PT-1 "The Permanence of Scripture" (Matt. 5:18)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/14/2020 9:40 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                  Focus:  PT-1 “The Permanence of Scripture”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 5:18

 

            Message of the verse:  “18 Indeed, I assure you that, while Heaven and earth last, the Law will not lose a single dot or comma until its purpose is complete.”

 

            A couple of things before we begin to look at this passage, first I can say that this will be a long introduction, taking a few days to get through, and second I want to give out the title to MacArthur’s 23 chapter in his commentary:  “Christ and the Law—part 2 The Permanence of Scripture.”

 

            We have talked in earlier SD’s that the people whom Jesus was speaking of were certainly looking forward to having the Messiah come to earth.  They wanted the Messiah to lessen the requirements of the Law and even the traditions that the Scribes and the Pharisees have made up.  However we have also seen that Jesus had not come to diminish the law in the least bit, but to uphold and fulfill it in every detail. 

 

            If we were looking at the NASB95 we would see that at the beginning of verse 18 these words “truly I say to you,” as Jesus confirmed the special importance of what He was about to say.  MacArthur writes Amen (‘truly’) was a term of strong, intense affirmation.  Jesus was saying ‘I say this to you absolutely, without qualification and with the fullest authority.’”

 

            The teaching that Jesus gives was not only absolute but His teachings were permanent.  He goes on to say “Until heaven and earth pass away” and this represents the end of time as we know it, the end of earthly history.  I for one am thankful that these words are found in this verse ad it demonstrates that at some time the earth will be done away with and we know from past studies that that will happen at the end of the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ which can be seen in 2 Peter 3:10.  We can see from this statement that God’s Word will outlast the universe.  I want to look at 2 Peter 3:7-10 “7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”  The psalmist spoke of something similar in Psalm 102 25-26 “25 “Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 “Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.”  Now we move to some verses in the book of Isaiah:  “6 “Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane.”   “And all the host of heaven will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All their hosts will also wither away As a leaf withers from the vine, Or as one withers from the fig tree.” (Isa. 34:4).  “12 I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places” (Rev. 6:12-14).  This judgment spoken of in Revelation is from what is called the seal judgments, the first of three sets of judgments that total 21.

 

            We now want to look forward into the book of Matthew where Jesus is giving one of if not His last sermon which we call “The Olivet Discourse.”  This is seen in chapters 24-25 and in 24:35 we read “"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”  The Olivet Discourse goes along with chapters 6-19 of the book of Revelation.  John MacArthur writes “What was true of the law, in its fullest meaning as the Old Testament, was also true of Jesus’ teaching.  It is timeless.

 

            “It is incredibly foolish to ask, ‘What does the Bible, a two-thousand year-old book, have to say to us today?’  The Bible is the eternal Word of the eternal God.  It ‘is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword’ (Heb. 4:12).  It has long preceded and will long outlast every person who questions its validity and relevancy.” 

 

            Lord willing, we will continue to look at this introduction in our next SD.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful for that phrase “while heaven and earth last” found in the Phillips Bible because of reasons I stated above.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Live today like the Lord will come today, and do this every day, and also to think about the Lord’s return and what a wonderful day that will be.

 

7/14/2020 10:25 AM

Jesus Fulfilled the Judicial Law (Matt. 5:17)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/13/2020 9:07 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                              Focus:  Jesus Fulfilled the Judicial Law

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 5:17

 

            Message of the verse:  “17 "You must not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to complete them.”

 

            I promised to have a very short SD for today and so we will look at how Jesus fulfilled the Judicial Law as we look at our last SD from the 17^th verse of Matthew chapter five.

