My Evening Devotional: Recent Episodes
Tony Silveira
A new episode every weekday from Monday to Friday. Tony Silveira from Montreal, Canada. Short Bible Studies every weekday.
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In the Hebrew Bible, there are three interconnected passages referencing the nephilim. Two of them come from the Pentateuch. The first occurrence is in Genesis 6:1–4, immediately before the account of Noah's Ark. Genesis 6:4 reads as follows:
The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them; the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.
Where the Jewish Publication Society translation simply transliterates the Hebrew nephilim as "Nephilim", the King James Version translates the term as "giants".
The second reference to the Nephilim is Numbers 13:32–33 where ten of the Twelve Spies report that they have seen fearsome giants in Canaan:
Numbers 13 And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
Outside the Pentateuch there is one more passage indirectly referencing nephilim and this is Ezekiel 32:17–32.
Ezekiel 32:27 But they do not lie with the fallen warriors of old, who went down to the realm of the dead with their weapons of war—their swords placed under their heads and their shields resting on their bones—though these warriors also had terrorized the land of the living.
With the traditional vowels added to the text in the medieval period, the phrase is read gibborim nophlim ("'fallen warriors" or "fallen Gibborim"), The verse can be translated like this,
Ezekiel 32:27 They lie with the warriors, the Nephilim of old, who descended to Sheol with their weapons of war. They placed their swords beneath their heads and their shields upon their bones, for the terror of the warriors was upon the land of the living.
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This chapter recounts the account of the flood during Noah’s time and the events leading up to it. It details how the population of the earth increased and became corrupt and wicked, resulting in God’s decision to wipe out all living creatures through the flood. However, Noah and his family found favor with God because of their righteousness and were saved by God's divine mercy through the ark.
Genesis 6 also mentions the "sons of God" with the "daughters of men" and the offspring that resulted. While the identity of these "sons of God" is still a matter of debate among scholars, some suggest that they were angels that disobeyed God by mating with human women. This interpretation is known as the "angelic interpretation" and is also mentioned in other biblical texts.
Regardless of the interpretation, the overarching message in Genesis 6 is that God detests wickedness and seeks to judge it. However, God also shows mercy to those who are faithful and righteous.
In summary, Genesis 6 tells the story of the flood during Noah’s time and highlights the importance of righteousness and faithfulness in the eyes of God.
The Nephilim
Genesis 6
1 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them,
2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.
3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with[a] humans forever, for they are mortal[b]; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
== Wikipedia
The Nephilim (Hebrew: נְפִילִים Nəfīlīm) are mysterious beings or people in the Hebrew Bible who are described as being large and strong. The word Nephilim is loosely translated as giants in many translations of the Hebrew Bible, but left untranslated in others. Some Jewish explanations interpret them as hybrid sons of fallen angels (demigods). ==
The word Nephilim is found in the Bible two times. The first is in Genesis 6:1-6 and then again in Numbers 13:33. Scholars and commentators translate the word Nephilim as giants or fallen ones. Even among the most brilliant, there is debate on translating this term.
One reason Nephilim is often translated as "fallen ones" is the relation to the Hebrew word “naphal” (to fall). One school of thought associates these beings with fallen angels or their offspring.
The interpretation of Genesis 6:1–4 is difficult and controversial. The debate centers on the interpretation of the phrase “sons of God.” Who are they?
Option 1: Sons of God = Sons of Seth
One view understands the “sons of God” as descendants of Seth. In this interpretation, Seth’s godly descendants were intoxicated by the beauty of women descended from Cain, thus marrying those who’d rejected God and leading to greater wickedness.
God forbade the Israelites from marrying Canaanite women (Ex. 34:16; Deut. 7:3). This can be an indication that this is the correct explanation,
Option 2: Sons of God = Fallen Angels
The oldest, and likely the most widely held, interpretation is that the “sons of God” are fallen angels (demons). This was the interpretation most favored in ancient Judaism and the early church
In 1 Peter 3:18–22, Peter refers to spirits in prison because they disobeyed in Noah’s day (1 Pet. 3:19–20).
The connection of these spirits with Noah’s day points strongly to Genesis 6. That these “spirits in prison” are fallen angels is further confirmed by similar passages in 2 Peter and Jude.
Option 3: Sons of God = Fallen Men
Lastly, a view held by the minority is the "sons of God" were simply fallen men.
This last view claims that the “sons of God” were godly men who married ungodly women. Not from the line of Seth – just common men.
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Genesis 6:5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
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Ecclesiastes 9:11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.
Some religious people teach that in order to receive God’s blessings you need to accept Christ as Saviour or to obey to their doctrinal ways. This is a lie! Time and chance happen to all.
God blesses you independently of your spiritual condition. Off course there are blessings promised to those who walk with Him but chance can touch anyone independently of their relationship with God.
Today I would like to invite you to surrender your life to God and as you do so just believe that chance is yours and God is going to bless you in this time. Receive it!
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Job said this just before his time of personal victory:
Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
This knowledge of Job worked on his behalf. when you know that Gods purpose for you can never be thwarted and that HE is able to all things your faith can catapult you to the next level.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
The next level of knowledge is that YOU can do all things through th God who’s purposes can never be thwarted
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ISAIAH 43:19 “SEE, I AM DOING A NEW THING!”
God’s hope for you is of an entirely different nature than all other hope
God doesn't want to give you a patch or an artificial prosthetic solution but He wants to give you something new.
God is the master of newness.
In order to receive the new thing that God has for you you must get rid of the old concepts. Religion will lock you into the past and the old truths but God wants to expand your way of thinking and take you into another level.
God is taking you to the next level for His reasons. He wants you to give Him your attention and focus.
It takes a Next Level Mindset to receive the new things that will take you higher than what you have ever imagined.
Some people can never go to the next level, because they won't let go of the old for the new.
All things considered, are you willing to do that?
God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. And to his credit, Abraham was completely willing to do it, believing God’s Word so much that he concluded “God was able to raise [Isaac] up, even from the dead…” (Heb. 11:19).
Will you receive the new thing that God is doing?
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Habakkuk 2:4 ... the righteous shall live by his faith.
In the context Habakkuk was talking about the unrighteous that where facing God’s judgment. In contrast, the righteous (or the “just”) would live by faith in God.
By contrast, the righteous are humble in God’s eyes and will never face God’s judgment.
2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Do not be impressed by the way people that have no God live in this world but be always grateful that by the Grace of God one day all accounts will be settled and your God will give you everlating life as your reward.
The righteous will live by faith!
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A Christian is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Be bold in your prayers. God promises in
2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
We did not inherit this new nature or just decide to re-create ourselves anew. God created something entirely fresh and unique
Only the Creator could accomplish such a blessing. Claim it from God and receive this new nature, Ask God for something new!
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When Jesus has just arrived in Jerusalem for the final days leading up to His death on the cross. He was in the temple, healing the blind and the lame, the leading priests and scribes saw Jesus performing miracles and even heard children shouting, “Hosanna! Praise God for the Son of David.” The religious teachers grew irate, questioning Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” “Yes,” Jesus responded to His critics,
Matthew 21:16 Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”
The older translations say, “out of the mouth of babes You have perfected praise”
Jesus was quoting
Psalm 8:2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
The idea is that God silences His enemies and puts them to shame by the words coming out of the mouths of babies and infants who tell of the Lord’s strength.
The Jewish leaders could not miss the implications as they observed everything taking place. They witnessed Christ’s victorious entry into Jerusalem, the ecstatic crowd of worshippers, His commanding cleansing of the temple, His miracles of healing, and even children proclaiming His praises. The people hailed Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, and it was more than these religious hypocrites could handle. They became outraged.
This lead to the anger that caused the crucifixion of the Messiah. Children are not blinded by pride and hypocrisy and are better able to perceive spiritual truth (Matthew 18:3–4.) Jesus accepts their worship because it is untainted and reserved for God alone.
Conclusion
This concludes our series of 24 devotionals on the prophecies of the Messiah. As I said in the begining of these segments.
Some say that The Old Testament contains over 400 prophecies about the coming Messiah. Others place the number at around 300. This number may be correct but I will teach you about the most relevant ones on this series of my evening devotional.
Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled these prophetic writings and the odds of that happening are just incredible.
Mathematics & Astronomy Professor Peter W. Stoner chances of just 8 prophecies has made the statement that the (like these) coming true by sheer chance is 1 in 10 to 17 (100,000,000,000,000,000). That would be equivalent to covering the whole state of Texas with silver dollars two feet deep and then expecting a blindfolded man to walk across the state and on the very first try find the ONE coin you marked (roughly equivalent to the Province of Ontario being 1.5 feet deep and Quebec about 1 foot deep).
When we multiply this number by 6 it would be like covering 6 feet deep all that is in our province with coins and expect that a blind person would find at first attempt one that we marked and hid in the whole colossal pile. Jesus fulfilled these prophecies and mathematically we can prove He is the Messiah.
Since I was never strong in Math so most people that I know. He will reveal Himself to us with other signs and wonders of His Glory. I hope that through this series you had more than just learning about Jesus but that you may receive Him as your Messiah.
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What is the order of Melchizedek?
"Melchizedek" comes from two Hebrew words (melek, king and tzedeq, righteous) and can be literally understood as "my king is righteous."
The priest Melchizedek appears in three sections of Scripture. He is briefly introduced in Genesis 14:18–20. In a messianic psalm (Psalm 110:4), David addresses the “order of Melchizedek” specifically:
Psalm 110:4 “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind:‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek’”
The author of Hebrews, in speaking of Christ, quotes this verse in Hebrews 7:17.
Hebrews 7:17 For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews chapters 5, 6, and 7 describe the supremacy of Jesus as the Great High Priest, using Melchizedek’s role as an illustration of Jesus’ priesthood and kingship.
The phrase "the order of" is ued in the Bible to point to a lineage. As an example an Aaronic priest would have been a priest according to “the order of” Aaron.
Another translation of Psalm 110:4 says that the Messiah will be a priest “after the pattern of Melchizedek” (NET) or “after the manner of Melchizedek” (ISV).
A priest is a mediator between God and man. Eventually the priest would die, and his work as mediator would cease. Jesus, our High Priest “in the order of Melchizedek,” is not only our mediator but also because of His resurrection, death does not interrupt His work; Jesus remains our eternal High Priest.
Unlike the Levitical priesthood, Jesus' priesthood and His sacrificial work were able to remove sin, cleanse the conscience, and purify the heart.
Just like Melchizedek was both priest and king, Jesus is also both priest and king.
The title of "Melchizedek” will be His forever, and the "order of Melchizedek” is now an eternal order held by an eternal high priest, Christ.
Hebrews 7:28 "For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.”
In summary, Christ's work in redeeming humanity from their sins is a far greater thing than the Levitical priesthood's work in pointing out the need for such a redemption.
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In Isaiah 61 the prophet announced the good news of God’s restoration for the people of Israel:
Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
Jesus taught that He was the promised Messiah. Jesus Christ began this sermon by reading from the writings of Isaiah concerning the future mission of the Anointed One:
Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
Seven centuries after the prophecy of Isaiah, Jesus Christ began His public ministry in the synagogue of Nazareth by opening up the scroll of Isaiah and applying this passage to Himself. AT the end of the reading he said “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing,”
After his reading those to whom He was speaking attempted to rationalize His message as they rejected Him and "thrust him out of the city." (Luke 4:28.) Jesus had anticipated their rejection and had taught them that even though there were many among them who had afflictions, few would accept Him and be healed. (See Luke 4:22-27.)
The brokenhearted
Jesus concluded the sermon in Nazareth identifying Himself as the anointed Servant-King who would announce “the good news” of salvation and bind up the brokenhearted.
The “brokenhearted” are people who are weakened, crushed, or destroyed in spirit. The term describes those who feel spiritually bankrupted, needy, and helpless. They desire God’s help, comfort, and salvation.
The verb translated “bind up” in the original language means “to inspire with confidence, give hope and courage to, to encourage, to bandage, to dress by covering, wrapping, or binding.”
The focus of the message of good news is spiritual restoration and healing. As a physician would “bind up” or bandage a wounded arm, so the Messiah would bandage a wounded spirit.
How does Jesus bind up the brokenhearted?
1 Peter 2:24, NLT “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed”
Jesus Christ knows our troubles, temptations, and sorrows. He experienced them throughout His life and His death on the cross.
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds
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Parables held a major place in Israelite history. It was even prophesied that the promised Messiah would speak in parables and dark sayings. The word “parable” comes from the Greek παραβολή (parabolē), a conjunction of para (meaning along-side) and bolē (to throw). Hence the true meaning is found in understanding the symbolic or figurative words that were “thrown alongside” the intended meaning.
Psalm 78:2-4 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation
Parables were a well-established part of the Jewish idiom. God used parables and figures of speech through the prophets (such as Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah). Samson and many others also spoke in riddles and parables.
In the latter part of the Old Testament, God spoke to Israel through prophets, visions, and parables.
Isaiah 6:9-10 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
The Messiah spoke in parables when he was led by God to do so, which was quite often. Also some of the Messiah’s parables concerning the kingdom of God were for his disciples to understand, but not intended to be comprehended by those whose hearts were not for truth:
Matthew 13:10-15, 34-35Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
What Jesus Said or What He Meant
The prophecy in Psalm 78:2 predicted that the Messiah would speak in parables. That is exactly what Jesus did according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. There are 70 parables and illustrations in the gospels accounts
When interpreting the scriptures, it’s not always what Jesus said that matters, but what he meant. Jesus often spoke from a higher plane or a spiritual point of view. For example, when Jesus spoke of the leaven of the Pharisees, he was referring to their false teachings. At first the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant; they thought he was speaking literally about the leaven of bread:
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In the book of Isaiah chapters 7-12, the prophet speaks of the salvation of Israel from its enemies, with the person of the Messiah in view as a central theme to these chapters.
Isaiah 9:1-2 ...but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
Matthew chapter 4 portrays Jesus’ ministry in Galilee as the ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy.
Matthew 4:13-16 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
Isaiah is speaking of the messianic light, fulfilled in Jesus who sheds his light both on the Jewish people and on the nations of the world. The theme of Jesus as the light is prominent in the New Testament. In the gospel of John says.
John 1:4-5 “In him was life, and the life was the light of men [i.e., people]. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Jesus the light
In John 8:12, Jesus himself says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,” while in John 9:5, he declares that, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Yet again, in John 12:46, he says, “I have come into the world as light.”
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
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Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
The words of Nathanael in John 1:46: “Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, "Come and see."
People from Nazareth were not held in high esteem; they were considered backward and, we might say, “trashy.” In fact, Galilee as a whole did not have a sterling reputation. When the Pharisee Nicodemus defended Jesus in front of his fellow Pharisees, they replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee” (John 7:52).
Matthew 2:23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene
No Old Testament prophecy corresponds to these precise words. The paraphrase is based on Jesus’ boyhood home, Nazareth, and a similar-sounding Hebrew word netser, which is translated as “sprout,” “shoot,” or “branch.”
What does "Nazarene" mean?
“Nazarene” refers to the “branch” in Isaiah 11:1
The Hebrew word for “branch” in Isaiah 11:1 is ‘netser”, and since Hebrew was written with only consonants, this word would have appeared as NZR, which are the same consonants found in Nazarene
“Nazarene” refers to a person who is despised
In the first century, Nazareth was a small town with a negative reputation.
Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Nazareth may draw on the deeper meaning of the name in application to the prophecies that Jesus would be called a Nazerene. Matthew may also simply use a word play which might have been recognized by his Jewish audience. The verb nazar can have very broad application (cf. Lev. 15:31; 22:2; Num. 6:2; Ezek. 14:7; Hos. 9:10). The Messiah would be “set apart” to God in the ultimate sense.
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Amongst all the titles attributed to him, ‘Son of God’ is perhaps the dearest to Christians and most used to try and prove his divinity. After all, the ‘Son of God’ must be divine like his father.
Psalm 2 speaks of the nations of the world plotting against both God himself and his “Anointed.”
Psalm 2:7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
In verse 7, God specifically calls the Anointed “my Son” and promises worldwide rule in the face of the laughable opposition of the nations who counsel rebellion against God.
Almost a millennium and a half prior to the birth of Jesus, God began to give His people an enormous amount of specific information about Jesus’ life and ministry.
The New Testament refers in numerous places to the ideas in this psalm.
Matthew 3:16-17 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
God makes a point to declare at Jesus’s baptism “This is My Beloved Son.”
In the Old Testament, “son of God” is used about angels (Job 1:6), about the nation of Israel (Exodus 4:22-23), and about Israel’s king (2 Samuel 7:14).
In the New Testament, when Jesus is called “Son of God” or “God’s Son,” it implies:
-
He is the Messianic king
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He has a personal intimacy with the Father, whom he addressed as Abba
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He obeyed the Father
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His sonship is unique, unlike any other
Jesus tells Nathanael where he was and what was in his heart without having been there, and Nathanael bursts out in verse 49, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Now what Nathanael meant by that was great, but probably not as great as what the words will come to mean in the ministry of Jesus and the Gospel of John.
Nathanael probably means: “You are the Messiah. You are the long-expected Jewish ruler that will bring deliverance for Israel and establish God’s rule over the nations.” Both the term Son of God and King of Israel were references for the Messiah.
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God sends the prophet Elijah before the “great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” Elijah’s mission is to bring about reconciliation, as the passage indicates:
Malachi 4:5-6 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
According to the Old Testament description Elijah did not die but was taken up to heaven directly (2 Kings 2:9-12),
Jewish tradition spoke often of the future return of Elijah.
Matthew 11:13-14 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.
Jesus did not say that Elijah would come in the future. He explained the prophecies as showing that “Elijah, indeed, does come first and restore all things” (Mark 9:12). As Matthew and Mark narrate the story, it was Jesus’ understanding that Elijah must precede the arrival of the Messiah and that Elijah has already come.
According to the Gospel of John, when asked, “Are you Elijah?” John answered, “I am not.” To the question, “Are you the Prophet?” his answer was, “No.”
Jesus did not differentiate between Malachi 3:1 and 3:23. Instead, he identified John as the “messenger” and announced that “he is Elijah.”
It was believed that before the Messiah's showing, Elijah would personally appear. This expectation John met in his denial; but his words had a deeper meaning. Jesus afterward said, referring to John, "If ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, which is to come. John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, to do such a work as Elijah did. If the Jews had received him, it would have been accomplished for them. But they did not receive his message. To them he was not Elijah. He could not fulfill for them the mission he came to accomplish.
Among all the people that deny Jesus as the Messiah there is some confusion because they do not accept John the baptist as Elijah. We need to take things at face value. Prophecies sometimes are not exact. They are always accurate but not always in the way we tend to interpret them to satisfy our own beliefs.
John may not have seen himself as the fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6. However, Jesus did.
This is another fulfilled prophecy. Jesus clearly stated that Elijah had already come, but, tragically, he was not recognized and had been killed. Jesus then predicted He would likewise die at the hands of His enemies.
Before the end times and the second coming of the Messiah we will have a similar event where "Elijah will come". We do not know how is it going to happen or if it's going to be Elijah himself or one like Elijah but prophecy will be fulfilled once again and soon we will witness "The days of Elijah".
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The word Messiah simply means “anointed one” and derives from the Hebrew verb mashach, meaning “to anoint.” The word messiah translated into Greek is "christos", so the name Jesus Christ is a combination of Jehovah’s human name, Jesus, and the title, Christ.
The Old Testament says that The Messiah would be a prophet like Moses. In Deuteronomy 18, while Moses may have been intimating about the line of prophets to come, certainly long after his death, no prophet “like Moses” had arisen.
Moses taught others of the coming of Christ in two ways—by his actions and through his words.
Deuteronomy 18:15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen.
Moses was teaching his disciples. One function of all prophets was to teach the people about the coming of the Messiah.
Jesus fulfilled the prophecies
John 6:14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’
Jesus considered himself to be a prophet: “They took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.’ ” (Matthew 13:57)
After Jesus' crucifixion and ascension it is said about Him in the book of Acts.
Acts 3:20-22 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.
This is a direct quote to the scripture we read in Deuteronomy. Jesus came as the Messiah, or Anointed One, in all three ministerial offices: prophet, priest, and king.
The symbolism of Jesus as prophet fills the Gospels. He is the living Word.
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In Matthew 21, Jesus has just told a parable: the owner of a vineyard sent some servants to collect the produce from the tenants. But the tenants beat and killed the servants. They did likewise with a second group of servants, and finally, when the owner sent his son, they killed him too. The parable is a sad comment on the history of Israel’s leaders (but not all the people!): rejecting the prophets and finally rejecting God’s Son.
Psalm 69:8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons
Outward appearance
The prophet Isaiah describes a Suffering Servant who dies for the sins of those who reject him and then is exalted by God. This is shocking news to the Jews. The Jews looked at Jesus and said, “This can’t be the Messiah because He is not going to enter like this.” They were fixated on appearance and success. And Jesus was not what they had in mind.
Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Why was Jesus rejected?
Although there are many reasons, it could be said that He didn’t fit into preconceived notions of who the Jewish Messiah should be or how He should act.
Rejected in in own hometown
John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
Imagine your neighbors, school buddies, teachers, or leaders disliking you so much that they want you dead. What would you do? How would it affect the rest of your life?
This happened to Yeshua in the synagogue of Nazareth, the town in which He was raised
John 15:18 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
Very often we consider the rejection from others, especially from those in our spiritual community, to be a rejection by God Himself. That belief kills our fruitfulness on earth, a false destiny Satan is rallying for.
John 7:5 For not even his brothers believed in him.
God does not seek those who are perfect as the world counts perfection but those “whose heart is perfect toward Him.”
Sometimes we need help overcoming rejection from the world, we must look to Jesus. Just as prophesied about Him, He is the One who understands our pain the most, and He will help you in times of need
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When John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the Messiah, Jesus Himself bore testimony that there was no greater prophet in Israel than John the Baptist. (Luke 7:28.). Another Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled.
Isaiah 40:3-5 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
The Old Testament prophecies said that The Messiah would be preceded by a messenger.
Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.”
Malachi speaks of a messenger coming to prepare the way, while Isaiah speaks of preparing the way in the desert. One thing that is significant here, is that in Malachi, God says the messenger will “prepare the way before me,” whereas Matthew and its parallel in Luke have “before you,” referring to Jesus himself. In this passage in Matthew and in Luke, what applied to God in Malachi is applied to Jesus! (It was not uncommon to cite Scripture with variations, just as a modern preacher might paraphrase a bit in order to make a point.)
John the baptist
Luke 3:3-6 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,[a]
make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
The angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias while he served in the temple and told him that Elizabeth would bear a son, whom they would name John (Luke 1:11-13).
The angel also spoke of John's greatness, telling Zacharias that
Luke 1:14-17 "you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
John brought unto the nation of Israel the message of repentance and the imminent establishment of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 3:2).
As John preached in the region around the Jordan, he was preparing the way for Christ. Quoting from Isaiah, Luke tells us who John was and another prophecy of the Messiah was fulfilled.
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Shortly after the time of Christ’s birth, King Herod the Great made an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the infant Jesus by ordering the slaughter of all male children age two and younger. What was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled
Jeremiah 31:15 Thus says the Lord:
“A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”
The Massacre of the Innocents
The Massacre of the Innocents was the result of King Herod’s extreme paranoia and cruelty. Herod would do anything to protect his own interests, including murdering all the little boys in Bethlehem. The wise men had alerted Herod to the arrival of a new king in Bethlehem. In his fear and morbid suspicion, Herod could not allow a rival king to live. Not knowing how old Jesus was, but certain the wise men had said they’d first seen the star less than two years before their visit, Herod took no chances and had all male children under two in Bethlehem killed.
Matthew 2:16-18 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Herod’s Massacre of the Innocents was carried out, but his plan to rid the world of the Messiah was thwarted when God intervened to protect Jesus in yet another fulfillment of prophecy. When the Magi left Bethlehem to return to their homeland, Joseph had a dream: “An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,’ the angel said. ‘Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’ That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: ‘I called my Son out of Egypt’” (Matthew 2:13–15, NLT; cf. Hosea 11:1). God the Father saved His Son to fulfill His purpose of securing our salvation.
Some ancient Christian traditions claim that the Massacre of the Innocents involved tens to hundreds of thousands of children. However, based on the population of the small village of Bethlehem, the annual birthrate, and the high infant death rate at the time, most biblical historians and demographers estimate the total number of male children under the age of two to be no more than 20 to 40. The lower number makes the crime no less of an atrocity. The death of even one child is a tragedy.
Christian Martyrs
In Christianity, a martyr is a person considered to have died because of their testimony for Jesus or faith in Jesus.
According to official reports. Every day, 13 Christians worldwide are killed because of their faith. Every day, 12 churches or Christian buildings are attacked. And every day, 12 Christians are unjustly arrested or imprisoned, and another 5 are abducted.
The children killed by Herod were the first martyrs of the Church. Why martyrs? For a very simple reason: they were killed out of hatred for the faith and for God; out of hatred for the Child who had given them the honor of being born roughly at the same time He came into the world.
Today we see the world slaughtering millions of children through legalized abortion and we are numb to this. Some even boast and glorify this horrendous killing of innocents.
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While Isaiah was prophesying in Judah, a new prophet’s voice was heard in the north, in the land of Israel. Towards the end of his book, the prophet recalled the exodus, when under the leadership of Moses, the Israelites left Egypt for the Promised Land. Hosea described Israel as God’s child, saying:
Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
In this passage, Hosea reminds the people of an earlier time God delivered His chosen people out of Egypt. His people, Israel, were in bondage and slavery at the hand of Pharaoh, King of Egypt.
Centuries later, Matthew describes another Egyptian delivery. An angel of the Lord warned Joseph in a dream of the impending annihilation of Jesus. Joseph fled with his young family down to Egypt to escape the destruction ordered by King Herod. Joseph remained with his family in Egypt until the Lord called him out, following Herod’s death.
Matthew 2:14-15 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Herod had already plotted to murder all the boys in Bethlehem two years of age and under. (This actually likely amounted to about twenty children
Mary and Jesus flee to Egypt. This was not a random location. Egypt had a sizable and thriving Jewish community – Philo says it was one million strong. It was friendly towards Jews, and the closest Jewish community outside Israel.
And so Joseph and his family leave “by night,” most likely to avoid any detection, and they live there until Herod dies and the threat has passed. They would not have had long to wait, since Herod died in 4 B.C.
Out of Egypt
Jesus and his family likely lived among a Jewish community and enjoyed a degree of anonymity and separation from Hellenistic culture. Herod the Great died in March of 4 BC and Jesus’ family returned to Nazareth soon thereafter.
Just as the people of Israel came out of Egypt to the promised land lead by their saviour Moses. God then calls Joseph and Mary from Egypt to the promised land to bring the Saviour of the World out of Egypt.
Egypt represents the old life of sin. God is also calling you out of Egypt to a land of promise.
Perhaps you are in a dark season of your life, as the Egyptians were during the plague, or as when Joseph and Mary fled for their lives to a distant land. But I can promise you this, if you will trust Jesus, which is the mark of being God’s elect, out of darkness God will call you; out of thick Egyptian night he will fetch you, and a new land of promise will be waiting for you to dwell in.
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The New Testament was originally written in Greek. “Jesus” is an English rendering of the Greek name Iēsous, which is the Greek version of the Aramaic name Yeshua, which derived from the ancient Hebrew Yehoshua which is translated in the English Old Testament as “Joshua.”
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah also prophesied of the Messiah, “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Very often prophecies in the Bible have an immediate fulfillment and a prophetic fulfilment in another future time.
This prophecy had an initial fulfillment during Isaiah’s day, but it ultimately refers to the birth of Jesus, as we see in the gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
There are many “names” given to Jesus both in the Old and New Testaments.Immanuel is one of them.
Saying that Jesus would be called “Immanuel” means Jesus is God.
The phrase "God is with us" describes the nature of Jesus. He is God who has become a human. "God is with us" would not so much describe the exact nature of Jesus, but rather that God has been gracious to His people by sending His Messiah.
The angel is speaking Hebrew and in Hebrew the name is ישוע or יהושע which means God shall save, but are transliterated as Joshua or Jehoshua. But the story is recorded in Greek which gets transliterated to Ιησούς or Ιησούν depending on the case, which is transliterated into English as Jesus.
What does Jesus mean in Greek? God with thee. This is prefigured when Joshua is told, in Joshua 1:5, I will be with thee.
Some people have the argument that Jesus should have been called literally Immanuel but this is not how prophecy works.
'Emmanuel' means God is among us.
'Jesus' is the Greek for son of God.
Also the Greek word for God is “Zeus.” and 'Ies Zeus' became 'Ye-sus' became 'Jesus.’
The English word 'Jesus' is simply an evolved form of what name He was referred to by all those years ago.
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Old Covenant Scriptures speak of the coming Messiah who would be God’s anointed One to deliver Israel and all mankind.
In Psalms 45 we read a prophetic chant to the Messiah. The psalmist begins the poem with this introduction: "My heart overflows with a good theme: I address my verses to the King" (Psalm 45:1). Then the song reveals a prophetic message.
Psalm 45:6-7 Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity; you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;
This prophecy about Jesus was repeated and expanded in Hebrews 1. It was decided before the foundations of the earth were laid and before man was ever created. The Godhead knew that the creature they would create would fall and need a redeemer.
Hebrews 1:10-12 And, “In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like clothing; like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.”
Christ’s throne is not an earthly throne. The kings who foreshadowed Christ may have sat on earthly thrones for a time, but Christ sat down with his Father on God’s throne for eternity —the true throne and kingdom of Heaven, not an earthly shadow of it.
Christ’s Scepter
A scepter is a rod or staff (adorned with gold and jewels) that a king holds to indicate that he is in authority —the shepherd of his people. "Shepherd your people with your scepter" (Micah 7:14).
Jesus is our Kingand he also is the Shepherd, and ourselves are the sheep.
Yeshua HaMashiach – Anointed to Save
Yeshua HaMashiach is Hebrew for “Jesus the Messiah.” Yeshua is a shortened version of the name Yehoshua, which means “Adonai saves.” Mashiach is the Hebrew word for Messiah and means “anointed one.”
Daniel 2:44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever
As we can see more than 2,000 years after His resurrection the Kingdom prevailed, and we know from Scripture that will never be destroyed. The gospel of Luke starts with this prophecy.
Luke 1:33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Politicians today rule outside the principles of the Kingdom of God, but they will perish one day and history will forget them, however the kingdom of our Lord will last forever.
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Samuel 7:12-13 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, 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.
Second Samuel 7 features God’s promise to raise up David’s descendant Solomon as king, with the promise that he would build the Temple (“a house”) in verse 13. Yet the “house” also means the line of Davidic descendants
At the heart of the Old Testament is the expectation that God will send a unique king, associated with the Davidic dynasty, who will bring God’s blessing to the nations of the world. Significantly, he will sacrifice his life to atone for the sins of others.
The path towards the fulfillment of these promises eventually leads to the Davidic dynasty. Through David and his son Solomon, God establishes Jerusalem as his holy city where he dwells among his people. When subsequent Davidic kings fail to trust God fully, various prophets predict that God will raise up a righteous Davidic king whose reign will be characterised by justice, peace and prosperity.
The Messiah prophesied by Isaiah
The promise of this future righteous king stands in stark contrast to the corrupt Davidic kings who reigned in Isaiah’s day. In a separate oracle, Isaiah announces among other things:
Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this
The Messiah identified by Luke
In his “carefully investigated” account to Theophilus, Luke describes how the newly born Jesus was brought by his parents to the temple in Jerusalem. They encountered a “righteous and devout” man called Simeon, to whom the Holy Spirit had revealed that “he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). Luke then introduces an eighty-four years old prophetess, Anna, who, on seeing Jesus, “began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38).
Luke 1:32-33 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
The Messiah links old and new testaments
Messianic expectations linked to the Davidic dynasty do not exhaust what the Old Testament has to say about Jesus Christ. They are only one strand of a cord of connections between the Old Testament and Jesus, but a very significant core strand.
Romans 1:3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
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The name Jew is really a shortened form of Judah. This name came to be used for the Israelites after their return from the Babylonian Captivity. Although there were representatives of all the tribes in the land at that time, the dominant tribe was Judah, and the land was called Judea. In the New Testament the words Hebrew, Israelite and Jew are synonymous terms to describe the people of Israel. The Apostle Paul applies all three terms to himself at various times.
Genesis 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples
This prophecy says that The Messiah would be the coming one to whom the scepter belongs. This is part of Jacob’s prophetic blessings on his sons; The promise of the “scepter” and “ruler’s staff” indicates that Judah would exercise rulership. This was fulfilled in King David and his descendants, ultimately being fulfilled in the rule of the Messiah. In the New Testament
Hebrews 7:14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests
Hebrews 7:14 explicitly traces Yeshua’s descent from Judah, while Revelation 5:5 calls Yeshua “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.”
The ruler from Judah will receive the “obedience of the peoples” – that is, nations that are not Jewish.
The genealogy
Christians view this is a prophecy that Jesus will establish an everlasting kingdom in the future. Jesus was born about 2000 years after Jacob died, and his ancestry is traced back to Judah in Luke 3:23-34 and in Matthew 1:1-16.
Luke 3:33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah
A question raised is: Why do we need two genealogies, especially since Yeshua (Jesus) was not the real son of Joseph? A popular and common answer is: Matthew’s Gospel gives the royal line, whereas Luke’s Gospel gives the real line.
The southern Kingdom of Judah, with its capital in Jerusalem was the birthplace of the Messiah.
In Matthew 1:1 he is called the Son of David and the Son of Abraham. In Luke 3:38 he is called the Son of Adam and the Son of God. As the Son of David, it means that Jesus is king. As the Son of Abraham, it means that Jesus is a Jew. As the Son of Adam, it means that Jesus is a man.
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Genesis 17:19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.[a] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him
Who was Isaac
The Messiah was to be a descendant of Isaac. Isaac was the son of Abraham and Sarah. Sarah had not bore any children until a very old age. God appeared to Abraham and told him she would birth a child when Sarah was about 90 years old.
Abraham was 99 years old and had a son, Ishmael, through Hagar, the Egyptian slave. But God’s covenant promise would not be through Ishmael, but through the child, Sarah would bore. Isaac would be in the line of blessings God promised Abraham he would fulfill.
Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. God promised Isaac that the Messiah would be through his family line.
Genesis 21:12 But God said to Abraham, Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named.
The prophecy fulfilled
The gospel writer Luke in the New Testament details for us the baptism and genealogy of Jesus.
Luke 3:34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Naho
Luke works the genealogy in reverse order, Matthew uses a chronological list. In this gospel Luke starts with Jesus and works it all the way back to Adam, the first man. We find Isaac in the genealogy record of Jesus.
This way Luke shows us how Jesus is related to the whole human race. Luke also traces the bloodline of Joseph to David.
The bloodline of Jesus' family
Jesus fulfilled a number of prophecies that have to do with the Messiah's genealogy, or family line. God narrowed down the family line of the Messiah in such a way that eliminated most people who have ever been born.
John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me
Jesus told the religious leaders to search the Scriptures and discover where they spoke about Him. The coming Messiah was to be born in one particular family.
This is one of the details of the Messiah's family line that was fulfilled by Jesus
The coming of the Messiah was predicted in the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled these prophecies and, in doing so, has the right to claim to be the promised Messiah.
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God raised up His servant Jesus the Messiah (described in Isaiah 53) to fulfill the promises God made to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This fulfillment comes through Jesus, through whom Israel and the nations receive the blessing of atonement for sins.
First, God would make a great people from Abraham. The second promise was of the land itself. The third promise was that through Abraham and his descendants, all the nations of the world would be blessed.
Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
God promised Abraham that his ligneage would bring blessing to the whole earth. This was a promise also of protection against curses.
Genesis 22:18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice
Abraham's obedience is the origin of the blessing promised to "his offspring" this can be interpreted as Israel but also as an indication that the Messiah would be his offspring.
The New Testament description
Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham
The first book of the New Testatment starts with the description of Jesus Christ's genealogy and it goes as back as Abraham.
Romans 9:5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Paul didn't mention Abraham but uses the word "Patriarch" wish by association includes Abraham.
The Blessing of God
When God made the promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying,
Hebrews 6:13–15Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
Our God guides our steps and goes ahead of us, when He walks with us through hard times and brings us to good and pleasant places.
God blesses us with His constant presence. Whatever trials you face, nothing can separate you from His love. Whatever twists in the road, nothing can interfere with His sovereign power and goodness. Whatever missteps you take, He can redeem. Whatever hurts you experience, He can heal your soul and revive your spirit.
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Some say that The Old Testament contains over 400 prophecies about the coming Messiah. Others place the number at around 300. This number may be correct but I will teach you about the most relevant ones on this series of my evening devotional.
Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled these prophetic writings and the odds of that happening are just incredible.
Mathematics & Astronomy Professor Peter W. Stoner chances of just 8 prophecies has made the statement that the (like these) coming true by sheer chance is 1 in 10 to 17 (100,000,000,000,000,000). That would be equivalent to covering the whole state of Texas with silver dollars two feet deep and then expecting a blindfolded man to walk across the state and on the very first try find the ONE coin you marked (roughly equivalent to the Province of Ontario being 1.5 feet deep and Quebec about 1 foot deep).
Today we see a very specific prophecy about the virgin birth of the Messiah.
