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Daily
Devotions for December 2003
THEME - Prophecies
and Fulfillments of Christ's Birth in the Old and New Testaments
Please click on the current date # above to read the devotional
for the day!
May God richly bless
you this day!
These devotionals are written by the following men:
- DW - Senior Pastor, Dan Wilkenson
- RJS - Retired Pastor, Dr. Bob Shifflett
- DM - Associate Pastor, Dave Most
May God richly bless you this day!
CHRIST IN EVERY BOOK OF THE BIBLE
By R. G.
Ketchem, D. D.
In Genesis, He is the
Creator and Seed of the woman, 1:1 and 3:15
In Exodus, He is the Lamb
of God for sinners slain, Chapter 12.
In Leviticus, He is our
High Priest, Entire Book.
In Numbers, He is the Star
out of Jacob, 24:17
In Deuteronomy, He is the
Prophet like unto Moses, 18:15
In Joshua, He is the
Captain of the Lord's Hosts, 5:13-15.
In Judges, He is the
Messenger of Jehovah, 3:15-30
In Ruth, He is the Kinsman
Redeemer, Chpt. 3
In I, II Samuel, He is the
Despised and Rejected King, I Sam. 16: to 19:
In Kings and Chronicles,
He is the Lord of Heaven and Earth, All four Books
In Esther, He is our Mordecia, Chpt. 10
In Job, He is our Risen
and Returning Redeemer, 19:25
In Psalms:
He is the
Blessed Man of Chpt. 1
He is the Son of God in Chpt. 2
He is the Son of Man in Chpt. 8
He is the Crucified One of Chpt. 22
He is the Risen One, Chpt. 23
He is the Coming One, Chpt. 24
He is the
Reigning One of Chpt. 72
He is the
Leader of Praise in Chpt. 150
In Proverbs, He is our
Wisdom, Chpt. 4
In Ecclesiastes, He is the
Forgotten Wise Man, 9:14-15
In Song of Solomon, He is
the Beloved, 2:16
In Isaiah, He is the
Suffering Substitute Chpt. 53
In Jeremiah, He is the
Lord of Righteousness, 23:6
In Lamenations,
He is the Man of Sorrows, 1:12-18
In Ezekiel, He is the
Throne Setter, 1:26
In Daniel, He is the
Smiting Stone, 2:34
In Hosea, He is David's
Greater King, 3:5
In Joel, He is the Lord of
Bounty, 2:18-19
In Amos, He is the Rescuer
of Israel 3:12
In Obadiah, He is the
Deliverer upon Mount Zion, verse 17
In Jonah, He is the Buried
and Risen Saviour, entire Book
In Micah, He is the
Everlasting God, 5:2
In Naham,
He is our Stronghold in the Day of Wrath, 1:7
In Habakkuk, He is the
Anchor of our Faith, 2:4
In Zephaniah, He is in the
Midst for Judgment and Cleansing, 3:5 and 15
In Haggai, He is the
Signet Ring of Zerubbabel 2:23
In Zachariah, He is the
Smitten Shepherd, 13:7
In Malachi, He is the Sun
of Righteousness, 4:2
In Matthew, He is the King
of the Jews, 2:1
In Mark, He is the
Suffering Servant of Jehovah, entire Book
In Luke, He is the Son of
Man, 3:38; 4:1-13
In John, He is the Son of
God, 1:1
In Acts, He is the
Ascended Lord, 1:8, 9
In Romans, He is our
Righteousness One, 3:22
In I Corinthians, He is
the First Fruits from among the dead, 15:20
In II Corinthians, He is
made sin for us, 5:21
In Galatians, He is the
End of the Law, 3:10; 13
In Ephesians, He is our
Armor, 6:11-18
In Philippians, He is our
Supplier of Every Need, 4:19
In Colossians, He is the
Preeminent One, 1:18
In I Thessalonians, He is
our Returning one, 4:15-18
In II Thessalonians, He is
the World's Returning Judge 1:7-9
In I Timothy, He is the
Mediator, 2:5
In II Timothy, He is the Bestower of Crowns, 4:8
In Titus, He is the Great
God and Saviour, 2:13
In Philemon, He is the
Father's Partner, verses 17-19
In Hebrews, He is the Rest
of Faith and Fulfiller of Types 9: 11: 12:1-2
In James, He is the Lord
of Sabaoth, 5:4
In I Peter, He is the
Theme of Old Testament Prophecy, 1:10-11
In II Peter, He is the
Long Suffering Saviour, 3:9
In I John, He is the Word
of Life, 1:1
In II John, He is the
Target of the Antichrist, verse 7
In III John, He is
Personification of Truth, verses 3-4
In Jude, He is the
Believer's Security, verses 24-25
In Revelation, He is the
King of Kings and Lord of Lords, 19:11-16
Amen!