 

            The first thing we want to look at is what this judicial law was all about.  God’s judicial law was given to provide unique identify for Israel as a nation that belonged to God.  This is spoken of in many OT passages, the fact that God was the owner of Israel, and for that matter He owns everything, especially Israel as the OT shows that Israel was married to God.  MacArthur writes “The laws relating to agriculture, settlement of disputes, diet, cleanliness, dress, and such things were special standards by which His chosen people were to live before the Lord and apart from the world.”  Jesus fulfilled this law as He died on the cross.  The crucifixion of Jesus Christ marked Israel’s ultimate apostasy in the final rejection of their Messiah as seen in Matthew 27:25 “And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!”  That is a statement that causes me to cringe whenever I read it, knowing that those who expressed that statement will one day be very upset that they did it such anger over the very One who was dying for them.  Let us now look at another verse to help us understand that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ marked Israel’s ultimate apostasy as they rejected their Messiah:  “So they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15).  This is another sad statement given by some angry people that they will regret.  Israel had spent almost 2000 years regretting these statements, and it was not until God fulfilled prophecy spoken by Ezekiel and also Moses that by God’s grace and mercy He allowed Israel to become a nation again in the same place where God called them to live.  They are still not ready to claim their Messiah, but I hope shortly that this will happen as I do believe that the very end times are very close. 

 

            John MacArthur writes “With that the judicial law passed away, because Israel no longer served as His chosen nation.  Before His crucifixion Jesus warned the Jews, ‘I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you’ (Matt. 21:43).  Praise God, He will someday redeem and restore Israel (Rom. 9-11), but in the meanwhile the church is His chosen body of people on earth (1 Peter 2:9-11).  All the redeemed—those who receive the work of His cross—are His chosen ones.”

 

            In closing we will look at 1 Peter 2:9-11 “9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal

PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful that God sent His Son to take my place on the cross so that I have received eternal life, and that eternal life begin on January 26, 1974.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  That God will show mercy to me to get some problems with my computer and phone taken care of today.

 

7/13/2020 9:32 AM

PT-2 "Jesus Fulfilled the Ceremonial Law" (Gen. 5:17)

SPIRIUTUAL DIARY FOR 7/12/2020 8:56 AM

 

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  PT-2 “Jesus Fulfills the Ceremonial Law”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 5:17

 

            Message of the verse:  “17 "You must not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to complete them.”

 

            We ended our last SD by me writing that we would look at the Tabernacle and the Temple as we begin this SD, and neither the Tabernacle nor the Temple compare with Christ.  Both of them had a door, but Christ is the door.  Both had a brazen altar, but Jesus is the altar.  They both had a laver, but Jesus Himself cleanses from sin.  Both of them had many lights which needed to be tended to all the time as they needed to be filled in order to keep giving off light; Jesus is the Light of the world that shines eternally.  Next they had bread that also had to be replenished but Christ is the eternal bread of life.  They both had incense, but Christ’s own prayers ascend for His saints.  They both had a veil, but His veil was His own body.  They both had a mercy seat, but He is now the mercy seat.

 

            Now we want to look at the offerings and compare them with Christ.  First we look at the burnt offering which spoke of perfection, but Christ was perfection incarnate.  Next the meal offering which spoke of dedication, but Jesus was Himself wholly dedicated to the Father.  Next we look at the peace offering as it speaks of peace, but Jesus is Himself our peace.  The sin and the trespass offering spoke of substitution, but Jesus Christ is our Substitute.

 

            We want now to look at the feast and how they compare with Jesus Christ.  First the Passover spoke of deliverance from physical death, whereas Christ is our Passover who delivers from spiritual death.  The unleavened bread spoke of holiness, however Christ fulfilled all holiness.  Next the first fruits spoke of harvest, but Jesus rose from the dead and became “the first fruits of those who are asleep” as seen in 1 Cor. 15:20).  The feast of Tabernacles spoke of reunion, but only Christ is able one day to gather all His people together in His heavenly house forever as this will happen at the rapture for those who are the church.

 

            From the first verse in the Word of God, Genesis 1:1 all the way through Malachi 4:6, the Old Testament is Jesus Christ.  It was inspired by Christ, it points to Christ, and it is fulfilled by Christ.

 

            The New Testament continues to tell us that the law could not make anyone righteous.  Jesus Christ is the One who had to do that for us, do what the Law could not do.  “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24).  The law only pointed to righteousness; however Christ gives us righteousness, His own righteousness.