The prophecy of Isaiah
Around 700 years before Jesus was born, a man named Isaiah told King Ahaz that a time was coming when a virgin would have a child named Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel
Isaiah promised that God would give a sign — the miraculous birth of the Messiah to a virgin. The Messiah is called here “Immanuel” which means “God with us.”
Some 7 centuries later, Joseph and Mary, who were from the city of Nazareth, were engaged to be married. Mary, still a virgin, was “found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that his wife-to-be would deliver the Christ child.
Jesus was born to a virgin
Matthew 1:22-23 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
The name of Jesus in Hebrew is Yeshua, which means “he will save us.” Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, the promised Messiah who has the authority and power to save us from our sins.
Nothing is impossible to God
First, for those who say a virgin birth is physically and scientifically impossible, Luke remarks that “nothing will be impossible with God.”
Luke 1:26-31 26 the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
The virgin birth of Jesus is an example of God’s gracious work on our behalf. God took the initiative—Mary was not looking to become pregnant—it was all God’s idea. Joseph had no role in the conception—his body was not involved—so the power had to come from God. In a similar way, our salvation is based solely on God’s initiative and God’s power—we did not seek God, but He sought us; and we did nothing to earn our salvation, but we rely on God’s power.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com
Some say that The Old Testament contains over 400 prophecies about the coming Messiah. Others place the number at around 300. This number may be correct but I will teach you about the most relevant ones on this series of my evening devotional.
Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled these prophetic writings and the odds of that happening are just incredible.
Mathematics & Astronomy Professor Peter W. Stoner chances of just 8 prophecies has made the statement that the (like these) coming true by sheer chance is 1 in 10 to 17 (100,000,000,000,000,000). That would be equivalent to covering the whole state of Texas with silver dollars two feet deep and then expecting a blindfolded man to walk across the state and on the very first try find the ONE coin you marked (roughly equivalent to the Province of Ontario being 1.5 feet deep and Quebec about 1 foot deep).
Today we see a very specific prophecy about the birthplace of the Messiah.
Bethlehem Ephrathah
Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
In the New Testament the gospels start with the fulfilment of this prophecy. In Micah 5:2, we see prophecy revealed that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Messiah, the ruler of Israel. This prophecy was written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus
Luke 2:4-6 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,[a] who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
Because Jesus’ first years were spent in Nazareth, it was assumed by some that he was born there as well. In John 1:46, Nathanael said about Jesus to Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” We know also that “The Messiah would be called a Nazarene.”
Herod felt threatened
Concerned that his rule would be threatened by this “king of the Jews,” Herod convened a committee of those “in the know” and asked them about the Messiah’s birthplace. They gave a unanimous answer: Bethlehem, in Judea, and in proof they cited the prophet Micah.
The location, Bethlehem, was an open secret, having been predicted by the prophet Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah. But Micah offered further details that should’ve given Herod pause. The Messiah had existed since before ancient times and would be king and shepherd to his people, ruling the whole earth in the name and majesty of God.
When Matthew wrote his Gospel, he was bringing incredible news. He quoted prophecies from the Hebrew Scriptures to make his point that our long-awaited Messiah had come and His name was Jesus
Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.
Matthew alters “Bethlehem Ephrathah” to “Bethlehem, in the land of Judah” – which is the same place, and specifies which of the two Bethlehems was meant – in order to underscore that it was Judah and not some other place, the very land of the tribe of Judah, from whom the Messiah was expected to come.
How beautiful to see this prophecy from 700 years’ prior being fulfilled in Christ!
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Some say that The Old Testament contains over 400 prophecies about the coming Messiah. Others place the number at around 300. This number may be correct but I will teach you about the most relevant ones on this series of my evening devotional.
Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled these prophetic writings and the odds of that happening are just incredible.
Mathematics & Astronomy Professor Peter W. Stoner chances of just 8 prophecies has made the statement that the (like these) coming true by sheer chance is 1 in 10 to 17 (100,000,000,000,000,000). That would be equivalent to covering the whole state of Texas with silver dollars two feet deep and then expecting a blindfolded man to walk across the state and on the very first try find the ONE coin you marked (roughly equivalent to the Province of Ontario being 1.5 feet deep and Quebec about 1 foot deep).
The first prophecy in this series is that the Messiah would be born of a woman. This odd is one that self-eliminates since everyone is born of a woman but we will start with a foundation.
The Old Testament prophecy
Genesis 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
After the fall of mankind by Adam and Eve's sin God established new rules, a new environment and what would happen between the guilty parts of this act of disobedience.
The language is mysterious and is illustrated by an image of a man stepping on a serpent crushing its head and at the same time receiving a bite on his heel.
From the moment this proclamation was made, the clock was set waiting for the one who would crush the devil’s head to appear.
The offspring
The question among Old Testament scholars is, "Who is the offspring?". Today we have a large group of people that consider Jesus Christ to be the one mentioned by God in this prophecy but there is also a large group of people that do not agree with this.
Matthew 1:20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
The miraculous birth of Jesus caused him to be God's offspring of the woman since Joseph is "son of David" but Jesus is the "son of God".
The fulness of time fulfilled
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
This means that when God has planned it, things happen when they are supposed to and nothing ever catches God by surprise.
In the Old Testament there were many prophecies that pointed to the coming of the Messiah. The one thing that was evident however is that no one knew when that exact moment would come.
Crushing the head of the serpent
The Greek word rendered as “crush” in Genesis 3:15 is (syntribô; Strong's #4937) in verse 20 means “to break the power of, deprive of strength, debilitate.” It can also be translated as “crush” or “bruise”.
God says plainly that Satan would be put down; the woman's Seed—The Messiah—would “bruise his head.” The Hebrew word for “bruise,” qâmal, means “to slay, kill.” When a person's head is “bruised” in this way—given a killing blow—he dies, while the same blow on the heel causes pain and damage, but not death. God's curse on the serpent signals what the ultimate end of Satan will be.
Revelation 12:7-9 shows someone who is called "the dragon" as “the ancient serpent, who is also called the Devil and Satan. The woman in Revelation 12 is fighting the serpent. On this prophetic scripture Jesus and Mary are on the same “team” for “crushing the head of the Serpent.
This is the first prophecy in this series that we will learn about the Messiah.
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God called to Jonah one day and told him to go preach to Nineveh because the people were very wicked. Jonah hated this idea because Nineveh was one of Israel's greatest enemies and Jonah wanted nothing to do with preaching to them!
Jonah tried to run away from God in the opposite direction of Nineveh and headed by boat to Tarshish. God sent a great storm upon the ship and the men decided Jonah was to blame so they threw him overboard. As soon as they tossed Jonah in the water, the storm stopped.
Jonah 1:17 Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Could a man survive in a fish’s belly? The Hebrew idiom "three days and three nights" has been clearly shown both from Scripture and other sources to mean a period of time beginning on one day and ending on the day after the one following. It doesn't necessarily mean three full days and nights.
God sent a big fish, some call it a whale, to swallow Jonah and to save him from drowning. While in the belly of the big fish (whale), Jonah prayed to God for help, repented, and praised God. For three days Jonah sat in the belly of the fish. Then, God had the big fish throw up Jonah onto the shores of Nineveh.
Jonah preached to Nineveh and warned them to repent before the city is destroyed in 40 days. The people believed Jonah, turned from their wickedness, and God had mercy on them. Jonah now became angry and bitter because God did not destroy the Ninevites who were Israel's enemy! When Jonah sat to rest God provided a vine to give him shade. The next day, God sent a worm to eat the vine. Jonah now sat in the hot sun complaining and wanting to die. God called out to Jonah and scolded him for being so concerned and worried about just a plant while God was concerned with the heart condition and lives of 120,000 people who lived in the city of Nineveh.
Jesus and Jonah
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth
The “sign of Jonah” is mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 12:38–42 and Luke 11:29–32. The scribes and Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign to which he replies he will not give any additional signs to this evil generation besides the one already given in Jonah. There are three elements to this sign: (1) both Jonah and Jesus spent three days inside something (fish, earth), (2) Nineveh repented but Jesus’ generation will not, and (3) Jesus is the greater Jonah.
Jesus spent three days in the belly of the earth; dead with our sins on his innocent head. God commanded Sheol to spit him out into glorious, resurrection life. Even the message is still the same, though a little more fleshed out: Repent and believe in Jesus for judgment is at hand. All you who are weary laden by your sin; come to Jesus. For his yoke is easy and his burden is light (Matt 11:28–30).
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The event at Belshazzar’s feast occurs when Daniel is an old man. The author of the Book of Daniel is showing how the Babylonian empire (whose inhabitants don’t worship Yahweh, except for the exiled Jews among them) will be swallowed up by a much mightier empire (the Persians).
During a party, thrown by the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar, a large hand appears and writes four words on the wall. These four words written on the wall declare the end of the Babylonian Empire and the oncoming invasion from the Medo-Persians that very night.
Nebuchadnezzar, when he invaded the southern kingdom of Israel, took holy items from the temple 2 Chronicles 36:7. Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, misuses these as party favours. The guests drink from goblets from the temple, getting sinfully drunk from the wine from them.
A large human hand inscribes four words no one seems to understand. Frightened, Belshazzar summons all the wise men in Babylon to interpret these, but their wisdom falls short. Nebuchadnezzar’s widow likely, who’d seen Daniel interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s confounding dreams, encourages her grandson to bring in Israel’s prophet to translate the meaning.
Daniel 5:25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
MENE (Used twice) – Meaning a number or mina (a unit of money). This indicates God has numbered the days of Belshazzar’s reign.
TEKEL – Meaning weighed or shekel (a type of currency). Similar to the Egyptian book of the dead, God has weighed Belshazzar’s heart on a scale and found he fell short of the glory of God
UPHARSIN (Depending on the translation) – Has similar roots to Persia. This word indicates God would divide the Babylonian kingdom between the kingdoms of Mede and Persia.
Don’t misuse anything sacred. This can range from a gift God has given a believer to His Holy Word, which is sacred. Belshazzar and his guests abused the objects from the temple of God, and thus, invoked the wrath of the Lord.
Luke 12:48 Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more”
Is the handwriting on the wall today? We need to consider our ways and respect what is sacred. We need to value what God has given us and if we want to keep it let’s be faithful
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The story of Daniel in the lion's den teaches us about the promises and faithfulness of God, even if we feel like everything has been lost.
King Darius was ruler over Babylon and had an appointment with several men to help him govern and lead. Daniel, the leader of advisors, was a man who believed in God and followed the Lord's commands. The other men did not like Daniel and did not want him in charge so they devised a way to get rid of Daniel.
Politics are usually dirty and the plot was well thought. These men knew that Daniel served the God of Israel. They told King Darius to make a new law in which people could worship and pray to only the king and if they worshipped or prayed to other gods, they would be thrown into the den of lion's. The starving lion would eat and kill the lawbreaker.
The punishment
Daniel prayed three times a day with his windows open. When the men saw Daniel and brought accusations against him to King Darius, the king was devastated because he favored Daniel. The king knew he could not change the law and Daniel was thrown into the lion's den.
Verse 10 of Daniel 6 tells us that, “when Daniel knew that the writing was signed,” he knelt and prayed as he always had." Daniel prays toward Jerusalem, a city leveled by the Babylonians, and he prays toward a temple that no longer stands.
In the Lions' Den
At sundown, they threw Daniel into the den of lions. The king could not eat or sleep all night. At dawn, he ran to the lions' den and asked Daniel if his God had protected him. Daniel replied,
Daniel 6:22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.
King Darius had the men who falsely accused Daniel arrested. Along with their wives and children, they were all thrown into the lions' den, where they were immediately killed by the beasts.
Because of the lions' den experience, Darius reached this conclusion about God:
Daniel 6:26–27, NLT For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end. He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.
The king issued a decree, ordering the people to fear and reverence the God of Daniel. Daniel prospered under the reign of Darius and King Cyrus the Persian after him.
A "type" of Jesus
Daniel is a type of Christ, a godly Bible character who foreshadowed the coming Messiah. He is called blameless. In the lions' den miracle, Daniel's trial resembles that of Jesus before Pontius Pilate, and Daniel's escape from certain death is like Jesus' resurrection.
The story of Daniel encourages those who follow God to focus more on what God says about them than what others say about them.
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The story of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego from the Bible book of Daniel 6 tells us of three Jewish boys who refused to bow down to the King of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar.
These three men refused to bow down and worship the idol and god of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into the fiery furnace which was heated seven times hotter than normal. Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego had faith that God would save them.
The Fiery Furnace
Daniel 3:14-18 King Nebuchadnezzar questioned them: “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you will not serve my god, or worship the golden statue that I set up? Now, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I made, whenever you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, zither, dulcimer, harp, double-flute, and all the other musical instruments, then all will be well; if not, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace; and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If our God, whom we serve, can save us from the white-hot furnace and from your hands, O king, may he save us! But even if he will not, you should know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue which you set up.”
Extremely irritated, king Nebuchadnezzar ordered them to be sent into the furnace straightaway, instructing his servants to heat it to seven times its usual temperature. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound and cast into the furnace, they began lifting their voices in praise and prayer to God. The king’s servants continued to stoke the flames, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remained unharmed
When King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the fire he saw four men walking around in the furnace unharmed - Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, and the Son of God.
Nebuchadnezzar Turns to God
Daniel 3:26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
King Nebuchadnezzar brought the young men out of the flames, promoted them to a higher office, and decreed that the God of Israel be worshipped.
Daniel 3:29 no other god can save in this way.
These three young men demonstrated complete confidence in the sovereignty of God and were unafraid to stand up to the most powerful ruler in the land. They were willing to accept whatever price they might have to pay for defying the king’s edicts, acknowledging that God may or may not choose to save them
Jesus and the Fiery Furnace
Regardless of the outcome, they were committed to their faith, even when faced with a painful death. Because of their faith, God delivered them from the evil – and in doing so, brought the mighty king of Babylon to recognize his Lordship over heaven and earth.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ took on the suffering and death of his people at the cross to rescue them ultimately from suffering and death. Just like these three Hebrews, Jesus was captive under a pagan world empire (foretold in the dream of Daniel 2 and the vision of Daniel 7) – Rome. He was put to death because of his faithfulness, and then he walked away from death three days later. In Jesus Christ our God walked through the fire of death for us and for our salvation.
Who is the God who is able to rescue out of the fiery furnace? Our God who walks through the fire with us and ultimately for us.
Jesus Christ will be with you in the fiery furnaces of life. Trust in Him and stay firm in your faith. Be like these three men and confess that God will save you but if not you will still not bow your knee to the idols of this world!
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2 Kings 15:5 Then the LORD struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day of his death; so he dwelt in an isolated house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the royal house, judging the people of the land.
King Azariah (also known as Uzziah) was one of the better kings of Judah. In many ways he honored God and he had a lot of success and power. Yet even good kings have their problems, and Uzziah didn’t end well. He died a leper and a disgrace – because he could not handle his success and power.
2 Chronicles tells us about Uzziah’s pride, seen when he was strong and successful: but when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense (2 Chronicles 26:16).
Uzziah, had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became annoyed by the resistance of the priests. While he was angry at them in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD’s temple, the Lord struck him with leprosy on his forehead (v. 19).
Uzziah violated what had become a general principle in God’s dealing with Israel: that no king should also be a priest.
King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house and was excluded from all people.
It was God’s plan that the offices of prophet, priest, and king should not be combined in one man – until the Messiah, who fulfilled all three offices
Categories to which King Uzziah belongs
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He is counted among the kings who did right in the sight of the Lord.
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He is counted among the kings who peacefully inherited the throne from their predecessors.
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He falls in the category of kings who died with diseases.
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2 Kings 20:1-11. Isaiah the prophet gave God’s word to King Hezekiah.
King Hezekiah got ill and Isaiah had said he would get better. The King asked for proof. Isaiah said King Hezekiah do you want the shadow of the sun to go forward ten steps or back ten steps. King Hezekiah replied to the prophet Isaiah for the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.
Hezekiah’s Illness
2 Kings 20:1 During this time, Hezekiah became sick with a fatal illness, so Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, approached him and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your household in order, because you are dying. You will not survive.’” …Now Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What is to be the sign that the LORD is healing me and that I’ll be going up to the LORD’s Temple three days from now?”So Isaiah replied, “This will be your sign from the LORD that the LORD will do what he has promised. Shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?”Hezekiah answered, “It’s an easy thing for a shadow to lengthen ten steps. So let the shadow go backward ten steps.” So Isaiah cried out to the LORD, who brought the shadow back ten steps after it had gone down the stairway of Ahaz.
The shadow
I don't know what is causing the shadow. I don't think it matters too much. For this answer I will assume that the steps are literal, and the shadow is a building or some other structure.
To move a shadow you must move either the light source, or the object blocking the light source (or both). The object making the shadow has the part of the top fall off, and this makes the shadow go back 10 steps. This, to me, is the simplest solution.
This is an explanation for the phenomenon however what is important to note is not how it happened but that this was the word of the prophet and it confirmed the Word of God to the King.
Prophetic confirmation
There were likely a number of false prophets around at this time (e.g. Isaiah 44:25). Perhaps in asking for a sign Hezekiah was trying to ensure the truthfulness of the prophecy (and prophet).
2 Peter 1:19a: Moreover, we possess the prophetic word as an altogether reliable thing.
We surely need confirmation for every prophetic word we receive. If the word comes through a prophecy or whether you hear God’s voice directly you will need confirmation.
How to Respond to a Prophecy?
You’ve just heard a prophecy. It could have been a personal prophecy, or a word from the Lord delivered corporately, or to a group of people. Either way, you are now in possession of a message from God. So, what do you do now?
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Identify the prophets (true or false)
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Words that come through prophetic utterance are not to be taken lightly.
“Do not scoff at prophecies!” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
When you hear a prophecy, you can’t sit back and wait for it to happen. There is something you need to contribute to keep it moving along—praying, declaring and standing in faith for that word to come to pass.
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King Sennacherib was a powerful Assyrian monarch. His name literally means “Sin has increased the brothers.” “Sin” was the moon-god of Assyrian mythology. The capital of Assyria was the wicked Nineveh. The Assyrian Empire was famous for its barbaric society; its ruthless treatment of others. It was a vicious, evil culture. Sennacherib’s war on Judah is recorded in Scripture.
2 Kings 18:9-13 – The Assyrian army attacked and conquered 46 cities and strongholds of Judah. More that 200,000 prisoners were taken into captivity. Hezekiah offered tribute to Sennacherib so the Assyrian army would cease its attack (2 Ki 18:14-16).
After the conquest the tribute of the jewish people did not satisfy the greedy Assyrian. Sennacherib immediately broke his promises and prepared to lay siege to Jerusalem. This was almost instantly after he accepted the tribute. From Sennacherib’s annuals he described the situation as thus: “I shut him up like a caged bird within his royal capital, Jerusalem. I put watch-posts closely around the city.”
The Assyrian king then demands for the full surrender of Jerusalem. This was made by a group of three Assyrian officials (2Ki 18:17). The duty of these three was to intimidate Hezekiah into full surrender or to provoke such unrest within the citizens of Jerusalem that they would revolt and overthrow Hezekiah.
Opposing God
The opposition of Sennacherib presents the pattern of all who oppose God’s rule for their lives. The root of opposition to God is selfishness. This originates also pride and arrogance. This selfishness prodded Sennacherib to mock and insult the Lord God Almighty.
Here are the words of king Hezekiah
2 Chronicles 32:7-8 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.
Believe in God for yous victory
Stand upon the promises of God and then let go and let God do his work. God has promised never to leave or to forsake you in the face of your enemy! He has promised to stick closer than a friend.
Like Hezekiah said in the verse above, ‘…there be more with us than with him…with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles’. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. No weapon formed against you shall prosper.
The prayer
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3"Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. The answer was not long in coming through Isaiah the prophet.
God's answer is both amazing and wonderful. A prophet of God prays and immediately God both changes his mind and sends alternate instructions to his prophet. A few minutes after Hezekiah prays, Isaiah returns to his bedroom. Hezekiah is still lying on his side facing the wall. Isaiah says: "Hezekiah, this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says...."
Miraculously, an angel of God destroyed Sennacherib’s army
2 Chronicles 32:20-21 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. 21 And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.
God has promised you the victory if you will just put your faith in him! Today, God will give you victory without a fight in Jesus name. If God can send an angel to destroy the Assyrian army he will do the same for you.
Sennacherib went home in shame. Do you depend on God to rescue you from though situations? Learn to be like Hezekiah and trust the Lord to help you
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Elisha became sick, the illness ran its course, and Elisha died. He was not carried up into heaven the way his mentor Elijah was. That was not God’s plan or will for Elisha. Like countless others before and after him, Elisha simply became old, sick, and then died. Then they buried him.
This is one of the more unusual miracles in the Bible. There is no explanation about how or why this happened.
2 Kings 13:21 So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.
Dead man’s anointing
Elisha was dead. And yet when a corpse was thrown into his tomb hastily in an attempt to hide from marauding bands of Moabites, the man came back to life simply by his corpse touching Elisha’s bones.
The bones of Elisha almost seem to be the perfect proof-text for the power of relics. And so, no wonder we evangelicals are somewhat more reticent to talk about Elisha’s bones.
During his ministry, Elijah had performed 14 miracles by the power of God that rested upon him. If Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, he would perform at least 28 miracles. When he died, though, he had only performed twenty-seven miracles. This miracle of resurrection involving his bones made the 28th miracle performed.
Life from a Tomb
That that man was by an unexpected emergency cast into the sepulchre of Elisha when they wanted to bury him and, because the brigands came upon them, did not have time to make a grave.
They opened the cover of the sepulchre that was nearest, which was that of Elisha, and did not lay the dead person in it (for they did not have time for that), but threw in the corpse. When it had fallen to the bottom, it touched the bones of Elisha and came back to life.
In this story Elisha is a symbol of Jesus Christ, whose life and death are equally beneficial to both the dead and the living. The dead body got in contact with the bones of Elisha and life was revived in it.
There is a tomb that brings life — but this is the empty tomb of Jesus, risen from the dead. We’re grateful that there are no bones in the tomb of Jesus, and that in Him we are promised eternal life.
God can make you stand up on your feet, as this man did. He revives you, then he makes you stand, we are able to stand and live a life that counts in the context of eternity.
After Elisha was dead and buried, the dead body of a soldier was thrown hastily into the grave where Elisha lay. When the dead soldier’s body touched Elisha’s bones, the man revived and walked out of the tomb. God still spoke and God still moved through the bones of a dead prophet.
The power of resurrection
In the Old Testament when a dead man touched one prophet's bones he came to life. In the New Testament when Jesus touches dead people they come to life.
Luke 7:11-15 (The Message) Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd. As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession—a woman’s only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow. When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, “Don’t cry.” Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, “Young man, I tell you: Get up.” The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother.
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2 Kings 6:5-7 When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was felling a log, his ax head fell into the water; he cried out, "Alas, master! It was borrowed." Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick, and threw it in there, and made the iron float. He said, "Pick it up." So he reached out his hand and took it.
This story of the ax is the last in a series of stories which describe the interaction between Elisha and “the company of prophets.
What is the significance of the floating axe head? Was it just to show that Elisha did great miracles by the power of God? Was it to demonstrate that God cares about His people being in debt?
The debt
The servant of God losing the axe head in the river Jordan signifies the man owe a great debt, and are under the judgment of the law for it. This truth characterized by it falling into the river that separates the people of God from the promised land. The axe head lost causing debt, and the law requiring that debt must be paid.
Elisha is divinely inspired to cut a stick from a tree, that through the power of God it would bring up the axe head, removing the judgment by removing the debt. When the axe head is restored, the servant is now free from debt. It signifies that debt is no longer owed and God's servant is no longer under judgment of the law concerning it.
The stick and the cross
When the prophet shows Elisha the place where the axe was lost, Elisha then went and cut a piece of wood or stick from a tree and he cast it into the water at the place the prophet confessed the axe head fell. That stick represents the work of Christ on the cross to remove the curse of the law, the debt that requires judgment.
That Hebrew word in 2nd Kings 2:6 [ets] that is translated stick, is the exact same word that is translated "gallows" (Esther 5:14), representing the tree, a tool of hanging. Likewise it is the same word translated tree in
Deuteronomy chapter 21:22 and if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
The stick or tree (translated both) represents the power or work of Christ in the redemption of the debt. It was for this reason that Christ died on the tree.
Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Debt Forgiveness
Matthew 18:26-27 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
This is the compassion of God, and we should be just as compassionate to those who are indebted to us. The compassion Elisha had on his disciple for his dept is a portrait of the compassion God has upon us for ours. This story of the miracle of Elisha raising the lost axe-head that is recorded in 2nd Kings 6:1-7, is the sign (miracle = sign) of the debtor's recovery and restoration through Christ Jesus.
We see through this story that Elisha used the wood to remove this student's debt, and this redemption was made through the water of Jordan. This whole episode demonstrates to us the condescension of the Son of God in humbling himself that he might be nailed to a tree (become a curse for us) and come through the waters of death to provide solution for our debt.
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Yesterday we saw the story of Naaman, the Aramean (Syrian) general in the book of 2 Kings, This is one of the most amazing and inspiring chapters depicting the grace of God in the Bible.
As incredible and wonderful as Naaman’s miraculous healing story is, there is another figure in the fifth chapter of 2 Kings who ends up as a notorious down-note in this story, and ultimately, as a warning for believers. The man’s name is Gehazi, the servant of Elisha.
Elisha the prophet healed Naaman of his leprosy by the power of the Lord (verse 14), and Naaman praised God and offered Elisha a gift, which Elisha refused to accept (verse 16).
The deceiver
Naaman departed for Syria, but Elisha’s servant Gehazi ran after him and told a lie in order to get Naaman’s gift for himself. In his lie, Gehazi invoked his master’s name, making it appear as if Elisha wanted the gift after all: “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing’” (verse 22).
Naaman was only too glad to comply—he was happy to be able to give something out of gratitude for his healing—and he urged Gehazi to take twice as much silver as he had asked for. Gehazi went home with the silver and the garments, which he hid. Later, when Gehazi came before Elisha, he lied again in response to Elisha’s direct question as to where he had been (verse 25).
It soon became apparent that Elisha knew the truth, its having been revealed to him by God: “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you?” (verse 26). Then came Gehazi’s punishment: “Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever” (verse 27). And, just like that, Gehazi was a leper.
The love of money
Gehazi witnessed a miracle, an undeniable display of God’s power that involved the redemption of a man’s health, life, and soul. But all he could think about was money. Naaman needed to see the grace of God in the free and abundant blessing he received; Gehazi destroyed grace by demanding payment.
“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10), and “you cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13). After years of seemingly faithful service, Gehazi fell. His sin began in the heart, as he coveted what Naaman was offering. Other sins soon followed in a series of lies. Gehazi would have been wise to heed Moses’ warning of long ago, “You may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).
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In 2 Kings 5:1-19, Naaman met Elisha, the mighty prophet of God and he was supernaturally healed.
Naaman was the commander of Syria’s (Aram’s) army and well regarded as a military man, but he had leprosy. His Israelite servant girl suggested he go to Elisha to be healed.
Instead of Elisha coming to the door to greet Naaman, he sent a messenger to him saying,
Naaman Seeks Special Treatment
Naaman arrives with chariots to pay Elisha honor. Through his riches and social standing, he hopes to convince the prophet that he is worthy of a healing.
He even stops at the door like a beggar for alms, humiliating himself in hopes that Elisha will return the favor and stoop down and give him a healing.
Naaman was furious with the message and turned away in a rage. His pride was bruised because he expected Elisha to greet him, lay hands on him and miraculously heal the leprosy. He wanted special treatment for his faith.
Naaman’s servants urged him to reconsider, and Naaman wisely did. After dipping himself in the Jordan River seven times, he was completely healed as Elisha had said. In fact,
2 Kings 5:14 his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy
Naaman had decided how God should heal a man as important as himself. He was not about to wash in the dirty Jordan River! Naaman was about to lose his blessing when he was entreated by his servants to obey the prophet. Naaman repented. The scripture says his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child.
What can we learn from Naaman?
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God Doesn’t work on our terms
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Salvation is the same for everyone
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God doesn’t do distinctions between people
Just like Naaman, we are in need of a cure, the same cure given to everyone who will come to Christ.
Jesus mentioned this story
Jesus used the story of Naaman and Elisha as an illustration of Israel’s problem of unbelief.
In Luke 4:27, Jesus tells the crowd in the synagogue of Nazareth, “There were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
The lepers of Israel overlooked the healing that could have been theirs through Elisha, so God healed a Syrian instead. In the same way, the Israelites of Jesus’ day were missing the Power right in front of their eyes. But God is no respecter of persons, and the Gentiles eventually received the gospel that Israel rejected.
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2 Kings 4:42-44 Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.” But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?” He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the LORD: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’” So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.
Jesus twice fed multitudes with a few loaves and fish (Matthew 14:13-21 and 15:32-39). God used Elisha to do a similar miracle hundreds of years before.
We see in this story that they had relatively few loaves of barley bread to feed many.
Elisha told his servant to give the twenty loaves of bread to the one hundred men He asked, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.’” Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.
Also barley was regarded as simple food, better for feeding animals than people. Humble barley loaves aren’t much to work with, but God doesn’t need much.
More than enough
By God’s miracle, few loaves were made many and they had more than enough. It says, “they ate and had some left over,” and it was all according to the word of the LORD.” God promised more than provision, but to provide beyondthe immediate need. Elisha trusted the promise of God, acted upon it, and saw the promise miraculously fulfilled.
Here in 2 Kings it was 20 loaves for about 100 people. In the ministry of Jesus, it was 5 loaves for 5,000 people! In 2 Kings there was some left over, but in the ministry of Jesus they filled 12 big baskets with the leftovers (John 6:13).
God's provision
Psalm 37:16 Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
Times were tight, food was scarce, but the company of prophets were learning from Elisha about God’s faithfulness in providing for his people even through times of famine.
Isaiah 61:7 Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, Everlasting joy will be theirs.
God promised a double portion many times in the Bible. We need to believe that he is our provider and can multiply the little that we have.
Zechariah 9:12 Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you.
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Elisha was visiting the school of the prophets at Gilgal, instructing them in the things of God. At the close of a meeting he gave orders that a simple meal should be prepared for them; so one of them went out into the field to gather herbs, that they might have a vegetable stew. He found a wild vine with gourds. Securing a goodly quantity, he returned and shred them into the pot of pottage, quite unconscious that he was making use of a poisonous plant.
2 Kings 4: 38:41
38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and see the pottage for the sons of the prophets. 39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. 40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. 41 Aß
Death in the pot
The pottage was found to be dangerous; so that they cried out, 'there is death in the pot', (v. 4:40). Elisha immediately cured the bad taste and prevented the bad consequences of this poisonous pottage.
“But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm [or ‘evil thing’] in the pot” ( 2 Kings 4:41).
Meal or flour is a substance that has been crushed to make a rough powder, esp. plant seeds crushed to make flour. It was used to thicken the sauce.
The “meal” we regard as the Word of God: either the written or the personal Word. One of the great types of Christ is seen in the meat (i.e., meal) offering of Leviticus 2.
It is only by the Word we are safeguarded from evil. See how graciously God provided for “His own.” Though there was a “dearth in the land,” yet these sons of the prophets were not without “meal”! How thankful we should be for the Word of God in our homes in such a day as this. Though someone else fetched the meal, “he [Elisha] cast it into the pot”!
Jesus told the disciples in Mark 17:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
The promise of Jesus
The expression translated "when they drink deadly poison" could be translated "If they consume deadly substances" and it's not just literal poisons like arsenic, antrax, etc. God is able to protect us from anything poisonous, from herbal poisons to dangerous vaccines.
Mark 17:19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
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Second Kings 4 records the account of Elisha and the Shunammite woman. The woman is described as a wealthy married woman in the village of Shunem.
The wealthy woman had an extra room built on to her house and furnished it comfortably for Elisha. Elisha and his servant used the room whenever they passed through the area of Shunem. In thanks for the help she gave to the preaching of the word of God, Elisha told the woman that she would give birth to a son even though her husband was very old. She did give birth to a son but after a few years, he died.
The woman placed the boy’s body in Elisha’s special room and then went to find Elisha. Elisha came and raised her son from the dead.
2 Kings 4:32–35 describes what happened next: “When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed. So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD. Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.”
When Elisha arrived, he went into the room with the dead child, shut the door, prayed, stretched himself on the child to warm him, and prayed. God heard his prayer and restored the life to the child!
Life and death
There is a reference in the New Testament where Jesus mentions life and death that I believe has something to do with this story.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,
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Elisha shut the door and prayed. Are you praying regularly for the salvation of your children or for someone else’s children?
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There was personal contact. The intimate contact there was of eye, mouth and hands. This suggests that if we are going to win the children to Christ we must:
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be able to see things from the child’s standpoint;
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be able to speak in the child’s language;
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be able to enter into the child’s interests.
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There was intense desire and effort. In verse 34, we are told that the prophet “stretched himself out upon him”.Bringing God to someone is hard work, demanding the sacrifice of time and energy. It often proves disappointing, but it is gloriously worthwhile work and brings great reward to the worker.
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There was patience and perseverance.. Elisha had to hold on to God and to work on in faith. The child sneezed 7 times before coming back to life, then there is the sign of vision, for we are told that the child “opened his eyes”.
The message that brings life
John 5:24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
Metaphorically everyone is spiritually dead before responding to the message of the gospel. Just like the shunammite's son we passed from death to life through the sacrifice of Jesus. It was hard work and perseverance from Him that caused the mircle of resurrection in our lives.
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A prophet died and left debts that his widow and two sons could not pay. The creditor decided to take the two sons as slaves in payment of the debt. When the widow begged for Elisha’s help, the Lord miraculously provided them with enough oil to sell and pay off the debt.
In one town a poor widow approached Elisha. Her husband had been a prophet.
This poor widow was unable to pay the debts that her husband had left her with. She had only a small amount of olive oil in her home – nothing else of value. As was the common practice of the time, her two sons were going to have to work for the lender until the money was paid back. In this case, he was going to exact a more harsh payment. They were to become his slaves.
God’s servant, Elisha, told the woman to borrow all the empty jars from her neighbours that she could possibly get, close her doors, and begin pouring the oil from her jar into the borrowed jars. As she obeyed, the widow saw that God provided enough oil to fill all the jars.
2 Kings 4:5-7 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”
Lessons from this miracle
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Pray and ask for God's wisdom
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Use what you have to get what you need
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God will give you supernatural abundance when you obey to His word.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
"What do you have in the house?" said the prophet to the woman
Jesus afterward said to His disciples, "How many loaves do you have?"
God can multiply the little that we have and transform it into abundance. Our tendency is to hold back and hold tightly what we perceive to be insignificant in our lives (or what we don’t have enough of). Yet, in God’s order, rather than hoarding our talents (or whatever it is we’re holding on tightly to), you’ll discover that it is in the pouring out of the LITTLE you have that it becomes more.
What does the little jar of oil in this story represent in your life? WHat can you place in God's hands today?
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God is able to take care of every problem you bring to Him. Whatever you are facing may be big to you, but nothing is impossible for Him!
Three kings had banded together to mount a surprise attack on the Moabites. Their strategy was to lead their combined armies through the desert and attack Moab where an attack would be least expected.
2 Kings 3:9-10 tells us: “So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. And the king of Israel said, ‘Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.’”
The only thing that could save them was a miracle. Jehoshaphat, the godly king of Judah, recognized this and urged the other kings to seek God’s direction from the prophet, Elisha.
“Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, ‘What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.’ But the king of Israel said to him, ‘No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab’” (2 Kings 3:13).
Elisha was not found of the king but he delivered God’s word to them.
“Thus says the Lord: Make this valley full of ditches. For thus says the Lord: you shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink. And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand” (2 Kings 3:16-18).
Then they went to sleep and the miracle happens in the morning.
2 Kings 3:20 tells us: “Now it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.”
God miraculously filled every ditch they dug. Not only did He give them life-sustaining water, but, if you read the rest of the chapter, you will see that God also gave them a stunning victory!
You may not have a prophet to consult, but you do have the Bible. It is God’s Word, and Hebrews 4:12 tells us it is active and alive; powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is full of victory, grace and truth, but it won’t do you any good if it just sits on the shelf. It needs to be down deep on the inside of you.
God wants you to prepare your life with ditches that He can fill. He can make it rain in such a way that every area of your life is touched. But you have to dig the ditches.
You might not see clouds or hear any thunder, but when you dig ditches, even in your desert place, God is faithful to rain down blessing, healing, deliverance, guidance, provision, peace…whatever it is that you need.
God calls them to do unexpected things. He calls them to this little act of obedience in a time of struggle…to the obedience that doesn’t make sense.
God calls us also to do the same kind of things as we obey Him. What ditches is he calling you to dig?
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After its destruction as part of the Conquest, Joshua ordered that Jericho should never be rebuilt (Joshua 6:26). The city lay as a testimony to God’s power for a long time. However, in the time of Ahab, a man named Hiel rebuilt Jericho (1 Kings 16:34).
Jericho was a city rebuilt against the command of God, and a city that was part of a kingdom that worshipped Baal and the golden calves.
2 Kings 2:19-22 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” 22 And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
God as a last resort
The men of the city came to Elisha the prophet for help. This was not because they trusted the true God, or because they served a faithful city; it is likely because they had tried other gods and solutions and nothing had worked. Elisha is the last resort.
Elisha throws salt into the spring and it heals the water, not just then, but forever.
