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Commentary on "Confidence in the Prophetic Gift"

MARK MARTIN

 

Day 4: Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The lesson says: “Jesus said: “’ You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me’” (John 5:39, NKJV).

What do the following Old Testament texts tell us about Jesus? Ps. 16:9, 10; 41:9; Isa. 53:4-6; Mic. 5:2.”

“Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” Psalm 16:9-10 (NASB)

This prophetic psalm tells how God the Father will resurrect Jesus from the grave (Sheol), and not allow His flesh to decay.

Sheol, per Strong’s Concordance is not a very precise word:

  1. sheol, underworld, grave, hell, pit
    a) the underworld
    b) Sheol - the OT designation for the abode of the dead
  2. place of no return
  3. without praise of God
  4. wicked sent there for punishment
  5. righteous not abandoned to it
  6. of the place of exile (fig)
  7. of extreme degradation in sin

“Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.” Psalm 41:9 (NASB)

This a psalm written by David when he was ill and his enemies hoped that it was a serious and terminal illness. One of his enemies turned out to be someone who was formerly a close friend. This passage is referred to in part by Jesus in John 13:8 concerning His betrayal by Judas; it is not a prophetic psalm however.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being {fell} upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. Isaiah 53:4-6 (NASB)

Isaiah is prophesying about how the Jews will view Jesus’ crucifixion as a punishment for His sin. Isaiah also points out that He was punished for our sins not His own; He had none.

"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, {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." Micah 5:2 (NASB)

This messianic prophecy declares where the Messiah was to be born, from what tribe of Israel, that He will be ruler in Israel, and that He is eternal; without cause…an attribute of God.

Forgetting for a moment about doctrine and theology, ask yourself this basic question: How well do I know Jesus? What does your answer tell you about yourself and your spiritual life? What changes might you need to make?

How do you know that you have the ‘real’ Jesus if you forget about doctrine and theology? Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and Muslims all say they know who Jesus is and quite possibly even say they know Him well…can we still forget about doctrine and theology and know the real Jesus well? None of them know the real Jesus Christ. Your walk with Jesus does not even begin until you have the Jesus Christ of the Bible as your Lord and Savior.

 

Summary

  1. The answer to the question above can tell you whether or not you truly are a Christian. True believers of Christ are positionally sanctified by their redemption through Christ but they are also being sanctified along through experiential sanctification.
  2. Experiential sanctification is advanced as the result of growing in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (paraphrase of 2 Peter 3:18). It has to do with yielding to God through a continual progression from worldliness, self, and sin to Christian maturity.

 

 

Copyright 2009 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised March 21, 2009. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

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