Monday, December 1
Jesus
Christ, the Seed of Abraham
Genesis
12:3; Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:8;16; 6:14
God
appeared to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 and 7; this is the first recorded
appearance of God to a man since Adam and Eve were cast out of the
Garden. It is very interesting that Abraham never possessed the land, he was just a stranger passing through. Yet,
God promised the land to Abraham's posterity. And he gave him none
inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he
promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed
after him, when as yet he had no child, Acts 7:5.
Abraham also looked for a city that was not of this world. 10For he looked for a city
which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, Hebrews 11:10. There
are many heroes of the faith listed in Hebrews 11, but Abraham stands
head and shoulders above the others.
Now we turn to Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of
Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham...where we
read the genealogy according to the Seed of Abraham. Why did Matthew
begin his genealogy record with Abraham? Because Matthew was writing to
the Jews and it was necessary that Christ be of the line of Abraham who
was the father of the Jews, in order to fulfill the prophetic records
for the birth of the Messiah. This promise was also given to Isaac and
Jacob and continued down 21 hundred years to the recorded birth of
Jesus. All the names listed here are important for the Jews to
understand that Jesus was the Anointed One, the Son of God. One wonders
about the gentile Kings of the east that came to worship the young
child, Jesus. Especially when King Herod commanded the scribes search
the scrolls to find where the Messiah (The King of the Jews) was to be
born and they read in Bethlehem as recorded in Micah 5:2.
Finally, the aged Simeon coming to Mary and Joseph as they
presented the Baby Jesus in the Temple to perform the Jewish ritual
according to the law; gave his testimony. ...For mine eyes have
seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of the
people; a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel, Luke 2:30-32. Yes,
this is the time of the year to look back to his birth and also
forward to our glorious meeting with Christ in the clouds, I Thess. 4:17. RJS
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Tuesday, December 2
Christ from
the Tribe of Judah
Genesis
49:8-12
We find the first Messianic prophecy in Genesis 3:15.
In this text, we read where God says to the serpent ... I
will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and
her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt
bruise his heel. In part, it is a reference to the coming
of Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes, He will take away the curse of sin.
The line of Christ is the seed of the woman. This line, according to
Jacob's prophecy, went through Judah. In this blessing, we find that the sons of
Joseph receive the right of the first born, but the line of the Messiah
goes through Judah.
King David was of the tribe of Judah. Of Jesus Christ in Revelation 5:5
we read ...the Lion of the tribe of Juda,
the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the
seven seals thereof. The figure of the lion speaks of this
tribe being strong and courageous. The lion is spoken of as the king of
beasts. The tribe of Judah was uniquely qualified for command and
conquest. The picture is that of securing victory, and peaceably
enjoying the things gained by those victories. It is not just making
war, but securing victory and peace. We need to be mindful that when it
comes to evil, there is no peaceful coexistence. Evil must be defeated
and conquered. Without defeat, there can be no peace.
Jesus is a conquering King. He won the victory
over sin, death and hell. At the cross, He won the spiritual victory.
