One of the most interesting books in the New Testament is the book of Acts. Acts is much more than a doctrinal book. While it certainly contains doctrine, its primary view is on the emerging Christian movement from its Jewish matrix to its becoming a movement to all the nations.
There are other issues about Acts that need to be understood. Believe it or not, the early Jewish church still had much to learn about the new covenant. And so Acts includes a progressive revelation that would eventually remove the church’s Jewish clothing, and allow it to put on the clothing of Christ.
The beauty of Acts is also found in its Hebrew thought form. This is why I’ve designed a series of studies to help believers uncover the treasures of this book. These studies were initially provided for our Hebraic-Foundations forum.
I want to encourage my readers who are interested to take the time to view these studies. The studies are not designed to be a commentary on each and every Scripture verse. The primary focus to see how the doctrines of Christ develop through time.
All I can tell you is, ‘Saddle your camel. We are going to travel with the apostles through the first thirty-five+ years of early church history.
With regard to Hebraic thought form have you heard about ‘the ancient path?’ Consider this short study.
Walking the Ancient Path
This study is based on Psalm One. Let’s read:
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither, and in whatever he does, he prospers.
“The wicked are not so, but they are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
To appreciate the depth and beauty of this Psalm, we have to approach it from a Biblical-Hebrew perspective. To the ancients, religion was defined as an individual walking the road of life. Your relationship is with God. Torah (God’s Word) is your road map. Thus we hear David say, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
How does the ancient walk carry over into the new covenant? It is the same for we Christians. We are the recipients of the ancient faith. Jesus is the Living Torah who guides us through the written Torah. The ancient faith is fully realized in Jesus Christ. The Lord said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
When Jesus said, ”I am the way”, or made reference to, ”broad is the way,” he was drawing from a rich Hebrew heritage. These terms were familiar to the Jews of His time. The truth is that there have always been two ways. You have the way of the righteous. Or you have the way of the wicked.
And so Psalm 1, and the Sermon on the Mountain are similar. Psalm 1:1, says, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” The very first thing Jesus says on the mountain is, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
Then we have this characteristic of the righteous man and woman. The righteous person delights in truth. Psalm 1:2, says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” The righteous person loves the truth. His bend, pleasure, delight is towards Torah (God’s Word.)
When Jesus said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied,” it is very likely that His Jewish audience would think about what David said.
The thing to understand is that God’s Word is very much alive those who believe. It is full of wisdom and power. It works itself into our very nature and spreads its healing love throughout our being. This is why the apostle said, “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2) Peter was speaking of our attitude towards God’s Word. An infant instinctively seeks its mother’s breast for nourishment. We are to instinctively seek the nourishment of God’s Word. Our desire is to be in the Word of the Lord.
Notice that Psalms 2:2 says, “In His law he meditates day and night.” Here we need to bring out the Hebrew. The word for meditate is ‘hagah.’ This word means to mutter, to emit a sound, to speak in undertone. To the ancient this word meant to articulate with God from the heart. A dove coos. A lion rumbles. We are to pour out our heart with talkings to the Lord throughout the day.
The characteristic of Psalm 1, for the righteous man is, “He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season.”
Three words describe the ungodly man. “Wicked.” “Sinner.” “Scoffer.” Wicked is from a root word which means to be agitated; confused; in motion; restless. The wicked are ethically loose & unstable. In another Psalm we read, “God makes a home for the lonely: He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.” (Ps68:6)
Lost in the desert of life. A parched land.
Then the Psalm ends with, “For the Lord knowsthe way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” The Hebrew term for knows, ‘yada’ is a very strong word. It means to watch over; be deeply involved with.
The righteous man walks with God. This is true Biblical prosperity. The righteous shares the joy of walking with God. while the sinner is agitated and confused. The sinner has no one but himself.
There has always been but one path for the righteous. The righteous path has always been a walk with the Lord. And when Jesus came into our world, the path of the righteous is summed by Jesus; “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.
Are you walking the ancient path? Think about it.
