Cartea Daniel – istorie și viitor profetic

Descifrând profețiile în corelație cu descoperirile finale din Apocalipsa, putem înțelege mai bine ce vremuri trăim și ceea ce ne stă înainte…

Sfințenie sau compromis? – Daniel, cap.1

 

Anunțuri

Războinicii Bibliei – DAVID – arheologi profesionişti au descoperit în Israel locul în care s-au luptat David şi Goliat.

Stiati că!
Un grup de arheologi profesionişti şi voluntari pretinde că a descoperit în Israel locul în care s-au luptat David şi Goliat.

Deşi dovezile istorice despre ceea ce s-a întâmplat în urmă cu 3.000 de ani sunt puţine, arheologii cred că au găsit răspunsul la întrebarea legată de locul în care s-a desfăşurat celebra luptă biblică dintre Goliat din Gat şi David, cel care avea să devină conducătorul regatului unit al lui Israel şi Iuda.

O echipă de arheologi a descoperit la aproximativ 30 de kilometri de Ierusalim un ciob şi alte câteva indicii care, puse cap la cap, ar putea dezvălui mistere nepătrunse până acum de mintea omului modern. Pe această bucăţică de pământ ars, o minte iscusită a aşternut câteva rânduri despre care specialiştii din zilele noastre susţin că descriu lupta dintre doi eroi ai secolului al XI-lea înainte de Hristos. Mărturia datează de aproximativ trei milenii, după cum au arătat testele cu carbon 14 efectuate în anul 2008 la Ierusalim, şi pare că descrie lupta dintre uriaşul Goliat din Gat, filisteanul înalt “de şase coţi şi-o palmă” (aproximativ trei metri), şi păstorul David, viitorul rege al Israelului unit.

David, păstorul neînfricat

“Alegeţi dintre voi un om care să se pogoare împotriva mea! Dacă va putea să se bată cu mine şi să mă omoare, noi vom fi robii voştri; dar dacă-l voi birui şi-l voi omorî eu, voi ne veţi fi robi nouă şi ne veţi sluji.” Acestea au fost cuvintele, descrise mai târziu în Biblie (Vechiul Testament, Cartea I a lui Samuel, “Războiul cu Filistenii”), cu care înfricoşătorul luptător, cu “zale cu solzi în greutate de cinci mii de sicli de aramă” (aproximativ 57,5 kilograme), cu “tureci de aramă peste fluierele picioarelor şi o pavăză de aramă între umeri”, a provocat oştile lui Israel la luptă. “Coada suliţei lui (a lui Goliat) era ca un sul de ţesut şi ferul suliţei cântărea şase sute de sicli de fer (6,9 kilograme). Cel ce-i purta scutul mergea înaintea lui.”
Deşi nu era soldat, ci un simplu păstor şi mezinul celui mai bătrân om (al lui Isai) “între ceilalţi oameni”, David s-a oferit să-l slujească pe regele Saul, primul rege peste Israel, acceptând provocarea lui Goliat. Băiatul, “bălan, cu ochi frumoşi şi plăcut la faţă”, bun cântăreţ la harpă, “priceput la vorbă şi bărbat chipeş”, nu s-a temut nici de scutul de aramă pe care uriaşul filistean îl purta pe umăr, nici de coada suliţei ori de fierul acesteia. “Robul tău (al lui Saul) a păscut oile tatălui său. Şi când un leu sau un urs venea să-i ia o oaie din turmă, alergam după el, îl loveam şi-i smulgeam oaia din gură. Dacă se ridica împotriva mea, îl apucam de falcă, îl loveam şi-l omoram. Aşa a doborât robul tău leul şi ursul; şi cu Filisteanul acesta, cu acest netăiat împrejur, va fi ca şi cu unul din ei, căci a ocărât oştirea Dumnezeului celui viu. (…) Domnul, care m-a izbăvit din ghiara leului şi din laba ursului, mă va izbăvi şi din mâna acestui Filistean!” Vorbele tânărului David, păstrate până în zilele noastre în Cartea I a lui Samuel din Vechiul Testament, denotă o siguranţă de sine aproape ieşită din comun. Un simplu păstor să ţină piept unui uriaş feroce? Nici soldaţilor israeliţi, nici regelui lor nu le venea să creadă.

Mărturii concrete, fizice despre locul bătăliei nu am avut până în prezent. În Biblie este scris că filistenii şi-au strâns oştile pentru război, şi-au ridicat tabăra între Soco (o cetate a lui Iuda) şi Azeca, la Efes-Damim, iar israeliţii şi-au aşezat tabăra în Valea Terebinţilor. “Filistenii se aşezaseră pe un munte de o parte şi Israel pe un munte de cealaltă parte; doar valea îi despărţea.”

În apropierea oraşului de astăzi Beit Shemesh, se află situl Fortăreţei Elah (Khirbet Qeiyafa, în arabă). Având o suprafaţă de peste două hectare, situl este localizat la 32 de kilometri sud-vest de Ierusalim, pe dealurile care înconjoară Valea Elah. Aceasta era o locaţie strategică din punct de vedere geopolitic, ea aflându-se la confluenţa dintre Filisteea şi zonele de coastă şi regiunea ce lega Ierusalimul de Hebron. Arheologii spun că aici este locul în care David l-a răpus pe Goliat cu o singură piatră şi apoi i-a retezat capul cu sabia filisteanului.

CITITI mai MULT – http://jurnalul.ro/it/stiinta/razboinicii-bibliei-317840.html

via Daniel Cristian Florea

IMPARATIA LUI DUMNEZEU, ISRAEL SI BISERICA (1)

IOSIF TON: Subiectul cel mai controversat şi în România de astăzi este legătura dintre Israel şi Biserică în raport cu Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu.

EL NU SI-A SUSPENDAT PROIECTUL DE A AJUNGE CU IMPARATIA LUI DUMNEZEU LA TOATE NATIUNILE.

Citeste si – Raspunsuri Pentru Viață – 2. Incompatibilitatea dintre Teologia Inlocuirii și învățăturile Vechiului Testament

Subiectul cel mai controversat şi în România de astăzi este legătura dintre Israel şi Biserică în raport cu Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu.

Voi căuta să tratez acest subiect cu sensibilitate faţă de toate părţile care sunt în conflict de această temă şi cu respect şi cu dragoste faţă de toţi.

Voi începe prin a vă arăta ce spun textele biblice pe această temă atât de fierbinte.

Domnul Isus avea întotdeauna un singur subiect de învăţătură: Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu (în Matei se foloseşte în paralel cu aceasta şi expresia „Împărăţia cerurilor”).