This is important, but it is only part. The victory has yet to become a
part of our day to day experience. The Messianic promise includes that
the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord. We need
to note verse 10 of our text. Here we read, Genesis 49:10 The
sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the
people be. David's
kingdom was to last forever. In the book of Revelation, Jesus judges
this world. He has prevailed to take the book of judgment, because He
alone is worthy. In this world, it seems that might makes
right. With God, right makes might. When Jesus came the first time, Israel did not receive Him. When He comes again,
they will crown Him King of Kings. Right will make might on this earth
and in our experience. DW
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Wednesday, December 3
A Promised
Redeemer
OT Job
19:25-27; NT Ephesians 1:7, 11, 14
Throughout Job's life, we see a humble,
repentant and submissive heart unto His Redeemer. He did not even
know His name as Jesus Christ, just as Redeemer. Job 19:25-27
For I know that my redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though
after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see
God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold,
and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. Interestingly,
he did not have the written Bible like we do today and yet, he fully
trusted and was confident that after he was dead, his Redeemer would
vindicate him in the glory of a physical "in my flesh" resurrection
in which he would enjoy perfect fellowship with his Redeemer. Jesus
Christ is that Redeemer and that is the clear message of the Gospel.
We see then, in the New Testament the same
focus in several passages. In Ephesians 1:7 In
whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace. The
redemption of mankind came through Jesus Christ's blood. This was the
righteous requirement of God the Father that was fulfilled when Jesus
died on the cross. Christ's sacrifice on the cross paid the price for
every elect person enslaved by sin, which He then bought out of the
slave market of iniquity. The price of redemption was the death of the
righteous one, Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own
will. It is Jesus
Christ whom Job trusted and it is Jesus Christ in whom we must fully
trust with our lives. This salvation came after hearing the Word of
God, the Gospel of our salvation. We must repent of our sin and then
turn to Christ to save us. We are then sealed by the Holy Spirit, Ephesians
1:14 Which is the earnest of our
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the
praise of his glory.
Dear Lord God, it is with grateful hearts that
we come to You today. Please forgive us of our sin, help us to live in
humble submission to Your perfect will. Guide us in Your truth so that
we may live obediently, just as Job did. We love You and Exalt Your
Holy Name. Amen. DM
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Thursday, December 4
Jesus Christ Declared to be
the Son of God
Ps. 2:7;
30:4; Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said
unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee, Psalms 2:7. The Psalms are filled with revelation of Jesus
as the Son of God. David and the other writers of the Psalms were
definitely inspired to deliver prophetic words as to the birth, life,
teachings, death and resurrection of Christ. O LORD, thou
hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I
should not go down to the pit. 4Sing unto the LORD, O ye
saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his
holiness. Psalms 30:3-4. We are adding a list at the
end of this booklet by a man who is now with the Lord, who gave us a
record of Christ in every Book of the Bible.
In the following scriptures, we have a witness from heaven as
to the person of Christ, or God incarnate. And lo a voice
from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,
Matthew 3:17; And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came
from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And
straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and
the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from
heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased. Mark 1:9-11; and
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud
overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Matthew 17:5.
The only way Christ could become our Saviour
and Mediator was to be the very Son of God, very Man. He had to become human in order to understand
man's dilemma. He had to become flesh to understand our weakness and
frailty. He had to be made in the likeness of our sinful flesh and yet
be without sin. He had to go through the gate of death in order to
deliver us from the power of death.
Moses and Elijah were sent to confirm the bodily resurrection.
Moses was dead and buried according to Deuteronomy and here we see him
in the flesh. Elijah had not died, but lived in heaven for over a
thousand years; both gave witness to the Perfect Son of God, Jesus
Christ. RJS
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Friday, December 5
The Star of
Jacob
Numbers
24:15-19
Balaam is an interesting Old Testament
personality. He is identified in the New Testament as a false prophet.
Yet, here we find God speaking through him, a great prophecy. It is
foolish and dangerous to try to limit God. God works in powerful and
unusual ways. He takes the wrath of man and uses it for His praise.
Here he uses the false prophet, Balaam, to give a great Messianic
prophecy. As Balaam opens his heart, the
Spirit of God reveals a vision of the Messiah. Our Lord gives a
similar representation of Himself in Revelation 22:16.