Here is your song for this entry. It is a song based on the prayer, ‘Lord, lead me on.’
How does the ancient walk carry over into the new covenant? It is the same for we Christians. We are the recipients of the ancient faith. Jesus is the Living Torah who guides us through the written Torah. The ancient faith is fully realized in Jesus Christ. The Lord said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
When Jesus said, ”I am the way”, or made reference to, ”broad is the way,” he was drawing from a rich Hebrew heritage. These terms were familiar to the Jews of His time. The truth is that there have always been two ways. You have the way of the righteous. Or you have the way of the wicked.
And so Psalm 1, and the Sermon on the Mountain are similar. Psalm 1:1, says, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” The very first thing Jesus says on the mountain is, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
The Hebrew word for ‘blessed’ is esher. (eh-sher) It comes from the same root as Asher, who was one of Jacob’s son. Literally it means, ‘O, the happiness of.’ But this happiness has no regard to external circumstances. It is an inner contentment of knowing rightness. While many look for this blessedness in things and in relationships, actually it can only be found one place. It is found in a true personal walk with the Lord.
Another mark of the walk of righteousness is that it is not influenced by evil. This is what the term ‘holy’ speaks of. Kodesh means to be set apart, to be distinct. In the desert you could always tell who was a Hebrew by their customs, by their dress, by their diet, by their life style. And this is one reason that Satan hates believers. He cannot mold them into societies that speak of evil.
Then we have this characteristic of the righteous man and woman. The righteous person delights in truth. Psalm 1:2, says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” The righteous person loves the truth. His bend, pleasure, delight is towards Torah (God’s Word.)
The ancients had a custom which may still be practiced by some of the Jews today. When a child was born they would rub his gums with honey. The purpose was to begin very early teaching the little one that God’s Word is like honey to the soul. David said, “O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8) This statement is brought directly into the new covenant by the apostle Peter. The Psalmist adds to this in saying, “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)
When Jesus said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied,” it is very likely that His Jewish audience would think about what David said.
The thing to understand is that God’s Word is a living thing for those who believe. It is full of wisdom and power. It works itself into our very nature and spreads its healing love throughout our being. This is why the apostle said, “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2) Peter was speaking of our attitude towards God’s Word. An infant instinctively seeks its mother’s breast for nourishment. We are to instinctively seek the nourishment of God’s Word. Our desire is to be in the Word of the Lord.
Notice that Psalms 2:2 says, “In His law he meditates day and night.” Here we need to bring out the Hebrew. We’ve all heard the statement, “Let us now have a moment of silent meditation.” There is no such thing in the Bible. The word for meditate is ‘hagah.’ This word means to mutter, to emit a sound, to speak in undertone. To the ancient this word meant to articulate with God from the heart. A dove coos. A lion rumbles. We are to pour out our heart with talkings to the Lord throughout the day.
The ancients were taught to process life moment by moment. Most every prayer that was prayed began with, “Blessed are You our God.” Long prayers were not the rule. Rather it was informal but reverent speakings.
Torah will take you into a life you never dreamed of. God will pull you into His turf.
Now hear Paul talk about this as a Hebrew man. Cf. 1Th5:16-23 Your faith will come alive.
You will be wise & discerning. When he says “Pray without ceasing,” he is speaking in a
Hebrew mind. Essence of Jewish prayer is to bless God. (Orthodox Jews: 100 times daily.)
* Final characteristic sums; “Be like a tree planted by streams..” Draws from a living stream. Season?
III – The Two Ways Contrasted (Take a short summary.)
Three words describe the ungodly man. “Wicked.” “Sinner.” “Scoffer.” Wicked is from a root
Word which means to be agitated; confused; in motion; restless. This is a character trait.
The wicked are ethically lose & unstable. Cf. Isa57:20,21. Sinner is from an archery term
Means to miss the mark. The scoffer a highbrow. Don’t spend time with these people
If you want to walk with God in faithfulness. Two places the wicked will not stand. In the
Judgment and in the assembly of the righteous. They will come under judgment.
