For those of you who are not musicians: D.C. al Coda directs us to GO BACK to the BEGINNING then where indicated, GO towards the ENDING. (It’s new music resolving into an eventual final ending.)
Now you ask, what does that have to do with Scripture?
ANSWER: Scripture frequently takes us back to what we ought to have already known to interpret what will happen in the ending soon before us.
Deuteronomy Calls out the ending
Chosen or Not – Blessed or Cursed?
THE LORD warned us through Scripture (time and time again):
We continue our look back at Summer Scriptural Reruns asking questions and providing answers to life and death questions.
Although recent focus has been on Jews who ought to have known better from Scripture, today in the first of three reruns, the Messiah Jesus also points us to other examples in Scripture.
Who will save you from DEATH?
Scriptures
“But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah.. and yet Elijah was sent to none of them..
The Messiah Jesus tells us to go back to Scripture if you want to understand meaning. D.C. al Coda Read it again, then skip ahead from the Cross to the end.
“God is not a man, that He would lie, Nor a son of man, that He would change His mind..
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God! Other! Separate of man and above all His creation.
God is God and we are not.
Is the Bible Holy?
Christians call it, “THE HOLY BIBLE,” but what does that mean?
Now I ask you, my fellow believer and follower of Christ Jesus,
What authority should the Bible have in the lives of disciples of the true doctrines of God?
We have already defined holiness as separate, apart, and therefore sacred and as God speaks, an awful thing! Now I must define our commonly used terms addressing the holiness of God’s written word, the Bible or Scripture.
What is Scripture?
“It is written..” – כָּתַב
The word means “writing.”
In the Old Testament it occurs in the King James Version only once, “the scripture of truth,” in Da 10:21, where it is more correctly rendered in the Revised Version (British and American), “the writing of truth.” The reference is not to Holy Scripture, but to the book in which are inscribed God’s purposes.
In the New Testament, “scripture” and “scriptures” stand regularly for the Old Testament sacred books regarded as “inspired” (2Ti 3:16), “the oracles of God” (Ro 3:2).
Scripture is the written truth of God revealed to man.
The Jews chosen by the LORD God lived by Scripture (or at least they were called to live by the word of God through the Law and the Prophets).
“It is written..” – γράφω
The first mention of Scripture in the Gospels of the New Testament is by the Person of Christ Jesus!
After the Lord had been in the wilderness for forty days, the Messiah Jesus answers Satan’s temptation by applying Scripture written from the wilderness testing of Moses and Israel.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”
Gospel of Matthew 4:4 NASB
(Do you think Christians might want to take heed to how Jesus replies to the temptation of Satan in the wilderness?) ‘MAN SHALL LIVE ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD..’
JESUS REITERATES THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE!
So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 8:3
the Scripture, used to denote either the book itself, or its contents
a certain portion or section of the Holy Scripture
The KJV translates Strong’s G1124 in the following manner: scripture (51x). from G1125; a document, γράφω – graphō [as we have defined above ‘it is written’ ] which occurs 192 times in 181 verses in the mgnt Greek.
A few examples of holy scripture
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. – Luke 24:45
You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me; and yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.– John 5:39-40
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. –Romans 15:4
All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.
INSPIRED BY GOD! ALL Scripture (not just a verse or two to our liking). Scripture is HOLY, writings other than the ordinary books not spoken by God — books not written by the LORD speaking to a man.
The BIBLE is HOLY!
What is the Bible?
DOCTRINE – What do you believe?
Again, the necessity of defining what ANYONE means where referring to “THE BIBLE.”
The Complete Tanakh (*with its 24 Hebrew books) is an incomplete Bible.
*The 24 Hebrew books are the same as the 39 Books of the Old Testament; the difference is in the way they are divided.
Some *Additional Books in Roman Catholic and other Bibles include writings which are helpful, but NOT the inspired Word of God.
The word Apocrypha means “hidden.”
Gnostic Books (& gospels) which some *claim as part of the Bible oppose the Holy Scriptures and Word of God.
*The term apocryphal is also applied to other books that are New Testament forgeries. An example of this would be the Gospel of Thomas, which claims to have been written by Jesus’ disciple Thomas. The book, however is a forgery.
Some contemporary ‘translations’ of the Bible are *biased against true Scripture and do NOT actually translate Scripture from the original Hebrew and Greek.
*Examples of Anti-Trinitarian bias of the NWT (New World Translation) of the Jehovah Witnesses cult non-secure links to authoritative research by Bruce M. Metzger from Christianity Today available.
The BIBLE
I will not go into detail here concerning the Canon of Scripture and historical affirmations of the Authority of God’s word.
– i.e. Canon So-and-so, Bishop of Rome, London, etc.}
Technically, the HISTORY of the Bible is NOT itself, DOCTRINE, however one cannot fully appreciate the Bible now in print for most anyone without a brief look at how the Canon of Scripture came about.
Since many respected theologians have provided proofs of the authenticity of the Books of the Bible [66 total] included in the teachings of the church, I will highlight just a few dates for your further research if you desire.
