GOD PROMISED A SAVIOUR
Before times begins. God knows that He will make the world. He knows that we will sin. He already plans for His Son to suffer in our place.
In this sense, Jesus is “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelations 13:8).
God, who sees the end from the beginning, already knows those “written in the Book of life from the creation of the world.” Revelations 17:8, “The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.”, Daniel 12:1-2 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people everyone whose name is found written in the book will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” and in Genesis 18:19, “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
The prophet Malachi gave God’s final promises of the Old Testament. One of the greatest is in Malachi chapter three; verse one (3:1). “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.”
God promised that He would send a messenger. This messenger would have a special purpose “prepare the way” for whom? He “will prepare the way before ME” said the Lord. God’s choice of Abraham looks forward to one who is far greater; Abraham’s seed or offspring ,Genesis 22:18, “And through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” and Genesis 21:12. “But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”
Herod the Great was not Roman, neither was he purely Jewish. Of Abraham’s two grandson, he was not a descendant of Jacob (Israel) from whom David was descended, but of Esau, who rejected the promise made to Abraham. Herod not only built the temple in Jerusalem for the Jews to worship the true God, he built another temple for the despised Samaritan. He even built temples for the pagan gods (the Roman idols). So the Jews were not fooled by Herod the Great.
On the contrary, they were well aware of the true motives for his generosity, all these was for self-love, in order to achieve his own political ambitions.
In choosing Jacob, God chooses all His children, the nation of Israel. As Moses tells them, “The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the people on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). Among Jacob’s twelve son, God chooses Levi as the father of the priestly tribe (Numbers 3:6-10, Deuteronomy 18:5). God chooses Judah as the father of the future King (Geneses 49:10, Psalm 78:67-68) I Samuel 16:1-13,
II Samuel 7:12-13, “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.
He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
What act of brutality did Herod the Great commit during Jesus birth? Read, Matthew 2:16, “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.”
Before times begins. God knows that He will make the world. He knows that we will sin. He already plans for His Son to suffer in our place.
In this sense, Jesus is “the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelations 13:8).
God, who sees the end from the beginning, already knows those “written in the Book of life from the creation of the world.” Revelations 17:8, “The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.”, Daniel 12:1-2 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people everyone whose name is found written in the book will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” and in Genesis 18:19, “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
The prophet Malachi gave God’s final promises of the Old Testament. One of the greatest is in Malachi chapter three; verse one (3:1). “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.”
God promised that He would send a messenger. This messenger would have a special purpose “prepare the way” for whom? He “will prepare the way before ME” said the Lord. God’s choice of Abraham looks forward to one who is far greater; Abraham’s seed or offspring ,Genesis 22:18, “And through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Genesis 3:15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” and Genesis 21:12. “But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”
Herod the Great was not Roman, neither was he purely Jewish. Of Abraham’s two grandson, he was not a descendant of Jacob (Israel) from whom David was descended, but of Esau, who rejected the promise made to Abraham. Herod not only built the temple in Jerusalem for the Jews to worship the true God, he built another temple for the despised Samaritan. He even built temples for the pagan gods (the Roman idols). So the Jews were not fooled by Herod the Great.
On the contrary, they were well aware of the true motives for his generosity, all these was for self-love, in order to achieve his own political ambitions.
In choosing Jacob, God chooses all His children, the nation of Israel. As Moses tells them, “The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the people on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). Among Jacob’s twelve son, God chooses Levi as the father of the priestly tribe (Numbers 3:6-10, Deuteronomy 18:5). God chooses Judah as the father of the future King (Geneses 49:10, Psalm 78:67-68) I Samuel 16:1-13,
II Samuel 7:12-13, “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.
He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
What act of brutality did Herod the Great commit during Jesus birth? Read, Matthew 2:16, “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.”
In your Bible study, be continually on the look out for God’s promises not only for your own life, but also for others in your family, congregation or neighborhood.
Open your Bible at Matthew 7:11 and you will see the promise that God, our Father in heaven, will give good gift to those who ask Him. Matthew 7:11 “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”
There are promises for all kinds of people. Just as men, women and children wear different kinds of clothes, so there are different promises for sad people, widows, children, tempted people indeed for every kind of person. So there are different kinds of promises in the Bible: some are made only to particular people in particular situations. Many others are general promises for everybody.
Proverbs 8:17, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” It is a promise for those who seek God. It is very important at this stage to notice that many of God’s promises have conditions attached to them. For example, God has promised that he will give us whatever we ask, but only if we first fulfill His conditions. This is obvious; otherwise an evil person could run the world by asking God to do just what he wanted. See John 5:14, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
The Lord says He loved you with an everlasting love: Jeremiah 31:3–4, “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying, I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful”
Joshua 23:14, “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled, not one has failed.”
God can sustain you. Isaiah 46:3–5, “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs. I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you. To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?
Be strong and overcome every limitation. Exodus 14:16 “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” Isaiah 41: verses 6 and 10. “They approach and come forward, each helps the other and says to his brother, “Be strong!” verse 10 “So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Looking at difficulties without hope bring depresses. Matthew 14: 25–33 “During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake, when the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them.” Take courage! It is I. doesn’t be afraid. “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water” “come,” He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith” He said, “Why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshipped Him, saying,” Truly you are the Son of God.”
Looking Christ ward saves. Numbers 21: 6–9 “Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them, they bit the people and many Israelites died.. The people came to Moses and said “We sinned when we spoke against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses. “Make a snake and put it up on a pole, anyone who is bitten can look at it and live. So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.”
John 3:14–16 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. “For God so love the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Psalm 34:5, “Those who look to Him are radiant their faces are never covered with shame.”