Vs6 also a keynote: “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous.” Yada a strong word.
To watch over; be deeply involved with. The righteous man walks with God. This is
True Biblical prosperity. The righteous shares the joy of walking with God. The sinner is
Agitated and confused. Even if the righteous falls, God’s love will pick him up. The
Sinner has no one but himself. Is there a final thought to share? C. S. Lewis said;
“Decision determines destiny.” That is profoundly Hebraic. Joshua tell the people?
* “Choose you this day who you will serve. As for me and my house…”
Conc. Jesus said, “The way is broad that leads to destruction & many are those who enter through it. For the gate is small & the way is narrow that leads to life, & there are few who find it.Walking the Ancient Path.
This study is based on Psalm One. Let’s read:
“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither, and in whatever he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but they are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
To appreciate the depth and beauty of this Psalm, we have to approach it from a Biblical-Hebrew perspective. To the ancients, religion was defined as an individual walking the road of life. Your relationship is with God. Torah (God’s Word) is your road map. Thus we hear David say, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
How does the ancient walk carry over into the new covenant? It is the same for we Christians. We are the recipients of the ancient faith. Jesus is the Living Torah who guides us through the written Torah. The ancient faith is fully realized in Jesus Christ. The Lord said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
When Jesus said, ”I am the way”, or made reference to, ”broad is the way,” he was drawing from a rich Hebrew heritage. These terms were familiar to the Jews of His time. The truth is that there have always been two ways. You have the way of the righteous. Or you have the way of the wicked.
And so Psalm 1, and the Sermon on the Mountain are similar. Psalm 1:1, says, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” The very first thing Jesus says on the mountain is, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)
The Hebrew word for ‘blessed’ is esher. (eh-sher) It comes from the same root as Asher, who was one of Jacob’s son. Literally it means, ‘O, the happiness of.’ But this happiness has no regard to external circumstances. It is an inner contentment of knowing rightness. While many look for this blessedness in things and in relationships, actually it can only be found one place. It is found in a true personal walk with the Lord.
Another mark of the walk of righteousness is that it is not influenced by evil. This is what the term ‘holy’ speaks of. Kodesh means to be set apart, to be distinct. In the desert you could always tell who was a Hebrew by their customs, by their dress, by their diet, by their life style. And this is one reason that Satan hates believers. He cannot mold them into societies that speak of evil.
Then we have this characteristic of the righteous man and woman. The righteous person delights in truth. Psalm 1:2, says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” The righteous person loves the truth. His bend, pleasure, delight is towards Torah (God’s Word.)
The ancients had a custom which may still be practiced by some of the Jews today. When a child was born they would rub his gums with honey. The purpose was to begin very early teaching the little one that God’s Word is like honey to the soul. David said, “O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8) This statement is brought directly into the new covenant by the apostle Peter. The Psalmist adds to this in saying, “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)
When Jesus said “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied,” it is very likely that His Jewish audience would think about what David said.
The thing to understand is that God’s Word is a living thing for those who believe. It is full of wisdom and power. It works itself into our very nature and spreads its healing love throughout our being. This is why the apostle said, “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2) Peter was speaking of our attitude towards God’s Word. An infant instinctively seeks its mother’s breast for nourishment. We are to instinctively seek the nourishment of God’s Word. Our desire is to be in the Word of the Lord.
Notice that Psalms 2:2 says, “In His law he meditates day and night.” Here we need to bring out the Hebrew. We’ve all heard the statement, “Let us now have a moment of silent meditation.” There is no such thing in the Bible. The word for meditate is ‘hagah.’ This word means to mutter, to emit a sound, to speak in undertone. To the ancient this word meant to articulate with God from the heart. A dove coos. A lion rumbles. We are to pour out our heart with talkings to the Lord throughout the day.
The ancients were taught to process life moment by moment. Most every prayer that was prayed began with, “Blessed are You our God.” Long prayers were not the rule. Rather it was informal but reverent speakings.
Torah will take you into a life you never dreamed of. God will pull you into His turf.
