Mandeville Church

Five Important Old Testament Promises

Old Testament, bible study, prophecy No Responses »

Jul 292010

The Light Came On

I remember this so clearly from my Old Testament History and Geography class taught by the late Phil Roberts. I aced the class because I had such solid Bible teaching growing up in Mount Olive, AL. But my freshman year of college was the first time I realized the whole Old Testament was one big story – imagine that! I had known this to a certain extent, but my mind had never fully wrapped around the story. I walked away from that class more excited about the Bible than I had ever been – because it was all making sense.

I want to share with you the five main Scriptures we picked up along the course of the semester. Obviously, Phil Roberts did his job well because I still remember these references with no trouble at all.

1. God’s covenant with Eve – a descendant of hers would strike Satan a death blow.

Genesis 3:15 - “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

2. God’s covenant with Abraham – in him all nations would be blessed.

Genesis 12:1-3
1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

3. God’s covenant with Israel – a temporary solution to sin.

Exodus 24:7-8
7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”
8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

God's Promises

4. God’s covenant with David - a descendant of his would sit on the throne forever.

2 Samuel 7:12-16
12 “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
14 “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men,
15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
16 “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”‘”

5. God’s promise of a new covenant – one which would grant FULL remission of sin.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.
33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Those are good verses to have memorized (at least memorize their locations in your Bible).

What are your favorite OT prophecies?

God bless,
Nathan

The Old Testament Story

Old Testament, bible reading, bible study, prophecy, reading the bible No Responses »

Jul 282010

My Blueprint

As you pick up your Bible, you discover it is not just a single book. The Old Testament itself comprises 39 separate pieces of literature! As you look closer, you find the Old Testament is divided into five different sections. Men through the centuries grouped these books into logical categories.

1. Books of Moses (Law). There are five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

2. Books of the History of the Jews. There are twelve books: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, two books of Samuel, two books of Kings, two books of Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

3. Books of Poetry / Widsom. There are five books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs).

4. Books of Major Prophets. There are five books: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations (also written by Jeremiah), Ezekiel, and Daniel. These are called “major” because they are longer books.

5. Books of Minor Prophets. There are twelve books: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. These are called “minor” because they are shorter books.

In each of the categories above, the books have been placed in chronological order (as close as possible). The books of Moses contain a lot of history as well as the law and Joshua picks up where Deuteronomy leaves off.

Most of the Poetry and Wisdom literature was written by kings David and Solomon and by others during their time period.

The books of the Prophets all fit back into the history somewhere. These extra writings aren’t exactly history but were written by characters in the history. For instance, the prophets Isaiah and Hosea both prophesied during the reign of kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah (read about them in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles). The prophet Amos also prophesied during the reign of king Uzziah, but he prophesied to the kingdom of Israel to the north of Judah.

A good understand of how the Old Testament is compiled is extremely helpful in our studies. I always like to start from the high-level look and then work down to the details. And remember these stories were not recorded as a comprehensive history, but these sections of Scripture were selected by the Holy Spirit to be recorded and preserved for our sakes today! Every writing in the Old and New Testaments are for our learning (1 Corinthians 10:6: “Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved”).

God bless,
Nathan

It’s Hard to Change

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May 252010

Ready to Change

When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, some of the disciples had made a religious vow (under the Law of Moses). The elders of the Jewish Christians asked Paul to please participate in their purification and completion of their vow so other Jews would understand that Paul had not simply turned his back on his people.

It sounds like a tight spot. Paul realized he was free from the Law of Moses. In fact, much of his writings were to Jews trying to convince them of the liberty they have in Christ. So what did Paul do? Did he perform the old rituals? Did he stand firm in his freedom?
Surprisingly, Paul payed the expenses for these men to be purified. He entered the temple and stayed with these four men until a sacrifice had been offered for each one. This is a great illustration of how God bears with men as they transition from everything they have always known to the pure walk of Jesus Christ.

Think about it. When you first obeyed the gospel, did you know how to walk perfectly in the way of Christ? Of course not! Did Jesus accept you anyway? Yes. There is a transition period, a time of change. As we discover the way of Christ more perfectly, we repent of our old ways. Practically speaking, this transition period is life-long. I’m still changing. Paul said in Philippians 1:6, “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” It sounds like a process, doesn’t it?

Changed!