The Gospel in this story
The men of Jericho did not deserve God to help them, yet he did. Likewise, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We can only come to God and ask for help. The salvation shown to the people of Jericho and those who trust in Jesus is only due to God’s grace.
God saved those who came to him in faith through his representative. In 2 Kings 2, it was Elisha, and for us today, it is Jesus.
God saves people using unexpected means. Salt is an odd thing to use to purify water; it usually makes it unusable rather than usable! Similarly, a death is an odd way to secure a victory; it usually means defeat. God loves to save people through ways we cannot expect and would not have thought of ourselves.
The salvation given is permanent. Jericho’s water wasn’t healed for a day but forever. Likewise, Jesus’ payment for our sins is once for all, not just the sins we have committed to the point we believed.
We are the salt of the earth and God uses us to heal the world and produce living waters in all that believe.
None of us deserve what Jesus has won for us, any more than the men of Jericho deserved their water to be healed by a God they only came to in desperation.
Water represents purification, life in Christ
John 7: 37 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture says: Rivers of living water will flow from within him
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Before Elijah departs into heaven in a whirlwind, riding on a chariot of fire, Elisha asks him for a "double-share of his spirit."
Elijah transferred the prophetic mantel to Elisha just before Elijah ascended to heaven. And as it had done in the shift from Moses to Joshua, the Jordan River parted for Elijah and Elisha, who crossed on dry ground
2 Kings 2:8 And Elijah took his mantle (coat) and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they were divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
Elijah then departs into heaven on a "chariot of fire" carried up into heaven on a whirlwind sent by God.
2 Kings 2:14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he too had struck the waters, they divided this way and that, and Elisha crossed over.
Parting of the Sea/Water Occurs 5 Times in the Bible.
We often find ourselves in state of crossing and transition after times of being stuck in a “wilderness.” The Jordan river is at the border of wilderness.
The Jordan River – Your Place Of Transition
How do we break the “wilderness cycle” and get to the place of crossing?
John the Baptist chose this same area to baptize.
Because the Jordan River represented a place of transition — in fact, of new beginnings — it became the place where John baptized Jesus. But instead of the waters parting, the heavens did.
Mark 1:10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
The transitions that occurred there were very importantl — as with Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and John and Jesus.
Matthew 3:6 and Mark 1:15 describe John the Baptist baptizing the people from Jerusalem, Judea and the surrounding area. He di this at the Jordan river.
The Jordan river represents an opportunity we all have before us. With confessing our sins to God and one another, and in physical baptism, we can be renewed and refreshed. We can have that breakthrough and moment of clarity that we may have been seeking in our lives.
Entering the Promised Land by crossing the Jordan remains a timeless metaphor for crossing over from death to spiritual life.
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Close to the end of his life, Elijah was called upon to meet another crisis, this one involving the son of Ahab, King Ahaziah, who had succeeded his father on the throne of Israel. Ahaziah was sick and had sought to inquire of Baalzebub regarding his recovery. Elijah’s message to him was:
2 Kings 1:3-4 Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die
The king then sent a squadron of 50 soldiers to bring Elijah to him.
There is no indication that Elijah’s life was in danger. When Elijah finally appeared before the king he simply delivered his message. We are not even told the king’s reaction. There was no indication of an arrest attempt.
Then the captain of the 50 men who said, it seems almost respectfully:
2 Kings 1:9 Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
As an answer we see something strange happened.
Fire From Heaven
2 Kings 1:10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
There is a debate about this miracle. Elijah may have been saying essentially: “You dare to doubt me! Let me show you. I can prove that I am a man of God.
Jesus and this incident
At one point, when Jesus was not welcomed at a Samaritan village, his disciples reacted by saying:
Luke 9:54 Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
The disciples were referring to the event under discussion. In their understanding, the fire was sent by God. Jesus’ response was revealing:
Luke 9:54-56 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
They expected that Jesus would approve of their wanting to act like Elijah. However, Jesus reprimanded the spirit behind their response. It was one of revenge not of forgiveness.
Apparently Jesus did not agree with doing a same type of miracle, Nevertheless Elijah did things that are hard to understand.
A love message
Matthew 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
The Character of Christ is forgiveness. In the days of Elijah we see a belligerent type of actions and this is a miracle that is hard to understand. This story is similar to that of Ananias and Sapphira who ended up dying because they lied to the Lord.
The life and character of Jesus should instruct us in such situations that we are confronted by threats. Many times our flesh wants to bring fire from heaven but God wants to give a chance to people for repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
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1 Kings 18:45-46 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
God’s word through Elijah was proved true. The long drought was over, and it was demonstrated that the prayers of Elijah both withheld the rain and then subsequently brought the rain.
Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab: This was an obviously supernaturally empowered 14-mile cross-country run. We don’t know exactly why it was important to God for Elijah to reach Jezreel first; perhaps it was so that he would be the first to tell Queen Jezebel.
God prepared Elijah for this miracle
1 Kings 18:1 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land."
The chapter started out with God speaking to Elijah and telling him to go and meet with King Ahab and that God would send rain on the land. Essentially, God was telling him, “Prepare yourself, it is about to rain.”
42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.
Elijah had to pray down the rain in spite he was already informed by God that the rain was about to come.
When at the prayer of Elijah rain was given after so long a course of years, a little cloud not bigger than a person’s hand appeared, then grew as clouds do, and poured out such generous showers that all things were restored.
The prayer of a righteous
James 5:16 (NLT) Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
God does miracles out of the ordinary course of things. Rain always happens in a natural cycle. There are seasons of drought. This was a miraculous rain. There are forces in operation in nature but may be we may compelled to recognize a greater force.
The rain that came on Elijah was a miraculous extension of God’s absolute power or an example of God’s ordinary power manifest in the outworking of nature.
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Mount Carmel in the Bible is actually a mountain range in northern Israel. It is twenty-four miles long, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea in the north near Haifa southeastward into the heart of Israel.
"When he saw Elijah, he said to him, 'Is that you, you troubler of Israel?'" (1 Kings 18:17)
Elijah had been in hiding for the 3 ½ years of a drought. The Lord now told him to reveal himself to King Ahab. There where 850 priests of the false gods, Baal and Asherah present. Elijah asked the prophets of Baal to build altars to their “god”. The “god” that made fire appear would be the real and powerful god.
1 Kings 18:19 Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
The prophets prayed and chanted all day but they could not get their “god” to send fire down to burn the sacrifices on their altars. Finally, Elijah had his altar doused in water and then prayed to the Lord to send fire. Fire immediately consumed the sacrifice, the wood, stones, soil and even the water that had overflowed into the trenches around the altar. After this miracle rain also came to end the drought.
1 Kings 18:38 When Elijah then prayed to the One True God, God sent down fire that consumed not only the sacrifice, but "the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench
At Mount Carmel, God displayed His power through Elijah, using both a consuming fire and life-giving water in the form of rain. God revealed Himself to be the One True God worthy of all our worship.
The meeting at Mount Carmel wasn’t a circus. The purpose wasn’t to entertain but to demand a choice between Yahweh and Baal. Elijah’s desire is expressed later in his prayer: “So that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God”
Elijah challenged his generation who believed the same thing. They acknowledged Yahweh but believed following Baal was a more practical way for farmers and merchants to live. However, if God is God, then we must submit to Him and surrender every area of our lives to His lordship.
"Then Elijah said to all the people, 'Come here to me.' They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins.'" (1 Kings 18:30)
Israel was “hesitating” or “limping” or “wavering” between Baal and Yahweh (v. 21).
God answers prayer
Today the test is the same. The only God who answers prayer is the God of the Bible, and He is the true and living God.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT Never stop praying. (pray without ceasing)
In our world, and in most modern countries the altars are broken down and need to be repaired! Revive us again, O Lord!
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The widow of Zarephath plays an important role in Elijah’s story. She feeds Elijah in her home. Soon after, her son dies, and Elijah pleads to God for the power to resurrect him.
While in the widow’s house, Elijah performs the miracle of the jar of flour and the jug of oil. A single spoonful of ground flour that the woman had and the little oil in the jug sufficed, they were not exhausted, and the blessing reigned from within her home.
After this, the woman’s son falls ill and dies. Imagine the suffering of this woman - not only was she grieving the loss of her husband, but she was now forced to face that she and her son would die too.
Resurrection
1 Kings 17:18–23 So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?”19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” 21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” 22 Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives!”
The prophet lays himself on the body of the boy, cries out for God to give life to him, and the boy begins to breathe again so the prophet can deliver this son back to his mother.
Compare the woman’s feelings toward God, with Elijah’s. He prayed, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?”
Blaming the ones who helped you
John 15:20 NLT Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.
Notice that the woman is blaming Elijah for the death or her son. The prophet however sees beyond the accusation and looks at a broken heart. He did a bold prayer and God answered his request. Elijah shows true Godly character. He does not blast her. He does not answer her charges. He makes a tender request to her.
There is no precedent for Elijah’s request – no one had ever been raised from the dead before. “The LORD heard Elijah's prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he came back to life!” (17:22)
God cares for you
The woman and her son are not mentioned anymore in the Bible. Their story shows how God cares for ordinary people and does extraordinary miracles.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
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In 1 Kings 17 the prophet Elijah had a very peculiar encounter with a widow from Zarephath.
There was rampant idolatry, led by the royal couple Ahab and Jezebel. As a punishment God allowed drought to happen across the land. God instructed Elijah to go to Zarephath, a town outside of Israel, where a widow would provide food for him. He obeyed, finding a woman gathering sticks.
He said to her, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink,” and, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand” (1 Kings 17:11–12).
The widow was in great need herself. She responded,
“As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die” (verse 13).
Elijah tested her faith
1 Kings 17:14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’ ”
She obeyed the instructions of the prophet and the widow’s food supply was supernaturally extended, as promised. Elijah stayed there for some time, living in an upper room of the widow’s house.
God is able to provide for all your needs
Do you feel like you’re at the end of hope? Don’t see a way through your circumstance? You may be facing big unknowns, but the end of your hope is the middle of God’s story.
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Trust in God and pray
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
The Lord provides. This is one of the central promises of the Christian faith. We know it.
How do you need God’s provision today?
When that provision comes, how will you respond?
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1 Kings 13:4 (AMP) When the king heard the words which the man of God cried out against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” And his hand which he had put out against him withered, so that he was unable to pull it back to himself.
In 1 Kings 11, we learn about God sending to him the prophet Ahijah, calling him to be king over the northern ten tribes of Israel. Solomon’s reign had fallen into apostasy.
Forgetting God
Psalm 137:4–5 How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!
Biblically, to forget God is to abandon him. In essence, to forget God is to break the covenant.
Deuteronomy 4:23 Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you.
1 Kings 13, we find king Jeroboam “standing by the altar to make offerings.” (v1). That altar was at Bethel with one of the golden calves that he made (see the end of chapter 12). In making them, Jeroboam reminds us of Aaron’s golden calf. God shows his displeasure with Jeroboam’s action by causing his hand to dry up. He made temples on high places and appointed non-levitical priests to serve in those temples.
A man of God went from Judah to Bethel
This anonymous man of God was used in an important way. He demonstrates that one does not need to be famous to be significantly used by God.
His hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself: God confirmed His word of judgment in two ways. First, He judged the disobedient king at the precise point of his most glaring sin (the outstretched hand against the man of God). Second, He fulfilled the immediate word against the altar (the altar also was split apart).
Jeroboam’s plea.
Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please entreat the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as before.
As the subsequent chapters will show, Jeroboam didn’t really repent here; or if he did, it was only for a moment. Wanting to receive something from God is not the same as repentance.
Jeroboam had great opportunity, but instead became a great curse to every generation of the northern kingdom after that. Even at the end of the Kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam’s sin was remembered.
Everything Egypt represents is enticing, and we need to be on our guard against following Jeroboam’s footsteps.
Psalm 95:7-9 Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.”
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The story of Uzzah and the Ark of the Covenant is found in 2 Samuel 6:1-7 and 1 Chronicles 13:9-12.
The Ark was being transported
As the ark was being transported, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, and a man named Uzzah took hold of the ark. God’s anger burned against Uzzah and He struck him down and he died.
No matter how innocently it was done, touching the ark was in direct violation of God’s law and was to result in death.
God gave very specific instructions regarding the transport of the Ark.
Numbers 4:15 (ESV) And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent
David took men with him to collect the ark, rather than allowing the Levites to bring it to him. That was a great mistake, since it ought never to have been put upon a cart, old or new. It was to be borne upon men’s shoulders, and carried by Levites only, and those of the family of Kohath
Familiarity with the things of God
The ark had stayed for a period of time at Abinadab’s house (2 Samuel 6:3), where his sons, Uzzah and Ahio, may well have become accustomed to its presence.
Uzzah, having been around the ark in his own home, could very likely forget the holiness that it represented.
God’s severity was in reaction to the flippancy with which David chose to transport the Ark.
Why would God kill someone who apparently was just trying to help? Uzzah knew better than to move the ark on a cart. The Israelites knew it was to be carried on two poles by the Levites. God gave very precise instructions on how to handle the ark and Uzzah ignored them - unfortunately, it cost him his life.
Reverence for God
Lack of reverence enfeebles Christians in worship and practice. In the Old Testament, God taught the Israelites how to show proper reverence by giving them hundreds of laws related to purity, holiness, and worship
In New Testament Christianity, reverence for God is demonstrated by our willingness to voluntarily die to self and obey His commands
Modern Christianity has adopted a “Jesus-is-my-buddy” attitude that grossly downplays the holiness, power, and righteous wrath of the Sovereign Creator.
James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Once we truly know who God is, we reverence Him in our hearts. Even the thief on the cross, after he realized who Jesus was, rebuked the other thief for his irreverence: “Don’t you fear God?” he said to the other thief; then he turned to Jesus and honored Him as the King (Luke 23:40–42).
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2 Samuel 5:24 And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines
The Philistines had come up in great hosts, and had brought their gods with them, that like Israel, when the ark of the Lord was brought into their midst, they might feel quite sure of victory. However, by the help of God David easily put them to rout, burned their images in the fire, and obtained a glorious victory over them.
But when they came a second time against David, David did not go up to fight them, without enquiring of the Lord.
He had gained one victory by the strength of the Lord; he would not venture upon another, until he had ensured the same.
David went and asked the sacred oracle, "Shall I go up against them?"
He was then informed that he was not immediately to march against them, but to encamp so as to surprise them at the mulberry (balsam) trees,
Ask God what to do before your battles
Sometimes we engage in another business, or change our situation in life without involving God in this process. David said, "Let us enquire of the Lord,"
David was not to go to battle, until he heard a sound of a rustling in the leaves on top of the mulberry trees.
Some have said that the footsteps of angels walking along the tops of the mulberry trees make them rustle.
Wait for the sound. Wait to hear from The Lord.
If God asks you to go up immediately and fight the battle, then go up knowing, that because you are in His will, you cannot lose.
And if God asks you to wait, then be patient and wait… wait for the sound of a going. For He is preparing a mighty army and he will go out before you to face the enemy.
Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him
Whatever the issue you are facing in your life, I want to encourage you to wait on God. Can you wait until you hear the sound in the top of the mulberry trees?
God never promised us we would understand His will. if God can cause the sound of marching in the tops of mulberry trees, is there anything He can’t do?
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
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1 Samuel 12:17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
The Israelites wanted a king, and they got one—a good-looking, tall man who led them in victory over the Ammonites, a nation that was taking over Jabesh Gilead [locate]. When the Lord gave victory to Israel, the people were very excited about that victory and about their new king. Samuel directed them, saying, “Let us all go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom.” Saul had already been crowned at Mizpeh. Now, however, they sacrificed “peace offerings before the Lord, and there in Gilgal Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly” (1 Samuel 11:15).
The meaning of the name Gilgal is “rolling.” Gilgal was a place of memorial. There are different places named Gilgal in the Bible. Gilgal is significant in the Bible as serving as a place of memorial for the Israelites, to remind them of what God had done. After miraculously crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the Israelites set up twelve stones taken from the river, representing the twelve tribes, to serve as a reminder to the children of Israel (Joshua 4:19–20). The stones at Gilgal would remind the Israelites and their descendants of the power of God and how He had dried up the Jordan River so they could walk through it, just as He had done to the Red Sea
Samuel’s speech
Samuel got up to speak; he said “I listened to you and have made a king over you. He’s walking before you here. “I am old and gray-haired, and my sons are here. I have walked before you since childhood.. “Tell me. Have I taken an ox? a donkey? Have I cheated anyone? Have I made trouble for anyone? Have I received any bribes? If I have, I will give them all back.” The people answered, “No, you haven’t done any of these things.” Samuel verified their answer, “Do you call the Lord to witness what you say?” The people said, “He is witness.”
The prophet did his own defence before the people and then passed God's judgement because they ignored the Lord and made Saul a king.
Samuel’s challenge
“Now,” said Samuel, “you are about to see what shall be done because of your great wickedness in asking for a king. It is wheat harvest. You know it never rains during this season. If it did, it would spoil the crop. However, I call upon the Lord to send thunder.”
How had God defeated the Philistines earlier when Samuel had prayed? With thunder. Now Samuel said, “God will send thunder and rain so that you may understand and see that your wickedness is great in God’s sight by asking for a king.”
Samuel’s prayer
1 Samuel 12:1 19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
Then Samuel prayed, and God sent thunder and rain that day. The Bible states, “All the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.” In fact, the people cried, “Pray for us that we don’t die! We have added to all our sins by asking for a king.”
Samuel told the people not to fear. Jesus tells His people many times in the Gospels not to fear. Here is one example: ”
Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom
Sometimes we do mistakes and without thinking we do radical decisions without consulting God. Though we may pay the consequences we should trust in God's grace and forgiveness.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
No one is perfect. No one is without sin. No one can possibly obey all of God’s commandments (or any set of rules for that matter) perfectly, not even devout Christians. Inevitably we will sin, and as long as we have faith in Him and we ask for forgiveness, honestly repenting, we will be forgiven unconditionally.
Ephesians 1:7 in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
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A thunder destroyed the Philistines.
1 Samuel 7:10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.
The context of this miracle
In 1 Samuel 7, during the end of the time of the judges, Israel experiences revival under the leadership of Samuel. The nation repents of their sin, destroys their idols, and begins to seek the Lord (1 Samuel 7:2–4). Samuel gathered the people at Mizpah where they confessed their sin, and Samuel offered a sacrifice on their behalf (verses 5–9).
It was during this time of repentance and renewal that the enemy attacked: “While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle”
A great victory
Israel’s victory over the Philistines was decisive. Several cities the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, and it was a long time before the Philistines tried to invade Israel again.
To commemorate the divine victory, “Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the LORD has helped us’” (verse 12).
Ebenezer means “stone of help.” From then on, every time an Israelite saw the stone erected by Samuel, he would have a tangible reminder of the Lord’s power and protection. The “stone of help” marked the spot where the enemy had been routed and God’s promise to bless His repentant people had been honored. The Lord had helped them, all the way to Ebenezer.
Ebenezer – the Lord is our Help
Throughout the Bible, stones have had great significance.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
The victory was the Lord’s and the people were preserved. The help that the Lord had given them was memorialized when “… Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12.
The Lord is our Ebenezer Stone. He is our ever-present help in times of trouble.
Hebrews 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
What Are Some Modern Examples of "Ebenezers"?
We all have different ways in which we remember God's faithfulness. Although the list below is not comprehensive, they can give some ideas of how Christians memorialize God's good acts in their past.
Many Christians will keep a prayer journal or a catalog of events that happened within the day.
Some people use literal stones as Ebenezers.
Some also may use photobooks as a reminder of how God moved faithfully in the past.
Other people share memories on Facebook as a way to recall all those Ebenezer moments
There is no one right way to remember God and how he has moved in your life. But today I would like to encourage you on creating a physical reminder of God's victories.
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1 Samuel 6:19 KJV And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
They had looked into the ark of the Lord
There is a Scripture in the books of Moses that strictly forbids looking into the content of the Ark. This verse states that God killed 50,070 people.
Numbers 4:20 But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”
As a consequence of this act of cruriosity they profaned the content of the Ark and God smote of the people fifty thousand and seventy men; Most likely , 70 of the elders of the people, and 50,000 of the congregation, or common people, A study on the linguistics suggests the opinion that only seventy men of Bethshemesh were slain, and that the other 50,000 were the Philistines.
New Living Translation - But the LORD killed seventy men from Beth-shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the LORD. And the people mourned greatly because of what the LORD had done.
Only the Levites could carry the ark in a very specified way, and that they were not allowed to touch any of the holy things. When David had the ark transported, but not in the prescribed way (compare 1 Chronicles 13:7), Uzzah saw how the ark started to slip, and he “put his hand to the ark” (1 Chronicles 13:9-10) and was killed.
Yesterday we read that the Philistines (non-Levites) took the ark and placed it in the temple of Dagon, and that they sent it later to other cities, as a consequence, they were plagued by God.
The mysterious powers of the Ark
As we have seen in many miracles that happened with the Ark of the Covenant. Here we see a tragedy happening because of disobedience. The reasons why all these men died is unclear but lack of reverence and disobedience to God's instructions doesn't bring anything good.
Does God Punish Christians and others for Disobedience? We know that God’s posture toward sin is forgiveness rather than condemnation. However it's clear in numerous examples from the Old Testament that apparently God was more strict in His judgement before Christ came into this world.
Repentance
Jesus made it clear that repentance and faith are like opposite sides of the same coin.
Mark 1:15 records the inspired summary of Jesus’ message as He began His ministry: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Repentance and faith go together because if you believe that Jesus is the Lord Who saves (faith), you have a changed mind about your sin and your self (repentance); and if you repent, it’s because you trust that Jesus is the Lord Who saves.
God wants us to change course and obey Him
Matthew 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.
Repentance would not exist without the fear of punishment. There are severe consequences to a life of disobedience to God.
Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
God's mercy
The principle is that God can destroy people because of sin but He choses mercy most of the times.
Lamentations 3:22 Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
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The Ark of the Covenant is a chest for the original engraved tablets of the Ten Commandments, brought down Mount Sinai by Moses.
The ark has a number of different powers, according to the Bible. In one story, the Jordan River stopped flowing and remained still while a group of priests carrying the ark crossed the river. Other stories describe how the Israelites took the Ark with them into battle where the powers of the ark helped the Israelites defeat their enemies.
The first thing that happened is the humiliation of their god Dagon
1 Samuel 5:1-5 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again. And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon’s torso was left of it. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
Dagon was represented with a half-man, half-fish figure, and was said to be the father of Baal.
The second thing was an outbreak of tumours and disease in the city of Ashdod
1 Samuel 5:6-8) But the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.” Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to Gath.” So they carried the ark of the God of Israel away.
After the humiliation of their god, outbreaks of tumours and disease afflicted them, forcing the Philistines to return the ark to the Israelites. Some stories describe how death would come to anyone who touched the ark or looked inside it.
The Ark had been among them for seven months, the Philistines, on the advice of their diviners, returned it to the Israelites, accompanying its return with an offering consisting of golden images of the tumours and mice wherewith they had been afflicted.
After they took the Ark to Gath
1 Samuel 5:9 So it was, after they had carried it away, that the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out on them.
The ark of the covenant was now among the Philistines like a “hot potato,” in the children’s game, burning every city where it stayed. The Ekronites were not happy to see the ark but they still wouldn’t submit to the LORD God of Israel.
They finally send back the Ark to Israel
If The Philistines had repented and turned towards the LORD, could have benefited from the ark. Instead it became a curse and a judgment to them.
The same is true of the presence of God among men today, which can be as a fragrance of life to some and the aroma of death to others (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).
2 Corinthians 2:15-16 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one [we are] the aroma of death [leading] to death, and to the other the aroma of life [leading] to life. And who [is] sufficient for these things?
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In En-hakkore a spring was miraculously supplied to Samson.
The context of this miracle
Judges 15 describes the result of a Philistine incursion meant to capture Samson. The Israelites in Judah hand Samson over when he volunteers to have his hands tied with new rope. However, when he sees the Philistine forces, Samson is empowered by God's Spirit. He snaps his restraints and attacks. Using only jawbone of a donkey, he slaughters the enemy troops and shouts out a clever poem about his victory. God then answers Samson's plea for water.
Judges 15:19 - And God split open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore; it is at Lehi to this day.
God spared Samson's life
What happened is truly miraculous. Empowered by God's Spirit, he wiped out an entire Philistine army with nothing more than the jawbone of a donkey. It's not surprising that he'd be intensely thirsty after such battle.
Samson prayed and The Lord responds to Samson's request immediately. He splits open a nearby rock, which gushes water. Samson drinks and is revived. God graciously gives Samson what he asks, despite Samson's pride and selfishness.
En-hakkore
The new spring is later called "En-hakkore," which literally means "the spring of him who called."
The term Lehi, itself, means "jawbone," likely a name given because of the events of this chapter.
God can spare your life too
Psalm 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life
What is God trying to teach you through bad experiences? What does He want to do in your life? God loves you and has a plan for your life. You aren’t here by chance, nor are you here just to live for yourself without any thought of God. Don’t ignore God any longer, but by faith commit your life to Christ today.
God needs to work on each one of us. Perhaps you can see God’s hand on your life. He’s brought you through some events in life that made you wonder why He ever saved you? God has brought you this far for a purpose. He wants to spare your life.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
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Joshua 10:12–14 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.
Many explanations have been given concerning this event. Some suggest a “local miracle” in which God allowed light to remain in Gibeon, much like the Hebrews had light even when the Egyptians were in the dark (Exodus 10:23). However, the text seems to indicate an actual change of the earth’s rotation, since it says the sun did not set.
We may not have a scientific explanation of how God performed this miracle, but He did.
God performed a wonderful miracle, causing the sun to delay its “setting.” God stopped the motion of the earth. There are objections to this explanation, based on the physics of motion, but the God who created the world and established natural laws is perfectly capable of compensating for any collateral complications.
We may not fully understand how this “long day” occurred, a miracle does not have to be scientifically proven—just accepted. Joshua prayed, and God supernaturally provided the light necessary for Joshua’s army to win its battle.
Why did the day extend?
According to Joshua 10, the Israelite leader, Joshua, made a “mad dash” to get to Gibeon to protect that town against a coalition of Amorite kings. Like any good military leader in antiquity, Joshua inquired of God about his chances in battle; God guaranteed victory, which was all Joshua needed to know.
In compliance with God’s will to punish the terribly wicked nations of Canaan (Deuteronomy 9:5; Joshua 10:8), Joshua and his army of Israelites engaged in battle with the “five kings of the Amorites” and their armies at Gibeon (Joshua 10:5,10).
The consequence of the miracle
When we research this amazing miracle people try to give different explanations on how this was possible or impossible.
I would like to tell you my take. God is able to extend a day so that you will achieve victory. This was the consequence of this great miracle
God is "the Father of lights” (James 1:17). According to 1 John 1:5 "He is light"
If God was able to create the sun, the moon and the stars, wouldn't he be able to stop them from rotating if he wanted?
There are no limits to what you can accomplish through God
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Jesus lives in you, and He strengthens you. In your own strength you can do nothing, but in the strength of God, you can do all things. "All things" means there is no limit to what you can do. God has given you everything you need to be successful in accomplishing His purposes in your life.
Push your limits out, as far they will go. Be bold in your prayers and even though God may not stop the rotation of the earth for you He is able to do more than what you ask, think or imagine.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
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This is the first miracle in the promised land.
Right after the crossing of the Jordan the first town to be overcomes was heavily fortified and almost impossible to conquer.
The story of the walls of Jericho falling down, recorded in Joshua 6:1–27, is one that vividly demonstrates the miraculous power of God.
The people of Israel had just crossed over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan (Joshua 3:14–17). This was the land of milk and honey God had promised to Abraham over 500 years earlier (Deuteronomy 6:3, 32:49). After spending forty difficult years wandering in the desert of Sinai, the people of Israel were now on the eastern banks of the Jordan. Their challenge: take the land of Canaan, the Promised Land.
Conquering the city
In ancient warfare such cities were either taken by assault or surrounded and the people starved into submission. Its invaders might try to weaken the stone walls with fire or by tunneling, or they might simply heap up a mountain of earth to serve as a ramp. Each of these methods of assault took weeks or months, and the attacking force usually suffered heavy losses. However, the strategy to conquer the city of Jericho was unique in two ways. First, the strategy was laid out by God Himself, and, second, the strategy was a seemingly foolish plan. God simply told Joshua to have the people to march silently around Jericho for six days, and then, after seven circuits on the seventh day, to shout.
Though it seemed foolish, Joshua followed God’s instructions to the letter. When the people did finally shout, the massive walls collapsed instantly, and Israel won an easy victory. In fact, God had given the city of Jericho to them before they even began to march around its walls (Joshua 6:2, 16). It was when the people of God, by faith, followed the commands of God that the walls of Jericho fell down (Joshua 6:20).
God is stronger than any walls!
Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
Jericho was the gateway city to Canaan that the Israelites came to when they entered the Promised Land. The walls of Jericho should have been impenetrable. What Joshua and the Israelites were up against may have seemed impossible to overcome. But they followed God anyway with full trust and hope in His promise, and faithfulness that He would indeed fight for them to claim the land that was promised to them.
This biblical story reminds us how crucial it is to lean on God and put our trust in Him, because that is when the impossible can happen
The outcome may not be instant, so keep waiting on the Lord.
The Israelites were not given permission by God to simply storm the city when they were ready. They had to wait seven days. They marched, they camped, and they waited on God to move.
Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
We need God to win our battles, to empower us to love others, to overcome obstacles, and to make a lasting impact in the world
Perhaps you are waiting on God, or maybe you are wondering if He’ll come through. Whatever your situation, the fallen walls of Jericho remind us of God’s power and faithfulness that we can believe in and put our hope in.
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Several Bible stories involve the Jordan River. God often called his followers to cross the Jordan as part of his divine plan.
The Israelites feared the people of Canaan. As punishment for their lack of faith, God did not allow any Israelite over twenty years old to enter the Promised Land;including Moses. The Israelites wandered for forty years, and despite begging God to allow him to enter, Moses only viewed the Promised Land from a distance.
Joshua 3:14-17
14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
The Ark of the Covenant
There is a religious object that is very significant to understanding this passage and that is the ark of the covenant. I believe the ark is mentioned ten times in these seventeen verses. (Joshua 3:3,6,8,11,13,14,15,17)
The ark of the covenant is leading the way into the Promised Land. The ark of the covenant stops the flow of the Jordan River from sweeping away the people of God.
The ark of the covenant, given the things we just have said, is symbolic of Christ Jesus. Inside of the ark is the scroll of the law. Over the law of God is the mercy seat of God upon which the high priest on the day of atonement would sprinkle blood to atone for the sins and the people. And provide the people access to God.Christ is God with us. Christ is holy God with us. Christ leads us out of slavery. Christ leads us across the Jordan River. Christ prevents the waters of death sweeping us away from Him. Christ brings us into the Promised Land, where He is now waiting for us.
Centuries later, the true Ark of God would come among us, the living Immanuel. The Ark contained the Ten Commandments; Jesus fulfilled the Law (Matt.5:17)
God is with them. The people of God enter the Jordan River. Christ is with them. They face all their fears with Christ. They face the fear-of-fears, even death, with Christ.
Psalm 114:3-7 records it: The sea looked and fled; the Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills, like lambs. Why was it, sea, that you fled? Jordan, that you turned back? Mountains, that you skipped like rams? Hills, like lambs? (Here's the answer) Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob.
We need to "Cross our Jordan"
Before the crossing Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, because the Lord will do wonders among you tomorrow."
The Hebrew word for consecrate means "to prepare, to dedicate, to be hallowed, to be holy, to be separate or set apart."
Two things we must do
Personal repentance of every known sin
Putting ourselves on spiritual alert to see God at work
To cross the uncrossable we must 1) Fix our gaze on Jesus--sensing His movements and follow; and 2) Set ourselves apart from sin unto Him, being on constant alert spiritually for the hand of the Lord around us.
We must be ready to move when He does His work, always being mindful that if anything is going to last, it's from the Lord.
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Balaam was a prophet, or soothsayer who was called by Balak, king of the Moabites, to travel to Moab and curse the Israelites who had invaded Moab.
Numbers 22:5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: 22:6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me
Balaam, the seer, is riding on his she-ass to deliver a paid-for-in-advance imprecation of the Jews. God, who is not too keen on cursing Israel, stations an angel to block his journey. But there’s a catch: only the donkey can see the angel.
Numbers 22:23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
The first time, the angel appears with a drawn sword. The animal, intelligently, swerves off the path; Balaam whacks her. The second time, the angel appears in a narrow space between two vineyard walls, mashing Balaam’s foot; Balaam whacks her again. The third time, the angel chooses such a narrow place on the path that the animal’s only option is to lie down; and Balaam whacks her again. Whereupon—here it comes—the she-ass turns to Balaam and speaks
Numbers 22:30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
Balaam only says to the donkey, "How dare you mock me! If I had a sword, I’d kill you right here and now"(Numbers 22:28–29). (There is no indication whatsoever here that talking to your ass is abnormal!)
Then—and only then—does "the Lord open Balaam’s eyes . . ."(Numbers 22:31). Balaam has a short conversation with the angel and realizes that his donkey has been way ahead of him all along.
The Parable
This story is about the standard, mythic three confrontations with an invisible angel, and each one is increasingly difficult to ignore. Indeed, the great "seer"is effectively "blind,"while a dumb animal (and she-asses are notoriously dumb) can see that his mission is contrary to God’s plan.
The question now quickly becomes: Can the seer raise himself to the level of a donkey? (And can we?)
Balaam was (1) rerouted, (2) squeezed, and finally, (3) stopped until he gets his eyes opened and see what’s really going on.
The end of the story
Numbers 24:1–3, 5 "Now Balaam, seeing that it pleased the Eternal to bless Israel, did not, as on previous occasions, go in search of omens, but turned his face toward the wilderness. As Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him. Taking up his theme, he said: '. . . How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!’"
Balaam’s name and story became infamous, and he is referred to three times in the New Testament.
Peter compares false teachers to Balaam, “who loved the wages of wickedness” (2 Peter 2:15).
Jude echoes this sentiment, associating Balaam with the selling of one’s soul for financial gain (Jude 1:11).
Jesus speaks of Balaam when He warns the church in Pergamum of their sin: “There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality” (Revelation 2:14).
Satan’s tactics haven’t changed all that much. If he cannot curse God’s people directly, he will try the back-door approach, and idolatry and sexual immorality are his go-to temptations.
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Numbers 21:8-9 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
God’s people are yet again rebelling against God and what’s happening is there’s basically a curse among God’s people and they are all getting bit by snakes and dying.
God delivered judgment, but then He delivered mercy
When the grumbling Israelites looked to the bronze serpent held high on a pole, they were saved from the punishment they deserved. Mercifully, God used the emblem of His judgment to draw His people back to Himself.
First we see that the people asked Moses to pray that the snakes would be removed.
Numbers 21:7 “Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.”
God didn't answer that prayer. Are you asking God to remove your illness? In the same way, God can answer in a different way. He nailed the sickness to the cross but we need to obey him to receive what we are asking.
Jesus talking about the snake of bronze
John 3:14 “just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. So the son of man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
When Jesus talks about being lifted up, he’s not talking about being exalted here in Heaven at the Father’s right hand. He’s talking about being lifted up on a cross.
The Israelites looked to a snake on a pole for healing from poisonous venom.
We look to the Savior on the cross to heal us from the poison of sin.
They were given an injunction against immediate physical death.
We’re saved from spiritual death, and granted eternal life instead.
There is healing in Jesus
God asks Moses to erect a bronze serpent which in the Bible is symbolic of judgement. You see, God has judged the illness you live with on the body of Jesus.
Numbers 21:8 Then the LORD said to Moses “Make a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it [hebeit], he will live.
You and I look at the Cross with the intention and expectation to receive all that Jesus died to give us. Healing, restoration, provision, peace, and victory
Hebrews 6:12 it is through ‘faith and patience we inherit the promises’.
It’s by ‘looking intently’ at the cross (and the Scriptures) that builds our faith.
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Miriam passed away
Miriam, prophetess and sister of Moses, passed away. With her passing, the rock that supplied the Jews with water dried up. The Jews had this miraculous well in Miriam’s merit, so when she passed on, the well ran dry, and the Jews were left in the desert without water.
This was not the first time the Jews had no water. It is actually the third time the Bible records such a story.
The first time was when the Jews were fresh out of Egypt. They arrived in a place called Marah, where all the water was bitter
The second time4 was shortly after the first, when the Jews were in Refidim and also ran out of water.
This third time happens 40 years later, on the eve of the Jews’ entry to the Promised Land
Numbers 20 The congregation had no water; so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. The people quarreled with Moses, and they said, "If only we had died with the death of our brothers before the Lord. Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord to this desert so that we and our livestock should die there? Why have you taken us out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place; it is not a place for seeds, or for fig trees, grapevines, or pomegranate trees, and there is no water to drink.”
Then it says that God said to Moses, SPEAK TO THE ROCK
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron, and speak to the rock in their presence so that it will give forth its water.
Moses did not follow the instructions
Moses took the staff from before the Lord as He had commanded him. Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock, and he said to them, "Now listen, you rebels, can we draw water for you from this rock?" Moses raised his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, when an abundance of water gushed forth, and the congregation and their livestock drank.
The Jews had watched him bring water from a rock for 40 years, and God had just commanded him to do precisely that. Why the hesitation? Additionally, why did Moses call the Jews “rebels,” and why did he hit the rock twice?