Now hear Paul talk about this as a Hebrew man. Cf. 1Th5:16-23 Your faith will come alive.
You will be wise & discerning. When he says “Pray without ceasing,” he is speaking in a
Hebrew mind. Essence of Jewish prayer is to bless God. (Orthodox Jews: 100 times daily.)
* Final characteristic sums; “Be like a tree planted by streams..” Draws from a living stream. Season?
III – The Two Ways Contrasted (Take a short summary.)
Three words describe the ungodly man. “Wicked.” “Sinner.” “Scoffer.” Wicked is from a root
Word which means to be agitated; confused; in motion; restless. This is a character trait.
The wicked are ethically lose & unstable. Cf. Isa57:20,21. Sinner is from an archery term
Means to miss the mark. The scoffer a highbrow. Don’t spend time with these people
If you want to walk with God in faithfulness. Two places the wicked will not stand. In the
Judgment and in the assembly of the righteous. They will come under judgment.
Vs6 also a keynote: “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous.” Yada a strong word.
To watch over; be deeply involved with. The righteous man walks with God. This is
True Biblical prosperity. The righteous shares the joy of walking with God. The sinner is
Agitated and confused. Even if the righteous falls, God’s love will pick him up. The
Sinner has no one but himself. Is there a final thought to share? C. S. Lewis said;
“Decision determines destiny.” That is profoundly Hebraic. Joshua tell the people?
* “Choose you this day who you will serve. As for me and my house…”
Conc. Jesus said, “The way is broad that leads to destruction & many are those who enter through it. For the gate is small & the way is narrow that leads to life, & there are few who find it.”
Journal, In Psalm 31, David expresses sorrow over the strife of life, when suddenly he breaks forth into praise that speaks of God’s love for His people. David says:
“How great is Your goodness, which You have stored for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men! You hide them in the secret place of Your presence, from the conspiracies of man; You keep them in the shelter from the strife of tongues.” (Psalm 31:19,20 nasb.)
Bear in mind that David’s reference to the secret place is most likely a reference to the holiest of holiest. The literal Hebrew for “the secret place of Your presence”, is “the secret of Your face.” The idea is that God hides His people from the view of their enemies, that is, by bringing them to the very place that He Himself dwells.
This wonderful truth is fully brought out in the new covenant. Paul said that all believers are now hidden with God in Christ. But first let’s see how the tabernacle sets forth this truth of our redemption.
The only furnishing in the holiest of holies was the ark of the covenant where two covering angels spread their wings over the golden mercy seat. And over the mercy seat was a brilliant light. In the light was a form. The angels have their gazed fixed on the form over the mercy seat.
Peter explains this:
“It was revealed to them [the Old Testament prophets] that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you from heaven-things into which angels long to look.” (1Peter 1:12)
The angels gazing at the mercy seat were expressing wonderment at the atonement of Jesus Christ, that is, both in His incarnation, in the work of the cross, and in His ascension to the throne of God. The angels are longing to see into God’s gracious work of redemption through Christ. Paul tells us that the Lord is instructing angels concerning His wisdom by His presence and grace in the Church.
Does not the Bible say that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself? (2Co5:19)
Back to the form – In the Light over the mercy seat was a form that only Moses was allowed to see. The form was the preincarnate Jesus Christ. We see this by tying the Old Testament and the New Testament together.
When the Lord rebuked Miriam and Aaron over their presumptuous attitude towards Moses, He said to them,
“Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?” The Lord just made a distinction between Moses and other prophets saying, “He [Moses] beholds the form of God.” (Num12:8)
If God has no form, who then did Moses see? He saw the image of the invisible God. This is exactly who Jesus is. To the Jews, God’s Messiah was known as the form of God, the glory of God, the image of God, and at times even theShekinah of God.
Listen carefully. Paul said of Christ,
“Although He existed in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself…” (Phi2:6)
Any Jewish person reading Paul’s writings would immediately connect Jesus with the light over the mercy seat and the form that Moses beheld.