La începutul misiunii Sale, Domnul Isus S-a adresat numai iudeilor şi pe ei i-a chemat să accepte învăţătura Lui despre Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu/Împărăţia cerurilor. Ei ar fi trebuit să devină poporul Împărăţiei („fiii Împărăţiei”, Mat.13:38). Pe ei i-a chemat să-şi schimbe felul de a gândi („pocăiţi-vă”, metanoeite, literal: „schimbaţi-vă felul de a gândi” adică, acceptaţi să gândiţi cum vă învăţ Eu în toate predicile şi învăţăturile mele despre Împărăţie).

Dar ceva s-a întîmplat. Isus a ajuns să constate că iudeiii nu acceptă şi nu vor accepta învăţătura Lui. Vedem lucrul acesta începând din Matei capitolul 12, unde El mustră cetăţile în care a făcut cele mai multe dintre minunile Lui „pentru că nu se pocăiseră”, adică respinseseră învăţătura lui despre Împărăţie (Matei 12:20-24).

El le explică lucrul acesta ucenicilor Săi în Matei 13:

„Inima acestui popor s-a împietrit; au ajuns tari de urechi, şi-au închis ochii, să audă cu urechile, să înţeleagă cu inima, să se întoarcă la Dumnezeu şi să-i vindec”. Dar cei doisprezece fac excepţie: „Dar ferice de ochii voştri că văd şi de urechile voastre că aud”! (Matei 13:15-16).

Era încă acolo în Galilea, când Domnul Isus a prevăzut ce are să se întâmple şi în Iudea: „Ierusalime, Ierusalime, care omori pe prooroci şi ucizi cu pietre pe cei trimişi la tine; de câte ori am vrut să strâng pe fiii tăi cum îşi strânge găina puii sub aripi şi n-aţi vrut! Iată că vi se lasă casa pustie…” (Luca 13:34-35).

Era clar că Israel a respins oferta Fiului lui Dumnezeu de a primi Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu şi de a fi agentul acestei Împărăţii în toată lumea, la toate naţiunile.

Ce a făcut atunci Domnului Isus? Acum aproape două sute de ani a apărut teoria că Domnul Isus şi-a suspendat învăţătura despre Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu şi a amânat realizarea acesteia până în mia de ani. Oare aşa să fie?

Să urmărim ce ne spune Scriptura.

Domnul Isus a intrat triumfal în Ierusalim, călare pe un măgar, ca să împlinească profeţia făcută prin proorocul Zaharia:

„Iată, Împărarul tău vine la tine călare pe un măgar, pe un măgăruş, mânzul unei măgăriţe” (Zaharia 9:9; Luca 21:5). Cu toată bucuria exuberantă a pelerinilor la intrarea Lui, Isus nu se bucură, ci iată ce face:

„Când S-a apropiat de cetate şi a văzut-o, Isus a plâns pentru ea şi a zis: „Dacă ai fi cunoscut tu măcar în această zi lucrurile care puteau să-ţi dea pacea! Dar acum ele sunt ascunse de ochii tăi. Vor veni peste tine zile când duşmanii tăi te vor înconjura cu şanţuri, te vor împresura şi te vor strânge din toate părţile; te vor face una cu pământul, pe tine şi pe copiii tăi din mijlocul tău; şi nu vor lăsa în tine piatră pe piatră, pentru că n-ai cunoscut vremea când ai fost cercetată” (Luca 19: 41-44).

A doua zi, le-a spus pilda cu vierii, care L-au ucis pe Fiul Proprietarului viei şi Le-a spus în concluzie: „De aceea vă spun căÎmpărăţia lui Dumnezeu va fi luată de la voi şi va fi dată unui neam care va face roadele cuvenite” (Matei 21:43. Sublinierea noastră, I.Ţ.).

O zi mai târziu, Isus le-a spus mai multe detalii despre dărâmarea Ierusalimului şi despre alte lucruri viitoare, dar, în mijlocul acestor proorocii sumbre, El a ţinut să-i asigure: „Evanghelia aceasta a Împărăţiei va fi predicată în toată lumea, ca să slujească de mărturie tuturor naţiunilor. Atunci va veni sfârşitul” (Matei 24:14, Subliniat de noi, I.Ţ.).

Vă implor pe toţi să vă uitaţi bine la toate aceste declaraţii ale Domnului Isus. Vedeţi voi aici vreun semn că El şi-a suspendat învăţătura despre Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu?

Nici vorbă de aşa ceva! El nu şi-a suspendat proiectul de a ajunge cu Împărăţia lui Dumnezeu la toate naţiunile, ci l-a suspendat pe Israel din slujba de a duce Împărăţia la toate naţiunile!

(Continuare în articolul următor)

SURSA – http://iosifton.ro/blog/imparatia-lui-dumnezeu-israel-si-biserica-1_2016_08_23_blog

Tim Keller – The Gospel from the Old Testament – L’Evangile à partir de l’Ancien Testament

with translation in french… 2014 Séminaire Évangile 21

VIDEO by The Gospel Coalition

Seminary Lecture Series – Genocide and War in the Old Testament

VIDEO by Liberty University

D.A.Carson on Babylon (Isaiah 47)

From D.A.Carson’s blog For the love of God at the Gospel Coalition:

AT ONE LEVEL, ISAIAH 47 is pretty straightforward; at another, it is subtly symbol-laden and prepares the way for the development of some biblical symbolism in the New Testament.

At the obvious level, this chapter depicts the fall of Babylon that the accession of Cyrus will bring about. Babylon is a pathetically proud and arrogant city. She is the “queen of kingdoms” (Isa. 47:5); she thinks she will last forever (Isa. 47:7)—not unlike Hitler’s thousand-year Reich. She is so confident of her own security she cannot envisage becoming a widow or losing her children (Isa. 47:8). Proud of her wisdom and knowledge (Isa. 47:10) and her devotion to astrology, she thinks she can control her future (Isa. 47:12–13). Her self-deification is frankly repulsive: the repeated “I am, and there is none besides me” (Isa. 47:8, 10) is a direct challenge to God’s identical claim (Isa. 45:5). But God has had enough. The “queen of kingdoms” will sit in the dust (Isa. 47:1); she will become a slave (Isa. 47:1–3). This “mother” will suddenly be widowed and bereaved (Isa. 47:8–9). Astrology will prove futile to save her (Isa. 47:12–13), and sorcerers and magicians will be of no avail (Isa. 47:12). God himself is out to destroy Babylon.