At this stage in the story, all seems pretty standard. No water, people complain, Moses prays, God performs a miracle. Seems like a regular day for the Jews in the desert. The next verse is where the story takes a turn:
The waters of Meribah (dispute)
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly to the Land which I have given them. These are the waters of dispute [Mei Meribah] where the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was sanctified through them.
In an instant, Moses and Aaron’s dreams were crushed. Their life’s goal, to bring the Jews to the Promised Land, dissolved to dust.
The Lord still kept His promise in providing water but told Aaron and Moses that they would not enter the Promised Land because of their failure to obey Him.
Being a place of strife and testing, Meribah is worthy of remembrance.
Psalm 95:8 warns, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness”
Aaron’s and Moses’ disobedience at Meribah Kadesh kept them from entering the Promised Land as well. Disobedience and unbelief have enduring consequences that can affect the rest of one’s life.
Moses was culpable of sin: He hit the rock when he should have spoken to it. According to some commentators he should have brought water from all the other rocks as well.
God still did the miracle and the people got the water they needed
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Numbers 16:31-35 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!” And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.
The rebellion of Korah
The rebellion of Korah demonstrates the grim consequences of usurping the authority of God and of those whom He has chosen to be leaders of His people.
Korah was the oldest son of Izhar, who was the son of Kothath of the tribe of Levi. Korah, then, was of the same tribe as Moses and Aaron. He led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, accusing them of exalting themselves above the congregation of the Lord (Numbers 16:1-3). Korah was not alone in his charge. He gathered 250 other men to challenge Moses’ authority as well: “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?” (Numbers 16:3).
Moses proposed a test to prove the source of his authority. Korah and his followers did not pass the test, and God opened up the earth and swallowed the rebels, their families, and all their possessions. Furthermore, “fire came out from the LORD” and consumed the other 250 men who were party to Korah’s rebellion. The rest of the Israelites were terrified and fled (Numbers 16:31-35).
1,500 years later
Some 1,500 years later, Jude records a strong warning about such men who come into the church as false teachers, arrogating to themselves the authority of God and His Word
Jude 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.
The characteristics of false teachers within the church include pride, selfishness, jealousy, greed, lust for power, and disregard for the will of God. Just like Korah, today’s false teachers disregard God’s plan and are insubordinate to God’s appointed authorities. Their end will be the same as Korah’s. Thus the warning: “Woe to them!”
God selected men of His own choosing
God had no interest in holding a popularity contest, collecting résumés, or letting someone appoint himself to the position of prophet, priest, or leader. Korah’s problem was not that he was unqualified, humanly speaking, for the position, but that he was arrogant, stiff-necked, and self-promoting.
God’s true leaders, the elders and pastors of the church who shepherd the flock with humility and care, have an accurate understanding of the Scriptures
Jesus warned his disciples
Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
God did not call Korah; He called Moses (Exodus 3-4). God calls whom He chooses and equips them for service.
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Numbers 11:1-3 Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched. So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.
In the first 10 chapters of Numbers, Israel was ordered, organized, cleansed, separated, blessed, taught how to give, reminded of God’s deliverance, given God’s presence, and the tools to advance to the Promised Land. Now, having set out towards Canaan, after just a few days the people complained.
Why do people complain so much?
We might think it strange that a people so blessed could still complain. God did so much in and for Israel; yet they still murmured against Him. They were still in the wilderness and their circumstances were not easy, but nothing good came of it when the people complained
We aren’t told here exactly what Israel complained about. It is possible that it simply came from a generally dissatisfied heart. Sometimes we complain not for any one great reason, but because our hearts are dissatisfied.
The complaints where not so much as just venting their frustration but a literal translation of this sentence could be, "Now the people became truly murmurous, an offence to Yahweh’s ears."
Their complaining made God displeased. Complaining hearts often displease God, especially when they show little gratitude for what He did in the past, and little faith for what God could do at the moment.
A Consuming fire
Israel had valued the pillar of God’s fire present with them every night. Here, that the fire and the presence of God became something of a two-edged sword. God’s fire was present with Israel to comfort them, but it was also present to deal with their sin
Hebrews 12:29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Aaron’s sons, Abihu and Nadab, were destroyed by fire when they offered strange fire, which is a profane sacrifice in the tabernacle. Their sacrifice was a sign of disregard for the holiness of God and the need to honor Him in holy fear.
Here we see the people being consumed by fire as a result of complaints. This purging fire was limited to the outskirts of the camp, a mercy of the Lord. He might have cast his fire into the very midst of the camp and killed many more persons than suffered this terrible judgment.
The people cried out to Moses
Ideally, Israel would have cried out to God directly. Because they lacked a strong sense of relationship with God Himself, they brought their cry to Moses instead of bringing it to the Lord.
Moses didn't put off the fire himself but, "when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched".
Taberah became known as "Burning", a place in the wilderness of Paran, where the "fire of the Lord" consumed the murmuring Israelites (Numbers 11:3; Deuteronomy 9:22). It was also called Kibroth-hattaavah.
The complaining of the people wasn't over, we will see that it continued and a few more ended up dying. God was teaching His people in the wilderness and many signs and wonders occured in this desert place.
The most important fact here is that when the people cried to Moses, he prayed to the LORD, and the fire died out
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Leviticus 10:1–2 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.
Nadab and Abihu were the oldest and second oldest sons of Aaron, the brother of Moses and first high priest of Israel.
Nadab and Abihu are known for offering “unauthorized fire” (or “strange fire,” KJV) before the Lord in the tabernacle and dying as a result. Those who served as priests before the Lord were required to serve Him honorably. If they did not, the consequence was death.
The reason for the sudden death of Nadab and Abihu remains one of the Torah's most perplexing mysteries.
These Bible verses suggest many possible inferences. The brothers each laid incense on a burning pan, which they offered as "alien fire" that God had not commanded of them. As a consequence, fire came forth from the Lord and consumed them (Lev. 10:2)
Strange fire
Their unauthorized fire was met with an unquenchable one. God killed them on the spot in dramatic fashion. What exactly was this strange fire? Did they use the wrong incense? Did they come at the wrong time? Did they enter the Holy of Holies? Were they drunk (Lev. 10:9)? Did they offer incense to a false god?
Exodus 30:9 You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.
A subsequent Bible verse states, The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they drew too close to the presence of the Lord (Lev. 16:1). This verse reiterates what happened to Nadab and Abihu, but adds when they drew too close to the presence of the Lord.
How We Worship Matters
Nadab and Abihu went rogue and did what “he had not commanded them.”
Are we offering “strange fire” as worship?
Given the lack of a clear reason for the death of Nadab and Abihu, ancient rabbis and medieval commentators came to suggest other reasons for the severe fate of these two, Milgrom notes, including "drunkenness, celibacy, arrogant impatience for Moses and Aaron to die, or neglect of their sacred obligations.
John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
God will not be glorified before the people unless His servants submit to His commands.
The coals that Nadab and Abihu used came from a source that was ‘profane.’” It was not normative. Profane there doesn’t mean something like swearing. It means ritually disqualified, ritually impure.
This story of the death of Nadab and Abihu falls into a set of unusual stories in the Bible
While God does not consume rebellious people by causing fire to fall from heaven today (He did in the past and He will in the future), it should be clearly noted that He never takes lightly someone trying to replace His work with their own.
Repentance involves recognizing that you have thought wrongly in the past and determining to think rightly in the future. The full biblical definition of repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action.
"Unless you repent, you will all perish!" (Luke 13:3)
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
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Aaron’s rod, or staff, played an important part in God’s plan to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. In ancient Israelite culture, a rod was a symbol of authority. Shepherds used rods to guide and correct their flocks.
The background of this story is that the people of Israel have challenged the authority of Aaron. In Numbers 17 we read of how God had quelled the rebellion of Korah and his followers. Even after God destroyed the rebels against Moses and Aaron, there were still challenges against their authority. There were especially challenges to Aaron’s position as high priest.
More complaints from the people
It is in this context of so much rebellion and revolt that the Lord in Numbers 17 graciously and lovingly will yet give one more clear sign to the people whom He would have serve in the priestly office.
God commanded Moses to have the leader of each tribe of Israel bring his rod or staff to the tent of meeting, with Aaron’s rod representing the tribe of Levi. Each of the twelve leaders was to have his name inscribed on his rod. The Lord told Moses, “Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you”
So twelve rods or tree sticks, were gathered, each one with their tribe’s name on it and brought to Moses. And what was Moses to do with the twelve rods? Numbers 17:4-7 tells us that Moses was to lay them before the LORD before the ark of the covenant, and the promise and word of God was that He would cause one of them to blossom, making clear as to who was to be the priestly tribe of God’s choosing.
Numbers 17:5 And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.”
They left their rods before the Lord, and in the morning “Aaron’s staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds” (verse 8). Aaron’s rod didn’t just sprout buds; it brought forth flowers and fruit, a clear demonstration of the power of the One who gives life. Verse 10 says, “And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Place Aaron’s staff permanently before the Ark of the Covenant to serve as a warning to rebels. This should put an end to their complaints against me and prevent any further deaths.’”
What happened to the rod
Numbers 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
The rod had some parts were in bud, others in bloom, and others had fruited.
It is clear from the last verses of this chapter [Numbers 17:12-13] that the people received the message from God. Finally the people realized their sin in challenging Aaron’s role.
Isaiah 11:1 foretells in view of Christ Jesus, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him.”
Don’t you find it beautiful how this scripture of Numbers 17 points us to Jesus Christ the Saviour?
That rod, Aaron’s rod, was the only one that bloomed meaning that the owner of the rod that bloomed blossoms and yielded almonds was the one chosen by Him, the Lord, to be the leader of the Levites and the High Priest.
What is it we carry in the world we live in? Is it barren and ordinary much like the staffs of other people? Or is it the living and fruitful?
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Let us each examine our lives. Are we producing fruit that will bring honour and glory to Christ? Despite our various backgrounds or disadvantages, the budded rod is a symbol of God's power to enable us to bear fruit for Him that will last forever.
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Exodus 17:5-7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Moses led the Israelites from the wilderness of Sin, then to Rephidim which would be the last stop, before reaching the Promise Land where they would remain for many years.
The Lord instructed Moses to pitch tents as there was no water there, and they had traveled through the desert for many miles. Once again the people began to grumble that Moses had led them, their children, and cattle to die of thirst in the wilderness. Moses cried to the Lord for help as he felt threatened, likely to be stoned to death. The Lord instructed Moses to go before the people and the elders, with the rod in hand to smite the rock, so water would spring forth.
The people had a problem with God
The people focused their complaint against Moses, but he understood their problem was with the Lord. God purposely, planned and allowed these circumstances to help them grow in their trust in Him. Moses faithfully did what Israel should have done. Moses had the proper response and placed the situation before God in prayer.
The doubts of the people
Moses did what God told him to do and struck the rock with his staff and the water flowed.!! They witnessed a great miracle of God’s provision to the unbelieving Israelites.
The attitude of the Israelites was their great sin, as they posed the question..” Is the Lord among us, or not?”. They doubted the love, care and presence of the Lord.The Bible tells us to “ look for the hand of God in all our situations “, we want to strive to a greater relationship with God through faith.
The Israelites were learning to be people of God and they were experiencing the meaning of God’s name, Jehovah, the “I am that I AM” (Exodus 3:14).
Are you doubtful or grateful?
How do we maintain a heart of gratitude for the things God has done and trust in His faithfulness for the future?
1 Thessalonians 5:18 Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.
God’s provision of water was to be a reminder to future Israelite generations (and us) of His ability to meet their (and our) needs as well as a warning not to murmur against His appointed leaders which is really murmuring against Him.
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When the Israelites fled Egypt, after over four hundred years of slavery, they spent forty years wandering in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land. During this time, God provided substance for them to eat every day in the form of quail (meat) and manna (bread from heaven).
Psalm 78:24 and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven
Manna, basically a word that means “what is it?” is a bread-like substance that fell from heaven, and that tasted like honey.
Daily provision
We see manna first introduced in Exodus 16. Right before this, the Israelites complained to Moses, saying he brought them out to the desert to die, with no food substance.
The Israelites would go and collect a daily portion of manna each day, ensuring to get a double portion before the Sabbath (so they didn’t work for their food on the Sabbath). If they grabbed too much or too little, they suffered the consequences
Exodus 16:20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.
Manna appeared for six days in a row. On Fridays, the Hebrews were to gather a double portion, because it did not appear on the next day, the Sabbath. And yet, the portion they saved for the Sabbath did not spoil.
They baked the manna
Numbers 11:8 The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil.
Jesus is the "bread from heaven"
Jesus refers to himself as the bread of life (John 6:35) and explains that we need the true bread from heaven for our spiritual survival.
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Why Did God Send Manna to the Israelites?
God sent manna for a few reasons during the Israelites’ time in the desert.
First, and most practically, he wanted to meet a physical need. They didn’t have many options for food in the wilderness, and they’d begun to think that God had led them into a death trap. God provides food for them to show he meets our needs, even when situations seem most dire.
Secondly, God wants the Israelites to practice trust and obedience.
Some Israelites take too much manna on some days, and it rots in their tents, full of maggots. Other Israelites don’t obey God’s command to collect double portions before the Sabbath, and they end up hungry on the Sabbath because manna didn’t fall that day.
Manna in the Book of Revelation
Today, most Christian churches celebrate a communion service or Lord's Supper, in which the participants eat some form of bread, as Jesus commanded his followers to do at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26).
The final mention of manna occurs in Revelation 2:17, "To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna..."One interpretation of this verse is that Christ supplies spiritual nourishment (hidden manna) as we wander through the wilderness of this world.
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Exodus 15:22-24 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”
The people blamed Moses for the circumstances they where facing. When we face adverse situations we always try to find someone to blame for.
The desert has some challenges
When Israel was in Egypt, they drank of the river Nile. No ordinary water that. To this day the dwellers on the banks of the Nile assert that the water has a peculiar taste not to be discovered in any other stream, and they prefer the waters of the Nile to all the waters in the world besides. What a change from the sweetness of the Nile to the bitterness of Marah.
They must have water, it was no luxury, it was a necessity; with the hot, burning sand beneath them reflecting the fierce heat of a cruel sun, not to have water in the wilderness is to feel an urgent necessity producing a terrible pain.
When faced with challenges people have a tendency to look back and remember the pleasures of the past. When you do this you don’t remember that you where once a slave to sin and that is better to face bitterness free than being a slave to sin.
They spent 3 days without water and when they arrived to Mara God changed one challenge for another. They found the water they desired however a new challenge occurs, the waters are bitter.
God does a miracle
Exodus 15:25 And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,
Moses took the complaint to his Master. In all trials, the surest way to a remedy is prayer.
Note, next, that as soon as we have a prayer God has a remedy. The remedy is near at hand; but we do not perceive it till it is shown us. "The Lord showed him a tree." The tree had been growing for years on purpose to be used. God has a remedy for all our troubles before they happen to us.
Now that remedy for the healing of Marah's water was a very strange one. Why should a tree sweeten the waters?
The tree
This tree cut down is an emblem of the Savior! A glorious tree indeed was he, with spreading branches, and top reaching to heaven-but he must suffer the axe for our sakes; and now, to-day, contemplating his atoning sacrifice, and by faith resting in him, the troubles of life and the troubles of death are sweetened by his dear cross, which, though it be a bitter tree in itself, is the antidote for all the bitterness that comes upon us here and hereafter.
When they cut down the tree, and put it into the water, it turned the water sweet-they could drink of it; and let me assure you, that in the case of our trouble, the cross is a most effective sweetener.
The cross avails to sweeten all the bitterness of our mortal life, and even the last bitterness of death, it is assuredly available this morning to sweeten the bitterness of our present sorrow.
Just like the tree, the Cross has the power to transform every situation, every circumstance, and every relationship… from the bitter to the sweet!
In Egypt, they knew about God, but they knew very little about His nature. Here in a place of bitterness, God reveals His heart—not only to heal water—but to heal His people. Yahweh Rapha, as the following verse says,
“I am the LORD who heals you” (Exodus 15:26).
Galatians 3:13–14. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written: Cursed is every one who hangs on a tree.”
The blessings of the cross
Remember that the tree was the cross. Some people don’t understand that, but in some languages the word tree means a tree when it’s growing and a tree when it’s cut down
In other words, when Jesus hung on the cross, every Jew who knew his Old Testament recognized that Jesus was made a curse. Then we read the other side of the exchange in verse 14:
“That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
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Exodus 14:21-31 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging[a]their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw[b] the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
The Miracle
The miracle of the parting of the Red Sea was performed by God through Moses, seven days after the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt. Pharaoh and the Egyptian armies had pursued Israel to the water. Moses turned to God in prayer, and He instructed him to raise his staff. A strong east wind blew, and the sea parted, allowing the Israelites to walk through it on dry land. When the Egyptian pursuers attempted to follow, the water came crashing down, drowning them in its churning depths. Recognizing the great miracle that had occurred, Moses and the people of Israel sang the Song of the Sea, and Miriam led the women in song and dance.
The Prayer of Moses
The Midrash tells us that, seeing the approaching Egyptian army, the Jewish people were divided into four camps. There were those who said, “Let us throw ourselves into the sea.” A second group said, “Let us return to Egypt.” A third faction argued, “Let us wage war upon the Egyptians.” Finally, a fourth camp advocated, “Let us pray to God.”
Moses rejected all four options, saying to the people, “Fear not; stand by and see the salvation of God which He will show you today. For as you have seen Egypt this day, you shall not see them again, forever. God shall fight for you, and you shall be silent.”
God's promises
God promised to deliver His people and though the situation seamed to be desperate Moses trusted the Lord.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
The passing through the Red Sea is used as a symbol of the believer’s identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul says,
Corinthians 10:1–4 “For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ”
The parting of the Red Sea not only finalized God’s redemption of His people from slavery in Egypt, but it also prefigured the greater spiritual reality of God’s redemption of His people from slavery to sin through the work of Christ.
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Exodus 12:29–30 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was ra great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.
We don’t usually think of Passover as a plague and we often forget that it came after a senate ceremony of 9 terrible events in the land of Egypt.
When Pharaoh persisted in his refusal to liberate the children of Israel, Moses and Aaron warned him that God would punish both him and his people. Passover is the most well known plague but we cannot just detach it from the 10 plagues.
The death of the first-born
Midnight of the fourteenth to the fifteenth of Nissan came, and God struck all first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of King Pharaoh, down to the first-born of a captive in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the cattle, exactly as Moses had warned. There was a loud and bitter wail in each house a loved one lay fatally stricken. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron during that very night, and said to them: "Arise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord as you have said; and take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also." At last, then, the pride of the stubborn king was broken.
The departure
Meanwhile the Hebrews had been preparing for their hasty departure. With beating hearts, they had assembled in groups to eat the Paschal lamb before midnight, arrayed as they had been commanded. The women had taken from the ovens the unleavened cakes, which were eaten with the meat of the roasted lamb. The preparations were at last concluded, and all was ready. At the word of command, the whole nation of the Hebrews poured forth into the cool, still Eastern morning. But not even amidst their trepidation and danger did they forget the pledge given by their ancestors to Joseph, and they carried his remains, with them, to inter them later in the Promised Land.
Relation Between Easter and Passover
Passover (or Pascha) sanctified Israel's time and life as a sign pointing them to the coming Incarnation of the Lord, Jesus Christ. In this feast, they were to remember Him and what He did for them in delivering them from Egyptian bondage. But more importantly, it pointed them to His coming in the flesh. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he told his followers, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). The Israelites were to know Him in the blood of a slain lamb, a sign pointing to Him as the Lamb of God. Yet when He became incarnate as this Lamb, they did not recognize their own Lord who had delivered them from Egypt (John 1:11).
To this day, Jews all over the world celebrate the Passover in obedience to this command. Passover and the story of the exodus have great significance for Christians also, as Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law, including the symbolism of the Passover (Matthew 5:17). Jesus is our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7; Revelation 5:12). He was killed at Passover time, and the Last Supper was a Passover meal (Luke 22:7–8). By (spiritually) applying His blood to our lives by faith, we trust Christ to save us from death. The Israelites who, in faith, applied the blood of the Paschal lamb to their homes become a model for us. It was not the Israelites’ ancestry or good standing or amiable nature that saved them; it was only the blood of the lamb that made them exempt from death (see John 1:29 and Revelation 5:9–10).
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Exodus 10:21-23 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.
Social Darkness
The plague of darkness stands out from the others, among several reasons, because its effects are not physically threatening in the same way. The darkness was thick enough to touch, but it does not afflict the bodies of the Egyptians or their animals in the way that lice or boils did, nor does it threaten the water and food supply as happened when God turned the waters of the Nile into blood, summoned pestilence against the cattle, and sent hail and locusts to destroy Egypt’s crops.
The effects of the ninth plague were social and interpersonal: the darkness cut people off from one another: “No one saw his fellow or was able to get up from their place for three days” (Exodus 10:23).
The Book of Exodus tells us that they did not experience the darkness, but other texts suggest it engulfed them too. In Psalm 107, a psalm that recounts the plagues, we learn that the Exodus involved deliverance not just from slavery but also from “darkness.”
Darkness is specifically associated in the Bible with God's abandonment and that is one reason it is so severe a sign of His judgment.
Matthew 27:45 “Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour, and about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?”
Pharaoh's response
Pharaoh is not really interested in continuing the conversation. Pharaoh dismisses him with an unveiled threat. Basically it's this; “I’ll kill you if you show your face to me again. You come into my presence again and you show your face here again, I’ll kill you on the spot.
The darkness ends after three days, but Pharaoh never finds a way beyond his own mistrust. Following the plague, he summons Moses to tell him that he never wants to see him again, to which Moses responds,
“You speak correctly. I will not see your face again” (Exodus 10:28)
The plague of darkness basically returns us to the situation that existed in the world, in the universe prior to the first day of creation.
This plague of darkness shows the sovereignty of God over Ra, the sun god, the chief of the gods of Egypt. The Egyptians worshipped Ra. So, when God through Moses announces, not a day, not just the daylight hours, but three days of darkness, He is showing that the God of the Hebrews in sovereign over the chief deities over Egypt.
There is deliverance after darkness
This was the last plague before Passover. God is so sovereign that no force in this universe could possible challenge Him. Pharaoh was still defiant but when God has set a plan in motion nobody can stop Him.
The apostle Paul said, “if God is for us then who can be against us?”
The plagues were not only intended to punish Pharaoh and his people for their mistreatment of the Israelites, but also to show them the powerlessness of the gods in which they believed.
The word “Egypt” in Hebrew is “Mitzrayim.” It is related to the word maytzarim, which means boundaries, constraints, or limitations. It is symbolic of the limitations we experience in this physical world. God is telling us that even in this place of extreme darkness there can be found a light.
The greater the darkness, the greater the light that can be found within.
This plague of darkness on the Egyptians, darkness so thick they could not see one another, nor could they even move around—while there being no effect on the Israelites—is a reminder to us of the power of light as a symbol of hope, even in the darkest of hours.
Matthew 4:16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”>
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Exodus 10:12-19 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again. 15 They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt.16 Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the Lord your God only to remove this death from me.” 18 So he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. 19 And the Lord turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt.
The Locusts
In the Bible, God afflicts ancient Egyptians with ten plagues for their sins. One of them was the plague of locusts. Moses warned the Pharaoh that God will send so many locusts that they will "cover each and every tree of the land and eat all that is there to be eaten".
The locusts ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: God showed Himself greater than the Egyptian god Set, thought to be the protector of crops.
There remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field. There was a darkness covering the land of Egypt. This was no normal darkness, it had a supernatural element to it that could be felt. Light is not only a physical property; it is an aspect of God’s character (God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, 1 John 1:5). In judgment, God can withdraw His presence so significantly that the void remaining is darkness which may even be felt.
The destruction
What do locusts produce? Well, the land is going to be defoliated, the greenery is going to be gone, the food is going to be gone, there’s going to be nothing to eat. Mass starvation and famine is going to occur.
The devastation from this plague was very extreme. The locust swarm has always been one of the worst scourges to afflict humanity. An area of one square kilometer can contain fifty million such insects. In a single night they could devour as much as one hundred thousand tons of vegetation. If this plague had stood alone it would have been devastating, but Egypt was already in ruin. Any vegetation that remained following the hail would have been destroyed by the locusts.
The climate in Egypt was ideal for locusts. As a result the Egyptians looked to the gods for divine protection from locusts and other pests. The eighth plague made a mockery of the Egyptian gods responsible for defending Egypt against insects and o
Pharaoh acknowledged his sin
At the end Pharaoh said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you". Pharaoh did the same thing in Exodus 9:27-28. He said the words of repentance but did not follow through with the actions. His heart was only hardened more after God relented and showed mercy.
Pharaoh gives this superficial confession, but once again he lies. He’s dishonest, and God hardens his heart. Pharaoh was considered to be a god, holy righteous. He was the incarnation of the god Ra. He’s only remorseful because he wants this situation to relent. And the minute that it relents, he goes right back to his former posture. But God is showing His sovereignty in all this. Pharaoh is being humbled before God, step by step, but he is refusing to bow the knee. And so God will break him in showing His sovereignty.
Moses' prayer
In response to Moses' prayer, God made a change in the wind. The prevailing winds in Egypt came from the direction of the Red Sea.
This verse literally says that "Jehovah turned the very strong wind of the sea." In other words, the Lord changed the direction of the wind to carry the locusts into the Red Sea.
God answers prayers!
Job 22:27 “You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows.
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Exodus 9:23-24 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.
It appears that Moses, the author of the Torah could differentiate between fire (e.g. Gen 19:24) and lightning (e.g. Exodus 20:18). It is surprising that hail and fire would coexist at the same time ("fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail").
Before he announced the seventh plague, God reminded Pharaoh of his mercy towards him in the previous plagues. God could have destroyed him and his people in one mighty plague, but instead he sent these lesser plagues, each time giving Pharaoh an opportunity to repent. The longer Pharaoh delayed, the greater would be his downfall, and the greater would be God’s glory when he finally overthrew him. God gave good warning before the coming destruction by hail and lightning, so that people could escape the judgment if they wished. Many of Pharaoh’s courtiers, fearful of Israel’s God, heeded Moses’ warnings and so were not affected by the disaster (9:13-35).
Fire and ice
Moses stands with his arms stretched up toward the sky as hail, the seventh plague, begins to rain down on Egypt. Miraculously, the icy hailstones each contained a flame that burned within it.
As the hail destroyed the trees of Egypt, Pharaoh begged Moses to pray that there be no more hail, and promised to let the Israelites go (Exodus 9:27-28). The jewish tradition, midrash says that when Moses prayed for the hail to cease, the hailstones that were on the way down were suspended in midair. We don’t have that report in the Bible but this was a spectacular storm, never seen before in Egypt.
Heart of ice
In this passage we have the longest account of any of the plagues, except for the tenth (and final) one. This seventh plague concerns the destruction, by hail, of the land of Egypt. But even more sobering than this is the proof positive that Pharaoh had crossed the line of no return. He was now seen to be irremediably reprobate. In spite of incontrovertible evidence, Pharaoh would not surrender to God.
Some people have ice cold hearts that will not surrender to God in spite if the clear circumstances showing that the Lord is doing a show of force.
The gods of Egypt
The catastrophe of the hail was therefore a mockery of the Egyptian heavenly deities, including Nut (the female representative of the sky and personification of the vault of heaven), Shu (the supporter of the heavens who holds up the sky) and Tefnut (the goddess of moisture).”
Some of the Egyptians nevertheless believed the Word of the Lord and so took the necessary precautions.
Exodus 9:20-21 He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: and he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.
We are not told how many believed Yahweh but it is significant that some did. The hand of the Lord was persuasive in their lives and so even though they ran the risk of being ostracised, they obeyed the Word of the Lord. And no doubt some 24 hours later, they were glad that they had.
The storm was strong and heavy but Pharaoh was a proud man and his heart didn’t move. Some people are like this man and remain in their ungodliness.
Hebrews 3:15 As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
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Exodus 9:8-11 8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. 9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land.” 10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals.11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians.
Soot
Like plague number three, there is no warning about what’s to come. And like the third plague of the first series, this one also involves dust.
After an undisclosed amount of time, the Lord _said to Moses and Aaron_the instructions for the sixth plague. They were told simply to get handfuls of soot from a kiln. The Hebrew word for “soot” is used only here and in verse 10 in the Old Testament. The “kiln” referred to here is one used for making pottery or bricks, making it a symbol of Israel’s oppression.
So, the Lord tells Moses to “take soot from the kiln.” This has opened the way for a variety of interpretations. Some scholars have argued the irony in the matter. The soot could have been a by-product of baking bricks. It would be the ultimate comeuppance. Pharaoh has gone out of his way to impose unrealistic brick-making quotas upon the Israelites. Those kilns would have been used day and night. In this case, the by-product from all that baking will be used to punish the Egyptians.
The Magicians
The magicians could not stand before Moses — We do not read of any attempt they made to vie with Moses in miracles since the plague of the lice. But it would seem from this passage that they still continued about Pharaoh, and endeavoured to settle him in his resolution not to let Israel go: persuading him, perhaps, that although Moses had the better of them for the present, yet they should at last be too hard for him. But now, being on a sudden smitten with these ulcers, in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, they were rendered so contemptible, that they durst not again look either Moses or Pharaoh in the face; for we hear no more of them after this time. To this, it seems, the apostle refers, (2 Timothy 3:9,) when he says their folly was “manifested unto all men.”
Pharaoh’s magicians make one final appearance, paving the way for all extraneous parties to fall away. The final conflicts have been heading towards a showdown between the Lord and Pharaoh.
After this plague we will so no more appearances of the magicians i n this conflict.
Pharaoh confronted
The Lord tells Moses, “Let Moses throw [the soot] in the air in the sight of Pharaoh.” Pharaoh is given no opportunity to speak or to halt the process.
Note that the previous plague affected mostly livestock. Certainly, the Egyptians have animals that aren’t livestock and there are leftover animals that where not in the field (last plague involved animals in the open).
We can also read, “But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord has spoken to Moses.” That the Lord would “harden Pharaoh’s heart” is an appalling statement, but it cannot be taken out of its contextual setting. On two separate occasions, the Lord has foretold that this would happen (See 4:21; 7.3). On two previous occasions, Pharaoh hardened his own heart (see 8:15, 23). Now, the time has arrived: “The Lord hardens Pharaoh’s heart.”
From the beginning, this has been a contest between the Lord and Pharaoh. Who has power, and who is in control? Pharaoh is used to having things his own way and to having the power at hand to enforce whatever decision he makes. The Lord has a way of showing him the errors of such thinking. In this instance, the Lord is exercising control. Pharaoh might be thinking that he still has options; he might be exploring disaster plans or recovery strategies. None of that enters into the text.
At this point Pharaoh he is no longer in charge of his thinking. The Lord is controlling everything, and that includes his mind and thoughts. Not that there is any reason to think Pharaoh might be on the verge of a change of heart. But the truth is that he cannot, even if it were to cross his mind. The Lord is in charge. The Lord has the power.
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
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Exodus 9:1-9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the hand of the Lordwill bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’” The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” 6 And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died,but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.
God made a distinction
Once again with this plague only the Egyptians where affected by this curse.
Also only the Livestock “in the field” Were Killed. This seems to limit the livestock that died, which means that some livestock would have survived through this plague. Also verse 3 lists horses, asses, camels, oxen, and sheep, but it does not list goats, which was an important animal.
God set a time
God set a time, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” The next day, most of the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites perished.
The plague that killed Egypt’s livestock would have had a special impact on the people, not just economically, but spiritually as well. The animals that died in the plague represented some of Egypt’s most important gods
The “plague”
The original Hebrew word translated here as “plague” describes a disease – a disease of epidemic proportions that results in mass deaths. The type of disease is not specified in the verses and any such guess would solely be conjecture.
Not all the livestock died of this plague but they lost their source of meat, milk, transportation. This plague caused a very significant impact in the livelihood of the Egyptians.
God spares His people
Malachi 3:17 They will be my people,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child.
As a principle God protects His people even when calamity happens in the world. SOmetimes we cannot escape the consequences of plagues, disasters and calamities but many times God brings His protection over us.
The Lord makes a distinction between his people and the people of the world in order to reveal himself. Each player in the drama of the plagues has the opportunity to take notice of this difference and acknowledge the Lord. So wherever we see ourselves in this story, we have that opportunity.
Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
He separates his people for special treatment, he graciously rescinds the fourth and fift plagues, and his power is successfully prophetic, complete and clear.
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Exodus 8:20-24 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21 Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.[a] 23 Thus I will put a division[b] between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.”’” 24 And the Lord did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.
It is unclear what has happened with the biting gnats. It is conceivable that they are still problematic. But things continue to move forward, and the Lord says to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him.…”
The Lord continues speaking through Moses, “If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.”
The connections with the first plague continue as the Lord says, “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.”
The Flies
Swarm (08317)(sharats) means to swarm; to breed abundantly; to multiply. It is a word that specifically refers to a great multiplication of numbers with moving, living, smaller creatures. It means to teem, to swarm in numbers and rate of birth and multiplication. It serves as a description of a large number of creatures densely populating a location.
These flies where a species known as “dog-fly” or in some countries "horse-fly" These were blood-sucking flies that were known to inflict painful bites.
They have been described as “hurling themselves like a javelin and fastening themselves upon the body, especially the edges of the eyelids, disfiguring them by the swellings produced by their sting.” The bottom line, however, is that these flies will come from the air, swarming over everything.
Beelzebub
Different people had deities whose office it was to defend them against flies. Among these may be reckoned Beelzebub, the fly-god of Ekron. The name Beelzebub is associated with the Canaanite god Baal. This name referenced the god of the fly that was worshiped to obtain deliverance from the injuries of that insect.
God's people spared
No flies in Goshen?
The verses say, “Where my people live, no swarms of flies will appear there.” However, the word often translated to “live” may also be translated as “stand”. This could indicate the flies did not invade where the people stood. Given this translation, flies may have indeed entered Goshen but avoided only the Israelites making the plague of flies even more remarkable.
This is the first time there has been an explicit exemption for the Israelites. Previously, scholars have assumed they have not experienced the hardships of the previous plagues, but from now on they will certainly be unaffected.
Psalms 105:31 says "He spoke, and there came a swarm of flies And gnats in all their territory."
Not only are they covering the people but covering the ground! One of the results of the fourth plague is that the land was ‘ruined’ because of the flies.Swarms of flies would disrupt life, contaminate everything, and bring disease."
God’s protection means you are inaccessible to the enemy, no matter what the circumstances.
Psalm 91:4 tells us, “Under His wings, shall you trust and find refuge.” When trouble comes your way, stay in that place of refuge in God. It’s a place of safety from any enemy.
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Exodus 8:16-18 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron to strike the dust with his rod, and it will become lice, throughout all the land of Egypt.” 17 So Moses and Aaron did as God commanded, and suddenly lice infested the entire nation, covering the Egyptians and their animals. 18 Then the magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed.
The third plague, lice, could mean either lice, fleas or gnats based on the Hebrew word (Keenim). The insects, the third of the plagues, are described in Exodus as annoying parasites which attacked both humans and livestock.
The Lice
These insects usually measure about two millimetres and are therefore visible to the naked eye. Under the lens of a microscope, they seem translucent and yellowish brown in colour.
This translucence means that their blood and internal structure can be observed. At the end of their legs, they have curved claws which enable them to grip the hair or clothing. Their antennae are short, and they have tiny eyes. They undergo no metamorphosis or bodily changes during the course of their lifespan.
They lay eggs (known as nits) which stick together and cluster in the hair or clothing. Each individual can lay some 10 eggs a day
The scientific explanation is that frogs typically eat insects; without them, the fly population could have exploded. However note that for the first time the magicians in Egypt could not match this miracle.
The Magicians
The Egyptian sorcerers admitted their inability to replicate the lice epidemic, recognized the lice outbreak as the act of the a superior power, "the finger of God."
However, Pharaoh refused to listen to the testimony of his own subjects, and hardened his heart. The scepticism of certain people seems limitless, even when they are presented with substantial evidence.
The magicians were able to come up with counterfeit blood and frogs. We don't know why this time they couldn't match the actions of the finger of God. In my personal opinion the animals where unknown to them. Older translations of this text use the word lice, more recent ones use gnats. The debate is open because a plague of insects that attacks both men and animals and potentially flies is not a common insect of the region.
Counterfeit Miracles
The counterfeit has a limit that God does not
2 Thessalonians 2:9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders.
Are there places in my life where I have allowed the counterfeit to sit with the real?
Matthew 24:24, Jesus warns, “For false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.”
The Bible does not give specific instructions on how to recognize counterfeit miracles. The Bible does, however, give specific instructions on how to recognize counterfeit messengers.
Miracles can be counterfeited. That is why God points us to His Word. Signs and wonders can lead us astray. God’s Word will always light the true path
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Exodus 8:1–15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. 3 The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.” ’ ” 5 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’ ” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.” 10 And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile.” 12 So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh.13 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
Moses showed Pharaoh that Egypt is in the hands of God
This is almost humorous from the beginning. The destiny of Egypt is in the hands of the Lord, the God of Israel. And the way He’s going to deal with them is frogs.
Throughout the plague stories, notice a pattern. First, the plague is threatened, then it is implemented, then it is imitated, and then it is removed. Each of the plagues is spoken of as removed, except for the tenth which involves the death.