In the New Testament writings Jesus is called the “glory of the only begotten of the Father.” (John 1:14)
Then we need to recall the bright Light that blinded Paul on the road to Damascus. (Paul was then known as Saul.) What Paul heard was, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” He responded, “Who are You, Lord?” Keep in mind that both the Lord and Paul are speaking Hebrew. The term for Lord would be YHWH. (Yahweh). The Lord then identifies Himself as Jesus.
Now back to the tabernacle. John wrote, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Greek word for ‘dwelt’ calls attention to the holiest of holiest in the tabernacle. The glory that rested over the mercy seat was now tabernacled in Jesus Christ. Jesus is now the holiest of holies. Paul specifically calls Jesus, “The Lord of glory” (1Co2:8)
It is on the Mount of Transfiguration that Jesus appears on the outside what He is on the inside. It says, “And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.” (Mat17:2)
But what of the question as to why David could speak of the holiest of holies as the hiding place for God’s people? David could see by the Spirit into the redemption of Christ, past the veil, and into God’s redemption plan that would stretch across eternity past and eternity future.
The secret place of God would take in all His people from ancient time on. The tabernacle was a picture-perfect symbol of God’s eternal purpose for all His people.
The Old Testament saints somehow knew in their hearts that the Lord Himself was their ever present security in life. Moses said,
“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” (Ps90:1,2)
Here Moses uses the same word that David used with regard to the ‘secret place’ of the tabernacle.
Again think about the two cherubim with their golden wings spread over the mercy seat. Listen again to David:
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, `My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” (Ps91:1,2)
David uses the same word again which references the secret place of God’s presence, that is, the mercy seat in the holiest of holies. God’s people dwell under the very presence and protection of angels.
Here is where we come to the great mystery of God’s love for His people. The Psalmist Asaph speaks of God’s people as His ‘treasured ones.’ He writes, “They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones.” (Ps83:3)
These treasured ones are God’s people from the ages. The Hebrew for ‘treasured ones’ speaks of that which is covered by God, that which is hidden, or that which is kept secret. But it especially speaks of the secret of one’s heart. God’s treasured ones are the secret love of His heart.
The Psalmist puts things together when he writes,
“One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.
“For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock [the Rock is Christ]. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.” (Psalm 27:4-6)
The Hebrew for ‘conceal’ is the same word for God’s ‘treasured’ ones. God’s people are His treasures in the earth and for all eternity. This allows us to have a better understanding of a kingdom parable concerning a treasure. Jesus said,
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field [world], which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matt13:44)
The treasure has to do with the kingdom of heaven. The story is the story of the cross. Jesus Christ gave His life for the hidden treasure. Jesus came to seek that which was lost. Now the treasure is hidden again, but this time it is hidden in Christ.
Paul said, “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col3:3,4)
All we have read in David’s writings have their fulfillment in the finished work of the cross. Being hidden in Christ means that every believer is eternally secured from the power of darkness. We can never be separated from God’s love. Our life is placed in the Light of God’s very being. Peter said that our calling was into “His marvelous light.”
While this may seem difficult to grasp, what we need to realize is that our faith is to be based upon our position in Christ. Our position in Christ is secured. We have already been raised up and seated with Him in the heavenly places. Our concern is in living out our present life with the knowledge of our eternal placement. God gives us heavenly life as a foretaste of eternity. This is what believers are to learn to live by. Heavenly life is God’s oversight of our lives.
Did you know that God never takes His eyes off you? Listen to this conversation between David and the Lord:
[David] “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance.”
[Lord] “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” (Ps27:7,8)
Did you know that there is continually joy in heaven over each person who turns to the Lord? The joy of heaven is the joy of the Lord Jesus Himself. The reason Jesus endured the cross was the joy that was set before Him. The joy set before Him was all those whom the Father would give Him for all eternity.
Jesus said,
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. … This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:37,39,40)
You have come to love God because He first loved you. Did you know that your joy in the Lord is a reflection of His joy over you? Did you know that the grace that flows in your life is not something that you earned? It is freely given to you in God’s Beloved.
