Posted on 11/10/2015 7:05:28 AM PST by Kaslin
Read the book of Hebrews. It’s like the Cliff’s Notes to the Old Testament, meant to show the Jews how Jesus fits into Old Testament prophesy.
Wow, makes me want to buy his book!
He’s right in that you cannot truly understand the NT without a good familiarity and understanding of the OT. And vice-versa.
Looks like an interesting read, but I’ll wait till it comes out in paperback.
The Suffering and Glory of the Servant
ISAIAH 52 NIV
13
See, my servant will act wisely[b];
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14
Just as there were many who were appalled at him[c]—
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
15
so he will sprinkle many nations,[d]
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Isaiah 53New International Version (NIV)
53 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8
By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]
9
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11
After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12
Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
A key truth to understanding the OT that many have not known - good to see this come out. The whole Bible is about “Jesus Christ and Him crucified...” from beginning to end.
And yes, obedience (to light received) is also key to receiving more light. If we are not faithful to what God has shown us, He generally will not give us more understanding.
BUT, I believe more important than both of these is this: to understand scripture, we need the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our heart. Eph. 1:15 - 17. The Bible is a spirtual book and cannot be understood with the human brain alone. The human mind cannot understand it. I Corin. 2:14-16.
We must approach scripture with great humility, asking the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the spiritual truth hidden within. History is full of men (and women) who have tried to explain/understand scripture on their own - and proven it is impossible.
Each time we open the Bible, we should ask the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our heart to see what is hidden.
If we do, we will find the depths of truth - all about Jesus Christ - are unfathomable - and even a lifetime of study cannot begin to tap the height, depth, breadth and width of an understanding of Who Jesus Christ is and who God is.
It will take all of eternity for that.
Yet Jesus is the focus from the start of the Bible to its end.
Great article. The Old Testament had so much to do with me finding the Lord too. This is one book I want to read.
The case had made is a good example of why Christianity is true. Islam and all the others fall far short.
More objective than focus.
My pastor often says, "If you want to know God's will but aren't hearing from Him, go back and do the last thing you're sure He did tell you to do (but haven't yet done); once you have, then He'll reveal to you the next step."
An amazing way to study the Word.
Sublimely stated, in its entirety. You get it. I'm reminded of what Jesus said when Peter acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, that only God could have revealed that to him. As with you.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in us the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit, and we shall be created.
And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolations.
Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Paul, in the Book of Romans 11 verse 7 says Christians are grafted into the Jewish line.
The Church at Pentecost was not First Baptist Church of Jerusalem it was the First Messianic Jewish Synagogue of Jerusalem.
As the Greeks and pagans began to join the church moved further and further away from the Jewish roots and the Old Testament.
I for one, am glad David Limbaugh took this task on. I hope the book is as good as his brother hyped it yesterday on his show.
I am a retired protestant Pastor. The wife an I fellowship with a Messianic Synagogue because the Rabbi is an excellent Bible teacher and he does what Limbaugh does in this book . He starts with the Torah, moves to the B’rit Chadasha ( New Covenant-what we call the New Testament) to show that Yeshua ( Jesus) is Messiach ( Messiah) We are perfectly at home with this congregation which has worship music in both Hebrew and English and they are perfectly accepting the fact that we are grafted into the Jewish tradition. The Holy Spirit is moving upon the Church I hope the church catches fire!
Freegards
LEX
Christ is superior to angels, to Moses, to Aaron, to the Israelites, to Melchizedek, to every high priest. I enthusiastically agree with you, so much so that I've just finished memorizing all of Hebrews. What a joy, to gain such a deeper understanding that inevitably ensues from wrestling with it for so many months!
Consider the part that Reformation and "Bible churches" play in your scenario. Christian liturgy has Jewish roots. I would be interested in your thoughts on the site that this links to
Luk 24:25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures.
Luk 24:26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His glory?”
Luk 24:27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
bmp
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