Notice in verse 1, the phrase is repeated. “Let My people go in order that they may serve Me, in order that they may worship me.”
Exodus 5, 1 through 3 when Moses and Aaron first go to Pharaoh, they say, you need to let us go to worship the Lord, or He will visit plagues against you.
Frogs were associated with the Egyptian gods, Hapi and Heqt. Heqt was actually considered the goddess of fertility, and she was often pictured as a squatting frog. She was supposed to be a good luck charm to increase the fertility of the people. And so
The judgment warning against Egypt
If Hapt is the goddess of fertility and pictured as a frog, and Pharaoh had begun the Exodus story with an attack on an attack on the children of Hebrews, it may well be God coming back and saying, “You attempt to strike at the fertility of My people, and I will take out the god of fertility in Egypt, because I am the one who gives children. I am the one who is sovereign.”
God takes something weak and small and wretched, and He uses it to foil the wise and strong of this world.
The Egyptian magicians spring into action, and they imitate the plague by their occult practices.
The plague was doubled by the magicians and the net result is the increase in the misery of Egypt. And you can see Pharaoh saying, “Okay, that’s enough.”
Pharaoh, in verses 8 through 12 acknowledges the Lord for the first time in the book of Exodus. And he even manages to ask Moses to pray on his behalf to the Lord.
Moses turns to Pharaoh and says, “The honor is yours. You tell me, when do want to do this?” Now the timing of the question that Moses gives to Pharaoh, too, shows the sovereignty of God. It indicates that the Lord alone has the power to send and to relieve the plague. Okay, Pharaoh, My God is so sovereign, you just name the time. When is it you want this done. And then Pharaoh responds in verse 10 with an unreasonable request. He says, “Okay, okay, you want me to name it. Tomorrow. I want them gone tomorrow.”
The plague is removed in verses 13 and 14, but the consequences remain. I want you to think about two of the consequences here. First of all, there was a lot of hard cleanup work of the Egyptians. Frogs everywhere. Secondly, there was a stench throughout Egypt.
1 Corinthians 1:27 but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
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The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood
Exodus 7:20-25 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile. 25 Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.
Moses and Aaron are ordered to go to Pharaoh, and require the dismissing of the people of Israel, but they are told before hand that Pharaoh's heart would be hardened, and would refuse to let them go.
The sequence of events
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Moses strikes the Nile;
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The water turns to blood;
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The fish die;
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The Nile stinks;
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The Egyptians can’t drink water from the Nile.
God purposes to reveal His sovereignty to the Egyptians
v. 24 says, "And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile". The implication is that the Nile was full of water—not blood
Several scientific explanations have been offered to account for the Nile’s vivid red colour. Some suggested the miracle was due to an infestation of toxic red algae. We don't know if it was blood or a plague but this algae invasion or any other cause occurred when Moses struck the water with his staff; that is, at a precise time and place to affect God’s purpose.
The river of blood was symbolic of death for Egypt
After the water turned to blood, "the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water," according to the Bible, Exodus 7:21.
Jesus first miracle
The turning of water into blood was the first of the public miracles that Moses did in Egypt (Exodus 7:20), and the water into wine was the first of the public miracles that Jesus did in the world (John 2:11).
The turning of water to blood culminated in the firstborn in Egypt being delivered to death, while turning the water into wine culminated in the life of the Firstborn being delivered from death.
The signs that God gave to Egypt in the Old Testament were plagues, destruction, and death, and the signs that Jesus did in the world in the New Testament were healings, blessings, and life.
When Moses changed the water into blood, we are told that all the fish in the river died. When Jesus initiated the new covenant, the catch of the fish are made alive in the net of the kingdom of God (Matthew 4:19).
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Exodus 7:10-12 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.
Before Moses and Aaron are to appear before Pharaoh, God commands them: “And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: ‘When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying: Show a wonder for you; then thou shalt say unto Aaron: Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent’” (Exodus 7:8-9).
The Miracle
God knows in advance that the Egyptian ruler will demand to be shown a “wonder” (mofet, in Hebrew) that will prove the validity of the message that is being delivered to him.
A “wonder” is a small miracle. Aaron throws down his staff at Pharaoh’s feet and the staff turns into a serpent. On seeing this wonder, Pharaoh responds with a wonder of his own: “Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers; and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their secret arts. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents” (Exod. 7:11-12). Pharaoh’s magicians are apparently capable of conducting such a metamorphosis and transforming a rod into a serpent. So, Pharaoh scores a tie in the first quarter of this game.
The victory
Since the serpents metaphorically confront each other and since the power of Aaron’s wonder seems to have been equaled by that of the magicians’ counter-wonder, the matter seems to be settled according to the rules of the game established by Pharaoh. Now, however, the paradigm is shattered: “but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods” (Exod. 7:12).
While Aaron’s serpent “follows” the very rules of the game that Pharaoh thinks he has dictated (according to which, each serpent expresses or reflects the power of its owner’s words), the tables are actually turned on Pharaoh: The moment the wonders are essentially balanced out, their significance as embodiments of power is canceled and they become representations of their respective owners.
The scene then shifts from a display of wonders to the manifestation of a mythological power struggle between Pharaoh and God. God wins!
What was the significance of Aaron’s rod?
In ancient Israelite culture, a rod was a symbol of authority. Shepherds used rods to guide and correct their flocks (Psalm 23:4). When God called the shepherd Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, He demonstrated His power by performing miracles using Moses’ rod (Exodus 4:1–5; Numbers 20:11.
There are many other miracles performed with this rod. Today we only mention the miracle of the serpent at Pharaoh's confrontation. Hebrews 9:4 tells us that Aaron’s rod remained in the Ark of the Covenant as a testimony of God’s choice of Aaron and Moses to lead His people.
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Acts 15:12 “Barnabas and Paul [declared] how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them”
Paul and Barnabas had a missionary journey up into central modern-day Asia Minor. They established several churches in the region of Galatia and watched many Gentiles come to a saving faith in Jesus (Acts 13—14)
Acts 4:36-37 Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Barnabas then spent the rest of his life traveling as a missionary, leading others to Jesus at great personal risk. According to Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a Cypriot Jew. Named an apostle in Acts 14:14, he and Paul undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts against the Judaizers.
Barnabas took the then-unknown disciple Saul (Paul) under his wing and introduced him to the other apostles in Jerusalem. These other apostles were afraid because of Saul/Paul’s past actions, but Barnabas vouched for him, and because of this, the new convert “stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord” (Acts 9:28).
Barnabas and Paul probably knew each other because they had been taught together in the school of Gamaliel. But while Barnabas was the one who did the primary introduction, it appears Paul, with his zeal for speaking, soon became more well-known for his evangelism efforts. After Barnabas found Paul in Tarsus (Acts 11:25-26), they pooled their energies and established a foundational church in Antioch.
Barnabas truly was a “man of encouragement.”
He gave his life to the church and sacrificed much for the faith. He, along with Paul and other Christian leaders of his time, was instrumental in spreading the gospel across the land and converting great numbers, both Jew and Gentile. Because of him, and others like him, today we know Jesus.
Are you an encourager?
Jesus was the encourager in chief!
John 16:33 "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
If you read the Bible you will be encouraged with what lies ahead.
Revelation 21:4 "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And He who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new."
Barnabas was named the encourager because he had something special about him.
It is important to remember that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against . . . the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
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Acts 6:8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. (NLT)
Stephen was the first of the seven deacons; He was known for his faith and miracles, of his elocution and wisdom, of his courage and intrepidity, of his constancy, and of his suffering martyrdom.
He is said to be full of faith, as before, ( Acts 6:5 )
Before he is killed by the religious jews Stephen launches into the longest speech in the book of Acts.
The temple leaders also condemn Stephen for breaking the Law of Moses. But in reality, they and their ancestors constantly rejected its core teaching. The Law should have made them expect a descendent of Abraham who, like Moses, would finally save God’s people (Acts 7:5, 37, 39-44). Stephen reveals the cycle of rejection that Israel has had toward God and his messengers throughout their history (Acts 7:52).
Stephen was executed
Stephen proclaims this promised descendant is the same Jesus they killed on a cross.
Acts 7:52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.
Stephen is stoned for one simple reason. By naming Jesus as the Son of Man from Daniel, he claims that Jesus is equal with God. What is blasphemous and bad news to the temple leader’s ears is bafflingly good news to us.
Stephen refers to the Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 4:1 And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Stephen’s speech shows that we don’t only break the law by refusing to obey commands, but by refusing to believe in the one it points to Jesus.
John 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
Who was Stephen?
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He was full of faith. (Acts 6:5)
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He was full of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 6:5)
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He was full of grace. (Acts 6:8)
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He faced opposition. (Acts 6:9)
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His teachings were full of wisdom. (Acts 6:10)
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His teachings were led by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 6:10)
Stephen moved from defending himself to accusing the prosecution. He ended up being killed at the feet of Saul of Tarsus later known as Paul.
Stephen was received in Heaven by Jesus Himself
Acts 7:55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
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Acts 2:43-47 (NEB) A sense of awe was everywhere, and many marvels and signs were brought about through the apostles. All whose faith had drawn them together held everything in common: they would sell their property and possessions and make a general distribution as the need of each required. With one mind they kept up their daily attendance at the temple, and, breaking bread in private houses, shared their meals with unaffected joy, as they praised God and enjoyed the favour of the whole people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those whom he was saving.
The words 'in common' are from the Greek "koinonia", which can be translated as communion, community, fellowship, partnership or even solidarity.
Acts 5:12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade (Portico).
Throughout the Bible, God has granted His messengers the ability to perform miracles in order to validate that their message is from Him. The point of ministry is never the miracle itself, but the message
Signs and wonders
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"Wonder" is from the Greek root word "teras". It is a miracle that reveals a hidden truth.
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"Signs" is from the Greek root word "semeion". The sign is that the person who performs the miracles is special and chosen by God.
The sémeion, or sign, is a sign, a miracle, a token, and so on. It generally is given to authenticate, corroborate, or confirm a person or a matter. Whereas a wonder is the thing itself, the sign stands for, testifies to, or points to something else.
The Fear of God
One translation says, "Then fear came upon every soul". The NEB translation says that "A sense of awe was everywhere".
The word “fear” has various significations, such as terror, alarm, withdrawal (as in fleeing from something), etc. Here, it does not speak of terror, but of awe.
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Acts 12:20-23 Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country. 21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. 22 And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
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More than 2,000 years after Herod the Great succumbed at age 69, doctors have now settled on exactly what killed the king of ancient Judea: chronic kidney disease complicated by a very uncomfortable case of maggot-infested gangrene of the genitals.
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Herod Agrippa I is the grandson of Herod the Great and king over almost all his territory with the exception of Decapolis.
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God swiftly brings King Herod low, striking him with an angel, and publicly destroying him for not giving the proper honor to God. God sees all that we do, even perceiving to the depths of our thoughts, intentions, emotions, and hearts
Herod was a bad man
We are first introduced to the man known as King Herod at the beginning of Acts 12, where he makes great persecution against the church and against her leaders.
Acts 12:1 King Herod “laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church”
Acts 12:2-3 he killed James the brother of John with the sword…[and] proceeded to arrest Peter also
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Herod is ultimately a slave to the fear of man; his track record has proven that he was selfishly sadistic.
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He persecutes the church to ultimately please the Jews and bring glory and praise to himself.
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King Herod retreats to Caesarea in Acts 12:19, but not after putting his guards to death after allowing Peter’s escape.
Acts 12:22 the people were shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a man!’
Pride
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How many of us on a daily basis succumb and give into pride and self-exaltation?
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If it were not for God’s grace and mercy in Christ, many of us would look just like Herod.
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We must repent of our pride and fear of man and turn to Christ that we may have life.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
Pride in the context of this verses refers to an arrogant attitude that manifests itself as independence from God and contrasts strikingly with humility.
The proud person pursues his or her own way, but the humble one obeys God’s Word. Delighting in the Lord and humbly following His commands makes us sure-footed so that we will not slip or stagger
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way;
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Philip was supernaturally teleported from the desert to Azotus
Acts 8:26
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.
Philip evangelized this man and he ended up being baptized in water. At the end of the conversation a miracle happened.
Acts 8:39-40 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
What happened to Philip is described by the Greek word harpazo (Strongs #726), which is translated above as “suddenly took”.
Philip’s sudden departure meant that the Ethiopian was unable to thank or reward Philip for his help. Instead of being occupied with the person God used to assist in his conversion, he was occupied with Christ as “he went on his way rejoicing”, which is much more important than Philip’s mode of travel. However this is an amazing miracle of the Spirit of God that “transported” Philip from one place to another.
Philip is subject to a sudden disappearance. The language is indicative of a supernatural exit.
His instant removal makes clearer still that God is at work. It recalls Jesus’ removal in Luke 24:31.
Luke 24:30-31 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.
The western translation adds an angel to the story.
And when they came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit fell upon the eunuch, but the angel of the Lord caught up Philip...’
This type of supernatural transference of a person from one place to another is mentioned elsewhere in antiquity (I Kings 18:12; II Kings 2:16; Bel and the Dragon 36; Fragment Targum on Pentateuch,
Genesis 28:10: “as soon as our father Jacob lifted up his feet from Beersheeba to go to Haran, the earth shrank before him and he found himself in Haran”
Like Elijah, Philip is moved by God to his next point of ministry (I Kings 18:12, 46; II Kings 2:16).
Have you ever arrived at a place without knowing how you got there? Have you ever felt compelled to go somewhere? Is the Holy Spirit guiding your path?
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Acts 3:1-10 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Peter and John heal a man who was lame from birth
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Over 40 years old (Acts 4:22), he was doubt- less a pitiable sight. It is not unlikely that for 15-30 years he had sat at this spot
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Long since without hope of health—yet the grace of God reaches him even after all these years have passed.
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This miracle was a sign to Israel. It is called a sign by the leaders themselves (Acts 4:16)
Acts 4:16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
Amazing Healing
Acts 4:8-12 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
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The lame man asked for money because he had given up the hope of being healthy
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Peter used the same Greek root that can mean both healing (“made whole”) and salvation
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The healing of the lame man is a sign of the spiritual salvation so needed by the nation itself.
Our Miracle
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The lame man sat outside the house of God, just as sinners are outside God’s house (the Church)
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Sinners who are evangelized sit, as it were, at the gate “Beautiful.”
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The cure for sin, illustrated in the beggar, is faith. The faith referred to is the beggar’s because Peter has so little to say of him- self it is hardly likely he would be speaking of his own faith.
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Acts 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
The context
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When Peter and John were released from arrest, they went to their friends.
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These friends knew their calling, and so prayed in unison with the apostles for all of them to have boldness to continue speaking in the name of Jesus.
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We should ask God for boldness to do what we are tasked to do.
The Miracle
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The remarkable outcome of the believers’ prayer is that they were so filled with the Spirit and the boldness to speak God’s word that the home they were praying in shook to its core! Prayer can move the earth!
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This was a prayer that brought the presence of God into the building.
The importance of this prayer
- It is important because of the answer that came. God answers the prayers of His people!
Verse 31: "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness."
- Pentecost was the first great outpouring of the Spirit on the church. And here is another one. In both God gives physical demonstrations of his power.
What Was Asked: Verse 29b–30: "Grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness, while thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of thy holy servant Jesus."
They asked for three things:
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That God would give them boldness.
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That he would stretch out his hand to heal people.
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That he would cause signs and wonders to happen.
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Acts 2:3-4
And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
They were all "filled" with the Holy Spirit
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The word here is filled to capacity. The meaning is to a point of overflow
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This means means to come under the complete and total control of The Holy Spirit
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Speaking in tongues is always manifested when people are filled (baptized) in the Holy Spirit."
They spoke in earthly languages
Acts 2:6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.
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The people heard the disciples speaking in their own language or dialect
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The Greek word heteros, translated “other” in verse 4, means “different” tongues or “different” languages. Acts 2:4 says they spoke with “other” tongues. However in Acts 2:6 it says that each heard in his own “language.”
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This Was the Miracle. In this verse the Greek word is "dialectos" from which the word “dialect” is derived.
Two different types of the manifestation of the Spirit
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A listing of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 mentions wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues
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In this miracle they first started speaking in tongues as they where filled with the Holy Spirit. After that (second) they manifested the gift of interpretation of tongues by speaking in earthly languages.
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There are three occasions in the book of Acts where speaking in tongues accompanied the receiving of the Holy Spirit—Acts 2:4, 10:44-46, and 19:6
Romans 12:6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us... let [us] use [them] in proportion to [our] faith
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Acts 2:1-3
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Receiving the Spirit
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The disciples are together, and something happens that can be explained only by analogy, not from past experience: “Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind,” and “divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them” (Acts 2:2, 3).
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Luke uses the word “filled” in the sense of filling to capacity
Fire of God
The wind-like sound and the appearance of tongues like fire indicate: both point to the presence of God
1 Kings 19:11–13
11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
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This image of fire in Acts 2 may be compared to the Lord’s appearing to Moses in a burning bush (Ex. 3:1–6)
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The people of Israel as a pillar of fire, leading them at night in their desert journey.
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The fire can also be an echo of Isaiah 6:4–7, where the prophet’s tongue is cleansed with a burning coal.
The presence of God
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The presence of God in Acts 2 is accompanied by an act of God. His presence is confirmed by the direction from which the sound comes: from heaven, the place of God.
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Jesus went into heaven; now the Spirit from heaven will invade the earthly realm, filling the apostles for witness.
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When the apostles receive the Spirit here, this is not the moment they are “saved” or regenerated. In fact, it is not the first time they receive the Spirit. After his resurrection, Jesus appears to the Eleven and breathes on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22).
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The flames on their heads had set fire to the knowledge of God, and turned it into passion.
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Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
The Wind from Heaven
The Verse describes a sound only, not actual wind.
New Living Translation Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.
Young's Literal Translation. And there came suddenly out of the heaven a sound as of a bearing violent breath, and it filled all the house where they were sitting,
John 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
The power of WIND
In seconds, it can bring devastating destruction, but it also powers windmills that produce energy that generates electricity. It keeps the air from becoming stagnant and it cools us down. It propelled the first explorers across the ocean.
Ezekiel 37:9-14 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.
Wind can't be seen, but its effects sure can be felt and heard
When God made Adam he was lifeless until GOD BREATHED into Him
The Action of the Holy Spirit
The word suddenly in the Greek, means just that, suddenly - they were taken off guard - it was a surprise - it was totally unexpected
The word wind in the Greek text describes a wind SO LOUD that everyone instinctively covers their ears because the noise is so overpowering
The house SHOOK. When The Holy Spirit comes, He pours out unmatched, undeniable power that SHAKES the house, that TRANSFORMS hearts both inside and outside the walls of a church
John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
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Acts 28:7-9
7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.
Who was Publius?
He was "the leading citizen of Malta.
According to Doctor Luke, Publius was the wealthiest man of Melita. He was kind, generous, and a fantastic host
The Miracle
The whole island was cured. It says "the rest of the island came to be healed"
He heals the father of a high official and cures the ills of all the sick islanders, then spends the winter with them.
Mark 16:18 NLT
They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed
We Should Pray for Healing
The New Testament teaches that the Spirit gives this gift (and others) to the church
When God heals someone, he does it for the common good of the church and as a witness to the world.
Paul tells us that healing, like all the spiritual gifts, is given for the “common good” of the church (1 Corinthians 12:7).
The New Testament also makes it clear that healing is a sign to the world that the kingdom of God is invading the domain of darkness under Satan’s rule
Matthew 4:23
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
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Acts 28:3-6
3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice[a] has not allowed him to live.” 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
The shipreck miracle
Paul was imprisoned and en route to Rome to face trial when the ship he was traveling in hit a sandbar and ran aground
Acts 23:11
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome
An angel appeared to Paul and he was able to give everyone on board the word from God that all lives would be spared
Paul and a few men had just come ashore in Malta from a shipwreck where the ship was lost but everybody survived. An angel of God had told Paul everybody would be saved.
The Viper attack
Paul is helping gather wood for the fire. As he lays his bundle of sticks in the flames, a viper comes out of the wood and bites Paul, hanging onto his hand
Paul shook the snake off and the people waited to see what would happen to him.
Paul faced a real trial when he was bitten by a poisonous snake. But, God in His mercy, fulfilled His promise
The Miracle
Mark:16:18
These signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them:they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
Of course he didn’t take the venom but the wide promise of protection against poison and snakes is at the core of this promise of Jesus.
Luke 10:19
Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing by any means shall hurt you.
Shake off the snake
As soon as Paul is bitten by the snake, the people of the island begin to criticize him
Neptune, the god of the sea, had not taken him, but Nemesis, the goddess in charge of dispensing justice would!
People are often quick to criticize when they do not understand what they see and hear.
These people were sitting there watching Paul, waiting for him to swell up, fall down and die
Are some vipers attaching themselves to your life? Shake off that snake!
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Acts 20:9-12 CEV
9 A young man by the name of Eutychus was sitting on a window sill. While Paul was speaking, the young man got very sleepy. Finally, he went to sleep and fell three floors all the way down to the ground. When they picked him up, he was dead. 10 Paul went down and bent over Eutychus. He took him in his arms and said, “Don't worry! He's alive.” 11 After Paul had gone back upstairs, he broke bread, and ate with us. He then spoke until dawn and left. 12 Then the followers took the young man home alive and were very happy.
Who was Eutychus?
Eutychus, whose name means “fortunate,” had the misfortune of falling out of a window—and the fortune of experiencing a miracle directly afterwards.
Paul has sailed from Philippi and is on his way back to Jerusalem with a gift for the church there. He spends a week in Troas, and “on the first day of the week we came together to break bread.
Eutychus fell asleep due to the long nature of the discourse Paul was giving, fell from a window out of the three-story building, and died
Luke was a physician (Col. 4:14), and he plainly states that Eutychus was "taken up dead". He died of the fall.
What can we learn from him?
Just because God is protecting us and keeping us safe from the enemy, that doesn't mean we should be careless. Eutychus was there listening to Paul's message alright, but he died because he sat down somewhere he shouldn't have sat, at a time he shouldn't have sat there
The young man died, but He brought Eutychus back to life through the hands of Paul.
God cares about every single thing that we do for Him.
Our Confession
Paul refused to admit or say that the boy was dead. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s alive!
After Eutychus was restored to life, the church in Troas had a meal, Paul continued preaching, and, as would be expected, Eutychus’s friends and family were “greatly comforted” to not be planning a funeral
Many times when Jesus performed similar miracles He also said that people that died "where asleep".
2 Corinthians 12:12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.
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Acts 19:1-6
And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland[a] country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.” 4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
Paul’s third missionary journey
In approximately AD 52, Paul went through Galatia visiting the churches in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Turkey which he had planted during his first missionary journey five years before
Paul encountered some men who are described as “disciples” who had not yet received the Holy Spirit.
He found some disciples and asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Baptism involves a brief immersion in water. This is how Jesus Christ was baptized. Baptism by immersion is a sacred symbol of the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ;
When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all”
The 12
The “Ephesus Dozen” were still living under the Old Testament economy. They saw the need of repentance and were still awaiting the Messiah. They did not know the Christian message.
These people had not yet believed in Christ. They did not know about Jesus’ saving work (or the Holy Spirit’s indwelling) until they met Paul.
The “Ephesus Dozen,” stopped with John’s baptism only had half the story. They needed more than repentance; they needed faith in Christ. The disciples in Ephesus heard about Jesus from Paul the apostle, Jesus’ representative
1 Corinthians 12:13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink
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Acts 16:25-26
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened.
Prayer and worship
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying
It is interesting that the word "praying" (proseuchomai) here in verse 25 meanPrayer associated with corporate worship.
Paul and Silas were also singing hymns of praise to God while in prison. The tense (imperfect) of the verb singing subjects that Paul and Silas began singing in the past and they never stopped singing, even while locked in prison.
Did they "feel" like worshiping? Probably not. They were likely aching, tired, and scared. But they were determined to give glory to God, who they trusted was in control of their situation.
The Miracle
There was the movement of God. In this instance God moved through an earthquake. In other instances He will move in other ways.
The earthquake had sprung open the jail doors, allowing the prisoners to escape
The jailer, feeling helpless and hopeless, drew his sword to kill himself. He knew the terrible shame and punishment awaiting him and the shame coming upon his family due to his letting the prisoners escape
Rather than escape, Paul and Silas stayed right in their cell and somehow persuaded the rest of the prisoners to do so as well. God’s intent on this occasion was not the physical deliverance of his servants, but the spiritual deliverance of the jailer and his family.
The jailer
He questioned Paul and Silas, what must I do to be saved?
The disciples were God's instruments for proclaiming salvation. They were tired and sore and it was the wee hours of the morning, yet they did not put the matter off until morning. They took time right then and there to meet the man's need.
We may not always experience a visibly dramatic rescue like Paul and Silas, But we know that God responds to the praises of His people! When He moves, chains fall apart.
Psalm 22:3 (NKJV) “[God], You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.”
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Acts 16:16-18
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
The pythoness
Luke actually writes that the slave girl had a "python spirit" because of her association with oracle giving. It is referred to the snake that guarded the temple of Ancient Greek God Apollo on Mount Parnassus.
The oracle at Delphi in Greece was reputedly guarded by a serpent or dragon, Apollo, in Greek mythology, killed the serpent and thus became the successor to the serpent's oracular power.
He was thought to be embodied in the snake and to inspire 'pythonesses' - female devotees with powers as mediums and clairvoyants.
She said, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation” indeed. Taking this fact in mind, what was Paul so annoyed about? Was he literally, annoyed with the slave girl?
The casting out
Paul was "deeply troubled." So Paul turned around and said to the spirit (not to the girl), "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" The results are immediate.
"And it came out at that very moment"--this demon obeys the words of Paul. Here Luke is demonstrating Paul's authority over the fallen spirit world. What we have here are servants of the Most High God defeating the python spirit
This woman, this slave girl, brought a great deal of money to her owners because of her ability to tell fortunes. Paul took away her value. She was a commodity to her owners and Paul treated her the same way.
Paul saw what was wrong with the slave-girl, addressed the real issue, and allowed God to use him to set her free from demonic possession. That's what we should be doing, too.
Divination
Deuteronomy 18:10
There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer
Divination in any form is sin. It is not harmless entertainment or an alternate source of wisdom. Christians should avoid any practice related to divination, including fortune-telling, astrology, witchcraft, tarot cards, necromancy, and spell-casting.
Jeremiah 14:14
And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.
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Acts 14:8-10
Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.
Lystra
After being driven out of Iconium, Paul and Barnabas arrived at Lystra where they continued to preach the gospel
After Paul had spoken to the people, he looked upon a crippled man and commanded him to stand up. The man immediately rose up and began to walk.
The crowd responded to the miracle by concluding that Paul and Barnabas were Hermes and Zeus, gods who had come down in the likeness of men (verse 11)
Idolatry makes men think God is like they are.
The city of Lystra is noteworthy for being the probable home of Timothy, Paul’s young protégé (Acts 16:1).
Many scholars believe the church in Lystra, being in south Galatia, was one of the churches to whom the letter to the Galatians was addressed.
The Miracle
At the gates of their city there stood a great temple dedicated to Jupiter, and they appear to have been his zealous followers.
Paul is in the middle of a sermon, using his eyes to watch the audience as all preachers should do, and not looking up at the ceiling, or at the gallery-front as some preachers are wont to do, he marks this cripple, fixes his eyes upon him, and looks earnestly in his face.
Paul stops the sermon, and with a loud voice cries, “Stand upright on thy feet.” The cripple leaps and praises God. The population are all amazed, and knowing that there was a tradition that Jupiter and Mercury had once appeared in that very town, a tradition preserved in the Metamorphoses of Ovid to the present day, they at once conclude that surely Jupiter and Mercury must be come again.
The lame man the center of this story
The man had visible faith. Paul saw that he had faith to be healed.
Faith was not abstract faith but faith to be healed
Lystra becomes particularly receptive to the Gospel because of its mainly Gentile population and the fact that they had even thought the apostles were gods.
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Acts 13:6-11
6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.
Who was Elymas?
We find the man named Bar-Jesus in the Scripture we just read
The name Bar-Jesus means “son of Joshua” or “son of the Savior.”
The setting of the story of Bar-Jesus is Paul’s first missionary journey. Through prayer, fasting, and the Holy Spirit’s leading, the church in Antioch had selected Barnabas and Saul, who was also called Paul, to be sent out as missionaries.
When they arrived in Paphos, the western port and capital of the island, they were invited to meet with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who was Roman governor of the region.
Among the governor’s attendants was Bar-Jesus, a man who made his living practicing magic. He also claimed to be a prophet of God.
Magicians
As far as magicians in the Bible go, Elymas isn’t the first name that comes to mind. Simon the sorcerer was the first to plunge himself into infamy. Peter severely rebuked him for offering money for the ability to pass on the gifts of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:18)
Elymas did his best to thwart the apostle Paul’s evangelistic efforts to win the Proconsul, Sergius Paulus, to Christ. While the gospel message was convicting the heart of Sergius Paulus, Elymas was busy contradicting its messengers.
Galatians 5:20
idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
The miracle
Filled with the Holy Spirit’s power, Paul looked intently at Bar-Jesus and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun” (Acts 13:10–11).
Immediately, the magician was afflicted with temporary blindness and began groping around for someone to guide him by the hand. The magician’s name Bar-Jesus meant “son of the Savior,” but Paul called him “child of the devil,” a wordplay that would not have been lost on Sergius Paulus.
Sometimes when the gospel is preached, Satan will plant stumbling blocks and detractors like Bar-Jesus in the path of those who are seeking to understand the truth. But God is able to remove all obstacles.
When the governor saw what had happened to the sorcerer, he was astonished by the teaching he had just received from Barnabas and Paul, and he became a believer
Revelation 21:8
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.'
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Acts 9:1-9
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Saul's early history
Philippians 3:5–6
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
In a letter written to the Philippian church, Paul gives us some background into his life.
Luke introduces us to Saul in connection to the first Christian martyr. Stephen had been brought before the Sanhedrin in response to his ministry. While there, Stephen explained how the Old Testament was fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus. After accusing them of being responsible for Jesus' death, the Sanhedrin became enraged.
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.And Saul approved of their killing him (Acts 7:54–8:1a).
The conversion of Saul
During one of his persecution engagements against the church, Saul has a surprising encounter.
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
Ananias and Saul
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength (Acts 9:10–19a).
Paul starts preaching right away
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
In Jerusalem, Saul is well known as a persecutor of the church. So naturally, the believers there are very wary of false conversion stories meant to entrap them.
Saul was a name that would have been associated with his Jewish life. Paul was the Romanized version of the same name.
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Acts 19:11-12
11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
Unusual miracles
All miracles are unusual and extraordinary. But Paul is the only one God work unusual miracles
What so special about Paul that God would gave so special anointing and not one of the eleven disciples? Peter also had great anointing. Those who touched his shadow were healed (Acts 5:15).However, God the Holy Spirit did not describe Peter’s anointing as unusual miracles.
Peter was also the only one who could walk on water, but he did not have the special anointing that Paul had.
Who was Saul?
Paul who was previously called Saul (Acts 13:9) had great passion for God in a wrong way. He persecuted the church of Jesus Christ.
He was a Pharisee (Acts 23:6). Paul studied the law and he knew the law inside out. The reason he persecuted the church was because he thought the church was perverting the truth of God (Acts 8:1-3 and 22:4-5).
Jesus revealed Himself to Paul
Jesus knew Paul’s heart for God, so He appeared to him on the road (Acts 9:1-9)
After Paul heard Jesus’ voice and when he asked who Jesus was, he was transformed.
After Paul met Jesus in a supernatural way, and he heard His voice, Paul knew he was misled by the high priest. Paul was blinded (Acts 9:9) and he waited for Ananias a disciple of Jesus to pray for him.
No man can be transformed so drastically without the power of the Holy Spirit. He became from Saul (a persecutor) to Paul (an Apostle of Jesus).
Apostle Paul is the man who walked in the Spirit in his life and he received many revelations from Jesus Himself (2 Corinthians 12:7) that sometimes even Peter could not understand (2 Peter 3:15-16).
2 Corinthians 12:7
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
2 Peter 3:15-16
15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
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Acts 10:9-16
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
The Vision
God gave Peter a vision of a sheet descending from the heavens. Included in the sheet were some unclean animals.
He told Peter, "What God has made clean, do not call common." Was God telling Peter that it’s now okay to eat unclean animals?
Peter declined when God told him to "kill and eat" (verse 14)
After Peter declined the offer to kill and eat, God said, "What God has made clean, do not call common" (verse 15)
The meaning
God was using symbolism here in order to make a point. The overall message did not apply to the symbols God used in the vision, but rather to what the symbols represented. In this case, the unclean/common animals in the vision symbolized Gentiles. The point is that God wanted Peter to take the Gospel to Cornelius.
Acts 10:19-20
And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them
Acts 10:24-29
And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am a man." And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me
Jews and Gentiles alike are acceptable to God
That was the point of the vision. Therefore, we don’t have to come up with our own interpretation; Peter already interpreted the vision for us.
Acts 10:34-35
So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him
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Acts 5:12 Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s portico
Clusters of miracles
The Apostles performed miracles! The grace of God flowed down through them to help build up the Church we know and love today.
Peter was one of the main early Church leaders. People saw him as a pastor of the Jerusalem early Christians
Solomon's Portico
Solomon's Porch, Portico or Colonnade (John 10:23; Acts 3:11; 5:12), was a colonnade or cloister, located on the eastern side of the Temple's Outer Court
The Herodians spent a great deal of money on the Temple courts in order to demonstrate their wealth and power. Since Jerusalem had only one God, all funds could be spent improving the buildings around the Temple. Solomon’s Portico was therefore a beautiful public area for Jewish people to gather in sight of the Temple.
According to John 10:23 Jesus taught his disciples there, so Peter and the disciples are continuing the practice of Jesus by gathering on the Temple Mount.
Porticoes formed the entrances to ancient temples. The disciples formed a spiritual entrance to the kingdom of God there.
Making Disciples by Performing Miracles
We know that miracles are linked to Jesus' ministry as a teacher, and the same is truth when the early Church started to rise.
The Old Testament promises of healing and restoration for Israel (e.g. Isa 58:8; Jer 33:6), of inclusion for the gentiles (e.g. Isa 52:10; 56:3), and of victory over hostile spiritual and temporal forces (e.g. Zeph 3:17; Zech 12:7), are fulfilled (at least in part) in Jesus’ miraculous actions.
Mark 16:17-18
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
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Acts 12:1–10
1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.
2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.
7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.
8 Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him.
9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.
10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
The circumstances
v3, we read that the Jews were celebrating Passover, the Festival of Unleavened Bread. They were celebrating the deliverance of their people through God’s intervention
King Herod imprisoned Peter who was proclaiming God’s redemptive
act of salvation for all humanity through Jesus Christ
Prayer
v5. The church was earnestly praying for Peter’s release
The word “earnest” comes from the idea of being stretched out before God in passionate prayer
Does “earnest prayer” characterize a part of your life? Why, why not?
The escape
Peter was guarded by four squads of four soldiers each on a rotating basis
Peter was sleeping bound with two chains between two soldiers, with sentries standing guard at the entrance of his cell. By earthly means, there was no chance of escape.
v 7, an angel suddenly appears, and light enveloped his cell. The angel gives Peter a quick shove and tells him to “Quick, get up!”
Then the angel tells Peter to put on his clothes and wrap his outer garment around him. Now being fully dressed and released from his chains, Peter follows the angel out of the prison. On their way out, they pass through two guard posts, and when they approach the iron gate, it opens by itself. Peter is free!
While Peter is walking through the city streets of Jerusalem, the angel leaves him.
Upon his release, Peter heads to the home of Mary where many people were gathering to pray. When Peter knocks on the door, the servant Rhonda answers. She recognizes Peter’s voice and is so overjoyed that she runs back in without opening the door and exclaims, “Peter is at the door!”
Why was the church surprised when Peter interrupted their prayer meeting?
Acts 12:24-25
But the word of God grew and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, bringing with them John whose other name was Mark
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Acts 5:14-15
More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.
15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
The early Church
As the apostles established the early church after Christi's resurrection, they traveled preaching the gospel, healing diseases, raising the dead, and exorcising demonic spirits. Here we have gathered the many scripture accounts of their healing in Acts to read in Bible study and faithful encouragement.
As the apostles established the early church after Christ's resurrection, they traveled preaching the gospel, healing diseases, raising the dead, and exorcising demonic spirits.
Many Signs and Wonders Done
Acts 5:12-16
Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
The book of Acts records at least 20 specific miracles and tells of 9 times when clusters of them occurred
The fact that many miracles occurred does not mean that every believer should always expect one whenever he faces a problem.
The Purpose Of Miracles
God’s primary purpose in performing miracles was to authenticate the ministry of the apostles,
When God answers our petitions for healing or deliverance, He usually works in such a way that the skeptic can easily deny that a miracle happened
Isaiah 53:5
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Jesus's death on the cross healed us from the, or really delivered us or freed us from the punishment of our sin in the past
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Acts 5:1-11
1Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.
3Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?
4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.
6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that is the price."
9 Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
What happened?
It all begins at the end of chapter 4 with the description of the early church in Jerusalem, a group of believers so filled with the Holy Spirit that they were of one heart and one mind.
Great power and grace were on the apostles, who preached and testified of the risen Savior. So knit together were the hearts of the people that they held all their possessions loosely and willingly shared them with one another, not because they were coerced but because they loved one another.