 

            MacArthur concludes this section and this chapter, but we have one more section to look at tomorrow, which will be a short one, Lord willing.  “The judicial law and the ceremonial law were fulfilled and set aside.  They ended at the cross.  But the moral law fulfilled by Christ is still being fulfilled through His disciples.  Because Christ fulfilled the law, so can those who belong to Him.  God sent ‘His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4).  When we walk in the Spirit we fulfill the righteousness of the law, because Christ in us fulfills it with His own righteousness which He has given to us.”

 

7/12/2020 9:22 AM

Jesus Fulfilled the Ceremonial Law (Matt. 5:17)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/11/2020 9:37 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Jesus Fulfilled the Ceremonial Law

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 5:17

 

            Message of the verse:  “17 "You must not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to complete them” (Phillips).

 

            Some may ask the question “exactly what was the ceremonial law?”  The ceremonial law governed the form of Israel’s worship is how John MacArthur describes this law.  When Jesus died on the cross He fulfilled the ceremonial law along with the judicial law.  We have into look back at the OT to see that sacrifice was the heart of all of its worship, and so Jesus brought all the other sacrifices to an end.  I want to look at Matthew 27:51 to show us what happened in the temple once Jesus died on the cross, thus fulfilling these OT laws “And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.”  Jesus Christ was the new and perfect way into the Holy of Holies, into which any man could come by faith.  Let us again go to the book of Hebrews and look at 10:19-22 “19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”  As we look on later in the book of Matthew we see that Jesus told the Jewish people that Jerusalem would be destroyed soon, and it happened in 70 A. D. thus ending the Levitical priestly sacrificial system.

 

            MacArthur writes “Symbolically they had no more significance.  The Tabernacle and Temple sacrifices even before Christ’s death never had power to cleanse from sin.  They were only pictures of the Messiah-Savior’s work of cleansing, pictures that pointed to the supreme manifestation of God’s mercy and grace.  ‘But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.’

 

            “The ceremonial law ended because it was fulfilled.  Because the reality had come, the pictures and symbols had no more place or purpose.  On the final Passover night of our Lord’s life, He instituted new symbols to commemorate His death.  (The prophet Ezekiel points to a future time in the kingdom when Old Testament symbols will be a renewed part of worship by the redeemed:  see Ezek. 40-48).”   I have been told that there are two very difficult portions of the OT to understand, and one of them is Ezekiel 40-48, and the other is the book of Zachariah.  I have written comments on both books and in the case of Zachariah it took me six months to go through that rather small book.

 

            We can compare Aaron who was the first high priest with our Lord Jesus Christ who is our eternal High Priest.  Aaron entered the Holy of Holies once a year, but this did not take away sin, while Jesus entered the heavenly and this did take away sins.  Aaron entered beyond the veil, but Christ tore the veil in two.  I might comment that Christ tore the veil from the bottom to the top and also that veil was a very heavy veil, something that could not just get torn easily, especially from the bottom to top.  Aaron offered the blood of bulls, while Christ offered Himself, His own blood.  Aaron sacrificed for his own sin, while Christ only for the sins of others, because Christ could never sin, thus not needing a sacrifice for Himself.  Aaron was a temporary priest, while Christ is an eternal priest.  Aaron was fallible, Christ was infallible.  Aaron was changeable, Christ was unchangeable.  Aaron was continual, Christ is final.  Aarons sacrifice was imperfect, Christ’s was perfect.  Aaron’s priesthood was insufficient; Christ’s was all-sufficient.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have to say that the book of Hebrews is a very important book in the NT, and that even though it is difficult to understand it is worth studying as I can see from this portion of the book of Matthew.  I would not know the things about Christ’s priesthood without the book of Hebrews.

 

7/11/2020 10:17 AM

 

           

Jesus Fulfilled the Moral Law (Matt. 5:17)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/10/2020 9:55 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                            Focus:  “Jesus Fulfilled the Moral Law”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Matthew 5:17

 

            Message of the verse:  “17 "You must not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to complete them” (Phillips). 