But this text hints at another level. Chapters 47 and 48 are tied together, constituting one large unit. Isaiah 47 condemns Babylon for its defiant arrogance and promises her doom; Isaiah 48 is addressed to the captives, who (as we shall see in tomorrow’s meditation) are rousingly told to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem. Empirically they live in one city, Babylon; theologically, they belong to another city, Jerusalem. At the level of brute history, of course, the captives could not return to Jerusalem at this stage. They could do so only after Cyrus came to power and granted permission to return. But theologically, the exiles must see themselves as belonging to Jerusalem and not to Babylon. Thus just as “Jerusalem” sometimes refers to the ancient city by that name, and sometimes, as we have seen, anticipates the new, eschatological Jerusalem, so also “Babylon” not only may refer to the ancient city that reached the pinnacle of its splendor about the sixth century B.C., but becomes a symbol—a symbol that anticipates every proud city or culture that imagines it will live forever and arrogantly measures all things by the standards of its own sins and presuppositions. Historic Babylon becomes the symbol of many Babylons.

John understands these things. That is why in Revelation 17 he describes Rome as “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth” (Rev. 17:5), a woman drunk with the blood of the saints. What Babylons have arisen since then?

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  For the Love of God
  Volume 1

  by D. A. Carson

• 

  For the Love of God
  Volume 2

  by D. A. Carson

Related articles

• D.A.Carson on God and Israel from Isaiah 1 (rodiagnusdei.wordpress.com)
• Love in Hard Places by D.A.Carson (rodiagnusdei.wordpress.com)

Israel – 10 profetii din Vechiul Testament implinite in 1948

Photo credit www.youtube.com

Citeste si ISRAEL – Aniversare 67 ANI de INDEPENDENTA 1948 – 2015

Aceste profetii au fost implinite  in anul 1948 cand Israel a devenit un Stat independent si o natiune unita, pentru a doua oara in istoria sa si pentru prima data in 2.900 ani:

1. Amos 9:14-15 (profetie scrisa 750 B.C.)

4 Voi aduce înapoi pe prinşii de război ai poporului Meu, Israel; ei vor zidi iarăşi cetăţile pustiite şi le vor locui, vor sădi vii şi le vor bea vinul, vor face grădini şi le vor mânca roadele.
15 Îi voi sădi în ţara lor, şi nu vor mai fi smulşi din ţara pe care le-am dat-o, zice Domnul Dumnezeul tău!”

2. Ezechiel 37:10-14 (profetie scris 593-571 BC) 

10 Am prorocit cum mi se poruncise. Şi a intrat duhul în ei, şi au înviat şi au stat pe picioare: era o oaste mare, foarte mare la număr.
11 El mi-a zis: „Fiul omului, oasele acestea sunt toată casa lui Israel. Iată că ei zic: „Ni s-au uscat oasele, ni s-a dus nădejdea; suntem pierduţi!”
12 De aceea, proroceşte şi spune-le: „Aşa vorbeşte Domnul Dumnezeu: „Iată, vă voi deschide mormintele, vă voi scoate din mormintele voastre, poporul Meu, şi vă voi aduce iarăşi în ţara lui Israel.
13 Şi veţi şti că Eu sunt Domnul, când vă voi deschide mormintele şi vă voi scoate din mormintele voastre, poporul Meu!
14 Voi pune Duhul Meu în voi, şi veţi trăi; vă voi aşeza iarăşi în ţara voastră, şi veţi şti că Eu, Domnul, am vorbit şi am şi făcut, zice Domnul.”

3. Isaia 66:7-8 (profetie scrisa 701-681 B.C.)

7 „Înainte ca să simtă dureri, a născut şi înainte ca să-i vină suferinţele, a dat naştere unui fiu.
8 Cine a auzit vreodată aşa ceva? Cine a văzut vreodată aşa ceva? Se poate naşte oare o ţară într-o zi? Se naşte un neam aşa dintr-odată? Abia au apucat-o muncile, şi fiica Sionului şi-a şi născut fiii!

4. Ezechiel 37:21-22 (profetie scris 593-571 B.C.)

21 Şi să le spui: „Aşa vorbeşte Domnul Dumnezeu: „Iată, voi lua pe copiii lui Israel din mijlocul neamurilor la care s-au dus, îi voi strânge din toate părţile şi-i voi aduce înapoi în ţara lor.
22 Voi face din ei un singur neam în ţară, pe munţii lui Israel; toţi vor avea un singur împărat şi nu vor mai fi două neamuri, nici nu vor mai fi împărţiţi în două împărăţii.

5. Ieremia 16:14-15 (profetie scrisa 626-586 B.C.)

14 De aceea, iată, vin zile, zice Domnul, când nu se va mai zice: „Viu este Domnul care a scos din ţara Egiptului pe copiii lui Israel!”
15 Ci se va zice: „Viu este Domnul care a scos pe copiii lui Israel din ţara de la miazănoapte şi din toate ţările unde-i izgonise!” Căci îi voi aduce înapoi în ţara lor, pe care o dădusem părinţilor lor.

6. Ezechiel 4:3-6 (profetie scrisa 593-571 B.C.)

3 Ia o tigaie de fier şi pune-o ca un zid de fier între tine şi cetate; îndreaptă-ţi faţa împotriva ei, ca să fie împresurată şi s-o strâmtorezi. Acesta să fie un semn pentru casa lui Israel!
4 Apoi culcă-te pe coasta stângă şi pune pe ea nelegiuirea casei lui Israel; câte zile vei sta culcat pe coasta aceasta, le vei purta nelegiuirea lor.
5 Îţi voi socoti un număr de zile deopotrivă cu acela al anilor nelegiuirii lor, şi anume trei sute nouăzeci de zile, în care să porţi nelegiuirea casei lui Israel.
6 După ce vei isprăvi aceste zile, culcă-te a doua oară pe coasta dreaptă şi poartă nelegiuirea casei lui Iuda patruzeci de zile; îţi pun câte o zi pentru fiecare an.

7. Ezechiel 34:13 (profetie scrisa 593-571 B.C.)

13 Le voi scoate dintre popoare, le voi strânge din felurite ţări şi le voi aduce înapoi în ţara lor; le voi paşte pe munţii lui Israel, de-a lungul râurilor şi în toate locurile locuite ale ţării.

8. Ieremia 31:10 (profetie scrisa 1.400 B.C.)

10 Ascultaţi cuvântul Domnului, neamuri, şi vestiţi-l în ostroave depărtate! Spuneţi: „Cel ce a risipit pe Israel îl va aduna şi-l va păzi cum îşi păzeşte păstorul turma.