Those who sold land and houses gave of their profits to the apostles, who distributed the gifts to those in need.
Deceit and greed
What Ananias and Sapphira did was a contrast with what people in general where doing
“But a man named Ananias . . .” A dark cloud invades the scene. Greed and deceit enter the community like a virus. Amid the glorious expansion of the church, Ananias and Sapphira sneak in as a threat.
Sapphira falls down dead at Peter’s feet (5:10), whereas Joseph brought all his money and laid it at the apostles’ feet (4:37). The generous disciple held God’s authority in high esteem and showed it by laying his possessions at his appointed messenger’s feet. Ananias and Sapphira did not, and God made his authority known by laying them down.
Satan trying to infiltrate
verse 3, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit”?” that principalities are at war. Satan is trying to get a foothold because he sees how powerfully the Spirit is moving. Whereas the community was “filled” with the Holy Spirit (4:30), Ananias was “filled” with Satan; “he has become Satan’s plaything.”
This is not simply a story of greed in the early Church. It’s about an attack on the church from within—an enemy scared and trying to stop the great momentum of the gospel.
Ananias and Sapphira were not judged for their lack of generosity. Instead, they were judged for trying to deceive God.
The assembly’s response
The aftermath is Acts 5:11, which says, “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.”
“and the word continued to spread”
Lying to God is a Serious Offense. God will judge and punish those who continue in sin (Revelation 21:6-8).
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Acts 9:36-42
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. 37About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.
38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!"
39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.
41He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive.
42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.
Who was Dorcas ?
Dorcas, or Tabitha, in the Bible lived in the town of Joppa, a city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Dorcas was also called Tabitha
Dorcas is a Greek name meaning “gazelle,”
Tabitha is the Aramaic rendering of the same name
Dorcas, or Tabitha, was a charitable person who made things, especially clothing, for the needy in Joppa
Proverbs 13:22 a good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous
The miracle
When Dorcas became ill and died, the believers who knew Dorcas heard that Peter was in the nearby town of Lydda, and they sent for him. The Bible does not specifically say that the disciples at Joppa were hoping for Peter to resurrect Dorcas, but they did call urgently for him
When Peter arrived at the home where Dorcas’ body had been laid out, he went up to see the body. There were many widows there, weeping. They all showed Peter “the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them”—tangible evidence of Dorcas’ loving service (Acts 9:39).
The Significance
What happened next is proof that our God is full of glorious, unrestrained power: “Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet.
Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:40–42).
The resurrection of Dorcas was a major reason so many people in Joppa believed. This miracle performed in the name of the Lord led many to faith in Christ.
John 5:25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live
Because God has a plan for Tabitha and the proceeding miracle, He answered the prayer of Peter and brought Tabitha back to life.
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Acts 9:32-35
33 There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years.
34 "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up.
35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
Who was Aeneas?
Aeneas was a man living in the town of Lydda, situated on the coastal plain about 22 miles northwest of Jerusalem
Aeneas had suffered from paralysis for eight years until Simon Peter came to town
The name Aeneas is Greek and may imply that the man was either a Gentile or a Hellenistic Jew
The Miracle
Peter said to him, ‘Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.’ Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.”
Not only was a paralyzed man healed, but Acts 9:35 says that “all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.”
Aeneas healing is remarkable. When he heard the words “Jesus Christ heals you,” his reaction was not cynical or doubting. He did not say: “I have been paralyzed for eight years! What are you talking about? How can I get up and make my bed?!” Instead, he immediately believed that Christ healed him!
The Significance
By recognizing that Jesus wanted to heal this non-traditional Jew or possibly a Gentile, Peter was better prepared for the vision Jesus would soon give him in nearby Joppa at the home of Simon the tanner (Acts 9:43; Acts 10).
God used Aeneas to demonstrate His power to people who did not know Him.
2 Corinthians 12:12 (ESV)
The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.
If I were Aeneas, what would I have done? Would I have believed St. Peter, that Jesus Christ will heal me?
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Acts.5:14-16
14 More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.
15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
All of them were healed
Nowhere does the passage say that anyone was actually healed by being in Peter’s shadow but we assume that
Verse 16 says that the power of God was so strong that all of them where healed
The Shadow
Note that the word "shadow" in Acts 5:15 does not, in the original Greek, necessarily mean a dark spot made by the sun. It is a word meaning an effulgence, a radiance, a shining forth of divine energy.
The book of Acts shows that many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles. In chapter three an outstanding miracle took place with a man lame from birth. In chapter four the place where the saints were meeting was shaken by the Holy Ghost.
And now in chapter five, in the case of Peter his close proximity brought healing to many.
Faith and the anointing
We know that people obviously had a high regard for Peter’s miracle-working and that they placed faith in the efficacy of even his shadow
Obviously it was not Peter's power or holiness that was radiating. It was the presence and power of Christ.
People who have a large or heavy radiation of life force, be it for good or evil, are said to have "charisma." When they enter a room, their presence immediately demands attention, many times without a word being spoken.
Jesus said (John 14:12) that we would do the same works that He did
Isaiah 60:1-2
Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
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Acts 5:17–21
17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, 18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
The issue
The religious council initially held Peter and John because they taught the resurrection from the dead, which the Sadducee-heavy Sanhedrin doesn't believe in.
Since preaching the resurrection isn't a crime—the Pharisees do just that—and the public supported them too much, the council couldn't punish them.
Now, however, the Sanhedrin can charge the apostles with disobeying a direct order of religious authorities. The Sanhedrin had forbidden Peter and John from preaching in Jesus' name (Acts 4:18). The apostles disobeyed, as Peter warned they would (Acts 4:19–20).
The Angel
But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, 20 "Go your way, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life." (Acts 5:19-20 NASB)
The word "angel" is from the Greek word aggelos, which means: "a messenger." In general, in texts where an angel appears, the task is to convey the message or do something on behalf of God. Since the focus of the text is on the message, the messenger is rarely described in detail. Thus, the divine emissary may or may not be some sort of supernatural being. How the angel got them out, we don't know, but it sure seems to be miraculous. The impression that Luke wants to give is that God Himself intervened.
re-arrested
"Go your way, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life." (Acts 5:20 NASB)
The apostles ended up before the Sanhedrin, right where they would have been if they had not been released from prison. So, why release them? God did not set the apostles free so they could run for the hills or so they could just indulge their own comfort. They were set free for a reason. What was that reason? It was an acting out of prophecy.
Some times God delivers His children, and some times He doesn't.
Isaiah 42:7
To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon, And those who dwell in darkness from the prison
Luke 21:16-17
But you will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, 17 and you will be hated by all on account of My name
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Acts 3
1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk.
The Gate Beautiful
Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour
Peter and John were not going to the temple at the hour of sacrifice, but at the hour of prayer that followed the afternoon sacrifice. They realized that the sacrificial system was fulfilled in the perfect sacrifice Jesus offered on the cross
The Jewish historian Josephus described this gate on the temple mount; made of fine Corinthian brass, seventy-five feet high with huge double doors, so beautiful that it “greatly excelled those that were only covered over with silver and gold
The lame man
A certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried… asked for alms
The lame man simply wanted to be supported in the condition that he was in. God had something better in mind
Fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
The healing
And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them; walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. (v.7-10)
Immediately his feet and bones received strength: Strength did not come to the lame man until Peter said “rise up and walk,” and not until Peter took him by the right hand and lifted him up.
The lame man at the Beautiful Gate wanted something; but God wanted to give him something much greater.
Peter preaches to the gathered crowd
Peter responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?”
Why do you marvel at this? Peter’s point was simple: Jesus healed all sorts of people when He walked this earth, so why should it seem strange that He continues to heal from heaven?
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John 20:30 AMP
There are also many other signs (attesting miracles) that Jesus performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
How many miracles?
We don’t know how many miracles Jesus did during His life and earthly ministry on earth
While we don’t know how many miracles were performed, we can count those that are clearly spoken of in the four gospel accounts wish are 37 plus His resurrection for a total of 38 miracles.
Why Did Jesus Do Miracles?
First, Jesus told us that He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister (Mark 10:45) and in His miracles He certainly did that.
Jesus performed miracles was to reveal Himself as being sent by God, as being the Son of Man (a Messianic title), and as being the Son of God.
One more reason for Jesus performing miracles was to give us a glimpse of that which is to come. One day all things will be made new by the power of God.
Examples of other miracles
Jesus healed a great multitude (Matt 12:15-21, Mark 3:7-12, Luke 6:17-19)
He healed the blind and the lame in the temple (Matt 21:14).
Do miracles still happen today?
In Scripture, miracles are often associated with the words “signs and wonders.” A sign is a physical manifestation that points to something greater than itself. In other words, the healing ministry of Jesus recounted in Scripture confirms that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the Savior of the world (Acts 2:22)
I believe all the kinds of miracles we see in the New Testament continue to happen in the world today with the same frequency and intensity
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
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John 21:1-14
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus ), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
The haul
The first great catch of fish, in Luke 5:1-11, occurred at the very beginning of the ministry of Jesus
At the Lake of Galilee Jesus taught the people from the boat belonging to Simon Peter. After his discourse He said to Simon: "Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch. And Simon answered, 'Master, we have toiled all the night and took nothing!'" (Luke 5:4b-5a).
The second great fish of 153 fishes, which occurred after the resurrection, and was His last earthly meal with His apostles
The Miracle
On at least three occasions, Jesus directs His disciples to meet Him in Galilee after His resurrection (Matthew 26:32; 28:7, 10; Mark 14:28; 16:7)
The last miracle is like Jesus coming “full-circle.” with the disciples
Galilee is the disciples’ home, and their fishing boats are docked there
They didn't recognize Jesus immediately. how many times have we ignored Jesus when He is right in front of us?
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The number 153 has some unique arithmetic properties. It is a triangular number: it is the sum of the integers from 1 to 17. Almost every modern biblical commentary on the symbolism of 153 mentions this fact.
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The number 153 occurs only once in the Old Testament. Actually, it is the number 153000, which was the number of constructors of the first temple when Solomon was king.
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How do we explain the 1000 in 153000? This is what the evangelist means by "big fishes". He certainly could not make you believe that the miraculous catch was 153 thousand fishes. That would have been not only miraculous, but beyond believable. The symbolic trick is to use "big" to mean "1000" as a multiplier. And that actually is a double-trick: 1000 is well known in the Old Testament to represent a symbolic large value that cannot be counted. So, not only does the 153 big fishes refer to the 153000 constructors of the first temple, it also means "a very large unknown number". This is also coherent with the first observation of one of the apostles when looking inside the net: there was a multitude of fishes.
The Calling of Peter
After the miracle Jesus ministers inner healing to Peter and calls him once again.
Just as Peter we can be called to follow and after we learn the gospel truth we are called to lead
Jesus gave Peter a three-fold command to “feed my sheep” in John 21:15-17. Each time Jesus said, “Feed my sheep,” it was in response to Peter’s three-fold declaration of love for Jesus.
Jesus calls for action to accompany our faith; giving meaning and purpose for our Christian lives.
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Jesus rose from the dead
Luke 24:5-6
In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:
Death Is Defeated
Why do you look for the living among the dead?
The women had come to Jesus’ tomb to anoint his body for the burial when they encountered a pair of angels asking this question
Death had been conquered. Jesus had defeated the power of death
1 Corinthians 15:55
Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
Only Jesus conquered death
The Angels
Angels had announced Jesus’ birth
Angels announced that He had risen
The Women
Rising early Sunday morning (possibly even late Saturday night). Gathering the spices and approaching the tomb. They saw the stone rolled away and they were “perplexed”
The proof offered by the angel to the women that Jesus was alive was the fact that Jesus said He would die and rise again.
The women ran with this proof to the 11 and their companions
Jesus showed Himself to the disciples
Luke 24:15-24
(15-17) “While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad.”
So Jesus shows up, but they aren’t allowed to recognize Him
John 20:27
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
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Luke 22:50-51
And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
The betrayal
On the night that Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of his followers used a sword to cut off the ear of one of the men who had come to arrest Jesus.
When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
The Miracle
We learn in the Gospel of John, in John 18:1-14, the follower who used a sword to attack one of the men who had come to arrest Jesus was Peter, Simon Peter the Apostle.
Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him.
Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour-when darkness reigns."
Rather than resist arrest, or allow his followers to engage in violence, Jesus admonished them and told them to stop resisting. Jesus then performed a miracle in which he healed the injured man's ear. Then Jesus cooperated and allowed himself to be arrested
Malchus
Peter, who cut off Malchus’ ear, had a history of impulsive behavior. He loved Jesus deeply, but he sometimes let his strong emotions interfere with his judgment
Jesus reprimanded the violence, immediately dropped to his knees and miraculously healed the servant’s ear.“But Jesus answered, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.”
This healing was the last miracle that Jesus performed before his crucifixion
Malchus’ experience shows us that Jesus’ love was omnipresent. He was betrayed and unfairly arrested at that very moment, yet all that He had for this high priest’s servant was love.
The Bible doesn’t mention Malchus after this, but one can imagine that his life and heart was changed after his personal encounter with Jesus
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Matthew 21:18-22
Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Why?
Why did Jesus cause the fig tree to wither, when He knew it was not the season for figs?
He chose to use His encounter with the fig tree as an opportunity to teach the disciples a lesson concerning the future judgment coming for this unbelieving generation of Israel by the power of God.
The tree
Mark says Jesus was hungry and looking for fruit on the tree. The tree had leaves, indicating that it was ready to produce fruit, but Jesus finds none
Mark notes that this was not the season for figs, so it was not surprising that the tree was without fruit
The fig tree is a prophetic representation of Israel
If the Lord was willing to condemn a fruit tree for failing to produce fruit out of season, how much more will He bring judgment against Israel for failing to show spiritual fruit in the face of clear evidence that Jesus was the Messiah?
The Miracle
Jesus then declares that this tree will never again produce fruit.
Jesus knew the tree wouldn't have fruit, so He must have orchestrated this moment to teach His disciples a lesson
Jesus condemned the fruitless tree as an picture of what would happen to this unbelieving generation of Israel
Mark 11:20
As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up.
As the tree lost nourishment from the roots in the ground, it began to die in keeping with Jesus' words.
The power of prayer
Upon seeing the withered tree, the disciples exclaimed that that the tree was dying. Their exclamation carried a tone of disbelief, which led Jesus to launch into a teaching on the power of prayer
When Jesus spoke his words of condemnation to the tree, His words had the power to wither the tree because they were consistent with God's will
Mark 11:22,23
And Jesus answered saying to them, “ Have faith in God. “ Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.
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Matthew 20:30-34
Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
The place
Jesus has been traveling from Galilee toward Jerusalem for some time and He has been ministering to the people along the way. His plan is to be in Jerusalem for the Passover
Jesus has repeatedly told His disciples, “the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up” (Matthew 20:18,19)
As Jesus has passed through different areas more people would start to follow Him. In addition the roads are full of other pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem
The two blind men
And as they were going out from Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And the multitude sternly told them to be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
We find that these two blind men are sitting by the side of the road. This would be a common place we would expect blind people to be since they usually had to make their living by begging
These men had not met Jesus before, they had only heard about Him. Yet they applied what they heard from what they knew from the writings of the prophets and came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah
The miracle
And Jesus stopped and called to them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” And moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
Jesus was never is so much of a hurry that He failed to hear those who cried out to Him
The Gospels of Mark and Luke tell us that Jesus sent for them with Mark, the Gospel of Mark even saying that Bartimaeus cast aside his coat and jumped up to come to Jesus
Notice that Jesus healing was immediate. Jesus’ miracles were always complete, usually instantaneous, and often defied any possible natural explanation. Jesus simply touched their eyes and they were healed.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
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John 11:1-46
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Then Thomas (also known as Didymus ) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
Story Summary
When Lazarus fell ill, his sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." When Jesus heard the news, he waited two more days before going to Lazarus' hometown of Bethany.
When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days. When Martha discovered that Jesus was on his way, she went out to meet him. "Lord," she said, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
Jesus told Martha, "Your brother will rise again." But Martha thought he was talking about the final resurrection of the dead.
Then Jesus said these crucial words: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."
When Mary met Jesus, she was grieving with strong emotion over her brother's death. The Jews with her were also weeping and mourning. Deeply moved by their grief, Jesus wept with them.
Jesus then went to the tomb of Lazarus with Mary, Martha and the rest of the mourners. There he asked them to remove the stone that covered the hillside burial place. Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed to his Father, closing with these words: "Lazarus, come out!" When Lazarus came out of the tomb, Jesus told the people to remove his grave clothes.
Life Lessons
Whoever believes in Jesus Christ, receives spiritual life that even physical death can never take away.
As a result of this incredible miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, many people believed that Jesus was the Son of God and put their faith in Christ.
Jesus showed the disciples, and the world, that he had power over death.
It is absolutely essential to our faith as Christians that we believe in the resurrection of the dead.
Jesus revealed his compassion for people through a genuine display of emotion.
Jesus also raised Jairus' daughter (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:41-42; Luke 8:52-56) and a widow's son (Luke 7:11-15) from dead.
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Luke 17:11-19
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
The Location
The story of 10 lepers being healed is found only in Luke’s Gospel and represents an event that takes place as Jesus and his apostles are travelling toward Jerusalem
The 10 lepers, are a group of people excluded from community life because of their medical condition, and one leper was considered to have been doubly excluded because of his ethnicity. He was a Samaritan.
The Healing
The lepers, “keeping their distance,” call out to Jesus, not specifically to heal them but to “have mercy on us!”
When Jesus sees them, he sends them to the priests, who will determine according to the law of Moses, specifically Leviticus 14, whether they have been healed of leprosy. The lepers immediately demonstrate their faith by following Jesus’ instruction even though they still have their disease.
Only as they are on their way, do we find out that “they were made clean.”
The Samaritan
The gospel says that only the Samaritan turns back to praise God and (literally translated) “fell before his feet” and thanks Jesus.
Jesus asks rhetorically, “Were not 10 made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?
Jesus then addresses the healed Samaritan: “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” But was not the Samaritan already well even before he came back praising God and giving thanks to Jesus?
The Samaritan’s return allows Jesus to demonstrate that no one, not a leper, nor a Samaritan, is beyond God’s mercy.
Lessons
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God’s mercy is for all
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Jesus is there when we cry out to Him for his mercy
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Jesus is not a respector of persons
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It often takes a step of obedience before we see God’s miracles
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Our faith in Christ will cause us to fall at His feet in worship
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Luke 14:1-4
One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.
Sabbath healings
Jesus kept healing people on the Sabbath
Religious people criticized Jesus all the time for healing on a Sabbath
The Man
Jesus removes many pounds/ gallons of fluid from a man's body in a few seconds.
DROPSY: An old term for the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. The causes of the swelling could be: Edema, heart failure, kidney problems, liver failure, etc.
The Place and Time
This was a Sabbath and Knowing his host, the Pharisee, would be offended if He healed the man, Jesus explains why he is healing that man.
He was not there by accident; this was not a public place. The proximity of the man to Jesus at this meal indicates that he was deliberately placed opposite or near Jesus at the table
The Healing
Luke used the Greek word epilabomenos, which Matthew Henry says indicated that Jesus “embraced him, took him in his arms, big and unwieldy as he wa
The cure of a very swollen person, one would think, would have to be gradual, but Luke describes it as taking place in a moment
JESUS IS THE GREAT PHYSICIAN!
Isaiah. 53:5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed
Exodus. 15:26 I am Jehovah-Rapha” – “the Lord that heals you.”
Matthew. 4:23-24
“Jesus went…healing EVERY disease and sickness among the people….ALL who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them”
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Luke 13:10-17
On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
The Place
Jesus had begun to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) and was travelling one last time through Perea on the other side of the Jordan
Jesus was in a synagogue for the last recorded time during His earthly ministry.
“And behold, there was a woman, which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together” (v. 11).
The Woman
This woman's frame was completely pulled together. Her back was bent, not slightly, but as the original says, bent together, or completely bent over.
She had been this way for eighteen years. She couldn’t look up into the sky or into people’s faces.
We also know that this woman had been bound by Satan. In verse 16, Christ tells us that Satan bound this woman eighteen years ago. She had a “spirit of infirmity” (v. 11).
This was both a medical and spiritual problem. The devil had bound her so that she shuffled around every day as if chained by him
Finally this woman was in a situation where she could do nothing to straighten herself. Verse 11 reiterates this: “and could in no wise lift up herself.”
The Miracle
Despite her pain and the shame she could have felt, her feet shuffled down the cobbled streets of this town until she was present to hear the Word of God read and explained.
This particular time, Christ was the preacher, anointed from heaven “to preach liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isa. 61:1-3).
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First, He looked at her. “Jesus saw her...” (v. 12). This emphasizes the one-sided work of God’s grace. Many others came to Jesus asking for healing; this woman may also have prayed to the Lord many times for healing. But here, the Lord Jesus saw her in a way that no one can see.
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Second, He called her to Him (v. 12). She likely couldn’t see Christ, but, shuffling, she followed His voice until she came to Him.
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Third, He touched her. “And he laid his hands on her” (v. 13). Under His touch, the spirit of infirmity left, the devil gave way, and this woman was no longer crushed, but stood upright.
You can receive healing
Have you experienced the freedom of your spiritual chains falling off?
It is not unusual for people to come to a house of worship burdened – perhaps not physically, but emotionally or spiritually.
Leviticus 26:13
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high
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John 9:1-38
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. 8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” 10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. 11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” 12 “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.
The Man
Christ’s question to the blind man, who had his sight restored: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
when they came across this blind man, they decide to make him part of their lesson for the day. “Rabbi (that is, Teacher), who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
They assume that the man’s blindness was a punishment for a specific sin
The Glory of God
Jesus points out how suffering can be turned into a reason for glorifying God.
God allowed this man to suffer with blindness, so that he would be a living, walking “advertisement” for his Son.
Spiritual blindness
The very question, “Why me?” exposes our spiritual blindness that assumes that we DESERVE better. Spiritual blindness claims that we have RIGHTS
In a world of sin, where we have no aptitude to recognize our Lord and Savior, we are just like that blind man. We couldn’t see Jesus, but he could see us.
Isaiah 42:19-22a “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD? You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing." It pleased the LORD for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons”
Ephesians 5:14 “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you”
Jesus Gives Sight to the Blind – the Blind from Birth and even those who have Blinded Themselves
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Matthew 17:14-21
When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
We need mercy from Jesus
14 When they reached the crowd, a man approached and knelt down before him. 15 “Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”
He has this overwhelming concern for his son. Jesus’ disciples can’t help him and he’s hoping something will change.
He needs help, he sees Jesus, and he says, “Lord, have mercy on my son.” We need mercy from Jesus.
Faith matters
19 Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 “Because of your little faith,” he told them.
He says, “You unbelieving and perverse generation.” Those are strong words. That’s the way He normally talks to the Pharisees and Sadducees.
“Why couldn’t we drive it out?” They knew that something wasn’t right, so they wanted to see what was up. Jesus answers their question very simply by saying, “Because of your little faith.”
They don’t need more faith in terms of quantity (we’ll learn in a minute that it only takes a little bit). They need more faith in terms of power!
Verse 20 “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Jesus is the ultimate healer
Just like that, Jesus commanded that demon to leave that boy and he was healed! Jesus is the ultimate healer.
Seek Him first and seek His healing as He desires to work. That healing will come in His time. You will be healed of everything in His time.
Miraculous Jesus experiences require miraculous Jesus faith.
The reason for powerlessness is prayerlessness (new word). The disciples who had been left in the valley had faced the challenge of casting out a demon and had failed miserably. The fact that the disciples are defeated proves that they still had much to learn.
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Mark 8:22-26
They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”
Bethsaida
There are miracles only registered in the gospel of Mark. This is one of these unique miracles recorded in detail.
This is the only progressive miracle Jesus performed in the New Testament
Bethsaida was a village located near the mouth of the upper Jordan River on the east bank of the Sea of Galilee. This village is no longer inhabited
It is recorded in this account that “some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.”
The people
The people could have been bringing the blind man to Jesus because he was a part of their village and they cared for his well-being.
They could also have simply a desire to see the miracles of Jesus for themselves;
First touch
Verse 23, “He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When He had spit on the man’s eyes and put His hands on him, Jesus asked “do you see anything?”
Jesus did not choose to do the healing with everyone around, but instead He took the man alone with Him outside of the busy village.
Some of the greatest and most faith-growing times in our life will happen when we are completely alone with God.
Jesus’ process was to (1) taking them outside the village, (2) spit on his eyes, and (3) then touch Him.
Second touch
Verse 24, “ He looked up and said, ‘they look like trees walking around. I see people; they look like trees walking around.’”
There was a need for Jesus to do this miracle partially with the first touch and then completely with a second.
Verse 25, “once again Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”
Hebrews 12:3
Jesus was truly the “author and perfector of faith” for this man
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Mark 7:31-37
Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
The man
Mark was the only Evangelist to record this miracle
Mark decided to write about this miracle because it demonstrated an act of Jesus healing a Gentile
Jesus took him aside in private, away from the crowd
Medicine in this time and region was basically inexistent
The Miracle
Decapolis, the area of Jesus’ destination, was a ten-city group on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire.
- Hippose, Pella, Scythopolis, Philadelphia, Gerasa, Dion, Kanatha, Damascus, Raphana and Gadara
During His ministry, Jesus performed more than 40 miracles, including healing the sick, changing the natural elements of nature and even raising people from the dead.
Jesus looked up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘be opened.’
Immediately the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
The Efficacy of Jesus' Saliva
In the days of Jesus, ailments such as deafness and muteness were often seen as either punishment for sin or possession by demons. Jesus’ ability to cure these ailments presents him as one who can forgive sin and overcome demons.
Laminim
- “a glycoprotein component of connective tissue basement membrane that promotes cell adhesion” Miriam Webster Dictionary
Several Roman writers and Jewish rabbis considered saliva to be a valid treatment for blindness. Since the people of that day had a high view of saliva’s healing properties, Jesus used spit to communicate His intention to heal.
Matthew 4:23
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
Audio Podcast click here
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Matthew 15:22-28
A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment
The Woman
The woman is said to be from Syria Phoenicia (Mark 7:26).
Jesus treats the Canaanite woman strangely. It is out of character. She pleads for her daughter. He ignores her.
This poor Canaanite woman steps in front of him – desperate for healing, she pleads for her daughter. Jesus ignores her. Walks past.
She is desperate, she refuses to be snubbed. As he passes by she continues to shout, persisting in her request – healing for her daughter.
The Canaanites hated the Jews and were in turn hated by them. Jews referred to the Canaanites - as dogs.
Jesus reaction
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." As if to say: The Jewish people, my people, are my first concern.
She will not take silence for an answer: She kneels before Jesus: “Lord help me.” She is desperate, persistent and powerless. “Lord help me”.
Jesus still refuses her, even goads her. “It is not fair to give the children’s bread to dogs”. She refuses to take offence. In fact, she outwits Jesus. She is his teacher. In effect she says: Call us what you like, I don’t care: “Lord, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.”
The Healing
She overwhelms him. “Woman you have great faith!” She breaks through his silence, his belittling of her people, challenges Jesus in her need. “Woman you have great faith. Be it done for you as you desire”Her daughter was immediately cured.
The work of Jesus is no longer limited to the Jews but reaches out to non-Jews as well. “Go and make disciples of all nations…”
She comes to Jesus in faith
This Canaanite woman is a model of faith.
Jesus frequently tested people to prove their intentions, often through response questions or challenges
Jesus was testing the faith of the woman and teaching an important lesson to His disciples.
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Matthew 14:15-21 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” 16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus’ Compassion
Jesus had compassion for the people who followed him and healed the sick and infirm among them
At the end of the day, the disciples wanted the crowd to go away because it was getting dark. But then Jesus said to them, let the people remain and instead give them some food.
The resources
They had only five loaves of bread and two fish. (This miracle is also known as ‘the miracle of the five loaves and two fish’ for this reason.)
Jesus asked the bread and fish to be brought to him, before telling the crowds of gathered people to sit down upon the grass.
Jesus took the five loaves and two fish and looked up to heaven, blessing them, before breaking the food. Then he gave the food to the disciples, who in turn gave it to the crowds of people.
At the end of the day
They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of leftovers. The number of those who ate was ‘about five thousand men, beside women and children’ (Matthew 14:21).
The ‘feeding of the five thousand’ is the only miracle performed by Jesus which is recorded in all four gospels: Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:12-17, and John 6:1-14.
This isn’t the only time that Jesus performed such a feat. For there is another similar miracle, the ‘feeding of the four thousand’, which is performed with seven loaves of bread and a ‘few’ fish. This one appears only in Matthew 15:32-39 and Mark 8:1-9, which is perhaps why it’s less well-known.
Nothing We Face Here on Earth Is Too Big for God
Jesus is big enough for any of our expectations, and he uses other people to bless others, and ultimately, it shows Jesus’ compassion for His people.
He surpassed expectations. He is ultimate. This means that Jesus provides every need and He exceeds. We are reminded about this in the passage John 1:3, as stated, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”
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Matthew 12:22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.
The Man
We see Jesus healing and removing a demon from a person that was both blind and mute
The reason for his condition appears to have been oppression by a demon. Demons, as shown in the New Testament, can sometimes cause disabilities in their victims.
Jesus immediately solves the man's problem by healing him, likely by casting the demon out. Suddenly the man can see and speak.
The crowds
Following this healing the crowd is amazed and impressed.
Satan has a way of making every life miserable he comes into contact with. In mercy, Jesus heals.
The viewers of the miraculous were overwhelmed – quite literally beside themselves with amazement and wonder. They knew healings like this had to be the handiwork of God.
the crowds began to question: "Could this be the Son of David?"
Reaction
This will lead to something more than a denial of a miracle. Rather than expressing doubt that this was a supernatural event, the Pharisees will accept that it's miraculous. However, they are so hardened against God that they'll insist the power comes from Satan (Matthew 12:24)
Jesus took the Pharisees nonsensical accusations and showed them for the foolishness that they truly were.
Proverbs 3:30 Do not accuse a man for no reason--when he has done you no harm
Do you need deliverance?
Jesus makes the obvious point that kingdoms cannot stand which are divided against themselves. The common end to divisions is desolation. If you need deliverance make up your mind about Christ!
There is no greater power that can heal completely but Jesus. Seek the Father’s Will for your life, embrace the Holy Spirit and become a child of God.
John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
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Matthew 12:10-13
And a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.
Jesus “went into their synagogue"
“Behold, there was a man which had his hand withered.”
That word “behold” is a sort of note of exclamation to draw attention to it
The Man
he was a very humble, obscure, insignificant individual, probably very badly off and in great poverty, because he could not work as his fellow craftsmen could, but not a man of any rank, or learning, or special intelligence
It was his right hand which was withered, the worse of the two for him, for he could scarcely follow his handicraft or earn his bread.
His being in the assembly was in itself nothing very remarkable. I suppose he had been accustomed to go to the synagogue as others of his townsmen did; yet the Holy Spirit takes care to mark that he was present
it likely that he was there with the intention of asking for healing, he was there to be taught… to listen to what Jesus had to say, to be part of the gathering that had assembled for teaching.
notice THIS MAN’S OBEDIENCE
The teaching came before the healing
In most well-known stories of Jesus healing teaching comes before the miracles
what these stories teach us is that everyone is equal when it comes to Jesus’ teaching; he came for all, to share the Good News with all, for everyone to respond to him.
The Miracle
Jesus told the man to stretch out his hand, and his hand was healed. There is a metaphor for us all there too. By stretching out our hand in welcome, in love, to everyone, we are doing what Jesus would have us do
This command was addressed, then, to a man who was hopelessly incapable of obeying. “Stretch forth thine hand.” As a general rule when a thorough paralysis, not a partial one, takes place in the hand it seizes the entire member, and both hand and arm are paralyzed.
That stretching forth of the hand was entirely an act of faith. It was not an act of sense. As a matter of sense and nature the man was powerless for it. He only did it because his faith brought the ability.
the healing was manifest; it was also immediate. The man had not to stand there a long time, but his hand was straightway healed
If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed
Notice that all of the healings of the Lord Jesus were permanent and total. There is no partial healing or temporary healing when Jesus does miracles.
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John 5:1-9
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,
The pool
The Pool of Bethesda was “in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate” (John 5:2), which places it north of the temple
During Jesus’ time, the Pool of Bethesda lay outside the city walls
The name of the pool, “Bethesda,” is Aramaic. It means “House of Mercy.”
The first person into the pool after the stirring of the water “was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted” (John 5:4). The Bible does not teach that this actually happened
On the day that Jesus visited the Pool of Bethesda, there was a man there who “had been an invalid for thirty-eight years”
Are You Waiting for God?
How long do we live with trouble before we’re on our knees, asking God for healing of any sort—physical, emotional, or spiritual?
The miracle of this story is that even though the lame man thought and behaved in a typical, self-defeating way, Jesus noticed him and healed him.
The Miracle
Jesus swept aside all superstition and bypassed altogether the need for magic water with one command: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (John 5:8)
The man was instantly cured, and “he picked up his mat and walked” (verse 9). The man did not need quicker reflexes or beneficent angels or enchanted water. The man needed Jesus.
Superstition and false belief can keep you stuck in your healing process but Jesus will set you free
Reactions
Amazingly, not everyone was happy about the man’s miraculous healing. The day Jesus healed the man at the poolside happened to be a Sabbath
As the man left Bethesda, the Jewish leaders saw him carrying his mat, and they stopped him: “It is the Sabbath,” they said. “The law forbids you to carry your mat” (John 5:10). The man told them that he was simply obeying orders: “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’” (verse 11)
The reaction of the Jewish leaders shows that, no matter how much proof God provides, there will be some people who refuse to see the truth.
The Pool of Bethesda was the focus of a local legend about healing, but Jesus showed that faith in legends and superstition is misplaced. In contrast, faith in Jesus Christ—the One who can heal with a simple word, the Savior who can forgive any sin, the true Master of the “House of Mercy”—is never misplaced.
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Matthew 9:32-33 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
The Messiah
In Matthew 9, Jesus healed a paralytic, two blind men, and a mute man
the Old Testament highlights the healing of the lame, the blind, and the mute as signs by which to recognize the promised Messiah
Isaiah 35:5–6“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert”
Matthew 11:4–5“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them”
Demonic oppression
someone brings in a demon-oppressed man who is mute
the demon oppressing the man was causing him to be unable to speak.
Demons were understood as a fact of life in Jesus' day.
Jesus could simply order them to leave
The Authority of Jesus
This passage highlights and authenticates Jesus’s authority and power. In supernaturally restoring life, sight, and speech Jesus is providing evidence that he is who he claims to be.
Do you have any need of restoration today?
Your Response
Some people respond to Jesus with belief
But, predictably and tragically, others respond with unbelief
Do you believe that he is able to do this? To do what? To bring the restoration he’s promising.
Hebrews 1:1–3a God revealed himself in his creation, he revealed himself through his prophets, he revealed himself through his word, and most perfectly, he revealed himself in his Son, Jesus Christ
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Matthew 9:27-31
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” 28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”“Yes, Lord,” they replied. 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
The Question
According to the Gospel account, as Jesus continues his journey after raising the daughter of Jairus, two blind men follow him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"
Jesus asks the two blind men seeking healing, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
If faith is present, miraculous healing will occur according to God's will
A person of faith receives preferential treatment, and in fact, faith is so important to God that His Word declares,
What is essential to healing?
Hebrews 11:6
Without faith it is impossible to please Him
Faith opens the door for divine blessing; its lack closes the door
Matthew 9:29
Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you.
Double miracle
The Jews thought of blind eyes as "shut," and seeing eyes as "open." Jesus removes two men's blindness—they can now see and comprehend what was once closed to them
Psalms 119:18
Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.
Spiritual blindness has only one remedy: Jesus Christ dwelling in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus healed the blind men, proving that He was indeed the Son of God with powers beyond anything a mortal man could have
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Luke 8:43-48
And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
The unnamed woman
This is a woman who has suffered for 12 years from a certain kind of bleeding; it is often translated as “hemorrhaging.”
She has visited many doctors and healers, and none of them has been able to heal her. She got worse.
According to jewish law she is she is considered “unclean.”. She lived in isolation and would have been known for her uncleanliness.
Note this story of the woman with the issue of blood is found in three of the gospel texts and has slightly different description in the side details.
God is moved to action by our faith, even when He’s in the middle of doing something else!
The Daughter of Jairus
The larger story begins with Jesus being abruptly greeted by a synagogue leader, Jairus, who falls at Jesus’s feet imploring him to heal his little daughter who is at the point of death.
Later Jesus tells the girl, “Talitha cum,” which is Aramaic for “Little girl, get up!” Immediately, the girl gets up and walks around.
Godly coincidences
Both victims of illness are female and ritually unclean, one as a result of death and one as a result of hemorrhage
both represent the significance of the number twelve in Jewish tradition (the twelve years of hemorrhage and the twelve-year-old girl)
both are regarded as “daughters” (the little girl being Jairus’s daughter and the woman who is addressed by Jesus as “Daughter”).
Healing by touch
Jesus stops, turns, and asks, “Who touched my clothes?”
An act of touch restores both women to new life even as those surrounding them lack understanding
You can reach out to Jesus in times of pain and heartache
We can’t “steal” a miracle from God
Jesus could have healed the woman and kept on walking to His original destination. Only He and the woman would have known what had taken place. But He didn’t do that. Jesus stopped what He was doing and acknowledged the result of this woman’s faith
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Matthew 9:18-26
While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. 20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. 23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26 News of this spread through all that region.
