Sorry it has been so long since I've written. Things have been so busy. There have been several topics lately that I thought I wanted to mention. But in trying to stay focused, I wanted to focus on my latest Bible study on the later half of the book of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. I tell you, if you have trouble believing in that Jesus is the fullfillment of God's promise you have to read these books that were written more than 500 years before Jesus was born. What a convincing argument!
I believe the Bible should be read as a whole to understand the true character of God because if you pick out pieces here and there and not understand the whole thing you can make it say just about anything. The New Covenant (the New Testement) that God made was not to replace all of the old one, but to fulfill and continue the old one. God has reasons for everything he did. I don't even pretent to know all those reasons. No one here on earth is ever meant to understand his persective. Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," We are setting ourselves up for frustration if we pretent to know or even try to understand everything he does. He sees way more than we will ever see. Trust Hiim is all we really need to do.
I know how people can question God's motives for certain events. I am studying apologetics specifically to learn an effective way to address those objections, but I have to admit they can be disheartening at times. I can read parts of the Bible and get so excited that I want to tell everyone what I figured out only to hear the objections or other side to these things. I just about let it get to me, but I realized that my certainness in God, his son Jesus and his Holy Spirit are based on knowing him and seeing how he has worked in my life. I hear his voice in my heart. He speaks to me in what I read. I know he is there. He has answered some amazing prayers for me and done what I believe are supernatural things around me. Yes you can argue the specifics and history about the basis for Christianity, but at some point there has to be a leap of faith that can only come from accepting Jesus and knowing your heart is ready for him and that you are willing to receive him and believe in his sacrifice for you. He has to be invited in, he won't come to you unless you ask. So I believe the Bible is a road map for me to my destination and how to travel there, but it is not the main reason I know my destination exists. Don't get me wrong, I think the history of the Bible and other historical documents can give a strong arguement that Jesus was who he says he was. But we all have to start somewhere so I will try to touch on a few points here. (It would take forever to discuss everything and I am certainly not qualified).
Isaiah was a profit in about 700 BC that predicted many things that came true. Not only in regards to the political environment, but in regards to God's plans for his people on earth. In Isaiah 41:1-4 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A busied reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope. I believe he is talking about the coming Jesus here.
In Isaiah 47 Isaiah predicted the fall of Babylon more than 150 years before it happened. At that time, Babylon had yet to rise as the super power that it would become. This just goes to show him as a trustworthy source of information from God. Also God intended salvation for all people, not just the jews. See here in Isaiah 49 : 6 he says: It is too small a thing for you to be my servant (Israel) to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.
I can't write all of Isaiah 53, but it exactly explains that God would send a messenger that would die for our sins in great detail. Verse 7 says "he was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Verse 10 - 11 says "yet it was the Lords's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities."
You know I got deeper into it than I planned. I haven't even touched on Jeremiah or Ezeikiel yet. I am going to eat Chinese food with my lovely husband so I will continue this later. Too Be Continued...
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