9. Levitic 26:3, 7-8 (profetie scrisa 1.400 B.C.)

3 Dacă veţi urma legile Mele, dacă veţi păzi poruncile Mele şi le veţi împlini,
7 Veţi urmări pe vrăjmaşii voştri, şi ei vor cădea ucişi de sabie înaintea voastră.
8 Cinci din voi vor urmări o sută, şi o sută din voi vor urmări zece mii, şi vrăjmaşii voştri vor cădea ucişi de sabie înaintea voastră.

10. Deuteronom 30:3-5 (profetie scrisa 1.400 B.C.)

3 atunci Domnul Dumnezeul tău va aduce înapoi robii tăi şi va avea milă de tine, te va strânge iarăşi din mijlocul tuturor popoarelor la care te va împrăştia Domnul Dumnezeul tău.
4 Chiar dacă ai fi risipit până la cealaltă margine a cerului, chiar şi de acolo te va strânge Domnul Dumnezeul tău şi acolo Se va duce să te caute.
5 Domnul Dumnezeul tău te va aduce în ţara pe care o stăpâneau părinţii tăi şi o vei stăpâni; îţi va face bine şi te va înmulţi mai mult decât pe părinţii tăi.

Traducere, SURSA – http://watchmanbiblestudy.com/articles/1948PropheciesFulfilled.html

The Case for the Reliability of the Old Testament – Ed Hindson

Mt. Airy Bible Church (2011) – Lecture by Christian thinker Joseph Holden. This video is part of the ‘Veritas Apologetics Conference’ (2011) playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…

VIDEO by Theology, Philosophy and Science

Un film care documenteaza exodul biblic – TRAILER – Exodul

Photo credit gif the12.squarespace.com

Filmul pune la încercare o noțiune puternică, și anume: că Biblia nu e adevărată.
”Până acum, în ultimii 50, 60, 70 de ani, oamenii au fost foarte critici la adresa Bibliei. Dacă povestea Exodului nu este reală, atunci cuvintele lui Isus și ale apostolului Pavel despre Moise și despre exod sunt false. Întreaga Biblie are la bază istoria exodului. Filmul arată exact locul dovezilor, ceea ce nu s-a mai arătat până acum”, spunea producătorul filmului, Tim Mahoney.

In curand, Documentarul va fi disponibil in format DVD. Se poate comanda aici – http://www.patternsofevidence.com/en/…

Potrivit cărții biblice Exodul, Moise i-a scos pe evrei afară din Egipt și au rătăcit în pustie timp de 40 de ani. Iosua i-a trecut peste râul Iordan, aproape de Ierihon, și i-a dus în Țara Promisă. Unii spun că este un mit, dar alții spun că acest nou documentar oferă dovezi care au nevoie de un verdict.
”Am mers în locul unde se presupune că a avut loc acesta, în Gosen, în partea de est a deltei, unde am vizitat siturile arheologice și unde mi s-a spus că nu există dovezi ale Exodului”, spunea producătorul filmului, Tim Mahoney.

Cercetările despre exod ale producătorul filmului, Tim Mahoney, și epopeea care a urmat au produs niște rezultate uimitoare.

Photo credit http://davidanthonyporter.typepad.com/

”Șase pași în direcția potrivită și descoperim povestea Bibliei. Toți pașii arată dovezi din Biblie pe care oamenii nu le-au mai văzut”, spunea producătorul filmului, Tim Mahoney.

Filmul transmite că atunci când este timpul potrivit, arheologia se potrivește cu istoria.
”Începe în Egipt, perioada robiei, Moise în perioada exodului, cucerirea Țării Promise, totul urmează o linie a evenimentelor, dar e puțin prea devreme. Cauți o prăbușire a civilizației egiptene și acolo îl găsești pe Moise și exodul”, spunea David Rohl, egiptolog și autor.

”Când pui aceste orașe unul lângă altul, relatările biblice și arheologia se potrivesc”, a afirmat dr. John Bimson, Trinity College, Bristol.

Photo credit www.mediakiln.com

”Se spune că Ramses a fost faraonul din timpul Exodului. Dacă analizăm acea perioadă din istorie, vedem că scepticii au dreptate fiindcă nu există dovezi privind Exodul. Însă unii arheologi și egiptologi spun că există dovezi dinaintea lui Ramses care se potrivesc cu această poveste”, spunea producătorul filmului, Tim Mahoney.

Mahoney prezintă ambele părți ale argumentului arheologic: oare chiar a avut loc exodul?
”Nu îmi place să-i dezamăgesc pe oameni, dar nu avem nicio dovadă a migrației unor oameni care pleacă dintr-o țară și vin într-o altă țară. Nu cred că a existat un exod”, spunea arheolog Norma Franklin, Universitatea din Haifa.

”Nu avea cum să vadă toate acestea. Și le-a imaginat”, a afirmat Maarten Raven, egiptolog.
”Nu sunt de acord cu revizuirile cronologice”, afirma James K. Hoffmeier, egiptolog și profesor la școala Trinity Evangelical Divinity Deerfield, Illinois.

”Până acum nu există dovezi documentate despre exod”, spunea Mansour Boraik, egiptolog.
”Exodul nu a avut loc așa cum este el descris în text”, spunea arheologul Israel Finkelstein, Universitatea din tel Aviv.

”Filmul este foarte convingător pentru că prezentăm ambele părți. Puteți să auziți părerea arheologilor care spun că nu există dovezi, dar puteți să auziți și părerea arheologilor și egiptologilor care spun că există”, spunea producătorul filmului, Tim Mahoney.

Prin faptul că se folosesc animații moderne, arheologie revoluționară și noi interpretări, filmul a avut deja un impact profund.

”Le arătăm astfel de filme oamenilor care nu știu nimic despre subiect sau nu sunt interesați. Au fost și atei care l-au văzut. Aceștia au rămas uimiți și le-a plăcut filmul. Un ateu a scris: ”Cred că ați dovedit că acest eveniment ar fi putut avea loc, dar asta nu înseamnă că au avut loc și miracole”’, spunea producătorul filmului, Tim Mahoney.

Photo credit http://www.fathomevents.com

Mahoney mai spunea că este un instrument puternic pentru a ajunge la sceptici:
”Dacă în familia ta sunt persoane care nu cred în Dumnezeu, sau care sunt suspicioase, sau care doresc o abordare științifică, acest film îți oferă acea oportunitate să poți purta acel gen de conversații. Este unul dintre filmele cele mai neutre și mai fascinante tipuri de film care îți oferă acea oportunitate.”