Jesus can raise the dead to life
Jairus
Jairus was a ruler in the synagogue of Capernaum
Jairus in the Bible was the father of a 12-year-old girl whom Jesus raised from the dead
He humbled himself before Jesus, falling down at His feet
The woman with an issue of blood
As Jesus walked with Jairus a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years came up behind Jesus and touched the hem of his robe, saying to herself, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed”
Tomorrow we will see what happened...
The Miracle
Jesus entered the room where Jairus’ daughter lay. He took the dead girl by the hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise
Immediately, the girl’s spirit returned (Luke 8:55), and she got up and began walking around (Mark 5:41). Everyone was “completely astonished” (
Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
12 years
the daughter of Jairus was twelve years old—the same number of years as the woman in the crowd had suffered from her infirmity
Jesus calls the woman He healed “Daughter” (Luke 8:48)—the only time He calls an individual that
The story of Jairus in the Bible is really a miracle within a miracle, with two “daughters” and two stretches of a dozen years.
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Matthew 9:1-8
Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.
The place
His own city: This must mean Capernaum
Jesus’ miracles were not primarily calculated for crowd effect. Instead they were primarily done to minister to the humble needs of humble people
Other Gospels (in Mark 2 and Luke 5) explain how the man was brought to Jesus. Because of the crowds, his friends lowered him down to Jesus through the roof.
Jesus saw their faith
Jesus saw the faith of his friends, not of the paralyzed man himself
It was evident that they had the faith to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus and their faith was active enough to take apart a roof and lower the man down before Jesus.
The man's greatest problem
Jesus told him, Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven!
As bad as it is to be paralyzed, it is infinitely worse to be bound and lost in your sin.
sin is the root from which all our evils come.
forgiveness is more important than bodily healing
The most important thing Jesus came to do was to deal with sin not sickness
The reaction of the religious leaders
some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?”
“But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”; then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” And he arose and departed to his house. Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
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Matthew 8:28-34
When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
Two or one?
The Matthew account mentions two demon-possessed men, while Mark and Luke only mention one. Is there a discrepancy in these accounts, and do the Gospel writers contradict one another?
It is unclear why they chose to mention only one, but that does not negate the possibility of a second demoniac being present
Mark and Luke do not say there was “only one” demon-possessed man. They simply state that one of the two met Jesus and spoke to Him
Context
After calming the storm on the Sea and impressing upon the disciples His Lordship over both wind and sea (8:23-27), Jesus and those who followed Him came "into the country of the Gadarenes,"
The country was Gadara, but the region was Gerasa on the northeast shore of the Sea, in the Gentile area of the Decapolis.
The demons
The demons that controlled the men had attacked them spiritually, physically, and mentally.
The demoniacs lived among the tombs, a graveyard of sorts
They cut themselves with rocks—indicative of devil worship—and walked around naked (Luke 8:27) which was the epitome of shame in Israel (cf. Lev. 18:6-19).
The pigs
The demons know who Jesus is. They call him the “Son of God”
The number of pigs isn’t mentioned in Matthew like it is in Mark 5:13 (“about two thousand”)
the herd is called large so that when the demons go out from the two demonized men into the herd and they all perish, we get the very clear sense of how big, how large, how serious these men’s bondage was, and how even this was no problem for Jesus.
Humanity Restored
The first amazing thing that happened is two demon-possessed men were now free, and their humanity was restored.
The second amazing thing that happened was a large herd of pigs was destroyed.
Jesus is triumphant over unclean spirits.
Jesus liberates the captive, and gives hope to hopeless people — even Gentile people.
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Matthew 8:23-27
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
Suddenly
We’re flooded by numerous types of storms daily.
The Sea of Galilee is known for sudden raging storms, and many of Jesus’ disciples were seasoned fishermen. So, it would seem the disciples would have been prepared. But things were happening beyond their control
Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” (Matthew 8:24-25).
when things come upon us suddenly, we find out what’s in our hearts.
God Is Faithful and Merciful
One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out (Luke 8:22).
Jesus knew he was on a mission of mercy and that the Father was faithful to get him there, so he went to sleep
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples (Luke 8:24-25).
The Miracle
Jesus may have rebuked the disciples for their weak faith, but he didn’t abandon them to let them drown. Instead, he calmed the storm
The wind and the waves that surrounded the disciples were huge and scared all on board except Jesus.
The disciples choose fear before they choose faith, but today we have the opportunity to choose faith over fear.
Trust God in the storm
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.Romans 8:28
How can we take active steps to trust God in the middle of the storms in our life today?
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Luke 7:11-18
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country. John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them,
Jesus resurrected someone
The New Testament records three of these resurrection miracles, including the raising of a widow's son, of Jairus' daughter, and of Lazarus
Luke the physician is the only one to record the raising of a widow's son
The widow's son lies in an open coffin on his way to his grave when Jesus performs the miracle
His miraculous power to resurrect
is not dependent upon whether a person has just died, has been dead for days, or is already decomposing
The same principle holds true regarding spiritual salvation: God and Christ can save any sinner no matter how old he is, how long he has been a sinner, or how badly he has sinned.
The Family
He knows all the specifics of the case. His disciples see only a funeral as they pass, but He understands the circumstances of the corpse stretched out in the coffin. He knows that the deceased is a young man, the only son of his mother, and that she is a widow!
He does not wait for anyone to plead with Him
He sees the widowed mother, He has "compassion on her
Jesus is not pretentious when He touches the coffin, but in humility He offers hope
The Miracle
This miracle produces fear in those who witness it, but this fear turns into a deep feeling of awe for His compassion and power
His primary purpose is to glorify God. The people glorify God when they say, "A great prophet has risen up among us" and "God has visited His people."
Deuteronomy 18:15
"The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,
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Matthew 8:5-13
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
The centurion
To give you some context, Jesus had just finished His Sermon on the Mount and was passing through Capernaum. Word must’ve gotten out that He was there because a Roman centurion sent Jewish leaders to find Jesus.
This man was Gentile and a Roman soldier. He should have been one of the last people to trust Jesus.
The centurion placed his trust into Jesus. He believed his servant would be healed.
Centurions were Roman officers who were in charge of 100 soldiers, and it was very unlikely, bizarre even, to find one hanging out with Jewish leaders
The Authority of Jesus
For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it. Luke 7:8
Just as the centurion recognizes how unworthy he is and how worthy Jesus is, he also knows that Jesus has the ultimate authority.
Jesus didn’t need to do this to prove anything but he still chose to heal the centurion’s servant, who He deeply loved.
Jesus was Amazed
When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well. Luke 7:9-10
The centurion didn’t even view himself as worthy enough to go and meet Jesus or make Him walk all the way to his house, instead he humbled himself and trusted Jesus.
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Mark 1:40-45
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
The disease
In the Bible, the word leprosy is mentioned upwards of 40 times
Leprosy is a painful and infectious disease that is seen on the skin.
The symptoms range from white patches on the skin to running sores to the loss of digits on the fingers and toes.
Incurable by man, many believed God inflicted the curse of leprosy upon people for the sins they committed.
A leper wasn’t allowed to come within six feet of any other human, including his own family. The disease was considered so revolting that the leper wasn’t permitted to come within 150 feet of anyone when the wind was blowing. Lepers lived in a community with other lepers until they either got better or died. This was the only way the people knew to contain the spread of the contagious forms of leprosy.
The Miracle
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
The Significance
When the priest examines that person, he shall pronounce them ceremonially unclean. If the shiny spot on the skin is white but does not appear to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest is to isolate the affected person for seven days. On the seventh day the priest is to examine them, and if he sees that the sore is unchanged and has not spread in the skin, he is to isolate them for another seven days.
On the seventh day the priest is to examine them again, and if the sore has faded and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce them clean; it is only a rash.
Leviticus 13:45-46
45 “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip[a] and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ 46 He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.
Jesus blessed the leper and used the words ‘be clean’ he was not only talking about his physical body he was also healing the leper to be clean spiritually in Gods eyes
Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
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Mark 1:30-31 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. Sohe went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left herand she began to wait on them.
Peter's wife's mother was sick with fever. In the Talmud, fever is described as a fire. The original Greek implies that she was seriously ill. Just as Christ healed this faithful woman, he can heal us
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Mark 1:23-28 Jesus was teaching on this occasion when He was suddenly and violently confronted by a demon-possessed man. The evil spirit immediately recognized Jesus as the Son of God, and, at the Savior's command, left his victim. This is the first of seven miracles where Jesus casts out evil spirits. This is the first of at least 3 occasions when evil spirits gave terrified testimony that Jesus was indeed God's Son
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Luke 5:1-11 The Great Catch of Fish. Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number offish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
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The father was a nobleman, yet the son was sick. Honours and titles are no security from sickness and death. The greatest men must go themselves to God, must become beggars. The nobleman did not stop from his request till he prevailed. But at firsthe discovered the weakness of his faith in the power of Christ.
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As found in the Gospels, here are miracles Jesus performed up to His Crucifixion and Resurrection. There are many miraculous works of Christ recorded in the Bible, as He continues to help mankind in heavenly ways today! Jesus changed water into wine The first recorded miracle in the New Testament
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Isaiah 6:1-3 describes God in His glory on His throne as "High and lifted up", the phrase “high and lifted up” occurs at two other points in Isaiah’s book. Biblical revelation confirms this trajectory by explicitly applying Isaiah 52 and 53 to Jesus Christ, God the Son. In Isaiah 52, we read that the servant is “high and lifted up” in exaltation, but the next 11 verses are about His suffering and death
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Jesus said, "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”John 12:31-32. Book of Hebrews -- the writers showed the superiority of Christianity over Judaism. There is NO SAVIOR in Islam, Hinduism, Confucianism, or Buddhism! Greek for "lifted" = (root) hupso-o -- "to elevate." To "lift up" is to "draw attention to," "make obvious," "make visible" in comparison to other objects of faith.
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To Jesus the cross brought no sense of degradation or failure, but only a sense of glory and honor and victory. To us, It lifts us up from hell to heaven, from the curse of the broken law to the acceptance of God and the justification, forgiveness and salvation
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Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
in Christ we allways win, "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere." 2 Corinthians 2:14
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We are called to uplift those around us. We should uplift people in CHurch, in our workplace, family and everywhere we have opportunity. Learn how to use the Bible to u[lift others around you.
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God has made a multitude of promises to those who follow Him, and we can be encouraged by those promises. Here are a few of my favorites. Wouldn’t it be amazing if life was just as easy? But when things don’t go according to plan … it feels like we’re staring at a million-piece puzzle dumped out without a picture on the box, and with pieces that look like they don’t go together
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Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 Part of being strong and of a good courage means trusting in the Lord as our true source of strength.
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Truly, Jesus is the Lord who encourages those who are discouraged and without any other hope!
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Barnabas excelled in encouraging others. Joseph means "may God increase"; Joses, "He that pardons"; and Barnabas, "son of encouragement." All three names contain wonderful attributes of God. Barnabas: Son of Encouragement and Consolation. Barnabas is first mentioned as a landowner who sold some land and generously donated all the proceeds to the apostles in Jerusalem. A few years later, God appointed him as an apostle with Paul to the Gentiles (Acts 13:2-3; 14:14). He spent many years preaching the gospel in lands far distant from both Jerusalem and Cyprus
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Encourage Yourself With Positive Self talk. Do first person, positive statements to yourself -- repeat these statements to yourself on a regular, ongoing basis. As David sat among the ruins of Ziklag and mutinous men spoke of stoning him, he had a choice. David could allow grief and bitterness to conquer him; he could sink into the black hole of depression and give up and quit. Or he could fight back. David looked around him, he saw nothing but discouraged and downcast men. David had no one to encourage him, so he had only one recourse: He "encouraged himself in the Lord his God".
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Christ preciously redeemed the church. It is “the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). We are to be connected to the "local" church, Hebrews 10:24-26 "And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 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. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.”
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Covenants are the backbone of the biblical story. The Rainbow Covenant, covenant partners obligate themselves to one another with promises and call curses upon themselves if they disobey. The covenant with Noah seems to be unconditional.The covenant with Noah is a covenant of preservation, signifying a new beginning for human beings and the continuance of life on earth until the time of the end. The new covenant is the climax of all of God’s covenants. The new covenant represents the culmination of God’s saving work among his people. God regenerates his people by his Spirit and renews their hearts so that they obey him.
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Covenants Between Persons have 5 elements. A Relationship can have two different levels. 1. Superficial Friendship; 2. Covenantal Friendship. A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)
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Psalm 91:14-16
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Webster defines the word covenant as an agreement between two parties; a binding contract. The Hebrew word used in the Old Testament is “berith” which comes from the root word meaning “to cut”. In our day we may sign a contract or make a verbal agreement with someone. There are 7 Covenants in the Old Testament. The old covenants could never be fulfilled because of man’s disobedience. God never breaks a covenant agreement, man does.
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God seeks someone to intercede with him on behalf of his sinful people today. There are many biblical passages in which God seeks out and appoints prophets, priests, kings, apostles, gospel heralds. In the context of Ezekiel 22, however, God is looking for an intercessor
"I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land that I might not destroy itbut I found no one" Ezekiel 22:30
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People tend to judge the character and worth of others by looking at outward appearances. If a person is tall, good-looking, well-built, and tastefully dressed, then he or she possesses physical qualities that humans generally admire and respect. But God has the unique ability to see inside a person. God knows our true character because he “looks at the heart.”
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the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked Jeremiah 17:9
How Can I Control My Heart?
First, turn to Jesus and by faith ask Him to come into your life—and He will
Second, ask Him to help you begin to see other people through His eyes—eyes of love and compassion
Third, if evil thoughts do come, turn immediately to Christ and ask Him to take them away and fill your mind with Himself.
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“A substance is called pure when it is without admixture, when it is one thing and not two or more. Pure gold is gold without alloy.” We are made to be holy, set apart, "other" from the rest of humankind. Separated for God. Without a pure heart you cannot pursue this goal.
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Jesus said, blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8). “Heart”. it is the heart on which the Lord concentrates this teaching. “heart” is the inner man, I Pet 3:3,4 “that part of man that comprehends — his mind, will, and emotions”. Jesus concerns Himself more with what we ARE than what we do. (Prov. 4:23; Mt 15:18-19) What is the condition of your heart — right now? Are you giving God “lip” service or “heart” service? (Mt 15:7-8)
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Drink of the Holy Spirit, be baptized in the Spirit. Be baptised in water. Jesus Christ let himself be baptised in water, so who are we to claim that we are more than the Son of God and we don’t need to be baptised? Jesus was dedicated and blessed as a child, but He still was baptised when He started His ministry.
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The Holy Spirit is all-powerful. "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me" Acts 1:8
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Jesus said, And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. ...you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you - John 14:16-17
The moment that we receive Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts.
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The Holy Spirit is your Helper. He makes you more like Christ. He teaches and gives insight.
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit, 2 Corinthians 3:18
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We read in the Bible that early CHristians had no knowledge of the Holy Spirit. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Acts 19 :1-2
The Holy Spirit is not a “force”, He’s a person. • He’s intelligent and has an intellect.• He has feelings• He has a will
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Jesus said, You are my friends if you do what I command. (John 15:14) There is a connection between a person's obedience to His teachings. Those who truly love and honor Him will naturally, and normally, seek to follow His teachings. Jesus gave everything to his friends
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Drink of the Holy Spirit. "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:13
Start a new life Turn away from evil, towards God. Start a completely new life with God.
Believe in Jesus Christ He shed his blood as a sacrifice for the sins of man. If you believe in Him and bow down for Him, your sins will be forgiven.
Be baptised Be baptised in water. Jesus Christ let himself be baptised in water, so who are we to claim that we are more than the Son of God and we don’t need to be baptised? Jesus was dedicated and blessed as a child, but He still was baptised when He started His ministry.
Receive the Spirit
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"While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Matthew 17:5
God was well pleased with Jesus. Do you live a life that is pleasing to God at all times?
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Enoch walked with God and He was pleased with Him. Jesus also received praise from the Lord even before he started doing anything. God is pleased when we walk with Him and avoid sin in our lives.
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Faith is not something abstract. Faith has always correspondent actions that are rewarded by God. in Isaiah 58 God explains that when you fast you should care for the needs of people around you. This action brings blessings and answers to prayers
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God will not respond well to unpleasant people. If you have no faith you aren't pleasing Him and this is a real spiritual problem. The Right way to approach God depends on an attitude of your heart and not a religious formula. Faith and The Fear of the Lord
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Practice The principle of sowing and reaping, When you sow something, it takes time for it to grow.It may take time for a prayer to be answered. Be persistent in your faith. Far too many Christians give up before they see the results of their faith.
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The power gifts (or gifts to do) include Faith, Gifts of Healings, and Working of Miracles. These gifts visibly demonstrate God’s power.
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In 1 Corinthians 12 in the Bible Paul gives a list of 12 manifestations of the Spirit. Tonight we start talking about them dividing them in 3 groups of 3. There are gifts that reveal something. Learn about them!
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In 1 Corinthians 12 in the Bible Paul gives a list of 12 manifestations of the Spirit. Tonight we start talking about them dividing them in 3 groups of 3. There are gifts that say something. Learn about them!
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If you decide not to use the gifts that God gives you the most certain thing is that you will be judged. Don’t allow that to happen and start using the gifts .
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In Hebrew each letter possesses a numerical value. Gematria is the substitution of numeric values in the Hebrew Alphabet. The number 9 is the signature of Ashem.
In Gematria Truth (Emet) is 400+40+1=441 (4+4+1=9)
Adam is also 9. If you add all numbers from 1 to 9 = 45
And 4+5=9
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If you want to activate the gifted of the Holy Spirit in your life it’s a good idea to know them. This is a quick overview of the nine manifestations of the Spirit given to the Church as described by Paul in the book of 1 Corinthians.
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On the series “Activate your gifts” learn about different types of spiritual gifts and how you can find your gifting.
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Multiple times the Bible tells us not to ignore, quench, extinguish the Spirit. Learn how to activate your gifts by being filled with the Spirit of God.
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The first miracle of Jesus was about substance transformation. The first step to activate God’s gifts in your life is transformation.
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Jesus said that Eternal Life is to know God and Him who the Father has sent, Jesus Christ. We need to grow in the knowledge of the Lord.
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The question we ask when we go through difficult seasons in life is, “Where is God?”. More then ever we need Him in our lives.
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Jesus reached about three actions with a promise. Ask, seek and find. Learn how you can find God by seeking Him
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Song of songs in the Bible describes the desperation of the bride trying to find the groom in the streets of her City. We need to put an effort in finding God. The bride is an image of the CHurch and the Groom is Christ
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The story of King Uzziah shows divine principles that we can apply to our lives and teach others also. Find God as you seek Him from all your heart!
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Relationships Come First! Pray for opportunities; the more you pray, the more opportunities you’ll discover!
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Present Jesus as the One who was anticipated by the prophets and the One to whom all other prophets point
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Use the book of Hebrews to show why Jesus’ death and resurrection fits the expectation of the Old Testament
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They are desperate for approval from God
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Above all, remember, winning an argument is not the same as winning someone to Christ.
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Questions You Can Ask. What’s your spiritual background? What do you believe about God? What do you think happens after we die? On a scale from 1 to 10, how sure are you that when you die you will go to heaven?
Paul said. "To the weak, I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means, I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings." 1 Corinthians 9:22-23
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Respect Their Intelligence; Ask Good Questions; Signs and Wonders.
The Kalam argument: Premise 1: Everything that begins to exist has a cause. Premise 2: The universe began to exist. Conclusion: The universe has a cause.
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Jesus longest prayer was in John 17. Jesus’ longest recorded prayer and shows us how He prayed. Verse 3 says, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Praying for others touches the heart of God
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If you could sit with Jesus over a cup of coffee and ask him anything, what would you ask him? Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you know for certain that if you were to die today you would go to heaven? Suppose you were to die today and stand before God and he were to say, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” what would you say?
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If you’re looking for proof of Jesus, ask your peers about their journey with Christ. A Christian testimony can be about a person’s journey to becoming a Christian—also known as a conversion story.
How to tell it? BEFORE; HOW; AFTER
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For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.- Philippians 1:21.If we live, it’s to honor the Lord! When we belong to the Lordwe do not live just for ourselves.
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Overcoming is individual, for we cannot overcome for others. We can only overcome for ourselves and be an overcomer ourselves, However, overcoming is corporate, for the Lord is gaining a corporate group of overcomers. Our soul-life is our natural life, the life of the soul apart from the life of God, We should love the Lord more than we love our soul.
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YOU WILL OVERCOME BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB AND THE WORD OF YOUR TESTIMONY. Be the reason someone believes God is good!
There are THREE main steps to us overcoming, according to Revelation 12:11.
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One: by the blood of the Lamb, which has already been done.
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Two: by the word of our testimony.
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Three: Not loving your lives to death
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Revelation 12:11, NKJV And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Two important things here
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They overcame.
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They did so by the word of their testimony.
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Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’Going through something difficult? God's Plan For You is Great! God’s plan for you is not to harm you but to give you a hope and future. That hope and future is for all who seek God and call on the name of the Lord.Proverbs 23:18 Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
The Victory - 1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. God is near! God will guide you!
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GOD will establish our steps
Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.We may even plan things badly but God's will always prevails
GOD planned beforehand
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Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’ How Can We Get into Alignment with God?
Psalm 119:67 and 71 “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word...It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.”
Circumstances that are too big for us to handle will encourage us to run to God in prayer
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What is God’s plan for me? Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’ Sooner or later in life everybody has to make some decisions. - Which college should I go to? - Whom should I marry? - Should I move here or there?” The list goes on and on and as the questions grow bigger and more life-changing
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For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible. Luke 1:37 Amplified Bible
the Lord announced to Abraham, “By this time next year, Sarah will give birth to a son,” Sarah overheard and laughed in unbelief. Sarah hears God, predict that she will have a child soon. Given her lifelong barrenness, and the fact that she and her husband were both over 90 years old, her immediate response is to laugh in disbelief. God is calling Sarah and Abraham to believe that He would do a seemingly impossible thing for them.
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Ephesians 3:20-21 "Now to Him who is ABLE to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen"
God is able to provide for you; God is able to establish you; God is able to keep you from falling!
Jesus said, "Do you believe that I am ABLE to do this?" Matthew 9:28
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Miracles are some of the most amazing things in the Bible, but that doesn’t always mean they are easy to understand and/or believe.These are 3 of my favorite miracles that are also very hard to really picture and grasp.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13)
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Throughout the Bible, we read stories of people who faced impossible difficulties, like Moses at the edge of the Red Sea, or Daniel in the den of hungry lions. God is able to do far beyond what you and I can ask or think. So think big and ask big, and see Him do even more!
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Jesus said that, "With God nothing is impossible". DO you have any “Impossible situations” In your life? Have you ever asked, "If nothing is impossible with God, why isn’t God helping me right now?" Are You Willing to Trust God?
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Have you ever thought of yourself as a letter written by Christ to be read by those around you? Believers are living letters of Christ. We are original copies of the same letter the ink is the Spirit of the living God.
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The phrase “four winds” appears nine times in the Bible. What does the Bible mean when it refers to the four winds? The mission of the four winds of heaven is to move and re-arrange things in the spirit
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The command in the Great Commission to “make disciples”means to teach or train people to follow and obey Christ.. The “Great Commission” in History
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The Gospel of Matthew does not specifically use such a term. In fact, the phrase “Great Commission” does not appear until late in Christian history.
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The term is attributed to Baron Justinian von Welz, a 17th-century Lutheran nobleman
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Two centuries later, the Englishman Hudson Taylor is believed to have used the idea of the Great Commission to justify Christian missionary efforts, particularly the China Inland Mission that he founded in 1866.
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Paul lived in such a way that would attract other people to himself—or, rather, to Christ. He sought to find common ground with anyone and everyone in the hopes of winning their souls for God’s kingdom. Paul said,I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.
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Most of us think of soul winning as a New Testament concept, but a related idea exists in the Old Testament. Solomon said, The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30. NKJV
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worrying never helps a situation get better. 7 ways to stop worrying
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Pray To Stop Worrying
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Think on Good Things
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Be filled with the Holy Spirit
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God Cares For You
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Get a new perspective.
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Develop a close walk with God
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Lean on God
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Cast all your anxiety (worries) on him because he cares for you - 1 Peter 5:7
How can you cast your worries? Jesus talked about worry and that we should cast them on Him. God’s Word is clear—believers are not to be given over to anxiety. But it’s not simply a cold, abrupt command to stop worrying. Scripture is clear that we shouldn’t focus on the plans, needs, and uncertainties of tomorrow, but it’s also clear about where our focus should be instead…
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What are your priorities? Jesus talked about worry about life and about the future needs of life like food and clothing.
Jesus words to Martha, "Martha, Martha," the Lord replied, "you are worried and upset about many things." Luke 10:41
Worrying was keeping Martha from the Blessing that comes from listening to Jesus
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We e all go through times where things are hard and we’re distracted by pain and suffering in our lives Jesus talked about worry and anxiety more than a few times, and he reminds us of how much God loves us, and how He can give us rest.
"Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" Matthew 6:25
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Anytime you go on a journey you have to make a decision to leave some things behind. You really can’t take everything.- For one thing it won’t fit.- For another thing having too much is a hindrance to your journey.
Stop Staring at Your Past!
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On rare occasions, some connections are profound, inexplicable, and create a lasting impact on us. If you feel like you were drawn towards certain individuals for some reason, then you may have developed a spiritual connection.7 Signs of a close spiritual connection
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the Twelve are called Apostles when mention is made of their return from the mission of preaching and healing. The privileges of the Twelve were to be in continual attendance on their master and to be the recipients of his special teaching and training. At least once they were sent on a special mission, two by two, to announce the imminence of the messianic kingdom. Do you possess a sincere willingness to remain committed to the Lord until the end? If so, welcome to Christ’s inner circle!
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The friendship between David and Jonathan was a covenantal relationship. There was a Godly connection between them.
"As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." 1 Samuel 18:1
David and Jonathan forming an agreement. In this agreement, Jonathan was to be second in command in David’s future reign, and David was to protect Jonathan’s family
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Today we see an intergenerational relationship in the Bible. An intergenerational relationship is exactly what it sounds like – a relationship between two people from different generations, someone older and someone youngerMoses and Joshua had a divine connection. Joshua sat outside the tent of meeting while Moses talked with God face to face.To think that Joshua spent forty years with Moses as his assistant, his aid, his minister, his confidant before taking leadership over Israel is quite an amazingly profound characteristic. Joshua was hidden behind the scenes
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We need to be sensitive to GOD in order to connect with the right people at the right time.
"Don't let anyone deceive you. Associating with bad people will ruin decent people" 1 Corinthians 15:33 (God’s Word Translation)
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King David lived a life of devotion to God from a young age (remember Goliath and Saul?), but by no means did he live a perfect life. Parts of his life read like a TV soap opera. Psalm 51 allows us to listen in as David confesses his sin and broken heart to God. We also hear David’s solemn promise to turn back, by faith, to the God of second chances. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
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We serve a God who is merciful and who allows His children many chances to learn His ways and be obedient to them. Jonah was a good man and a likely associate of the prophet Amos. he was not happy with this assignment and “fled from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:10)Jonah quickly fled in the opposite direction from Nineveh, toward the seaport of Joppa, where he boarded a ship headed for what is probably present-day Spain. But the Lord gave Jonah a second chance.
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God is not only the God of second chances; He is the God of another chance!
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
The Bible is full of people who received second chances, and even third and fourth chances: Peter, Jonah, Mark, Samson, David, and others. All trophies of God’s grace.
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Why did Jesus ask Peter three times if he loved Him? Why was Peter grieved? How would you rate your relationship with Jesus? Is there anything you need to confess to Him? Confession is the healing answer to crippled walk. You don't have to live with a huge load of guilt and shame in your life. Christ is reaching out to you with open arms--go to Him in prayer. The Holy Spirit will help you also! Understand this: The Lord won't give up on you--even if it's the same sin you confessed yesterday. In Jesus, you'll find acceptance, love, and freedom--despite your shortcomings.
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The crowd wanted to condemn the adulterous woman. The scribes and the Pharisees who accused her had already pronounced the sentence of death upon her.In the natural, her situation was hopeless. But with God, this woman got a 2nd chance. Did Jesus give this woman another chance so she could go out and repeat her mistakes and fall into sin again? No, he told her “Go and sin no more. Your future is not determined by your past. Your future is not determined by what you used to be. Your future is not determined by what you used to do, but your future and my future is determined by who Jesus Christ is and what he can and will do. Jesus Christ is the same today and yesterday. There is no secret, what God can do, what he’s done for others he’ll do for you
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You know the Law of Gravity, right? It’s that very simple statement: What goes up must come down. Well today, we’re going to introduce you to gravity’s cousin, the Law of Sowing and Reaping.
"He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully" 2 Corinthians 9:6
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Abraham is blessed - He will have a great name (reputation) and that he would become a great nation (have many descendants).
"The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you I will make you into a great nation,and I will bless you;I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’”Genesis 12:1–3
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God called his people to bring the first yield—the first fruits—from their harvest to him as an offering.When you honor God with the firstfruits of all your income God promises to bless you to a place of overflow. Honoring God includes giving financially.
"Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income; So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine." Proverbs 3:9-10
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God wants to abundantly supply...
For you are becoming progressively acquainted with and recognizing more strongly and clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (His kindness, His gracious generosity, His undeserved favor and spiritual blessing), [in] that though He was [so very] rich, yet for your sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched (abundantly supplied).” 2 Corinthians 8:9
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God Loves you and wants to bless you!
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. - Psalm 35:27
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God made Christ to [judicially] be sin on our behalf. He became sin for us. He got the guilt.
2 Corinthians 5:21 AMP - "He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness]."
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Barabbas is famous for his infamy. He suddenly appeared on the stage of world history at his most ignoble moment. all we know about Barabbas is that he was a “notorious” criminal (Matthew 27:16). Pontius Pilate, in his political chess game with the Jewish leaders over whether to free or execute Jesus, gave the crowd a choice between freeing Barabbas or Jesus. in Barabbas we are to see ourselves…
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John 3:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 1:18; 1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12; Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17
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An Angel touched Isahia's lips with a coal from the altar and said “BEHOLD, THIS HAS TOUCHED YOUR LIPS; YOUR GUILT IS TAKEN AWAY, AND YOUR SIN ATONED FOR.”
•Can the devil condemn us? No.
•Can our friends condemn us? No.
•Can our enemies condemn us? No.
•Can the demons condemn us? No.
•Will God condemn us? No, he won’t.
•Will Jesus condemn us? No, he won’t. He died and rose again for us.
•Can we condemn ourselves? We can try, but we can’t even condemn ourselves, because through justification you have a standing that is eternally secure in the eyes of Almighty God.
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A “guilt trip” is when someone tries to make you do whatever they want you to. so they start making you feel bad about something.. so then you'll give in and do whatever they want. God doesn’t want to condemn you!
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." - Romans 8:1
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The Condition: If you fully obey all of these commandments of the Lord your God
"If you fully obey all of these commandments of the Lord your God, the laws I am declaring to you today, God will transform you into the greatest nation in the world." Deuteronomy 28:1 - The Living Bible
"And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God" - Deuteronomy 28:2
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The Beatitudes are eight blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. In the Latin Vulgate, each of these blessings begins with the word beati, which translates to "happy", "rich", or "blessed" (plural adjective).
"1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying... BLESSED ARE..." Matthew 5
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Jesus Learned to be Obedient "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience" Hebrews 5:8
God the Father and His Son, Jesus, have the original parent/child relationship. We can learn all we need to know about our relationship to God and a child’s relationship to his parents through observing this heavenly relationship.
Jesus “learned obedience” and was “made perfect.” He had no sin, but His will had to be tested in Gethsemane. The goal of the parent/child relationship is dual: to empower and to prove the obedience of the will (Mark 14:36).
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Isaac, aged and preparing for the end of his life, sends his eldest son, Esau, out to the field to hunt game. When he returns, Esau is to prepare a meal for Isaac with his catch, after which Isaac will bestow upon Esau his blessing. From the perspective of human justice, this story is deeply unsettling.Do not let anyone steal your blessing!
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GOD'S WILL: TO BLESS YOU
A Blessing is the supernatural manifestation of the Power of God spoken by someone with delegated authority over your life. God has authority over His Children and he speaks blessing over us. When you speak words over your children or over your spouse or anywhere you have authority there is something that happens in the Spirit.
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Jesus criticizes the Jewish lawyers for taking away the key of knowledge.
Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering. - Luke 11:52
“You have taken away the key to knowledge,” i.e. the knowledge of God contained in the OT Scriptures which the scribes were supposed to unlock for God’s people
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A key indicates control or authority; therefore, having the Key of David would give one control of David’s domain, i.e., Jerusalem, the City of David, and the kingdom of Israel.
Revelation 3:7 - “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens."
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Possessing the “keys of death” means that the risen Christ has control and authority over death.
"(Jesus says) “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” - Revelation 1:18
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No spiritual breakthrough is greater or more important than receiving salvation by faith in Christ and what He did on the cross for us.
"so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10 (NET)
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Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven
Keys are used to lock and unlock doors. God has given us the authority to open and shut the doors of heaven
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God’s might makes you strong!
"…be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might" Ephesians 6:10
Why should we be strong and Courageous?
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Many times we feel so overwhelmed we have a hard time thinking about how to seek strength from the Lord. Either we are overcome with grief, or disappointment, or just plain weariness. 7 Things we can do to receive strength from God.
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Jesus’ upside-down approach to our world. It is the way of his grace.
We live in a world where the biggest, best, and brightest succeed, while the littlest, last, and least get trampled. But Jesus disrupts and interrupts our quest for power and our lust for significance.
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What Is the Joy of the Lord? Strength comes by having the joy of the Lord
"This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
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Your struggles always lead to strength! "For when I am weak, then I am strong " 2 Corinthians 12:10
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you" Deuteronomy 31:6
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Can you receive these superpowers from God? God empowers these gifts “in everyone” the apostle Paul, tells us to “desire earnestly” these spiritual gifts and not to be afraid to try and stir these gifts up with the Lord,
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Many people think the spiritual gift of prophecy is just predicting the future, but it is far more than that. Foretelling is the declaration of future events as revealed from the Lord, pertaining especially to the kingdom of God. Forth-Telling is to utter forth, declare, a thing which can only be known by divine revelation. There are different kinds of prophecies—those that tell of things that will happen in the future and those that tell us what the Lord wants us to know and do in our lives
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The power to be immune to all forms of poisons.
These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in new tongues, they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink poison and not be hurt, they will lay hands on the sick and make them well.” Mark 16:17,18 The Message
The promise of protection from poisonous snakes is not new in the New Testament. David talked about it on Psalms 91 " You will trample down lions and snakes, fierce lions and poisonous snakes."
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In 2 Kings 6 there is the ax story. The ax-head fell into the waters of the Jordan and cannot be retrieved. A man lost a borrowed ax head and cannot afford to pay it back and Elisha performs a miracle to return his ax and make s it levitate to the surface. Elisha is divinely inspired to cut a stick from a tree, that through the power of God it would bring up the axe head, removing the judgment by removing the debt. When the axe head is restored, the servant is now free from debt.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."John 14:12, KJV
In the Bible we see at least 10 People or groups of people raised from the dead. Jesus volunteered for this. He chose it. It was not forced on him by any man. The Power of Resurrection is in us also.
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The Power of Healing...As seen in: Firestorm, Lizard. The primary way a believer receives God's healing power is through faith. God's healing power is available through the grace of Jesus Christ. The secondary way is to receive God's healing power through the faith of some other believer [Acts 19:11]. This is an easier way to receive. The believer only has to be receptive to receive. God promisses to heal ALL of our diseases.
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The Bible actually has quite a bit to say about knowing another’s thoughts.
So the king of Israel sent word concerning the place of which the Holy Man had warned him.This kind of thing happened all the time.The king of Aram was furious over all this. He called his officers together and said, “Tell me, who is leaking information to the king of Israel? Who is the spy in our ranks?” But one of his men said, “No, my master, dear king. It’s not any of us. It’s Elisha the prophet in Israel. He tells the king of Israel everything you say, even what you whisper in your bedroom.” - 2 Kings 6
Knowing thoughts - Matthew 9:4 NLT--Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts?
The Word of Knowledge is revealed to you by God and was not previous knowledge or information you came up with by yourself.
Nathanael was doing something under the fig tree. What has he been doing, we do not know.Apparently Nathanael took it as evidence of some kind of supernatural knowledge on Jesus' part, but his reaction seems to be overblown
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When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea. Acts 8: 39-40
Philip’s sudden departure meant that the Ethiopian was unable to thank or reward Philip for his help. Instead of being focused in Christ as “he went on his way rejoicing”, which is much more important than Philip’s mode of travel.
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Super strength - As seen in: The Incredible Hulk…and Samson in the Bible. Where did Samson get his superhuman strength? Well, three times the Bible gives the answer: just before a demonstration of incredible power.
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The Amplified Bible is the ONLY translation that uses the phrase “vital necessity” in our relationship with and to God: Jeremiah 29:13 Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. What things do you consider a vital necessity in your life? In other words, what can’t you live without? Most people would immediately think of food, water and shelter; but in reality, we can’t really live unless our minds and hearts are set on seeking the Lord.