There is only one question to need to answer. Are you right now trusting in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Faith in Jesus alone is proof positive that you belong to Him. And if you belong to Him, then you are most certainly one of His treasured ones.
This is what the great apostle said:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph2:8-10)
Well, it would not be right if I failed to share a song with you. How about, ‘No Other Name But Jesus’ by Gaither Vocal Band….
“OPEN MY EYES, THAT I MAY BEHOLD WONDERFUL THINGS FROM YOUR LAW.” (Psalm 119:18 NASB)
Keep in mind that the focus in these sessions centers on learning to walk with God. In our first session we talked about JESUS as the WORD of GOD. In this session we will pick up with that same thought. It is important to understand why the apostolic writer tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus. He explains by saying that JESUS is the author and the perfecter of our faith. He12:2
Another way of saying ‘author and perfecter,’ is, ‘the beginning and the end.’ The expression, ‘fixing our eyes,’ in the Greek literally means to look away from everything that distracts. Fixing our eyes on JESUS is the premier principle of a walk of faith.
There is no question that CHRIST JESUS is the great wonder and mystery of the Bible. In one place His name is actually called, ‘Wonderful Counselor.’
In this study we want to take a deeper look into this intriguing mystery of GOD’S MESSIAH, or the Man that every believer can easily call, ‘Wonderful’. Let’s pick up where we left off in our last session.
I – Jesus: The Word of God
1.When JESUS rebuked the winds and the sea and they became calm, the disciples were amazed. They said, “What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matt8:27)
What great lesson does ‘Jesus calming the sea’ teach us about Jesus, and/or about our walk with God?
2.All that JESUS did was in one way or another to fulfill prophecy. On calming the seas, it says in Psalm 107:28,29, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed.”
Why is it so important to tie Jesus in with Old Testament prophecy?
3.The Bible is story of GOD’S MESSIAH. Consider these Scriptures taken from the book of Matthew: MATT. 1:21-23; 2:14,15; 2:22,23; 4:13-16; 8:16,17; 13:34,35; 21:2-5; 26:53,54,56.
II – Jesus: The Form of God
1.That the MESSIAH would also be GOD was written beforehand. So we read, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, MIGHTY GOD, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace…” (Isa 9:6) – Eternal Father can literally be translated as ‘Father of eternity.’
2.How can JESUS be the Almighty GOD in the earth, while the highest heavens cannot contain GOD? The issue is that GOD does not exist in time and space. GOD is one Being, yet He manifests Himself in more than one way. This has always been a mystery to be understood with the heart and not the head. Cf. Zech12:10; Hosea 5:15; 6:1-3.
This is where Hebraic thought form is so important to Christians. Christianity is not a western religion. The Bible we use is a Hebrew document. The apostles were Hebrew men. The language of the Bible is Hebraic from start to finish.
3.The ancients taught a mystery in GOD that could only be expressed as GOD coming forth from GOD. This coming forth from GOD was called ‘The Word of GOD,’ ‘the Image of GOD’, ‘the Form of GOD’, ‘the Glory’, ‘the Word of the LORD,’ ‘the Wisdom,’ ‘the Son,’ or, ‘the Light of GOD.’ Each of these expressions has a counterpart in the New Testament.
Consider just a few of them.
a. Form of GOD: New Testament – Phil2:6. Compare Numbers 12:6-8; Lev16:2
b. Glory of GOD: New Testament – 1Co2:6-8; John 1:14. Compare Eze11:22,23.
(The Jews have a tradition that says the Glory of God rested on the Mount of Olives and wept. Is there any counterpart to this in the New Testament.
c.Wisdom of GOD: New Testament – 1Co1:30; 2:7; Mt11:19; 13:43. Compare: Pro8:1-8
d.Son of GOd – Compare Psalm2:12; Pro30:2-4
So, was Christ pre-existent? Cf. Micah 5:2; John 17:1-5; Heb. 1:8-12; 11:24-27.
Did God’s people have experiences with Christ in the Old Testament? Genesis 32:24-29; Judges 13:18.
