounce the idolatry of the times and to call the people to repentance.
After the death of King David the gift of prophecy was given in greater fullness and to a larger number of individuals. Isaiah was given a very large portion of revelation concerning the future; and yet, even his ministry dealt mostly with calling the people to repentance and teaching them in the ways of the Lord. Beginning with David and after a break, again with Joel, the prophets were used by God to reveal in more and more detail that which the covenants had already given. Many of the prophecies given spoke of Jesus as a man, and of the things which would happen to Him at the hands of other men. Many spoke of Jesus as Immanuel, God with us. Most of these prophecies seem clear to us because we have the light of the New Testament to shine upon them. To the people of the day, it was not so easily discerned and I am sure many of the people thought of the prophets as being weird.
As the nation went from bad to worse, God revealed more and more of the coming of the Messiah and His Kingdom. In the midst of some very dire times, the prophets comforted the faithful and encouraged them to walk by faith and not by sight.
Isaiah spoke of a time when the people who walked in darkness would see a great light. He said the light HAS shined upon them. He spoke past tense, calling those things which be not as though they already were. These words which were spoken about 750 years before Jesus was born were fulfilled in Matthew 4:14-16. The light spoken of is Jesus the Christ, for in Him was Life and the Life was the Light of men. John 1:4
It is said, Solomon sat on the throne of David, his father, and he sat on the throne of his Lord. During the last 1000 years of the old testament, the Messiah's kingdom on earth was identified with the throne of David. 1 Kings 2:12 and 1 Chronicles 29:23 The setting up of the kingdom of the Messiah on earth was called the raising of the tabernacle of David. Amos 9:11 They are one and the same.
The central message of the prophets is Jesus and He is found in every book of the Bible. In Genesis, He is the seed of woman who will bruise the head of the serpent. In Exodus, He is the Passover lamb whose blood delivers from bondage and death. In Leviticus, He is the high priest who ministers between God and man. In Deuteronomy, He is the prophet like unto Moses who spoke with God face to face and delivered the people from oppression.
In Joshua, He is the captain of our salvation. In Judges, he is the court of final appeals, whose word must be obeyed. In Ruth, He is our near relative and our redeemer. In Samuel, He is our faithful prophet whose words all come to pass and are all truth.
In Kings and Chronicles, He is our King who is after God's own heart. In Ezra, He is the teacher who teaches the children of God concerning the statues and the judgment of God. In Nehemiah, He is the re-builder of broken walls. Perhaps you have broken walls in your life that need rebuilding; He is ready when you are ready.
In Esther, He is Mordecai the one who is moved by compassion to save the people. In Job, He is the resurrection from living death unto living life. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being.
In Psalms, He is the Lord our good shepherd. A good shepherd is one who leads, who protects, who provides all the needs of His flock, and who heals all the wounds of His flock. ALL THE BORN AGAIN CHILDREN OF GOD ARE THE FLOCK, JESUS IS THE SHEPHERD. He has said, I am your shield and your buckler, your strong and mighty tower. That's protection. He has said I will supply all your needs. That's provision. He has said, I forgive you and I am the Lord that healeth thee. That's healing. HE IS THE LORD, OUR GOOD SHEPHERD. HALLELUJAH.
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In Proverbs, He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother and wisdom. In Ecclesiastes, He is the one who is above and NOT the one who is under the sun. In Song of Solomon, He is lover and bridegroom, the rose of sharon, the lily of the valley. All of those things mean He is a delight to us. In Isaiah, He is the prince of peace. The rest to the weary, Jesus said "Peace I give you, not as the world gives peace, but my own peace." John 14:27 His peace and His rest are not dependent upon outward circumstances. His peace will give us calm in the midst of the circumstance.
In Jeremiah and Lamentations, He laments and weeps over the sad state of His people who are not living according to the terms of the covenant. Few, were calling upon their blood covenant partner, to fulfill the terms of the agreement. That's the sin of omission, "what so ever is not of faith, is sin." Romans 14:23
In Ezekiel, He is the four who have the face of a man. All four gospels tell of one man, yet give us four pictures of Him. In Daniel, He is the fourth man in the fiery furnace. With us in affliction, to deliver us out of them all. In Hosea, He is the husband married to the unfaithful wife, ready to forgive, abounding in love toward her. In Joel, He is the giver of His Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "It is expedient that I go away, so the Holy Spirit will come." In Amos, He is the burden bearer. Jesus said, "Cast your cares on me." In Obadiah, He is savior. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that who so ever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
In Jonah, He is the missionary that goes to the far land to share the good news. He makes it clear He loves all people. In Micah, He is the messenger with beautiful feet who shares the good news of deliverance. In Nahum, He is our avenger. We are to bless and not curse. He shall repay evil.
In Habakkuk, He is the one who pleads for revival, a return to our first love. In Zephaniah, He is the Lord, mighty to save. There is nothing that will prevent Him from lifting from destruction, those who call upon Him.
In Haggai, He is the one who restores the lost heritage. Man was created to worship and fellowship with God. Sin destroyed that fellowship, but faith in the Son of God, restores the lost heritage. In Zechariah, He is the fountain opened for the house of David for sin and uncleanness. There is a fountain deep and wide, drawn from Emmanuel's vein, and sinners plunged beneath that flood loose all their guilt and stain. The composer of those words understood cleansing.
In Malachi, He is the sun of righteousness risen with healing in His wings. Malachi was the last voice of a prophet that was heard in the land for 400 years. For four hundred years the people were in great darkness and silence. Then was heard the voice of one crying in the wilderness. "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Now there could come, the dawn of a new age, called Grace.
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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaug
Last Update:
January 1, 2009