Weekend Scripture Gold with Bibi: The Old Testament and Jesus

It is a common temptation of Satan to make us give up the reading of the Word and prayer when our enjoyment is gone; as if it were of no use to read the Scriptures when we do not enjoy them, and as if it were no use to pray when we have no spirit of prayer. The truth is that in order to enjoy the Word, we ought to continue to read it, and the way to obtain a spirit of prayer is to continue praying. The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray.  -George Muller in A Narrative of Some of the Lord's Dealings with George Muller

For Jesus and the first Christians, their Bible contained only the books that we now call the Old Testament. Like us, they taught that the Bible is the word of God. Many different people were its human authors. But they did not merely write down their own thoughts, like any other book. Instead, they wrote words that came from God himself (2 Peter 1:20-21).

That is why the first Christians described the authors of the Old Testament as ‘prophets’. A prophet is someone who speaks (or writes) God’s word. He declares God’s messages. The first Christians even described people like David as prophets. We do not usually call David a prophet today. But Peter did (Acts 2:29-30). And Peter added that David had described future events (Acts 2:31). God showed David what would happen to Christ.

The author of the Book of Hebrews teaches that this is true about each Old Testament book. A book may seem to be about history, for example 2 Samuel. Or it may seem only to contain songs and prayers, like Psalms. It may seem to be about law, like Deuteronomy. Or it may seem to be about rules for ceremonies, like Leviticus. But the author of Hebrews shows how passages from these books are really about Jesus.

The Old Testament authors did not always know that they were writing about Jesus. But God’s Holy Spirit showed them what they should write. And that was how they could write these things.

Scripture: Hebrews 1:1; Jeremiah 29:11; Matthew 11:28-29; Isaiah 40:29-31; Philippians 4:19; Romans 8:37-39; Proverbs 1:33; John 14:27; Romans 10:9; Romans 6:23   -thanks to Keith Simons

Now, let's pray...

O Father, give us the humility which realizes its ignorance, admits its mistakes, recognizes its need, welcomes advice, accepts rebuke. Help us always to praise rather than to criticize, to sympathize rather than to discourage, to build rather than to destroy, and to think of people at their best rather than at their worst. This we ask for in thy name's sake. Amen

Until next time...

Have a blessed week!

Bibi