 

            Before we begin to comment on our subject for today I want to say that I had not looked at the Phillips rendition of this verse, but I have to say that he makes a great deal of since in how he wrote this verse. 

 

            Let us answer the question as to what the moral law was:  The moral law was God’s foundation code is how MacArthur explains it.  We have already touched on the truth that Jesus fulfilled the law by His perfect righteousness.  Jesus obeyed every commandment, He obeyed every requirement that He met, and every standard He lived up to.

 

            I want to quote a paragraph from MacArthur’s commentary as he writes about keeping the Sabbath, which is one of the Ten Commandments.  He writes “Because keeping the Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments, it may be helpful to comment on that part of the moral law.  The essence of Sabbath observance was holiness, not resting or refraining from work.  It was a provision meant to remove the heart from early endeavors and to turn it toward God.  Because Christ fulfilled all righteousness and has become our righteousness, the purpose of Sabbath observance ended at the cross.  Christians possess the reality, and so no longer need the symbol.  All believers have entered into permanent salvation rest as the writer of Hebrews carefully points out (4:1-11).  Every day has become holy to the Lord.”  Let us take time to go over those eleven verses from Hebrews at this time before we continue looking at this subject.

 

“1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: "AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS"; 5 and again in this passage, "THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST." 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.”

 

            Let me also quote the last paragraph from MacArthur commentary and then I will make some comments and look at some more Scripture.  “In demonstration of that fact” (every day has become holy to the Lord) “the early church met together every day for worship (Acts 2:46).  But before long their primary worship meetings were held on the first day of the week (see 1 Cor. 16:2), which became to be called the Lord’s day (Rev. 1:10) because of its association with Jesus’ resurrection.  That day was to stimulate them to holiness every other day as well (Hebrews 10:24-25).”  “24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25  not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  “As Paul made clear, however, there is no longer any special day of worship (Rom. 14:5-6; Col. 1:16-17).  Worship on Tuesday, Thursday, or any other day of the week is no less biblical or spiritual than worship on the Lord’s Day.  Sunday is not the ‘Christian Sabbath,’ as some claim, but is simply the day of worship most Christians have observed since New Testament times, a special time set aside for spiritual exercises.  The moral aspect inherent in the Sabbath law is the heart of true worship.”

 

            Let us look at Romans 14:5-6 and then Col. 2:16-17, the verses referenced in the paragraph above.

 

“5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.”

 

“16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day- 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Knowing the truth of how the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the moral law was something that will help me for this day and days to come.  Realizing that every day is a day to worship the Lord is something that was also something great to be reminded of.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Remember the worship of the Lord today and every day that God will give me breath.

 

7/10/2020 10:27 AM

Accomplished by Christ (Matt. 5:17)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/9/2020 11:47 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  “Accomplished by Christ”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Matthew 5:17

 

            Message of the verse:  “17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”

 

            As we continue to look at this verse we can see that there is a culminating reason and that is for the law’s preeminence was its fulfillment by Jesus Christ, who is God’s Son.  He states “I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”  We can see this from His incarnation, and in that the work of His Holy Spirit through the church, and in His coming again Jesus would fulfill all of the law—moral, judicial, and ceremonial.

 

            John MacArthur writes “The Old Testament is complete; it is all God intended it to be.  It is a wondrous, perfect, and complete picture of the coming King and His kingdom, and Jesus the King came to fulfill it in every detail. Five times in the New Testament we are told of Jesus’ claiming to be the theme of the Old Testament:  here, in Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; and in Hebrews 10:7.”  Perhaps it would be good for us to go over these verses beginning with Luke 24:27, and follow them in the order given: 

27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

44 Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;

7 Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God. (This one is from Phillips)

 

            I want to now talk about how Jesus fulfilled God’s Law.  First let us look at the word “fulfill” in the Greek:  “from 4134; TDNT-6:286,867; v

 

AV-fulfil 51, fill 19, be full 7, complete 2, end 2, misc 9; 90

 

1) to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full

1a) to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally

1a1) I abound, I am liberally supplied

2) to render full, i.e. to complete

2a) to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim

2b) to consummate: a number

2b1) to make complete in every particular, to render perfect

2b2) to carry through to the end, to accomplish, carry out, (some undertaking)

2c) to carry into effect, bring to realization, realise

2c1) of matters of duty: to perform, execute

2c2) of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish

2c3) to fulfil, i.e. to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfillment.”  (Italics added by me.)