Filmul pune la încercare o noțiune puternică, și anume: că Biblia nu e adevărată.
”Până acum, în ultimii 50, 60, 70 de ani, oamenii au fost foarte critici la adresa Bibliei. Dacă povestea Exodului nu este reală, atunci cuvintele lui Isus și ale apostolului Pavel despre Moise și despre exod sunt false. Întreaga Biblie are la bază istoria exodului. Filmul arată exact locul dovezilor, ceea ce nu s-a mai arătat până acum”, spunea producătorul filmului, Tim Mahoney.
Stire difuzata in Mapamond crestin 556 – martie 2015 – ultimele stiri crestine: http://alfaomega.tv/stiri/

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LEGAMANTUL LUI DUMNEZEU CU AVRAAM – partea a-II-a – Viorel Udriste

Photo credit www.pinterest.com

VEZI partea I-a aici – LEGAMANTUL LUI DUMNEZEU CU AVRAAM – partea I – Odata cu Geneza cap. 12 , conceptul imparatiei devine tot mai evident si totodata apare o schimbare a modului in care Dumnezeu lucreaza cu umanitatea. Pana la Geneza 12, Dumnezeu s-a ocupat de omenire in general. O data ce starea de pacat a rasei umane este scoasa in evidenta, Dumnezeu va cauta sa binecuvanteze si sa rascumpere umanitatea cazuta lucrand printr-un popor special. Avraam devine figura principala prin care Dumnezeu va lucra. A fost alegerea lui Dumnezeu !

LEGAMANTUL LUI DUMNEZEU CU AVRAAM – partea a-III-a – Lungimea, adancimea si inaltimea credinciosiei lui Dumnezeu.

Fagaduinta lui Dumnezeu facuta lui Avraam si binecuvantarea acordata lui s-a extins nu numai la urmasii lui trupesti (adica iudeii care cred), ci de asemenea, la toti care au credinta adevarata, Il primesc si-L urmeaza pe Isus Hristos – adevarata „samanta” a lui Avraam, conf. Gal. 3:14 si 16: „…pentru ca binecuvantarea vestita lui Avraam sa vina peste Neamuri, in Hristos Isus, asa ca, prin credinta, noi primim Duhul fagaduit. Acum, fagaduintele au fost facute lui Avraam si semintei lui . Nu zice: si semintelor, (ca si cum ar fi vorba de mai multe), ci ca si cum ar fi vorba numai de una: si semintei tale , adica Hristos.”

Toti cei care au o credinta asemanatoare cu a lui Avraam sunt „copiii lui Avraam” conf. Gal. 3:6-7 …”Tot asa si Avraam a crezut pe Dumnezeu si credinta aceasta i-a fost socotita ca neprihanire. Intelegeti si voi, dar, ca fii ai lui Avraam sunt cei ce au credinta.” si sunt binecuvantati impreuna cu el conf. Gal 3:9 : „Asa ca cei ce se bizuie pe credinta sunt binecuvantati impreuna cu Avraam cel credincios”. Ei devin mostenitorii lui Avraam, mostenitori potrivit fagaduintei care include primirea prin credinta a „Duhului fagaduit”.

Fiindca Avraam a avut o credinta in Dumnezeu manifestata prin ascultare, el este socotit cel mai insemnat exemplu al adevaratei credinte mantuitoare. Din punct de vedere biblic, orice credinta in Isus Hristos ca Mantuitor care nu implica ascultarea de El ca Domn, nu este felul de credinta pe care a avut-o Avraam si astfel ea nu reprezinta adevarata credinta mantuitoare.

– DUMNEZEU IL PUNE LA INCERCARE PE AVRAAM –

„Dupa aceste lucruri, Dumnezeu a pus la incercare pe Avraam, si i-a zis: Avraame ! , Iata-ma , a raspuns el. Dumnezeu i-a zis: „Ia pe fiul tau, pe singurul tau fiu, pe care-l iubesti, pe Isaac; du-te in tara Moria, si adu-l ardere de tot acolo, pe un munte pe care ti-l voi spune. Avraam s-a sculat dis-de-dimineata, a pus saua pe magar, si a luat cu el, doua slugi si pe fiul sau Isaac. A taiat lemne pentru arderea de tot, si a pornit spre locul pe care i-l spusese Dumnezeu.”

Acest capitol este unul din cele mai interesante capitole din Sfanta Scriptura, probabil nici o scena din Biblie, cu exeptia Calvarului, nu este mai impresionanta ca aceasta si nici una nu ofera un simbol mai clar al mortii Domnului pe cruce. Supremul test al credintei lui Avraam a fost atunci cand Dumnezeu i-a poruncit sa-l aduca pe Isaac ca ardere de tot undeva in regiunea Moria.

Credinta lui Avraam in Dumnezeu si incredintarea in El, au fost testate la maxim. Dumnezeu ii porunceste lui Avraam sa faca ceva complet opus gandirii obisnuite, dragostei parintesti si sperantei sale de o viata. ” Dumnezeu i-a zis: „Ia pe fiul tau, pe singurul tau fiu, pe care-l iubesti, pe Isaac; du-te in tara Moria, si adu-l ardere de tot acolo, pe un munte pe care ti-l voi spune. ”

In istoria lui Avraam noi citim despre trei incercari a credintei sale.
– chemarea de a se desparti de rudenia si tara sa, si sa plece (Gen. 12:1) necunoscand unde avea sa ajunga. „Prin credinta Avraam, cand a fost chemat sa plece intr-un loc, pe care avea sa-l ia ca mostenire, a ascultat, si a plecat fara sa stie unde se duce. ” Evrei 11:8
– solicitarea de a se increde in Dumnezeu cu privire la promisiunea din Legamant fara sa vada implinirea acestei promisiuni timp de douazeci si cinci de ani ! „Avram era in varsta de saptezeci si cinci de ani cand a iesit din Haran” Gen. 12:4b „Avraam era in varsta de o suta de ani, la nasterea fiului sau Isaac.” Gen.21:5 . A se observa ca numele de Avram se schimba in Avraam la varsta de nouazeci si noua de ani cand Dumnezeu face cu el Legamantul taierii imprejur ! Gen. 17:5 Avram insemna „tata inaltat”, in timp ce Avraam inseamna „tatal unei natiuni” va rog sa comparati Neemia 9:7 cu Rom. 4:17; (Rom. 4:13-25)
– porunca prin care el trebuia sa-l jertfeasca pe Isaac, fiul promis. Intr-un mod similar sau asemanator lui Avraam va fi testata si adevarara credinta a credinciosilor !

