Jesus is . . .

“We’re New Testament people, we don’t need to read the Old Testament.” “I just want to know about Jesus, so I’ll stick with the New Testament.” Ever thought or said anything like that? I’ve heard it many times. As Christians – Christ’s followers – we are focused on only what Jesus did and taught.  But the Old Testament looks ahead to Jesus Christ.  Check it out:

In Genesis, He is the Seed of the woman who will one day crush the head of Satan.

In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb and the one who leads His people out of bondage.

In Leviticus, He is the great high priest and the perfect sacrifice.

In Deuteronomy, he is the Great Prophet to come.

In Joshua, He is the Captain of the Lord’s host.

In Judges, He is the one who faithfully delivers His people from the cost of sin.

In Ruth, He is our Kinsman Redeemer.

He is the anointed King in the line of David in the books of Samuel.

In the books of the Kings, He is the Spirit filling the Temple.

He is the great Teacher in Ezra and the Restorer of broken walls in Nehemiah.

He is the Interceder for His people in Esther and the coming Redeemer in Job.

He is the Shepherd in Psalms and the Source of all wisdom in Proverbs.

He is the Teacher in Ecclesiastes.

He is the Beloved Bridegroom in the Song of Solomon.

In Isaiah, He is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace and Suffering Servant.

In Jeremiah and Lamentations, He is the Man acquainted with sorrows.

In Ezekiel, He brings life to dry bones.

In Daniel, He is the Ancient of Days.

He is the faithful Husband in Hosea, the Hope of His people in Joel, the Judge of the nations in Amos, and in Obadiah the One who warns of coming judgment.

In Jonah He is the preacher of the Good News, in Micah He is the Ruler from Bethlehem.

In Nahum, He is the judge of His people’s enemy,  the Sovereign Lord in Habakkuk, and in Zephaniah, He is the God who is mighty to save.

In Haggai He is the Glory of the House of God, in Zechariah He is the Royal Priest and in Malachi Jesus is the Son of Righteousness.

Beloved, if you want to know Jesus, read the Old Testament. He is all over the place.  Then read the New Testament with a fresh understanding of Jesus who was and is and is to come.

Be Silent!

One key point to Bible study is the principle of repetition. When God repeats something it is because He wants us to pay careful attention to it. One word has been repeated in my daily Bible Study this week, and not just repeated but almost raised up off of the page – like 3D print. I’ll share the two verses with you and see if you can spot it.

“The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him” (Habakkuk 2:30)

“Be silent before the Sovereign Lord” (Zephaniah 1:7).

I’m sure you guessed that the word is “silent” and in Hebrew, it is an interjection. For those of us who’ve been out of school for a while, an interjection is an abrupt remark made to snap the listener to attention. Thus, these verses would be delivered sharply and with an exclamation. “Be silent!” Why? Because you are before the Sovereign Lord who is in His holy temple. Because – if we really knew Him, we would be on our faces in silent awe and adoration. This is the One who rules and reigns in holiness and righteousness and complete authority.

What impressed my heart so clearly is the contrast of this command against the shouts of protest and words of anger that are so prevalent in the United States right now. Many Christians are asking, “What are we to do? How do we respond?” I believe we are to turn our eyes away from the scenes of violence and hatred and turn them to God. I believe we are to come before Him in silence, recognizing that “the Sovereign Lord is in His holy temple.” In other words, He is still on His throne. He is still reigning over all the earth. He is still in complete control. He is still God.

Wicked men have been causing chaos and destruction since the beginning of time. But none of it has unseated the Lord God. He always wins in the end. Always. Read it again. A.L.W.A.Y.S. Friends, evil has not won the day, because the day is not over. God will never let His people down. Never. Read it again. N.E.V.E.R. Besides, I read the end of the book. Evil loses. God wins. Beloved, don’t be anxious but turn your eyes to Almighty God. And be silent.