 

            I believe that we can see a number of things in this rather long definition of the word “fulfill” that help us understand exactly what Jesus Christ did to fulfill the law of God. 

 

            We conclude this SD with another quote from John MacArthur because in his commentary he gave different views in how Jesus fulfilled the law of God but not gives what he believes to be true.  “But most importantly, as the Spirit surely intends to emphasize here, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament by being its fulfillment.  He did not simply teach it fully and exemplify it fully—He was it fully.  He did not come simply to teach righteousness and to model righteousness; He came as divine righteousness.  What He said and what He did reflect who He is.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am always thankful that Jesus did fulfill the law of God, to cause God to be satisfied with what He did, and the reason is because I know everyday that I cannot do it.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Give thanks to the Lord for fulfilling something that I could never do on my own.

 

7/9/2020 12:13 PM

Affirmed by the Prophets (Matt. 5:17)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/8/2020 8:31 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  “Affirmed by the Prophets”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Matthew 5:17

 

            Message of the verse:  “17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”

 

            In today’s SD we will be looking at a very short section as some sections are very long and some sections are very short, however all sections are meaningful.

 

            As we look at the title of this section we can see from our verse that it is easy to understand where the title came from as indeed the law of God was affirmed by the prophets.  Not only was it affirmed, but the law is also preeminent because of that affirmation of the prophets.  What the prophets did was reiterated and reinforce the law.  MacArthur adds “All of their warnings, admonitions, and predictions were directly or indirectly based on the Mosaic law. God’s revelation to the prophets was an extension of His law.  The prophets expounded the moral, the judicial, and the ceremonial law.  They spoke on idolatry, adultery, lying, stealing, and all the other Ten Commandments.  They warned the kings, the nobles, and the people in general about keeping the laws God had given for their government, their lifestyle, and their worship.”

 

            As we look at the prophet Jeremiah we see that God did touch his mouth Jer. 1:9 Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth” We don’t see that of the other prophets but we do know that there were tests of the prophets in the OT to make sure that they were really appointed by the Lord to speak His truth to the people.  The test was that if one of the things that he spoke about did not come true, only one, then he was supposed to be killed by the people.  Let us look now at Hebrews 1:1 for more thoughts on this truth:  “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,”  The writher of the book of Hebrews affirms this truth. 

 

            I want, now to take a look at a section from the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 18 and verses 15-22, a section of Scripture that speaks of prophets, and the beginning Moses talks about the coming Messiah that God will raise up, and then talks at the end of this section about how to tell if a prophet is really a prophet:  “15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. 16  "This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ’Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’ 17 “The LORD said to me, ’They have spoken well. 18  ’I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19  ’It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. 20  ’But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 “You may say in your heart, ’How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’ 22 "When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”  I remember that when I first became a believer back in January of 1974 that the first Christian book that I read was “The Late Great Planet Earth” which was written by Hal Lindsey and from that book all those years ago I remembered the chapter that talked about prophets.

 

            MacArthur concludes this short section by writing “Clearly, the work of the prophet was to preach the law of God.  Exodus 4:16 gives an excellent definition of a prophet when it records the word of the Lord to Moses regarding the service of Aaron:  ‘He shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be as God to him.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Thinking back of the time when I read that book I can think of many wonderful memories, but the best one was certainly when the Holy Spirit gave me an effectual call to believe that Jesus Christ died in my place on the cross to pay for all of my sins and to make me a child of the King.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To continue to trust the Lord to teach me from His Word each day so that I can share what I have learned with those who read my Spiritual Diaries on my blogs.

 

7/8/2020 9:06 AM