„Prea iubitilor, nu va mirati de incercarea de foc din mijlocul vostru, care a venit peste voi ca sa va incerce, ca de ceva ciudat, care a dat peste voi: dimpotriva, bucurati-va, intrucat aveti parte de patimile lui Hristos, ca sa va bucurati si sa va veseliti (cand… ?) la aratarea slavei Lui ! Daca sunteti batjocoriti pentru Numele lui Hristos, ferice de voi ! Fiindca Duhul slavei, Duhul lui Dumnezeu, se odihneste peste voi.” 1 Petru 4:12-14

Vom vedea in ultima parte, pas cu pas cum Avraam isi duce fiul la muntele Moria pentru jertfa, dar Dumnezeu ii pregatise deja lui Avraam…un berbece incurcat cu coarnele intr-un tufis ca sa-l aduca ardere de tot in locul fiului sau. ‘Avraam a pus locului aceluia numele: „Domnul va purta de grija ” Gen. 22:14a

Va urma ultima parte, partea a III-a…

 Alte articole de Viorel Udriste –

• ADEVARATA FERICIRE A OMULUI CREDINCIOS LUI DUMNEZEU – Viorel Udriste 
• RUGACIUNEA – SCHIMBAND SENSUL VIETII – Viorel Udriste
• HAMARTOLOGIE – Lucruri care privesc pacatul – Viorel Udriste
• DUMNEZEU S-A REVELAT – PRINTRE ALTELE – SI PRIN CONSTIINTA OMULUI – Viorel Udriste
• Cand Satana te loveste… riposteaza ! Viorel Udriste 
• RELATIA CREDINCIOSULUI CU DUMNEZEU – Viorel Udriste
• O INCHINARE CORECTA INAINTEA LUI DUMNEZEU – Viorel Udriste
• PROBLEME LEGATE DE AVORT – Viorel Udriste
• Biserica trebuie sa se prezinte ca o fortareata a eticii, in fata decaderii morale a oamenilor – Viorel Udriste
• Viziunea crestina despre avort
• PROBLEME LEGATE DE DIVORT

Lazar Gog – Perspectiva Profetica 2015 – Partea 3 – Aspectul Profetic Shemittah & Partea 4 – Aspectul profetic – Ioel si impartitorii lui Israel

Am inceput cu partea finala (partea a 3-a si a 4-a + Concluzia) pentru ca sunt cele mai interesante si sunt si mai scurte (de scris) decat primele 2 parti si introducerea, care vor urma si ele la randul lor (cat de repede). La sfarsitul transcrierei le voi pune pe toate impreuna intr-o postare. Dar, in acest mod, puteti sa cititi aceste parti mai repede.

Photo credit shmita.co

3. Aspectul Profetic Shemittah

Lazar Gog: Al treilea aspect profetic pe care trebuie sa-l vedem este ceea ce eu am numit Aspectul Profetic Shemittah. Ce inseamna Shemttah? Shemittah este un termen ebraic care spune al saptelea an. Factorul acesta este invederat in Cuvantul Domnului – Exod capitolul 23:10-11 –

¹⁰ Timp de şase ani să semeni pământul şi să-i strângi rodul. ¹¹ Dar în al şaptelea, să-i dai răgaz şi să-l laşi să se odihnească; din rodul lui să mănânce săracii poporului tău, iar ce va mai rămâne, să mănânce fiarele de pe câmp. Tot aşa să faci cu via şi măslinii tăi.

Cuvantul Domnului catre Israel a fost acesta: Sa urmaresti in activitatea ta economica si sociala un ciclu de sapte ani care sa se repete continu. Sase ani de zile sa lucrezi pamantul, al saptelea an sa-l lasi liber sa se refaca. Si tot in al saptelea an, toti saracii care au imprumutat de la banca de la tine, sa fie iertati de datoria lor. Se numeste un an de anularea datoriei. Si anul al saptelea se numeste Shemittah. Incepe la 1 Tishrei, in Septembrie si se sfarseste la 1 Tishrei, anul urmator.

Daca nu este respectat acest proces de 7 ani, Domnul spune, aduce pedeapsa peste Israel. Daca va uitati in Ieremia 25:4-18, spune: Te voi duce in robia babiloniana timp de 70 de ani. Toti atatia ani cat n-ai respectat shemittah. Dar shemittah nu este numai pentru Israel. Este si pentru toate natiunile pamantului, pentru ca istoria noastra este legata de Israel. De ce? Datorita acestui legamant pe care Dumnezeu l-a facut cu Israelul. Geneza 12:3 – Voi binecuvânta pe cei ce te vor binecuvânta şi voi blestema pe cei ce te vor blestema; şi toate familiile pământului vor fi binecuvântate în tine.

Cine te va binecuvanta, va fi binecuvantat. Cine te va blestema, va fi blestemat. Prin urmare, ce se intampla cu Israel se intampla cu natiunile pamantului, datorita atitudinii tarilor fata de Israel. Daca va uitati in istorie, potrivit  teologului evreu Jonathan Cahn  este un teolog rabin mesianic. A scris doua carti deosebite. Prima carte se numeste ‘The Harbinger’ care inseamna ‘avertizmentul’, scrisa supa Septembrie 9, 2001. Si a doua carte este ‘Importanta a Shemitah’. Potrivit acestui teolog care a facut cercetare, cele mai mari crash-uri economice  s-au petrecut in anul al saptelea si Shemittah.

Ce va urma in Septembrie 2015 ? Photo credit economiccrash2015.blogspot.com

Am sa va dau 5 din ele. Mare crash economic in 1973. In 1980. In 1987. In 2000 si in 2007. Anul acesta, frati si surori, noi suntem in Shemittah – al saptelea an din ciclul celor 7 randuite in Israel. Si daca in anul 2007, tot la Shemittah, s-a produs cel mai mare crash la bursa americana, a cazut 777 de puncte, fapt ce a declansat criza economica mondiala prin care am trecut. Anul acesta, incheierea lui Shemittah se produce  in 29 Elul care este Septembrie 13.

Photo credit www.vriendenvanisrael.nl

Insa ceea ce este interesant este urmatorul lucru, ca tot in Septembrie 13 avem al patrulea tetrard, de care v-am vorbit anul trecut. V-am spus ca vor fi 2 eclipse de luna si doua de soare in 2014-2015. Si toate aceste evenimente cad la sarbatoarea iudaica a Pastelor si a corturilor. Anul acesta, eclipsa de soare, a partra, care incheie acest tetrard, cade exact in elul 29- adica, Septembrie 13. Este ultima zi din Shemittah. Elul 29 (Sept. 13) este considerata ziua anularii datoriilor. E posibil ca din nou in Septembrie 2015 sa asistam la anularea multor datorii cu un nou crash economic. Lucrul acesta este dat si de acest tetrard,  pentru ca in Cuvantul Domnului ni se spune lucrul acesta in Ioel 3:1-3 –

¹ Căci iată că în zilele acelea şi în vremurile acelea, când voi aduce înapoi pe prinşii de război ai lui Iuda şi ai Ierusalimului, ² voi strânge pe toate neamurile şi le voi coborî în valea lui Iosafat. Acolo, Mă voi judeca cu ele pentru poporul Meu, pentru Israel, moştenirea Mea, pe care l-au risipit printre neamuri, împărţind între ele ţara Mea. ³ Au tras la sorţi pentru poporul Meu; ….