Knowing that each one of us is IN PROCESS of discovering the way more perfectly, how should we deal with one another? Can we put up with another more easily? When Sister Jenny continues to use denominational language in her speech, should we regard that as reason to leave her behind? When Brother James first enters the Kingdom, he had many vices. He drinks, smokes, curses, and has a number of other worldly habits. He knows he needs to change. He is working on those things. But it takes some time to get these things out of his life. Can we put up with our brother and work with him as he struggles through all these things?

I hope we can. This was the heart of Paul.

“To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law; so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. to the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:20-22)

I hope you can put up with me as I work to get closer to the pure way of Jesus Christ.

God bless,
Nathan

Stephen: Reflecting Christ

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Feb 082010

In His Image

Stephen’s story is in Acts 6:8-7:60. His is a theme which recurs throughout the Bible – a man of the Lord speaks with boldness and ungodly men led by Satan’s forces reject God’s word and kill them messenger. Why should we think times have changed? The human heart works on these two extremes: it either accepts or rejects the truth.

The Jews “were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which [Stephen] was speaking” (Acts 6:10). The truth was too much for them. They hadn’t the knowledge or wisdom to debate Stephen. So they did what any sensible enemy of God would do: they brought false witnesses against Stephen to accuse him of speaking against Moses and God. Before Jesus was crucified they brought false witnesses against Him and accused Him of exactly the same things. Stephen endured exactly what his Master had endured.

Then Stephen preached to these men about Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Solomon. These are men the Jews revered, yet Stephen pointed out that, REALLY, the Jews had rejected the word of the Lord during all their glorious history. Jacob’s sons sold Joseph into Egypt. The Israelites disowned Moses when he first tried to unite his brethren saying, “Who made you a ruler and a judge?” (Acts 7:35). Moses had prophesied concerning Jesus Christ: “God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren” (Acts 7:37). Stephen said their fathers had been “unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt” (Acts 7:39). They rejected God by making that golden calf.

Stephen finished his sermon with a finger pointed in the Jews’ faces: “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did” (Acts 7:51).

Jesus had said the same thing: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” (Matthew 23:37). It’s almost as if Jesus was prophesying of Stephen’s death, for the Jews, with malice in their hearts, dragged Stephen out of the city and began to stone him.

In the throws of death, with men spitting hatred all around him, Stephen said two things which mirror our Savior:

1. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Jesus said from the cross, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 24:46).

2. Lord, do not hold this sin against them. Jesus said from the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 24:34).

Stephen, from the boldness of his life to the manner of his death, reflected his Lord, Jesus. He was like Christ. This is the greatest epitaph which can ever be written. On your tombstone, could it be written, “Reflected Christ”?

God bless,
Nathan

Who Should I Ask? (Mark 9:2-10)

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Sep 082009

Where Do I Turn?

I need to know something important. I need to know what life is all about. Why am I here? What is my main purpose?

Who should I ask?

I could ask my mom and dad. They did a good job of rearing me and my brothers. They have a lot of wisdom. They have been studying the Bible practically all their lives. Parents might be a good choice.

I could ask my friends. Some of them seem to have their lives down pretty well. They are having fun, making waves, enjoying life.

I could ask my pastors. We are blessed with three shepherds among the flock here in Mandeville, LA. They would be good points of contact for deep spiritual questions, wouldn’t you think?

I could ask my preacher. After all, he studies the Bible all the time. He should know the answers to life’s persistent problems, shouldn’t he?

Who would the apostles ask? They would certainly consult the spiritual leaders of their day. They would go back to the writings of Moses and the prophets. These were the men who had the answers.

But here in Mark 9:2-10, God pointed the apostles to whom they should REALLY listen. Moses was there. Elijah was there. Jesus was there. Peter thought they should worship them all – “Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Mark 9:5)! Three great teachers. Three spiritual leaders. But a cloud overshadowed them and the voice of the Father spoke from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Mark 9:7)

When I need to know the right answers, I know to whom I should listen. Jesus, the Son of God! He has the answers to all of life’s deepest issues. So often we go everywhere BUT to Jesus with our questions. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what Mom and Dad say, or my friends, or my pastors, or my preacher. It matters what my Lord says. His word trumps all other advice.

God bless,
Nathan

Five Important Old Testament Promises

The Old Testament Story

It’s Hard to Change

Stephen: Reflecting Christ

Who Should I Ask? (Mark 9:2-10)

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