Although I use and refer to several sources, if I could suggest one indexed authoritative source for your person answer to questions about the Bible I recommend:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/index.cfm
Creeds & the Canon of Scripture
The Biblical Canon
is the collection of scriptural books that God has given his corporate people, which are distinguished by their divine qualities, reception by the collective body, and their apostolic connection, either by authorship or association.
A final attribute of canonical books is that they are written by God’s chosen agents, his inspired prophets and apostles. Put simply, not just anyone can speak for God; .. prophets and other inspired spokesmen .. it included the apostles, Christ’s authoritative witnesses …
‘We have good historical evidence…‘
A few of the historical events of note which have constantly and consistently affirmed the Authority of God through the Holy Bible.
‘The earliest Christian creed is found in the New Testament, which declares, “Jesus is Lord.”’ – R.C. Sproel, Avoiding Theological Anarchy
Because of the confused political and religious situation of the time, Luther was called before the political authorities rather than before the pope or a council of the Roman Catholic Church.
“I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God, I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen.” – Martin Luther at Worms
Observe carefully those faithful to the LORD and also leaders faithful to Moses. Then listen to the grumbling rabble of the disobedient and see a stark contrast.
Two faithful successors stand out because these contemporaries of Moses (who began this forty year exodus at age 80) stood faithfully with the LORD’s anointed leader: Joshua and Caleb.
So the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water so that we may drink!” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?”
We could have begun our pilgrimage much earlier than Noah.
“I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
Genesis 9:11
Even though Abraham was far from sinless, the Books of Moses follow his blessings and covenants with the LORD.
As we approached the Promised Land we noted the disobedience of Lot’s wife, sin in the cities pervasive beyond the Jordan near the Dead Sea.
And it would seem that Moses, the LORD’s chosen leader in the wilderness encounters nothing but complaint, disobedience and sin by the ‘chosen’ now stranded in the desert.
While journeying from Mount Sinai to the promised land, although mention is made of important events delaying the Hebrews in the wilderness, I have not dwelled on an important consequence of disobedience we suppose to be just part of the Hebrew journey —
25 When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, they went on and came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh..
.. “We came into the land where you sent us, and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
28 Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And indeed, we saw the descendants of Anak there!
30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will certainly prevail over it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, because they are too strong for us.” 32 So they brought a bad report of the land which they had spied out to the sons of Israel…
And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night.
2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.
6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes…
10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel…
Moses then pleads for their lives
11 And the Lord said, “.. I will strike them with plague and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”
13 But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought this people up from their midst…
19 .. Please forgive the guilt of this people in accordance with the greatness of Your mercy, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” So the Lord said,
“I have forgiven them in accordance with your word..”
and have not hearkened [šāmaʿ– shaw-mah’ ] to my voice…
shâmaʻ, shaw-mah’ – שָׁמַע
Strong’s Definitions – H8085matches the Hebrew שָׁמַע (šāmaʿ), which occurs 1,169 times in 1,072 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the NASB
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.):—× attentively, call (gather) together, × carefully, × certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, × diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), × indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, × surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.
Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
Numbers 14:23 KJV
A spirit of obedience perseveres
24 But as for My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it…
We read the following previously in "You Will Not Be Led."
26 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron again, saying,
27 “How long shall I put up with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel which they are voicing against Me.
28 Say to them, ‘As I live,’ declares the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you;
‘your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness,’
‘all your numbered men according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me…’
31 ‘Your children, however,
whom you said would become plunder—I will bring them in,
and they will know the land which you have rejected.
But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness.”
And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
Numbers 14:33 KJV
Why 40 Years?
The distance from Mount Sinai to the place where the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the promised land is about 400 kilometers or only about 250 miles.
‘In accordance with the number of days that you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall suffer the punishment for your [fn]guilt a year, that is, forty years, and you will know My opposition.
39 Now when Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly…
41 But Moses said, “Why then are you violating the command of the Lord, when doing so will not succeed? 42 Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, to prevent you from being defeated by your enemies.
44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top.. (while Moses and the Ark of the Covenant remained) .. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites .. struck them and scattered them…
Shema, Yisroel: Thou art to pass over Yarden today, to go in to possess Goyim greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and walled up to Shomayim
Devarim 9:1 Orthodox Jewish Bible
Hear, O Israel: You are crossing the Jordan today…3 Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God
is he which goeth over before thee;
as a consuming fire he shall destroy them,
and he shall bring them down before thy face:
so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly,
as the Lord hath said unto thee.
a few REMINDERS:
4 “Do not say in your heart when the Lord your God has driven them away from you,
‘Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to take possession of this land.’
Rather, it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them before you.
5 It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you are going in to take possession of their land,
but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out from before you,
and in order to confirm the oath which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
6 “Know, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people.
.. 27 Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; do not turn Your attention to the stubbornness of this people, or to their wickedness, or their sin.
Do YOU turn with the 10 against the Lord in the Wilderness?
And they said to Joshua, “The LORD has indeed handed over to us all the land; furthermore, all the inhabitants of the land have despaired because of us.” -Joshua 2:24
OR do you follow His leadership like Joshua & Caleb?
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