Ioel spune ca inainte de ziua Domnului vor fi semne in cer- luna in sange si soarele in intuneric. Si cand aceste fenomene ceresti se observa, trebuie sa intelegem absolut ca am intrat in vremea sfarsitului. Si cum spuneam, cele patru manifestari ale lunii si soarelui in acest an – 2014-2015 se intampla tocmai in ultima zi din Shemittah, in ziua anularii datoriilor. Daca va uitati in istorie, cum am spus, cand aceste fenomene s-au mai intamplat, intotdeauna economia mondiala a fost afectata. De aceea, va invit in al patrulea rand sa ne uitam la acest aspect.

Photo credit palestineisraelconflict.wordpress.com

Israel (albastru) in mijlocul tarilor Arabe.

4. Aspectul profetic –
Ioel si impartitorii lui Israel

Domnul se judeca cu cei ce vor sa imparta pe Israel. In lume, s-a constituit un cvartet, format din Statele Unite, Rusia, Uniunea Europeana si ONU. Practic, sunt toate statele, care sa reglementeze situatia dintre Israel si palestinienii. Dar, uitati-va din nou in Ioel 3:2 –

² voi strânge pe toate neamurile şi le voi coborî în valea lui Iosafat. Acolo, Mă voi judeca cu ele pentru poporul Meu, pentru Israel, moştenirea Mea, pe care l-au risipit printre neamuri, împărţind între ele ţara Mea.

Ideea acestui cvartet este ca sa-l aduca pe Israel in teritoriul pana in 1967, dislocand sute de mii de evrei si creand un stat palestinian. Deci, vor sa imparta tara lui Israel si sa imparta Ierusalimul. Ierusalimul de est sa fie capitala Palestinei, Ierusalimul de vest sa fie a lui Israel. Dumnezeu spune ca se judeca cu cei ce impart tara lui Israel.

Sunt 13 ‘coincidente’ in lumea noastra, adica 13 aspecte de judecata divina care au avut loc cu America, atunci cand au luat pozitie impotriva lui Israel. Si daca lucrurile acestea s-au intamplat pana acuma, se pot intampla si de aici incolo. Efortul mare la ora actuala este sa se creeze acest stat palestinian. Din cele 13 evenimente care s-au petrecut cu America, am sa va dau doar 5, pentru ca timpul nu ne mai permite.

1. 24 August 1992 – Presedintele Bush Sr. si Pamant pentru Pace – In Washington DC are loc runda a sasea a pacii de la Madrid. Primul Ministru Rabin al Israelului este prezent si America ii impune sa adopte o politica numita ‘Pamant Pentru Pace’ (Land for Peace). Cand Yitzhak Rabin a inceput, deci, la 24 August, cand a acceptat aceasta la impunerea Americii, uraganul Andrew , in aceeasi zi a lovit Statele Unite, fiind primul cel mai mare uragan cunoscut pana in vremea aceea. Peste 25 de miliarde de dolari ($25 billion) pagube. Pentru ca in Biblie spune ca „Cine te va binecuvanta, va fi binecuvantat. Cine te va blestema, va fi blestemat.”
2. 17 Ianuari 1994 – Presedintele Clinton si Inaltimile Golan – Presedintele Clinton se intalneste cu dictatorul sirian, Hafez Al Assad si- i promite lui Hafez Al Assad ca va presa Israelul sa accepte sa cedeze inaltimile Golan, Siriei. In aceeasi ziare loc cel mai distrugator cutremur in istoria Americii, care a avut loc aici la noi, in California. Peste 40 de miliarde de dolari ($40 billion) pagube.
3. 10 Septembrie 2001 – Presedintele Bush si Planul pentru 2 state in Palestina – Sub presiunea regelui Arabiei Saudite, care a acuzat America ca procedeaza unilateral, favorizand Israelul in conflicte cu palestinienii, Presedintele Bush accepta un plan ca sa se creeze doua state in Palestina. Acest plan urmeaza sa fie prezentat lumii in saptamana de 10 Septembrie (pana la sfarsitul saptamanii). 11 Septembrie 2001, America este lovita pe teritoriul ei la New York. A fost si este cel mai mare atac terorist impotriva Americii.
4. 23 August 2005 – Presedintele Bush, Premierul Ariel Sharon si Gaza- Premierul Ariel Sharon comunica Israelului, Americii si lumii ca planul de evacuare a populatiei israeliene din Gaza, impus de America lui Israel, a luat sfarsit oficial. In aceeasi zi, in Oceanul Atlantic  s-a putut observa o depresiune atmosferica  care s-a transformat in uraganul Katrina. Cea mai mare populatie dislocata a avut loc in Louisiana, asa cum Americanii au fortat pe evrei sa disloce populatia israeliana din Gaza. Persoane apropiate Presedintelui George W. Bush au declarat ca acest eveniment, Katrina, a fost inceputul prabusirii presedintiei lui Bush.
5. 20 Aprilie 2010 – Presedintele Obama – Administratia Obama opreste pentru prima data din 1967 incoace constructia de apartamente in Ierusalimul de Est in Ierusalim. Cand lucrul acesta este anuntat, in 20 Aprilie, in aceeasi zi, sonda petroliera a companiei British Petroleum  a explodat in Golful Mexic (la coasta cu statul Texas), cauzand cea mai mare catastrofa ecologica din istoria Statelor Unite. Tine-ti minte pentru ca ati vazut lucrurile acestea. Industria pescuitului, industria alimentara si industria turismului  au fost afectate si paralizate.

Judecata viitoare??? Profetul Ioel spune ca Dumnezeu se judeca cu cei ce impart pe Israel. Se poate intampla inca o judecata asupra Americii anul acesta? Sigur ca da. Se poate intampla asupra Europei? Sigur. In naivitatea lor politica, Uniunea Europeana, a declarat ca este dispusa sa recunoasca un stat palestinian. Iar, organizatia terorista Hamas, o considera practic un partid politic palestinian. De cand lupul poate sa fie echivalent cu mielul, inca nu s-a mai auzit.