Here we read where Jesus said of Himself, I am the root and
the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Some historical documents refer to kings as
stars. It is interesting in this regard to note that (Matthew
2:2) magi came from the east, saying, Where is he
that is born King of the Jews? for we have
seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Jesus said to Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world. The Jews
accused Him of seeking to rebel against Rome. It is significant to note that God never
uses coercion. Jesus could have commanded obedience. As Peter takes a
sword and tries to defend him, Jesus says, Matthew 26:53,
Thinkest
thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give
me more than twelve legions of angels? God has never
lacked the power to rule. It is just that with God, right precedes
might. At the flood, there was a complete separation of the righteous
and the wicked. The same thing occurs at the end of this age. When
Jesus comes, He will judge this earth. He will separate the sheep from
the goats. Only righteous people will enter the new age and the
kingdom. At this time, all on the earth will receive Jesus Christ as king.
In Isaiah 9:7, we read a most
unusual prophecy concerning Jesus
Christ. Here we read, of the increase of his government and
peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his
kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with
justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts
will perform this. There has never before been a kingdom
on this earth that expanded through peace. The kingdoms of this earth
all expand through war. Jesus Christ is the
rock of Daniel's prophecy that fills the whole earth. He is
revealed in our text as the Star our of Jacob. DW
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Saturday, December 6
Exalted By
God
OT Psalm
72:1-19; NT Philippians 2:9-11
This Old Testament Psalm
describes a reign with God as King, when all of nature, all classes of
society, and foreign nations will all live together in harmony. It is a
clear reference to the Messianic, millennial reign after the tribulation.
This is a breakdown of Psalm 72.
#1. A Just reign, vr. 1-4.
#2. A Universal Reign, vr. 5-11.
#3. A Compassionate Reign,
vr. 12-14.
#4. A prosperous
Reign, vr. 15-17. #5. A Glorious Reign, vr. 18-20.
In the New Testament, let us look at our passage
in Philippians, where Christ will be exalted by God the Father. First
we see that, Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God
also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name: This name is above every name as the God-Man. His
new name further describes His essential nature and places Him above
and beyond all comparison as, "Lord." This
is the New Testament name for the Old Testament descriptions of God as
sovereign ruler. Next, it is interesting to see that the entire
intelligent universe is called to worship Jesus Christ as Lord, even to
the angels in heaven, Revelation 4:2-9, to the spirits
of the redeemed in Rev. 4:10-11, and the obedient
believers on earth, Rom. 10:9. Then, to the disobedient, unsaved rebels
upon the earth, 2 Thess. 1:7-9,
and the demons and unsaved humans already in hell, 1 Peter
3:18-22. Every person and every thing will bow and bend the
knee to recognize Christ as Lord, both willingly and blessedly, or
unwillingly and painfully. Philippians 2:10-11, That
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father. This
will not be Lord as in Salvation. Rather this will be Lord as in
Christ's right to rule and reign as Sovereign Creator of all things.
This brings Glory to God the Father and is the exact purpose for
Christ's exaltation.
Dear Heavenly Father, it is with humbled
hearts that we pray today. We see and understand that it is Christ who
has died to save those who will turn from their sin and turn to Him to
save them. Help us to clearly understand that Christ is Lord whether we
recognize it or not. Help us to obey Your clear command to tell others
of Jesus Christ as Lord. It is in His name we pray, Amen. DM
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Sunday, December 7
Jesus, Born
King of the Jews
Jeremiah
31:22, Matt. 1:20-21, Luke 1:35
In Jeremiah 31:22, we have an
unusual verse which speaks about a virgin woman shall compass a man
(birth a man child). Many good interpreters understand this new
thing created, to be the incarnation (birth) of Christ. Comparing
this with Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6 which had been given to Israel for a sign. A woman,
the virgin Mary, enclosed in her womb the Mighty One;
the Hebrew word used here is, Geber,
and God is called Gibbor, the Mighty God, Jer. 32:18. Geber and Gibbor are two
different spellings of the same Hebrew word both meaning the Mighty God. As also, is
Christ in Isa. 9:6, where His incarnation is
spoken of here. Jesus Christ is El-Gibbor,
the mighty God.
Compare, Isa. 65:9, And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob,
and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall
inherit it...