III – Jesus: The Redeemer
1.Job said, “As for me, I know my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart faints within me.” (Job 19:25-27)
Notice Job called his Redeemer, GOD. This is one of the clearest testimonies to the faith of GOD’S ancient people. Job must have had a revelation of who the Redeemer would really be. How did GOD redeem us?
2.The wonder of the incarnation. The blood that ran through JESUS’ veins was GOD’S blood. (Cf. Acts 20:28.) Notice how the book of Revelation closes with a picture of the heavenly throne. It says, “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Notice there is only one throne.)
3.The ancient faith of GOD’S people rested on a promise made in the garden. One day a SON would be born to the human family. This SON would break Satan’s power. They believed that this SON would be divine. (Thus the afore testimony of Job.)
Paul said that had the rulers understood GOD’S wisdom, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1Co2:7,8) John said JESUS was the WORD of GOD manifest in human form. Both the Greeks and the Hebrews had a concept of GOD’S activity in the earth and in creation. Greeks used the term ‘LOGOS.’ The Hebrews used the term ‘MEMRA.’
4.Ancient Jewish sages saw the MESSIAH in all the Scriptures. The ‘wind’ on the surface of the deep in creation was the SPIRIT of MESSIAH.
They also said that the ‘Light’ that was manifest at creation was the life of MESSIAH, that is, the wisdom men were to walk in. Because of sin this LIGHT became hidden. It was taught that the light would come back with MESSIAH. JESUS said, “I am the light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
5.How does this light manifest for believers? Paul said, “For God who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…” (2Co4:6,7)
When a person becomes a true believer, there is a work of the Spirit in opening that person’s spiritual eyes. Every true believer has the capacity to walk in the light of JESUS. The born-from-above believer is given ‘sight’ by which he or she sees beyond the boundaries of the natural. This is why Paul said, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co4:18)
6.When JESUS walked on the waters, we hear Him saying to the frightened disciples, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Matt14:25-26)
What was the purpose behind JESUS walking on the waters? This was again to reveal to His disciples who He really was. Job 9:8, says, “[God] alone stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea.” It says that when He got in their boat, “And those who were in the boat worshipped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son.” (Matt14:33)
So, what do you think about the man called ‘Wonderful’?
David said, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.” (Psalm 119:18 NASB)
'And Let all the angels of God worship Him.'
In another place, David said, “Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.” (Ps63:2)
Who was it that David saw? I believe David saw the Lord Jesus before He took on the form of man. David actually called the preincarnate Jesus, his Lord.
Sound strange? The religious leaders in Israel said that the Messiah would be the Son of David, that is, He would be of the lineage of David. But Jesus brought something to their attention that caught them off guard.
Listen:
[Jesus] “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?
[Religious leaders] “The son of David.”
[Jesus] “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’, saying, ‘The Lord [Yahweh] said to my Lord [Adoni], ‘Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet ‘ If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”
Did you catch it? David called the preincarnate Christ Jesus, his Lord. Adoni (or Adonay) literally means ‘my Lord.’ Adonay is a masculine noun that speaks exclusively of God. It is used when directing attention to the supreme authority and power of God.
On the day of Pentecost, which by the way was both the birthday of the new covenant church, and the coronation day of Jesus, that is, the day He received His kingdom in its present form, Peter took note of Psalm 110:1, and said this was the Father speaking to the Son.
Yes indeed…
Jesus is the great wonder and mystery of the Bible…
In one place His name is actually called, ‘Wonderful Counselor.’
"To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times; behold, He speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice." Ps68:33
Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves they became calm. The disciples said, “What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matt8:27)
What kind of man is Jesus indeed. Everything that Jesus did during His life on earth pretty much told us what kind of Man He was and is. Psalm 107:28,29, says, “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed.”
That the Messiah would also be God, was written beforehand by Moses and the prophets. Isaiah wrote, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace…” (Isa 9:6) (Eternal Father can also be translated as ‘Father of eternity.’)