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Hunger and thirst are natural expressions of the basic human desire and need for food and water. One of the clear indicators that something is wrong physically is when we lose our appetite. It is the same spiritually. How Can You Stay Hungry for God? The word “hunger,” by definition, means, “having a strong desire, craving, displaying the need for food.” In reality, however, hunger is not just for food, but humans also crave physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual nourishment. Jesus said: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4)
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O God, you are my God, and I long for you. My whole being desires you; like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you. (PSALMS 63:1) IS GOD’S PRESENCE ESSENCIAL FOR YOU?
Ways to Foster a Thirst for God
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Worship with God’s People
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Read the Word of God
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Practice Gratitude to God (PRAISE HIM)
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Living with a conscious awareness of God’s presence will keep us serving faithfully. An awareness of His closeness will remind us that He is the Sovereign and that we are the servants.. The most common Hebrew term for "presence" is panim, which is also translated "face, " implying a close and personal encounter with the Lord. God's presence carries a wide range of meaning. It may be something people fear. Adam and Eve's sinfulness drove them to hide from the Lord in the garden of Eden ( Genesis 3:8). God's presence provides comfort in times of trouble or anxiety ( Joshua 1:5 )
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Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13). DO YOU SHOW VITAL SIGNS? Do you see God as a Vital Necessity?
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Joshua had big dreams. God told him, "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go" Joshua 1:7
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Be Strong and of Good Courage
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Trust in God’s Word
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Stay Focused on God
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God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or dream, according to His power that works in us - Ephesians 3:20 (AMP)
Dream – a condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration. (www.dictionary.com)
“A dream is an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will and emotions, empowering you to do everything you can to achieve it.” (John Maxwell).
3 QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR DREAM
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The Ownership Question: Is my dream really my dream?
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The Passion Question: Does my dream compel me to follow it?
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The Significance Question: Does my dream benefit others?
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This is what you need to do, speak the word of faith, to verbalize what you are seeking from God… so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.
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Write down your dreams
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Have faith in God
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Pray for your dreams
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Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.-Habakkuk 2:2
Write down the revelation you received from God. We will stumble and fall. But if our efforts are aimed at God’s purpose, it is certain that we will succeed. If God is for us who can be against us?
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Write down your dream
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Learn to wait
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If it seams slow do not give up
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There is a Bible story about a widow and prophet Elijah. She had to trust the word of the prophet and gave a baby step of faith. The first step you need to take in order to start dreaming Big is to give a “Baby Step” and start trusting in the Lord. Small Steps Prepare Your Heart to Trust God in the Big Trials
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John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" “God so loved the world.” It’s one thing for someone to say they love you, but, when they say they so love you, that shows passion. No one will ever love you with the intensity that God does. “God so loved the world” God doesn’t just love one set of people. He does not just love one particular nation or race. God is a big God, and he has a very big love indeed. The scope of God’s love covers the whole world – every nation, tribe, language and people.
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Luke 5:10 , "… And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men"
HOW CAN WE DEVELOP A PASSION FOR SOULS?
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We must have the absolute assurance of our own salvation.
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We must be living in Holiness to the Lord.
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We must have the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
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2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV) says, "16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
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All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God
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All Scripture Is Profitable
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The Word of God Alone Makes Us Complete
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There is a need in us to communicate with the God of the Universe. If we don't learn to approach Him we will miss the opportunity to transform our natural life into a supernatural adventure fulfilling our real destiny. MATTHEW 6:4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Jesus was teaching about giving to the poor and switches the subject to prayer. What we know today as “The Lord’s Prayer”Christians should not flaunt their good deeds for everybody to see. He said that good deeds—giving to charitable causes, serving others, etc.—should be done “in secret” (Matthew 6:4). Jesus says that prayer—should be done “in secret” (6:6)
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PSALMS 142:4 "no man cared for my soul." Do your friends know you care for their soul? One of Paul's greatest desires was for the salvation of his nation (Rom. 10:1-3). The obligation he felt to preach made him cry out, "woe is me if I do not preach the gospel" (1 Cor. 9:16).
We are living in perilous times when fewer and fewer people care. 2 Timothy 3:1,2 warns, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves..." You might be in a difficult situation and tempted to think that nobody cares. HOW CAN WE HAVE A PASSION FOR SOULS?
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Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 says, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted". The Bible says that there is “a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2), there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh” (Ecclesiastes 3:4), there is “a time to love, and a time to hate” (Ecclesiastes 3:8). These are seasons, not rhythms. Humans have mastered many things in this world, but some elements of our existence are beyond our control. We cannot conquer time. God is the one who appoints each moment. RHYTHMS are not SEASONS. We need to find the correct rhythm for every season
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The Sabbath was established by God after He made the world in six days. He was the first one to celebrate it and declared this seventh day a period of rest. God established a pause (rhythm). The Sabbath is a regular, rhythmic time of rest. The other main Hebrew word for rest used in the Hebrew Scriptures is nuakh. This means to “dwell” or “settle.” God sets up shabbat and nuakh right around the same time. God works for six days creating the world and rests on the seventh day.Only a few verses later, we read that God creates humans and then immediately “rests them” or “settles them” with himself in the garden of Eden (nuakh) Genesis 2:15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
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Tempo is the speed at which a passage of music is or should be played. The rate or speed of motion or activity; pace. The tempo of a piece will typically be written at the start of a piece of music, and in modern Western music is usually indicated in beats per minute (BPM). In Classical Music there are descriptions for this measurement (Adagio, Vivace, Allegro, etc.). God created light and separated it from something that pre-existed “darkness”. God did a separation between light and darkness and he named these distinct thing. This happened in a period of time. The Bible says that God called this period “The first day”. One of the interesting things about “tempo” related to syl/sec is that Moses had a different tempo than everybody else.
David said in Psalms 119:164 Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous ordinances. David praised Him with a rhythm of seven times a day. We all have rhythms and patterns in everything we do. Some people drink eight glasses of water every day in order to loose a few pounds. Do you thinks you can pray more, praise more, read more, and come to Church more often? God is waiting for your heartbeat to be syncopated by his Holy Spirit.
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A rhythm is defined as a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound. Also a particular type of pattern.(Greek rhythmos, derived from rhein, “to flow”) is an ordered alternation of contrasting elements. EVERYTHING HAS A RHYTHM, God has a rhythm. Everything has a rhythm. The universe has a rhythm. The planets in our solar system have a rhythm. The earth has a rhythm. God created our heartbeat (a heart with built in rhythm). There are no two identical physiological heartbeats. If we examine the people who did great works for God, most of them underwent a similar pattern (rhythm). God humbled them, taught them the important lesson of dependence, and exalted them in due time when their characters could accept praise with humility.
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Jesus was in constant prayer with the Father. It was the center of his life. There are five aspects in Jesus' prayer life that I would like to mention. Do you feel like you don’t know how to pray? The disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray.
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David is most probably the person that did more prayers in the Bible. We have a lot to learn from his songs and from his life. May the prayers of David, the shepherd, the king, the warrior, the worshipper, the sufferer, the pilgrim, the penitent and the mourner be an example to us all in our times of need, whether they be of joy, or of sorrow.
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After three years of drought and barren lands, God told Elijah to meet King Ahab. If he confronted the king, God said he would bring rain to the land.The king and queen who despised Elijah and wanted him dead and the prophet challenged the 850 prophets of Baal. There were slim chances of survival if God didn’t show up in fire andElijah challenged that God would consume a sacrifice with FIRE FROM HEAVEN
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the first time God called Moses in Egypt, Moses prayed to God and asked God what he ought to say to the people. Moses Desired the Presence of God. When Moses Prayed He Listened To God’s Voice
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The first prayer recorded in the Bible occurs when Abraham pleads with God not to destroy the people of Sodom, where his nephew Lot lives. Genesis 18:16-33, Abraham pleads with God for the city of Sodom. Verses 22-32 detail the conversation and back and forth negotiations between Abraham and God. Abraham begins asking for the city to be spared, if there are but 50 righteous who are in it.
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God wants to take your wounds, pain, hurts, and sorrow! Isaiah 53:4- Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. There is inner healing for ALL of them; knowing that He cares for you and wants to take those things from you.
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We know something isn’t working in our heart by one of three things: We have fresh feelings whenever we think about people or events that occurred a long time in the past; When we have a strong over-reaction to something; When we keep encountering similar negative situations or events in our lives.
Isaiah 43:18–19 - Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland
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Inner Healing Prayer is a way to invite the Spirit of Christ to minister to the inner parts of our person that have been damaged. Use Bible promises in your prayer.
Isaiah 41:8-14 8 “But you—my servant, Israel,Jacob, whom I’ve chosen, seed of my beloved friend Abraham9 I drew you to myself from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corner. I say to you: ‘You are my servant; I have chosen you. I have not rejected you! 10 Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.’ 11 “All who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced. All who contend with you will perish and disappear. 12 You will look for your enemies in vain; those who war against you will vanish without a trace 13 I am Yahweh, your mighty God! I grip your right hand and won’t let you go! I whisper to you: ‘Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you!’ 14 “Jacob, although you feel like a grub worm, have no fear! O men of Israel, I am here to help you! I am your Kinsman-Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel!
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“Jesus of Nazareth was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with great power. He did wonderful things for others and divinely healed all who were under the tyranny of the devil, for God had anointed him. - Acts 10:38 -
Spiritual issues
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Need Healing
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Evil Spirits may take advantage
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Deliverance brings healing to the “inner man”
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Types of Spiritual Sickness issues: Spiritual wounds; Spiritual malnutrition; Spiritual paralysis; Spiritual virus; Spiritual intoxication; Spiritual infection.Spiritual Siknesses have only one “Balm” to bring healing.
Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?
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5 Practical Ways to Honor God with Our Money
Proverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with your money, with the first fruits of all your labor
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Honor is what unlocks the anointing of God, when we honor God’s servants, the anointing that He has placed upon their life begins to flow and touch us
Isaiah 10:27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
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It’s hard to talk with people who have known you for a long time, especially about spiritual matters. They think they know you. In most cases, they’re right, but not with Jesus.
Mark 6:4 NLT Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.”
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"Honor Your Father and Mother": A Biblical Command We Never Outgrow“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. - Exodus 20:12
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In God’s Kingdom there is a “Protocol of Honor”. If you expect God’s blessing you need to start by honoring God, respect his Word and behave accordinglyProverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the first fruits of all your income;
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No human being can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth.Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring
James 3:8-12
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Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus - Philippians 2:5
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WHAT DO YOU SEE? WHERE IS OUR FOCUS?
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Are you seeing just the negatives?
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4 PROMISSES OF GOD THAT HE WILL TRANSFORM US FOR THE BETTER
Day by day we are being transformed by God, from Glory to Glory
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How can I have the mind of Christ? The Bible says in Philippians 2:5 "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus" Three things we must do to develop a mind that agrees with God.
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Do you spend more time thinking in good things or in negative things?Are you willing (open) to be changed (transformed)? How valuable is the Bible for you? Are you willing to change your attitudes? Can you try to look at yourself instead of finding faults in other people around you?
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The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts. - Haggai 2:9
Zerubbabel and Joshua, upon hearing the word of God through Haggai, began gathering the citizens of Judah right away to recommit to the work of rebuilding the temple. At once, the people got started on constructing a suitable house for the Lord because He stirred up their spirits
There are three things to consider:
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A Backward Look - (verses 1-3): Something in the former that is better than the presence
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An Upward Look - (verses 4-5): Holding onto God for a better future
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A Forward Look – (verses 6-9): Receiving the Prophecies and promises for a better future
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Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests-Luke 2:14
Luke’s account of the night of Christ’s birth, we hear a heavenly choir of angels singing “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” The army of angels sang to shepherds on the night watch.
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Shekinah Glory is a visible manifestation of God on earth, whose presence is portrayed through a natural occurrence. The word shekinah is a Hebrew name meaning “dwelling” or “one who dwells.” Shekinah Glory means “He caused to dwell,” referring to the divine presence of God
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God's Word reveals that that He lives in light and glory, which no mortal human can see face to face. God shows Himself and reveals His works through the lives of His faithful followers who serve His purposes and gather to worship Him. That is because His Holy Spirit lives in them. Glory is not just a word but it’s something to be experienced
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Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”John 11:40
The "glory" that John is referring to is the glory that he has seen while Jesus preached, taught, healed, served, died, rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. Some words that we might use to define this glory are words like "brilliance" or "beauty" or "majesty." The Greek work that John uses is the word "doxa"
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When we truly repent before the Lord, we will not worry about what people will think. We will not worry that people think we are being ridiculous for crying in tears, for saying "sorry," for making restitution for our sins. IF YOU RECEIVED FORGIVNESS YOU SHOULD WORSHIP AT HIS FEET!
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In Matthew 17:20, Jesus said,“Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Your Simple Prayers Can Move Mountains
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How do you love the people who kidnap you and then kill you? “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” The key to joy is faith in God’s future grace
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We get saved by grace through faith, but we also live by grace through faith. What must I do to be saved? “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Grace is the Hebrew word chanan or the Greek word charis, meaning “the state of kindness and favor toward someone, often with a focus on a benefit given to the object.”
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Paul experienced a radical transformation. The Apostle Paul says about himself that he was of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee educated at the feet of Gamaliel, who was one of the most noted rabbis in history. Paul went from a man who chased wealth and power to one who lived in faith.
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IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN SEPARATE YOU FROM GOD? Romans 8:38-39, 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul said, “For I am persuaded.…” The word “persuaded” is the Greek word peitho. It means to be persuaded, to be convinced, or to be swayed from one opinion to the opinion held by another. This word describes a person who has been coaxed from a particular conviction to embrace a different one.
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Matthew 7:13–14 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Entering the narrow gate is not easy. Jesus made this clear when He instructed His followers to “strive” to do so. The Greek word translated “strive” is agonizomai, from which we get the English word agonize.
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Four Fishermen were called as disciples of Jesus. Jesus calls to his side the first four disciples - Andrew and John, Peter and James. With the former pair he had already made acquaintance when they were disciples of John the Baptist. “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (v.19)— In its Jewish setting, Jesus was officially calling these men to become His disciples. There were set rules and procedures on how a rabbi did this. The terminology is a word play on their current profession of fishing and their new one as witnesses and evangelists.
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“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34
Take up your cross and follow Me” means being willing to die in order to follow Jesus. This is called “dying to self.”
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Matthew 9:27-29 27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied. 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you";
These blind men knew that they needed a change. Jesus had something that could change their future so they did the right thing and started to follow Jesus.
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The Gospel of Mark shows that Jesus is talking about two time periods: Mark 10:29-30 No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. God will reward us generously — but Jesus also warns us that this life is not a life of physical luxury. We will have persecutions, trials and sufferings in this life. Jesus is not promising to give 100 fields to everyone who gave up a farm to follow him. He is not promising to give 100 mothers. He is not promising to make everyone wealthy. He is not talking in literal terms. He means that the things we receive in the next life will be 100 times as valuable as the things we give up in this life — as measured by real value, eternal value, not by temporary fads about physical things.
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Revelation starts with letters that contain promises of Rewards to “he who overcomes”. Thedre are 7 Promisses to the Overcomer.The great reward, heaven, is absolute.
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There are 5 CROWN REWARDS promised to the believers.
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The Victor’s Crown
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The Crown of Rejoicing
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The Crown of Righteousness
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The Crown of Life
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The Crown of Glory
A prize is a reward. Paul is concerned about disqualification. Learn how to qualify for these crowns. Your rewards in heaven.
Scripture teaches the 4 THINGS we need to give as a proof of submission. "Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." - Romans 13:7
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King David had many marriages and many children, Absalom was his third son from a a foreign woman named Maca. She was the daughter of king Gersur of Syria Absolom had a grudge against his father and started to do politics and stole the hearts of many using flattery. King David told Ittai that he had no reason to run away with him since he wasn’t a Jew. Itai had no debt with David but he was willing to sacrifice everything for his King. This is a contrast between Ittai and Absolom. Absolom was alive because of David but had no gratitude in his heart, no loyalty. LOYALTY IS PROVEN WHEN THERE ARE NO PROMISSES OF REWARDS
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What Does it Mean to Build Your House on the Sand? Moses spoke of the God of Israel as a Rock: “Ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect, … a God of truth and without iniquity.” (Deut. 32:3–4.)David wrote, “the Lord is my rock, and my fortress, … my shield, … my high tower.” (2 Sam. 22:2–3.)Not only is Jesus a Rock, but his gospel also is likened to a rock, a sure foundation. To Peter, who had obtained a testimony of Jesus by the revelation of the Holy Ghost, Jesus said, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18.)
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Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast (constant), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.1 Corinthians 15:58
Webster “constancy” is Fixedness or firmness of mind; persevering resolution; especially, firmness of mind under sufferings, steadiness in attachments, or perseverance in enterprise; stability; fidelity.
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Balance is necessary to ride a bycicle. Stability is achieved by motion forward. Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Unstable: not stable; not firm or fixed; not constant; wavering in purpose or intent; vacillating.The Bible tells us that a double minded person will not receive anything from the Lord. We need to overcome a divided mind.
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Definition of stability, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, The quality, state, or degree of being stable: such as “the strength to stand or endure, firmness”. Unstable: not stable; not firm or fixed; not constant; wavering in purpose or intent; vacillating. James 1:5-8 says, That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
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A specific phobia is an unwarranted, extreme and persistent fear of a specific object or situation that is out of proportion to the actual danger or threat (Humphris et al., 1995).The person with a specific phobia recognises that the fear is excessive, unwarranted or out of proportion to the actual risk. Specific phobias result in significant interference with the activities of daily life; they are usually grouped under a number of subtypes including animal, natural environment, blood-injection-injury and situational.
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Being diagnosed with a degenerative disease is a very difficult time. Many sufferers are unaware of their disease for years, and once symptoms start becoming prevalent, diagnosis may still take months or years. Some people believe that King David of Israel might have had Parkinson’s disease.Diseases and illnesses such as breast cancer, migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, dementia, and so much more likely played a part in history.Parkinson disease arises from decreased dopamine production in the brain. The absence of dopamine makes it hard for the brain to coordinate muscle movements. Low dopamine also contributes to mood and cognitive problems later in the course of the disease.
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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors.
Down syndrome (sometimes called Down’s syndrome) is a condition in which a child is born with an extra copy of their 21st chromosome — hence its other name, trisomy 21. This causes physical and mental developmental delays and disabilities
These are very different illnesses that affect the mind but they have similar effect in parents
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Schizophrenia is mentioned nowhere explicitly in the Bible. Schizophrenia is a psychological disorder characterized most commonly by hearing voices and having hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and, at times, paranoia.People with mild Schizophrenia can control it with prayer but I have seen that the mind can trick you into thinking you are having a Godly Vision when it’s not.Having mental health problems and a belief in God can bring creative and unique perspectives to things.
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CONTROL YOUR SLEEP HABITS!. Bipolar Affective Disorder BIPOLAR 2.Bipolar 2 disorder involves a major depressive episode lasting at least two weeks and at least one hypomanic episode (a period that’s less severe than a full-blown manic episode). People with bipolar 2 typically don’t experience manic episodes intense enough to require hospitalization.“When you lie down, you will not be afraid, when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” (Proverbs 3:24)
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Borderline Personality Disorder B.P.D. Borderline personality disorder is an illness marked by an ongoing pattern of varying moods, self-image, and behavior. These symptoms often result in impulsive actions and problems in relationships with other people.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder develops in some people following a traumatic event. Regardless of the circumstances, there is hope. First and foremost, that hope comes from God.
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) causes constant and repetitive thoughts, or obsessions. These thoughts happen with unnecessary and unreasonable desires to carry out certain behaviors, or compulsions. CAN SOMEONE BE HEALED OF OCD? Philippians 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
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For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7
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GOD IS OUR PEACE. Think of the human mind as a computer, and the Holy Spirit as a sort of anti-virus program that can be uploaded to the human hard drive. Once the program is uploaded, that "mind" can then affect all the computer's systems
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The blood of Jesus provides Divine Healing today! Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed people who had every kind of sickness and disease. Matthew 4:23. If you need healing today, the blood of Jesus is free and without side effects.
No gift God has given us is more important than the blood of Jesus Christ. Yet many Christians do not fully comprehend the power of the blood. Hebrews 10:19 We have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus. Every person is alienated and separated from God because of our sin (Colossians 1:21). That means even the best of us are actually unable to approach God to offer worship or prayer. Because of our sins, we remain at a distance from Him.
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” Revelation 12:11 to Plead the Blood of Jesus will give you one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful form of offensive prayer that you can use for any kind of deliverance and/or protection
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Tony Silveira teaches on the 7 functions of the blood in a paralel with the spiritual meaning of the blood of Jesus.
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.1 Peter 1:18-19
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Tony Silveira teaches on the 7 functions of the blood in a paralel with the spiritual meaning of the blood of Jesus.
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.1 Peter 1:18-19
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Jewish Tradition credits Gabriel with inspiring the Prophet Moses to write either Genesis or the entire Pentateuch. Later Jewish Rabbinical literature tells us that he was the angel who taught Joseph the 70 languages needed to rule in Egypt, but this is not in the Genesis account.Gabriel is named numerous times in the Quran where he instructs the Prophet Muhamad. The Scriptures gives us no information concerning Gabriel’s relation to other angels and archangels, but in the Book of Enoch (Apocrypha), “the four great archangels, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Phanuel,” are described as reporting the corrupt state of mankind to the Creator and receiving their several commissions.
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The angels give instruction, but there are no long conversations or frequent repeated visits.Acts 8:2: “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza”God can deploy angels to help you!
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Can we pray to angels?
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Catholic Christians pray to angels based on the Apocripha books
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Non-Catholic Christians believe that we can pray to no one but God
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For there is one God, one mediator also between God and humanity, himself man, Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).
One reason why praying to angels is wrong from a Biblical perspective is because Christ Himself never prayed to anyone but the Father. Also never in Scripture do we find any example of people praying to angels
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Do we all have a guardian angel? It cannot be emphatically answered from Scripture whether or not each believer has a guardian angel assigned to him/her. But, as stated earlier, God does use angels in ministering to us. God sends angels “to serve those who will receive salvation.” Angels are subject to the God- man Jesus Christ, not to man. Do you want to receive the ministry of Angels? Acknowledge Jesus; Fear the Lord; Manifest brotherly love.
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Angels are Ministering Spirits. It seems that people today are fascinated by the concept of angels, depicting them in everything from jewelry and Christmas decorations to movies and television programs. A poll conducted by Time magazine reported that 69 percent of American adults believed in the existence of angels, and 46 percent felt they had their own guardian angel. Also, 32 percent claimed to have felt an angelic presence at some time in their lives. In addition, a 2000 poll conducted by the Barna Research Group of Ventura, California, found that 81 percent of adults polled said they believed that "angels exist and influence people's lives."
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Your personal trajectory is the path your life travels which consists of defining moments in various stages.
The Stages of Joseph's Trajectory
(Genesis 37:1-50:26)For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)
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Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
1.GET YOUR HEART RIGHT
2.PRAY
3.SEEK GOD’S COUNSEL THROUGH HIS WORD
4.SEEK GODLY COUNSEL AND PRAYER PARTNERS
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Trust in the Lord with all Your heart; and lean not unto Your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He shall direct your paths Proverbs 3:5-6 What loving father would not correct his child who was doing the wrong thing and heading down the wrong pathway?
1.He loves us.
2.He is a good Father.
3.He wants what is best for us.
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“The Way” is mentioned several times in the book of Acts (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22) in connection with early followers of Christ. It was to take prisoner men and women who “belonged to the Way” (Acts 9:2; 22:4). Presumably, the early followers of Christ referred to themselves as followers of the Way because of Jesus’ statement in John 14:6 that He is “the way and the truth and the life.”
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Trajectory is a Latin word that is defined in the Dictionary as a path, progression, or line of development resembling a physical trajectory (Merriam Webster). I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 IN LIFE WE MUST CONSTANTLY MAKE TRAJECTORY CORRECTION MANOEUVERS
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"You have kept count of my tossing; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in god I trust; I shall not be afraid." PSALM 56: 8-11 God Is Aware Of Every Tear You Cry. There is not a drop of water that has fallen from your eye that God has not seen.
The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. Isaiah 57:15 NLT God is with the brokenhearted, and God can be brokenhearted at our rejection of him. There is nothing we experience that God has not endured in God’s human life as Jesus.
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If your friends are losers you can become one…“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn
At one point Job, weary of his friendsunhelpful rhetoric, told them, “You are miserable comforters, all of you!” (Job 16:2)
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How did you feel the last time a coffee mug slipped from your hands and shattered on your kitchen floor? I’m betting at the very least it was probably some combination of surprise and annoyance. If it was an heirloom or an otherwise sentimental piece, you may have even felt extremely guilty and disappointed as you swept up the shards.
In Japan, instead of tossing these pieces in the trash, some craftsmen practice the 500-year-old art of kintsugi, or “golden joinery,” which is a method of restoring a broken piece with a lacquer that is mixed with gold, silver, or platinum.
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From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2 (NKJV)
We can be sure that we will be broken by situations, people and even by God Himself so rather than staying broken we can acknowledge God in every situation and become stronger at every trial and every challenge.
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If you need answers from God is more likely that you get them at God’s house than anywhere else. Romans 12:1 commands us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God.We do not come together for Sunday worship service to experience an emotional response that brings joy to us as consumers, though many Westerners gather for this very reason. Rather, we gather because God has united us. We gather because we live life together in being effective witnesses to our local communities.
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The priest of the old Testament could use the urim and thummin to determine God’s will in a particular situation. We are not exactly sure what the urim and thummin were, but the priest carried in his breastplate perhaps two sticks or stones, one white and the other black, that would give a yes or no answer to a specific question. I believe God wants to speak and the way he does it may slightly change but we should use the principle of asking God simple yes and no questions and leave the big picture to Him
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How can I know when God is telling me to do something? Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him… - Psalm 37:7 The primary way God commands us is through His Word. We also have the Holy Spirit to discern what is, or is not, God’s will for our lives. God can also use people or circumstances to speak to us
2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Israel was in a dark and desperate place. They had fallen from grace and lost their way. They had actually chosen to go their way and do their own thing apart from God. They thought they knew better so they did their own thing.
Get Answers from God
•Be willing to let God answer for His own purpose.
•We must be willing to let God answer in His own way.
•You must be willing to let God answer in His own time.
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Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known - Jeremiah 33:3, This is a great Promise, however, God only promises to answer our prayers when we ask according to His will. If you want answers you should first ask the right questions.
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Jesus was tired of the way and rested by the well of jacob. We need to learn to rest by the well. Jesus meets a Samaritan woman. Her encounter with Jesus is the longest between the Messiah and any other individual in the Gospel of John. Jesus Revealed Himself as God at the well!
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In Song of Solomon 4 says, "1 Behold, you are beautiful, my love 15 a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon." "A well of living waters": she is like a fountain of living or running water, which flows into gardens, and makes its flowers and plants to flourish. The church conveys those waters of life, which she receives from Christ, to particular believers.
Jacob meets Rachel near Haran. The well is a meeting place. Jacob’s mother Rebekah met with Abram’s servant at a well (Gen. 24:15), now Jacob meets Rachel at a well, and Moses will later meet Zipporah at a well (Exod. 2:15).
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Abraham paid the price of seven ewe lambs to secure ownership of a well at Beersheba. beʾer“well”; shevaʿ“oath,” or “seven”. Abraham, Hagar, Jacob, and Elijah all experienced life-changing encounters with God in association with Beersheba (Genesis 16:8; 21:17; 46:3-4; 1 Kings 19:3). God’s promises to Jacob at Beersheba were powerful. God wants to make promises to you also !
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Rehoboth was a named because it had wide open spaces. This is the third well dug by Isaac. The first 2 caused fight and contention but this one was different. Water is essential to life. Without it, we will die. One time, Jesus compared His doctrine to water. He stopped at Jacob’s well at about noon time. The Lord was tired and thirsty. Along came a Samaritan woman, and He asked for her to draw water from the well for Him to drink. when God says, “I am the spring of living water” (Jer2:13) He is also saying, “I am the Source of Life. And in Me all the unseen resources of Heaven are there to back you up.”
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One of the most mysterious type of spiritual portal is described at the end of the Bible in Revelation 21. Learn about the pearly gates on the last devotional of this series.
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On the series about spiritual portals we lear about the gates of hell mentioned by Jesus in the Bible. Learn about the historical and geographical meaning of this portal
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In Genesis we read about Jacob's ladder. A stairway to heaven! God can open portals so that ANgels can pass from Heaven to Earth and vice versa. Learn how to be aware of these spiriual portals.
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God provided exit portals to 3 people in the Bible that ascended to heaven. Putting aside the exact theology of these 3 sepparate events Tony explains how spiriual portals can give passage from Earth to Heaven. Learn about Enoch, Elijah, Moses and Jesus in the context of these portals.
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God can open portals that allow us to go from one spirtual realm to another one. Jesus is the door (portal) and through Him we have acces to a new spiritual identity.
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God speaks in many ways, the most common way he speaks to us is through the Bible. He can also use other people, dreams and visions and many other ways to communicate. Learn how to be sensitive to the voice of God.
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SOmetimes God speaks directly from Heaven in very specific situations. Learn when this happened and what to expect about it.
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Multiple times through ou the Bible the voice of God is decribed as the sound of many waters. This is a coumpound sound where a multitude of small dropplets produces a loud noise. God sometimes speaks with a confusing sound but we can isolate His message from the sound of many waters.
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In the book of Revelation John described the voice of God sounding like a loud trumpet. Learn to discern the Voice of God. This week Tony Silveira brings you different teachings on how to listen to God.
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The last altar built by Abraham was on mount Moriah. Here his faith was tested as he is asked to offer his son in sacrifice. Learn how God provided a substitute and how this relates to our redemmption in Jesus Christ.
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After Abraham finaly settled in the promised land and leaves Egypt behind he goes through numerous family struggles, battles and makes a bad decision of having a son with Hagar. God doesn't speak wiith him for 13 years but at Mamre the covenant is renewed and expanded. His name was changed from Abram to Abraham and he receives new identity. We also receive new identities in Christ!
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After building the altar in Bethel Abram goes in the direction of the Negev. There he finds famine and fleds to egypt instead of returning. He found a lot of trouble with Pharaoh but ends up returning to Bethel where he rebuilds the altar and starts all over again.
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After building the altar in Shechem ABram goes towards the Negeb and stops in Bethel with Ai at his left and he made another altar. Learn about the meaning of this altar and how we have to leave our past behind
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Abraham, the father of faith built many altars during his lifetime. We start a series of devotionals today where we will be studying these altars and applying the principles of Abraham into our own life.
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One of the darkest valleys in the Bible is the place of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them. God destroyed these cities but saved Lot. In Christ we know that the world is getting submerged in sin but God will rescue His children
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We all go through dark valleys of life. Trouble is not something we desire but God can use it to test our faifth wisg is more precious than gold.
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In the Bible Psalms 84 says that God will transform the valley of weeping into springs. Learn the hidden meaning of this with Tony Silveira in another evening devotional.
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In our lives we go through difficulties that the Bible compares to valleys. Learn about the valeey of calamity and how to transform it into a door of hope.
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On this series about dark valleys of life Tony Silveira teaches on Psalmas 23 verse 4 where David says "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me"
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We have this amazing privilege given by God of standing with the Angels. Learn about this on my evening devotional with Tony Silveira
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Psalms 1 says that blessed is the man that does not stand in the way of sinners. Tony Silveira explains how to get this blessing.
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One day we will be brought to Godºs presence for a final judgement. Will you be able to stand before Him? This question is answered by Tony in this evening devotional
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There is an old Hymn that talks about standing on the promises of God. Today on my evening devotional we're learning on how to stand firm on those promises.
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The purpose of the armor of God is that after you endured the pressures and the attacks of the enemy at the end youwill stand firm. Sometimes we are in shaky ground spiritually but if we put on the armor of God we will stand firm at the end.
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The book of revelation contains seven extraordinary promises of God to overcomers. You are more than conqueror and have access to these amazing promises
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Jesus Christ paid a ransom for you. You are more than conqueror in Christ since though you did not deserve it God paid for your freedom.
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Romans 8:37 says, in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us. A known illustration compares this verse truth with a boxer that fought hard and won a prize in a boxing match. He went home and gave the prize to his wife. His wife was "more-than-a-conqueror" - she got all the benefits and did none of the painful work.
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The Bible shows that God speaks from the top of the mountains. We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus
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In Christ we are more than conquerors. Learn what this means for you with Tony Silveira with my evening devotional
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The Bible tells us that as children of God we have the Spirit of Christ in us. Have you tested that you have it? We are very good at testing if we have a bad infectious disease but we are not as skilled testing for good things. Make sure the Holy spirit is in you Christ the hope of Glory. We have this mistery in us. We are jars of clay with a hidden treasure inside.
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Stephen was also a man of a different spirit. Scriptures say that he was filled with the Holy Spirit and power. Can you qualify the same as Stephen? Jesus teached how to ask for the Holy Spirit and you can also be seen by God as a person of a differnt spirit just like Caleb.
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People of a different spirit receive a double portion from God. A double portion was given to the firstborn as a way to confirm his rights. God will bless you with a double portion when after being tested you remain faithful to Him.
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God is looking for people that are unique and have a different spirit. Job was defined by God as one that there was nobody like him. Even after tremendous trials job didn't listen to his friends and decided to worship God. This brought restoration to his life. Learn to think for yourself!
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Numbers 14:24 But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.
God said of Caleb: He has a different spirit. Joshua was in the same category. Are you a person of a different spirit?
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We are letters from God sent to the world. One day we will be returned to the sender but in the meantime we are both the Message and the Messengers
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Sometimes we need to confirm that the message arrives to its destination. We are God's letters to this world.
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The fundamental message of the gospel is many times lost because of the messengers
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We are like living letters that God sends to the world. Some mail gets lost...the devil, your enemy, wants to rob you and the world of God's messages
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Do you know you received mail from God? Jesus Christ is both the message and the messenger and through Him God has a precious message for you today!
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On Psalms 23 there is a promise that God will lead us beside still waters. We need to find that spiritual place of refreshment in God.
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God tells us in proverbs 3 that we need to put our trust in the Lord and lean not in our own understanding. Following our heart can be dangerous if we don't have God in our life. Learn how to move from partial trust into total trust in the Lord.
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When you walk in Divine partnership with God He will bring supernatural inspiration to your life.
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There are things that "fuel" our heart and we can chose what with build our heart. Jesus said that we store treasures inside of us in our heart and that we will speek according to what comes our of our heart.
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Paul mentions an experience of a man that was caught up to heaven and saw a glimpse of paradise. Have you been caught up? Do you wnat to have this experience?
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So many people say that "God has a plan" but they don't align their life with the will of God. Learn to pray for alignement.
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People always have good excuses to delay the call of the Lord but if you don't answer to His call properly you may lose it
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Jesus was tired of the journey and took time to rest by the well of Jacob. We need to learn the principle of resting when under fatigue or stress.
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Bartimaeus was a blind man that cried out to Jesus and he was called to see Him. This man received sight and followed Jesus on the way and should be an example for all of us
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Your friendships and intimate relationships can cause you pain. Just like a rose has thorns friendships can hurt us but we shouldn't be quick to give up on them. Paul had a thorn in his flesh that made him stronger. My evening devotional with Tony Silveira from Montreal, Canada.
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In tonight's episode Tony teaches about the analogy between fruit and character in the Bible and how we can "taste" the spirits to know if they're from God
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Love is a feeling but the Bible talks about "Agape love" wish is a decision. The fruit of the Spirit of love can be developed with simple day to day decisions.
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There is only one that is good...God! Learn how to manifest the goodness of God in your life by developing this fruit of the Spirit.
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Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. It's not always easy to be kind towards others. Learn with jesus how you can receive a blessing from God because of your acts of kindness.
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Do you have joy in your life? Many times circumstances around us rob us of our joy but the presence of God in us can produce supernatural gladness.
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The peace of God goes beyond our human understanding. Peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in us and gets developed by the presence on Christ in us.
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God is faithful! He wants us to manifest faithfulness in our live so he gives us a fruit of the Holy Spirit that will grow it in us.
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It is better to be patient than powerful. It is better to win control over yourself than over whole cities - Proverbs 16:32 Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can develop this in our lives by meditation, yoga, martial arts or other disciplines but the ultimate self-control comes from God.
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Patience is a fruit of the Spirit and if we don't have it in abundance we can receive it from God.
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Jabez was a man that knew is limitations. In his prayer to God he asked that his territory would be increased and his request was answered. Learn to go beyond your limits in this evening devotional with Tony Silveira.
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The Evening Devotional with Tony Silveira. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" - Isaiah 41:10
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Base Your Prayers on God’s Word.You can go boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16), by knowing what God’s will is in advance and having it firmly fixed in your heart. Evening Devotional with Tony Silveira
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How can I know God is listening to my prayers? Jesus said “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you” (John 16:23). On this episode Tony Silveira shares multiple scriptures that assure you that God is listening to all our prayers. He is listening and waiting for you to cry out to Him, and He is most willing to answer your prayers.
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Evening Devotional with Tony Silveira, Acts 10:35 in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
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In 2 Corinthians 2:14 Paul says "But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere." Learn the real meaning of the "triumphal procession" with Tony Silveira. Video availble on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGTY3XQzhp-1BfaGx1QG8OgYhVQHIssaW
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