Let us turn to the New
Testament and see the fulfillment of the above prophecies. But while Joseph thought on these things,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying,
Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife:
for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his
name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Jews
and Gentiles are included in the above salvation offered by the Father
through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is interesting that God said a truth
shall be accepted at the mouth of two or three witnesses, so let's look
at the second New Testament witness. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall
come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be
called the Son of God.
One last thought, in Isa. 9:6 For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The ever-lasting
Father, The Prince of Peace. What
a beautiful verse, because we have five descriptive names of the
Christ, and the middle one is The
mighty God and that's El Gibbor. Yes, Jesus is the Mighty God. RJS
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Monday, December 8
The Miracle
of New Life
Matthew
1:18-25
Jeremiah 31:22 How long wilt thou go about, O
thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath
created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.
From the days of the church fathers, some have viewed the new thing in
this text as a reference to the incarnation. The language of this text
is one of the most disputed by scholars in the entire book. The
majority of contemporary scholars reject the idea that this is a
reference to the incarnation. Their basis is the focus of the context and
the language. The verb that is translated "surround" has no
linguistic connection to the idea of conception. The context is that of
the restoration of Israel.
John Calvin agrees with the fathers, in that,
he sees this text as a reference to the virgin birth. H.A. Ironside understood this verse to teach that the
nation Israel would overcome the power of the gentile
nations.
I tend to think the woman is a picture of
national Israel, and the unusual thing is that in the latter
days, Israel pursues the Messiah. It is as our Lord said, Matthew
23:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not
see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the
name of the Lord. We cannot seek God apart from the
supernatural work of divine grace. The fallen nature seeks only for
self. In this way, being born again is similar to the conception of
Jesus and the spiritual restoration of national Israel. It is a work of divine grace. When we are
born again the Spirit of God creates spiritual life in the soul. Before
that, we are spiritually dead in sin. The prophet speaks of the
spiritual restoration of national Israel as that of a nation being born in a day. We
read in Isaiah 66:8, Who hath heard such a
thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the
earth be made to bring forth in one day? or
shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as
Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
This is a reference to the tribulation and
purification of the nation Israel. An important evidence of spiritual life is a
desire for spiritual things. It is important that we ask ourselves if
we have any love for God and spiritual things. A hunger for God and
spiritual things is an important evidence of spiritual life. Our Lord
said, Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do
hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
DW
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Tuesday, December 9
Born in Bethlehem
OT Micah
5:1-5; NT Matthew 2:1
This passage in Micah 5 is a clear reference to Christ's
birthplace in Bethlehem Ephrathah. The town,
south of Jerusalem, was the birthplace of David and later on,
Jesus Christ. The name Bethlehem means "house of bread" because it
was a grain-producing region in OT times. The name Ephrathah
(fruitful) differentiates it from the Galilean town by the same name.
We see the phrase "from of old, from everlasting."
This speaks of eternal God's incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ.
It points to His millennial reign as King of Kings. In verse 3, the reference
to "give them up" is the interval between Jesus as
Messiah's rejection at His First Advent and His Second Advent, during
the times of the Gentiles when Israel rejected Christ and is under the domination
of enemies like we see today. The Re-gathering of the "remnant
of His brethren" did not occur at the First Advent, but is
scheduled to happen at the Second Advent. "She who is in
labor" is a clear mention of the nation of Israel. Verse 4 then refers to the millennial reign
of Christ.
The New Testament then gives the fulfillment of the OT prophesy in Matthew
2:1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea... It is truly an amazing thing to see that God fulfilled ALL of
the Old Testament prophesies regarding the Messiah's birthplace. Luke
2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of
the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the
city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) We also see in verse 10, the mention of the city of David, Bethlehem. Then in verse 11 the phrase, "a
Savior." This is one of only two places in the Gospels where
Christ is referred to as "Savior, " the
other being in John 4:42, where the men of Sychar
confessed Him as "Savior of the world." The OT also
pointed to "Christ, the Lord." Christ, of course is
the Greek word for "Messiah," and Lord, is the Greek word for
one of two different meanings. One being "master
and the other is the "covenant name of God," which is
the meaning here in our text. God is omniscient and sovereign and we
should praise and exalt Him for His unfolding plan of Salvation!
"Gracious God, we do praise and exalt
Your Holy Name. Thank You for providing Jesus Christ, our Savior in Bethlehem! Amen. DM
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Wednesday, December 10
Jesus Christ, Born of a Virgin
Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:22-23
A
little history lesson as to why Isaiah went to King Ahaz
as recorded in this 7th Chapter of Isaiah. Isaiah, sent from
the Lord to Ahaz who is now in sorrow and
unbelief, in order to assure him that the counsels of his enemies
should not stand and that they should be utterly defeated. To encourage
Ahaz, he commands him to ask a sign or
miracle, which should be a pledge in hand, that God should, in due
time, fulfill the predictions of his servant, as related in the
context. Ahaz humbly refusing to ask any
sign, it is immediately added, Therefore
the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold a virgin shall conceive
and bear a son; and shall call his name Immanuel. Both
the Divine and human nature of our Lord, as well as, the miraculous
conception, appear to be pointed out in the prophecy quoted here by the
evangelist: He shall be called IM-MENU-EL; literally, The STRONG GOD
WITH US: Compare John 1:1, 14. The Word, which was God, was made
flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. And, God was
manifested in the flesh. 1 Timothy
3:16. So that we are to understand, God with us, to imply God
incarnated, God in human flesh. He shall be truly man, grow up and be
nourished as a human, this union of the Divine and human nature is
termed a sign or miracle, something which exceeds the power of nature
to produce. And this miraculous union was to be brought about in a
miraculous way: Behold a VIRGIN shall conceive: the word is very
emphatic, the virgin; the only one that ever was, or ever shall be, a
mother in this way.
Some
so called "Christians," who have espoused in their desperate
cause to deny the virgin birth, assert, that the Hebrew word almah does not signify a VIRGIN only; because it is
applied, Proverbs 30:19, to signify a young married woman. My
answer: These so called Christians and Jews who deny the virgin birth
do so because they do not want to accept the Divine Nature of Christ.
They only want to accept Him as a man, upon whom the Holy Spirit
descended at His baptism and left him before His crucifixion. If He
were not virgin born and the Son of God, none who trust in Him are
saved, and are going to hell; but thanks be to God, He is the very Son
of God and all who trust Him are saved. RJS
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Thursday, December 11
The Times
and Seasons
Daniel
9:24-27
As you read the Gospel record, you find
that the spiritual leaders in Jerusalem know the place of Jesus' birth. As the wise
men come seeking Jesus, the scribes tell King Herod that it was in Bethlehem. It seems from this account that though they
know the place, they don't take this event seriously. They would have
had known that the Bible not only speaks of the place, but the time.
Some believe that there will be 7000 years of
human history. This 7000 years reflects the
7-day week of creation. On the seventh day, God rested, and the last
thousand years of human history involve the kingdom age. In Hosea 6:2
we read, after two days will he revive us:
in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
In this seven thousand year model, the two days would be the present
church age and the time when Israel lives in God's sight, would be the kingdom.
We need to appreciate that the Bible is full
of prophecies concerning the Messiah. Some have been fulfilled and some
have not. Furthermore, in some cases the fulfillment is much easier to
understand after the fact. In others, the prophecy and its fulfillment
are easy to identify. This is the case when it comes to our Lord's
birth in Bethlehem.
We also need to appreciate that things are not
coming to pass by chance or at random. The timing is perfect. In
Galatians 4:4 we read, but when the fulness
of the time was come, God sent forth his Son... Then in
Ecclesiastes 3:1To every thing there is a season, and a time to
every purpose under the heaven. If our hearts are in tune with God,
we should have some idea of the times and seasons. We find that
references to our Lord's coming again are that of a thief in the night.
The people of this world will be as unprepared for His coming as they
were for the flood. However, the same does not apply to those whose
hearts are in tune with God. In 1 Thessalonians 5:4 we read ...ye,
brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a
thief. If we are spiritually minded, we ought to have some
knowledge of what God is doing and some knowledge of the timing. DW
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Friday, December 12
Blessings of
the First Born
OT Exodus
13:1-16; NT Luke 2:23
God said, Exodus 13:2 Sanctify
unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth
the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. The
first born of Israel, both of man and animal were to be set aside
as special unto God. The last phrase, "it is Mine," is
crucial in our understanding of the Messianic line given in Luke
2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son,
where Christ is referred to as the first born of Joseph and Mary.
Let us take a close look at the firstborn.
Within
a family, there is one thing that is really important to God and that
is the children. God desires that the children be saved, that they be
redeemed and that they be delivered from this
old world of sin. That is what the dedication of the first born was all
about for God's people; remembering and teaching the children of God's
ways. How did God hope to accomplish this? First of all, He established
a Day of Dedication when parents would dedicate their firstborn sons to
Him, but God did even more than that. He also tied this day to the
Passover and to the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As we realize these
important days and their significance, we see that all three
celebrations focused on the greatest day in the life of Israel, the day of God's
deliverance from Egyptian slavery (the world). As Christians today, we
see that God also wants to deliver all people who will trust in Him
from this old world of sin.
It
was a commandment of God, the dedication of the firstborn. It is very
important to God, just as His redemption is also of significant
importance. He never wants it to be forgotten. Everything that we have
comes from God. The application to us is very clear. We are to always
remember the day of God's redemption, the day of our salvation. We are
to remember the day God saved us out of Egypt, the picture of this old
world. How?...as parents, by dedication of our
firstborn male child to God. "The firstborn offspring...belongs
to me." This is a fact that is never to be forgotten. That is
the reason we should set up a permanent dedication service to God for
our families. Say, have you dedicated your life to God? As parents have
you dedicated your children to God and His service? Are you teaching
them God's ways? If not, there are many missed blessings. Make a choice
to start today.
"Dear
Lord, we dedicate our lives, families and children to You. Use us as
You will. Amen." DM
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Saturday, December 13
Light out of Darkness
Isaiah 9:1-9; Matt. 4:14-16; Luke 2:32; John.
1:8-9
In Genesis 1, we see God
calling forth the light and the world that was in darkness was bathed
with light. That light was necessary for the earth to bring forth
grass, herbs, and trees for the feeding of nations that were to
populate the earth. In John 1, we see another Light brought forth and
it is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ who came to enlighten
mankind as to their need for eternal light. The light that springs
forth when we receive Christ as our Saviour
and know from that day forward that we are heaven bound and no longer
shackled by the chains of sin.
The Prophet Isaiah was
instructed to tell Israel that they were to see a
great light. The people
that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the
land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined, Isaiah 9:2. And it is
fulfilled in Matthew 4:14-16 That
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias
the prophet, saying, 15The land of Zabulon,
and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the
sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16The people
which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the
region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
What is even greater is
about to be revealed to the Gentiles and that is recorded in Luke and
John He (John) was not
that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that (Jesus) Light. 9That
was the true Light, which lighteth
every man (person) that cometh into the world, John 1:8-9. When Joseph and
Mary brought the Baby Jesus to the Temple at the age of eight days to
perform the Mosiac rites of circumcision on
all Jewish boys, according to the Law; dear old Simeon came and blessed
the Baby Jesus, as recorded in Luke
2:32. A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. When we stop and think
about the Light that God sent to our darkened hearts, we should fall on
our knees and thank Him again and again. Without the ministry of the
Holy Spirit, convicting us of our sins, we could never be saved or know
that heaven is to be our eternal home. Let's let our light shine that
others may also know a release of their sinful nature and sins that
without the born-again experience, no one can overcome. Thank you Lord
Jesus! RJS
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Sunday, December 14
The Seed of
the Woman
Genesis 3:14-15
The idea of the seed of the woman is an
interesting concept. The seed is with the man, but this prophecy in
Genesis speaks of the seed of the woman. The text also speaks of the
seed of the woman bruising the head of the serpent. We read a similar
thought in Hebrews 2:14. Here we read, Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself
likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him
that had the power of death, that is, the devil...
God's choice of Israel had a three-fold purpose. First, idolatry had
a strong hold in the hearts of people in the ancient world. Nations
tended to look at their success as being related to their worship of
God. The nations of this world were to see that (Psalm 33:12)
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people
whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. Second, God
gave the nation Israel His Word. In the book of Romans as Paul speaks
of the advantages of being Jewish, he says, Romans 3:2 Much
every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles
of God. Lastly, the nation of Israel was God's chosen vehicle in bringing Jesus
Christ to this earth. Jesus was the seed of the woman spoken of in our
text who would bruise the serpent's head.
Jesus was that Lamb of God which takes away
the sin of the world. God is not only a God of love, but also a God of
absolute and perfect justice. It would not be just for God to sweep sin
under the rug. The demands of justice needed to be satisfied. If we are
to satisfy the demands of divine justice apart from Christ, we must be
forever damned. Sin is so evil, it demands an infinite sacrifice. By
becoming man and dying on the cross, God provided a sacrifice for sin
that was infinite in its quality.
As our text speaks of the bruising of the head
and heal, it is difficult to understand just what all is meant. Surely,
there is a reference to the cross and our Lord's death. At the cross,
the serpent bruised our Lord's heal, but what is involved in the
bruising of the serpent's head? The serpent, the devil is described in
the Bible as the accuser of the brethren. In other words, he calls
attention to our sin and the demands divine justice. Somehow at the
cross, his head was crushed. It was at the cross that the enemy was
forever defeated. DW
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Monday, December 15
Flight into Egypt
OT Hosea 11:1; NT Matthew
2:15
What a tender verse from
OT Hosea 11:1
When Israel was a child, then I loved
him, and called my son out of Egypt. This reminds us of the
Exodus from Egypt and how the Lord
reassured Israel of His intense love for her. Here, we see that God's
compassion for her was aroused and we will look at the analogies in Matthew 2:15 and how this verse from Hosea is used in
relationship to Jesus Christ, people, and the world.
First we see God's amazing
grace at work as He leads Joseph, Mary and Jesus out and away from
difficulty. It could have been that they stayed in Egypt for around 6 or 7 years.
As we think about this, we realize that true believers can rest in
God's knowledge and providence, because He knows our dangers, threats
and trials and He will see us through. The other thing to think about
is that true Believers are "in"' Egypt, a picture of the world,
yet they are not "of" Egypt. Egypt is a type of the world,
and it symbolizes enslavement and bondage. Still two more applications
can be thought of. First, just as Jesus Christ was sent into Egypt (the world), so believers
are sent into the world. The other is that as Jesus Christ was
"called out of Egypt" so believers are
called out of the world. We see clearly that believers are called out of
this world now. 1 John
2:15-16 Love
not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is
of the world. Also, believers are called out of the
world eternally. Psalm
116:15 Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. So Joseph obeyed God, just as we ought. Finally,
we realize that we need to wait on God's direction and timing too, just
as Joseph did. Hosea 12:6
Therefore turn thou to thy
God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually. As parents, Joseph and Mary gave us great examples
of how to follow God; to teach and train our children in God's ways.
This heritage will guide the children to "saving faith" and
will lead them in obedience and a life that God can use. Say, how about
you? Are you living in obedience to God's will in your life?
"Heavenly Father, we
ask You to forgive us our failures and sin. We ask You to guide us in
Your truth. Help us to always obey and seek Your face. Amen." DM
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Tuesday, December 16
Herod's Killing of the Infants under Two Years of
Age
Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:16-18
Jealousy has killed more
people than all the wars put together. Jealousy of a spouse, others in
the family, an employer, possessions, friends and neighbors. Jealousy
is a sickness that does not hurt others as much as it hurts the jealous
person. Jealousy works like a cancer in the mind and heart until it
destroys the one who harbors it.
Jesus' title, "King
of the Jews," raised suspicion, because Herod feared anyone who
threatened his throne. He was a jealous monster who even killed his own
children to protect his throne. An Edomite,
he had a natural hatred for the Jews. Herod did not know God's Word,
but had to ask the scribes. The scribes knew the Word, but did not act
upon it. The wise men were both hearers and doers of the Word! The
visit of the Magi is an indication that the Gentiles will someday
worship the King when the kingdom is set up on earth, Isa. 60:6. Their experience is a good lesson in
finding the will |