So a question remains. How can Jesus be the Almighty God in the earth, when the highest heavens and all of eternity cannot contain God? And if Jesus is the Almighty God, why did He speak of the Father being in heaven?
This is where Hebraic thought form is so important to Christians.
Christianity is not a western religion.
The Bible we use is a Hebrew document. The apostles were Hebrew men. The language of the Bible is Hebraic from start to finish. And unless we have some concept of the Hebrew thought form of the Bible, we are going to come short of some of the most beautiful truths to be realized.
The ancients taught that there was a mystery in God that could only be expressed as God coming forth from God. This coming forth from God was called ‘The Word of God,’ ‘the Image of God’, ‘the Form of God’, ‘the Glory’, ‘the Word of the Lord,’ ‘the Wisdom,’ ‘the Son,’ and, ‘the Light of God.’ Each of these expressions has a counterpart in the New Testament if we know where to find them.
Consider just a few (You may want to get your Bible for a look see):
Form of GOD: New Testament – Phil2:6. Compare Numbers 12:6-8; Lev16:2
Glory of GOD: New Testament – 1Co2:6-8; John 1:14. Compare Eze11:22,23.
(The ancients had a legend that said when the Glory of God left Solomon’s temple, it rested on the Mount of Olives and wept for three years. Based on Ezekiel 11:22,23. Is there any counterpart to this idea of God weeping in the New Testament. Think about it.)
Wisdom of GOD: New Testament – 1Co1:30; 2:7; Mt11:19; 13:43. Compare: Pro8:1-8
Son of GOd – Compare Psalm2:12; Pro30:2-4
So, was Christ pre-existent with the Father?
Micah 5:2 says, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathat, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son..." (Jn 3:16)
Then we have John 17:4,5: “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
How about this statement that Jesus made to His disciples: “What then if you see the Son of Man ascended to where He was before?” (Jn6:62)
Did God’s people have experiences with Christ in the Old Testament?
Job said, “As for me, I know my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart faints within me.” (Job 19:25-27)
Notice Job called his Redeemer, God. This is one of the clearest testimonies to the faith of God’s ancient people. Job must have had a revelation of who the Redeemer would really be.
The blood that ran through the veins of Jesus was God’s blood. Then notice how the book of Revelation closes with a picture of the heavenly throne. It says, “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
Notice there is only one throne, but it is called the throne of God and of the Lamb. Somehow God is the Lamb, and the Lamb is God. And yet in this one Scripture we see three aspects of the eternal God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the ‘water of life,’ which speaks of the presence of God Himself.
The ancient faith of God’s people rested on a promise made in the garden. One day a Son would be born to the human family. This Son would break Satan’s power. They believed that this Son would be divine. (Thus the afore testimony of Job.)
Paul said that had the rulers understood God’s wisdom, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. John said Jesus is the Word of God manifest in human form. Both the Greeks and the Hebrews had a concept of God’s activity in the earth and in creation. The Greeks used the term ‘Logos.’ The Hebrews used the term ‘Memra.’
The wind on the surface of the deep…
The Jewish sages saw the Messiah in all the Scriptures. The ‘wind’ on the surface of the deep in creation was the Spirit of Messiah. They also said that the ‘Light’ that was manifest at creation was the life of Messiah, but that this Light became hidden because of the sin of Adam. The Light would only be found again when Messiah came.
Any Hebrew person would have understood what Jesus meant, when He said, “I am the light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
How does this light manifest for believers? Paul said, “For God who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…” (2Co4:6,7)
Every true believer has the capacity to walk in the light of Jesus, by learning to fix his eyes on Jesus. This is why Paul said, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2Co4:18)
When Jesus walked on the waters, we hear Him saying to the frightened disciples, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Matt14:25-26)
What was the purpose behind Jesus walking on the waters? Job 9:8, says, “[God] alone stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea.”
When Jesus got into the boat, it says, “And those who were in the boat worshipped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son.” (Matt14:33)
So, what do you think about this wonder and mystery of the Bible. While you are think about it, listen to this song:
