Category: The Nation Israel

A Greater Prophet and King #3

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

“The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:41,42 KJV).

What did our Lord Jesus Christ mean in today’s Scripture?

Jesus confirmed “[the Ninevites] repented at the preaching of Jonas” (today’s Scripture; cf. Luke 11:32) and “for [the queen of Sheba] came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon” (today’s Scripture; cf. Luke 11:31). He thus reminded Israel: “Behold, a greater than Jonas is here” and “behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” He is twice-stressing whom He is to get Israel’s attention. Paraphrasing, “Look, I am the Prophet whom JEHOVAH God has promised you! Look, I am the King whom JEHOVAH God has promised you!”

The Lord Jesus is greater than Solomon because He (Jesus) is God (Hebrews 1:6-12). Unlike Solomon, He will reign over all the world forever (Daniel 2:44; Zechariah 14:9; Revelation 11:15)—Solomon’s reign was limited to 40 years in Israel before he died (1 Kings 11:42,43). Unlike Solomon, Jesus Christ will never die, and His reign will never end! Jesus Christ, being sinless, will be a much wiser King over Israel than Solomon ever was!

The Lord Jesus is greater than Jonas because He (Jesus) is God (John 1:1). Unlike Jonah, He “has the words of eternal life” (John 6:68) meant for all the world, but particularly Israel—Jonah only preached to the city Nineveh (Jonah 1:2; Jonah 3:3), and the message he preached was limited divine revelation, whereas Jesus Christ taught Israel a much fuller explanation of God’s Word. Unlike Jonah, Jesus Christ did not disobey Father God, and His message is the world’s only hope if they are to escape God’s wrath in the lake of fire… far worse than the wrath Nineveh ever saw!

Let us now conclude this devotionals arc….

A Greater Prophet and King #2

Monday, August 12, 2013

“The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:41,42 KJV).

What did our Lord Jesus Christ mean in today’s Scripture?

The LORD sent the Prophet Jonah to Gentile Nineveh to warn them of His impending wrath. “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not” (Jonah 3:10). Jesus Christ commented: “they repented at the preaching of Jonas” (today’s Scripture; cf. Luke 11:32).

Other than his father David, Solomon was one of Israel’s greatest kings (despite Solomon’s later apostasy). The LORD gave Solomon great wisdom, for Solomon desired to rule God’s people with it (1 Kings 3:5-28). In chapter 10, a Gentile queen—the queen of Sheba—travels far to Jerusalem to witness firsthand Solomon’s wisdom. Jesus Christ commented: “for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon” (today’s Scripture; cf. Luke 11:31).

Scripture teaches Jesus Christ fulfills three roles for Israel: (1) Priest—Zechariah 6:13 cf. Hebrews 3:1, (2) Prophet—Deuteronomy 18:15 cf. Acts 3:22-26, and (3) King—Jeremiah 23:5 cf. John 12:11-15. In today’s Scripture, the Bible referred to Him as being Prophet and King: “Behold, a greater than Jonas is here” and “behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”

In other words, Jesus said in today’s Scripture: “Pay attention, Israel! If Gentiles thought it wise to listen to the Prophet Jonah and King Solomon, you had better listen to Me! I am the Prophet who commissioned Jonas and I am the King who educated Solomon! If you remain in your unbelief, the queen of the south and the Ninevites will condemn you on the day of judgment!”

Unfortunately, Israel did not listen to her Prophet and King….

A Greater Prophet and King #1

Sunday, August 11, 2013

“The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:41,42 KJV).

What did our Lord Jesus Christ mean in today’s Scripture?

Firstly, who was “Jonas” in the Bible? His name in Greek is “Jonas,” but its Hebrew form is “Jonah.” In the little Old Testament Bible book that bears his name, God sends the prophet to preach repentance in wicked Nineveh, the capital city of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Jonah is reluctant to go, but encounters with a whale and death itself change his mind! You should read the book of Jonah for yourself, but suffice it to say that Jonah preaches to the Ninevites, who obey his message and quit their wickedness, delaying God’s wrath against them for a few centuries.

Secondly, the story of the queen of the south (Queen of Sheba) traveling far to hear King Solomon’s wisdom is found in 1 Kings 10:1-10, which read.

In Deuteronomy 18:15,18, Moses counseled Israel: “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;… [the LORD said to Moses] I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” Centuries later, in Acts 3:22-26, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter interprets Moses’ words as being a prophetic reference to Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 23:5,6 foretold the day when JEHOVAH would “raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper” and that King would be called “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Matthew 21:5, Luke 1:31-33, Luke 19:38, and others declare this is a prophetic reference to Jesus Christ.

Let us now summarize….

Work Not Forgotten

Saturday, August 10, 2013

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10 KJV).

Our forgotten Christian service is not at all forgotten of God.

Have you ever done something nice for somebody who was unappreciative? Maybe that person even forgot your kindness. You spent much time and energy, and yet it seems like it was “all for naught.” Perhaps you have cooked for the sick, visited the lonely, helped the disabled, or prayed for the hurting, but that was so many years ago that neither you nor they remember it.

Today’s Scripture addresses Israel’s believing remnant enduring intense persecution during the seven-year Tribulation. These Jewish kingdom believers (Hebrews 6:9) have labored to help other suffering Messianic Jews, and the author of the book of Hebrews cheers up these weary souls by reminding them that Jesus Christ is not unfair: He will reward them when He returns to earth at His Second Coming, just as He will punish the unbelievers in His righteous wrath (Luke 12:31-44; Luke 19:12-27; Hebrews 6:4-8; Hebrews 6:9-12).

Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” God is witness to all good works and all evil deeds—every place, every time, every one.

When the Lord Jesus will come to take us, the Church which is His Body, He will bring us Christians into heaven (the “rapture”). We Christians will then be rewarded for our Christian service—how much sound Bible doctrine we believed and allowed to transform our souls and lives (1 Corinthians 3:9-15; 1 Corinthians 4:4,5; 2 Corinthians 5:9,10) and how much we suffered for Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:12). This level of maturity will then determine what position of government we will occupy in the heavenly places, so we can practice that doctrine there for all eternity to the glory of Jesus Christ! 🙂

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Honest Samuel

Friday, August 9, 2013

“And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand” (1 Samuel 12:4 KJV).

How many politicians and church leaders could we say this to today?

About 1,000 years before Christ, Samuel (“heard of God”) served as a prophet, a priest, and a judge over the nation Israel for many years (although the Bible does not provide a numerical figure, it does tell us he served from “childhood” to him being “old and grayheaded” [1 Samuel 12:2]). His sons are wicked rulers in Israel, guilty of administering crooked judgment and accepting bribes—they “walked not in [Samuel’s] ways” (1 Samuel 8:1-5). Thus, Israel desires Samuel to choose his successor, which is Israel’s first king, Saul (1 Samuel chapters 8-10).

Later, after Saul is anointed as Israel’s king, Samuel addresses the nation (today’s Scripture). Let us see how this man of God ruled God’s people (1 Samuel 12:1-5):

“And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed [Saul]: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand. And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.”

Even the LORD Himself testified to Samuel’s honest reign! It was such a shame that his sons did not follow his example, for their corrupt administrations led Israel to reject Samuel, and more importantly, God’s wisdom by which he ruled.

Judge Not? #3

Monday, August 5, 2013

“Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1 KJV).

Today’s Scripture, often used against the Bible believer who exposes sin for what it is, is not teaching what it is often assumed to assert.

To understand what Jesus Christ meant we must read the context: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).

Our Lord is referring to hypocritical judging. Romans 2:21,22 provide an example: “Thou [Jew, verse 17] therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?” The Jews should have taught the Gentiles the Word of JEHOVAH God. Alas, the Jews were equally guilty of breaking God’s laws as the Gentiles—the Jews acted like the Gentiles who did not even know JEHOVAH!

What Jesus Christ meant in today’s Scripture is that in His kingdom on earth, no hypocritical judging will be tolerated. Whatever standard by which a Jew condemns others’ actions, his own activities will be evaluated by that same standard. For instance, he will come under God’s condemnation if he ridicules a thief, when he himself has been dishonest (a fact he ignores). He emphasizes the sin of one person (the “mote,” or speck), but he has many sins (the “beam,” or log)—in fact, he is guilty of the same sins!

This, however, does not mean we Christians are to remain apathetic—silent—about sin….

A Worthless Witness, a Useless Report, and a Profitless Audience

Friday, August 2, 2013

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:16 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is a valuable lesson from Israel’s history. We need to learn it… and quickly!

One can never discern who is more misinformed about what is really going on in the world—the mainstream news media, or the gullible public who listens to them and parrots their “information.” Many news outlets report about topics that have little to no relevance to their readers: profit, not quality news reporting, is usually the goal. Even once well-respected news agencies and “conservative” reporters seem to repeatedly discuss the same worthless stories. Consequently, they distract the public from learning about the most important issues. As a dear Christian brother in the ministry confessed, “If you want to run me out of the room, turn on the news!” (A hearty “Amen!”)

Dear Christians, we should be aware of what is occurring in the world, and we need to analyze it from the Bible-believing viewpoint, but remember that prolonged exposure to the media’s programming and literature will only lead to depression. Those journalists and anchors discuss news from an unscriptural, worldly standpoint—usually their comments are just worthless speculations void of true wisdom.

Satan polluted Israel using false prophets (see today’s Scripture). The nation was so misinformed by these self-proclaimed “servants of God” that their resultant national idolatry brought God’s wrath upon them. Israel believed that so-called “wisdom,” but God said it made them “vain” (worthless, empty, useless). Even today, sadly, many Christians are so saturated with the world’s “wisdom”—even in many alleged “Christian” churches—they have almost no understanding of what Jesus Christ said in His Holy Bible. Their Christian lives are distracted, which does exactly to them what it did to Israel’s spirituality—it makes their lives “vain,” worthless, unacceptable to God.

Hearken not to the world’s “wisdom”—that goes for the mainstream media’s reports… and the denominational churches!

The King, the Donkey, and the Horse #7

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

“…[T]he sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:11 KJV).

The King appeared once, and He shall return….

In the context of today’s Scripture, the Apostle Peter comforts Israel’s little flock (believing remnant) enduring the temptation and persecution of the seven-year Tribulation, by reminding them that just as the Old Testament prophets foretold of Jesus Christ’s sufferings, those Scriptures also prophesied of the glorious coming kingdom He will establish on planet earth one day. These Jewish kingdom saints are to “hang in there,” to patiently wait for their King who will ride a horse to their rescue! He will deliver them from Satan’s evil world system, and make them God’s vessel to evangelize the Gentiles in that kingdom.

Zechariah 14:9 foretells: “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.” Daniel 2:44 elaborates: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Although Jesus Christ will reign forever, there is a 1,000-year transition period into eternity future.)

Isaiah 9:6,7 affirm: “[His First Coming] For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: [His Second Coming] and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 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.”

Father God is very zealous about appointing His Son Jesus Christ as King over all creation. Jesus Christ, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).

Yea, the King came once on a donkey. Indeed, He shall come again… on a horse! 🙂

The King, the Donkey, and the Horse #6

Monday, July 29, 2013

“…[T]he sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:11 KJV).

The King appeared once, and He shall return….

Peter, writing to Israel’s believing remnant enduring the (future) seven-year Tribulation, consoles them during that time of great trouble and testing. He reminds them of the “appearing of Jesus Christ” (verse 7)—Christ’s Second Coming to conclude that Tribulation.

The Apostle Peter continues (today’s Scripture with its context): “[Jesus Christ] Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:8-11).

Isaiah the prophet wrote 700 B.C.: “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising” (Isaiah 59:20–60:3).

Believing Israel is to be patient during that awful Tribulation! Her Messiah is coming and they are to be mindful of that glorious coming kingdom He is bringing. They will be saved, to also participate in His glory….

The King, the Donkey, and the Horse #5

Sunday, July 28, 2013

“…[T]he sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow” (1 Peter 1:11 KJV).

The King appeared once, and He shall return….

Society is becoming increasingly hostile toward Christianity (Jesus Christ never was popular with mankind anyway!). The Bible abounds with verses that discuss Jesus Christ reigning over this planet. After all, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). Creation was to originally glorify its Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, but a usurper, a trespasser, Satan, desires that worship. Hence, there exists “this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4; cf. 1 John 5:19). If Jesus Christ is to reign over this planet, all individuals who oppose His will must be forcefully evicted first.

In the book of the Revelation, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle John summarizes all of the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus Christ’s return to earth (those not fulfilled at His first coming). He came once—meek and lowly to “suffer” and die for man’s sins (today’s Scripture). Now, He is coming back to righteously judge whoever rejects that sacrifice He made at Calvary, to dispossess the earth from Satan and purify it so as to reign over that creation that was originally made for Him—“the glory that should follow” (today’s Scripture).

Jesus Christ Himself foretold, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory” (Matthew 25:31). We see a brief glimpse of that “glory” at the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 16:28–17:8; Mark 9:1-8; Luke 9:27-36).

At His Second Coming, Jesus Christ will leave the third heaven, with tens of thousands of mighty angelic soldiers following Him. They will glide over the Middle East, utterly conquering Satan and his troops gathered against believing Israel (Psalm 68:1-35; Psalm 83:1-18; Isaiah 63:1-6; Joel 3:1-16; Zechariah 14:1-5; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Jude 14,15; Revelation 19:11-21; et al.). With the opposition gone, Jesus Christ can dismount His horse and reign over earth….