De aceea, si Uniunea Europeana va intra in criza.  De fapt, la ora aceasta cand eu va vorbesc, Germania este pe punctul sa intre in recesiune. Si daca Germania intra in recesiune in Uniunea Europeana, fiind cea mai puternica tara economica din Europa, aduce in jos toata economia Europei de Vest. Si bineinteles ca afecteaza si Statele Unite.

Toate lucrurile acestea se intampla sub ochii nostri. Se pot intampla asa cum le-ai auzit. Sigur ca daDar Dumnezeu poate sa si anuleze si sa amane lucrurile acestea. Solutia este pocainta. Ninive s-a pocait si de aceea Domnul a amanat distrugerea. Necazul zilelor noastre este ca America si Uniunea Europeana nu se pocaiesc. Preocuparea lor este cum sa ridice mai multi prooroci mincinosi, Hristosi mincinosi. Se intrunesc impreuna, cum sa legalizeze mai multi homosexuali si cum sa anuleze Cuvantul lui Hristos. De aceea, Europa si Statele Unite au o pozitie sumbra inaintea Domnului.

Isus vine iar!

Concluzie – Domnul este aproape

In concluzie, frati si surori, domnilor si doamnelor, as vrea sa va mai spun un lucru. In 28 Ianuarie 2006, a murit rabinul evreu Yitzchak Kaduri. A avut 108 ani. A fost unul dintre cei mai influenti si indragiti evrei. Cand a murit, se spune ca au fost peste 300,000 de oameni la inmormantarea lui la Ierusalim. Asta vorbeste despre influenta pe care El a avut-o.  Yitzchak Kaduri a fost considerat si ca un profetintre rabinii evrei.

In 2005 el a profetit ca Dumnezeu il va lovi pe Ariel Sharon pentru ca el a procedat la evacuarea evreilor din Gaza. Si in 2005, Ariel Sharon  a avut un stroke (comotie cerebrala) din care nu si-a mai revenit. El a murit anul trecut. Insa, Yitzchak Kaduri mai spune ceva. A zis: „Dumnezeu mi s-a aratat si Dumnezeu mi-a facut de cunoscut Cine este Mesia. Si el a scris un bilet, pe care a scris asa: Dupa moartea meaacest bilet sa fie deschis si sa se citeasca lumii si in special evreilor, ce mi-a vorbit Dumnezeu. Domnul mi-a vorbit cine este Mesia si cand se va arata Mesia.”

Si Kaduri a murit in 28 Ianuarie, 2006. In 26 Ianuarie 2007, un an mai tarziu, fiul sau David Kaduri, si el un rabin la 80 de ani, in fata prietenilor a deschis plicul tatalui sau si a citit ce scrie acolo. Si a citit ce era scris: „Domnul mi-a aratat cine este Mesia. Adevaratul Mesia este Yeshua. Este Isus Hristos. El se va arata curand lui Israel. Iar semnul dupa care veti intelege ca a venit vremea sa se arate va fi moartea lui Ariel Sharon. Cand Ariel Sharon va muri, Mesia se va arata foarte curand.” Ariel Sharon a murit anul trecut.

Oare se arata Mesia anul asta? Sigur, noi nu stim. Nu punem date. Ci am adus in fata dvs. doar ceea ce se discuta in lumea contemporana pe aceasta tema. Un fapt este sigur. Tot ce a vorbit Dumnezeu se implineste. Perspectiva pe care am adus-o in fata dvs.  nu este de natura sa sperie pe cineva.  ori sa ingrozeasca. Ci este de natura sa aduca pocainta. Traim vremurile din urma si de aceea Cuvantul Domnului spune: „Ce fel de oameni ar trebui sa fiti voi, stiind lucrurile pe care le stiti si avand o purtare sfanta si evlavioasa.”Prin aceasta purtare evlavioasa, nu faceti altceva decat sa grabiti venirea Fiului lui Dumnezeu. Iar eu, ca slujitor al Domnului, nu pot sa spun altceva decat ceea ce spune Duhul Sfant.

„Vino, Doamne Isuse!”

Sa privim in sus. Domnul este aproape. God bless you!

Emanuel Church Anaheim – California (08.02.2015). Predici pentru vremuri grele – http://www.fiti-oameni.ro

Vlad Criznic – Estera – Inceputuri nepromitatoare, finaluri incredibile

Vlad Criznic – Estera –

Inceputuri nepromitatoare,

finaluri incredibile (ep.2)

Photo credit ezekiel38rapture.blogspot.com

…n-avea nici tata, nici mama…
era frumoasa la statura si placuta la vedere…
A capatat trecere si iubire inaintea imparatului.
Nu si-a facut cunoscut nici poporul, nici nasterea,
caci fusese oprita sa vorbeasca despre aceste lucruri.
Dar un plan de nimicire al poporului ei se urzea in umbra palatului.
Salvarea ar putea sta in mainile ei.
Va alege sa intervina sau nu?

„Daca va fi sa pier, voi pieri….

ESTERA – pentru vremuri ca acestea

VIDEO by Credo TV

Rei Abrudan – Estera –

Providenta invizibila (ep.1)

• Estera – O noapte cu Imparatul
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John Piper: Responding to God According to His Word (Nehemiah 9–10)

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One of the main points of Nehemiah 9 & 10, indeed, one of the main points of the whole Bible is that God does not exist for the sake of our enjoyment of Bible stories. But, Bible stories exist for the sake of our enjoyment of God. And the reason I begin with that and say it that way is not only because it stands out amazingly in chapter 9, to be the case, but also, because we live in a day when there is enormous fascination with story and narrative, and tracing themes through the Bible according to its storyline, and I simply want to wave the flag that says: There is a point to the story, there’s a point to the narrative. And the point is a Person. Bible stories are no more ends in themselves, then the universe is an end to itself, or history is an end in itself.

There’s a point to the universe. There’s a point to history. The heavens are telling the glory of God. That’s what the universe is about: the glory of God. The heavens, the universe is telling that. And history is what it is in order to show that God is who He is. That’s what history is for. God writes His story, He acts His story in order to make known who He is. So, look at verse 10 in chapter 9 – The levites are praying; they’re the ones speaking through this whole chapter, virtually. And they say to God, in verse 10

¹⁰ You sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day.

So, what was God doing when He broguht 10 plagues upon Egypt, when He split the Red Sea, and when He delivered the people of Israel from bondage? What was He doing when He acted this story. that would be told 10,000 times? What was He doing? And, the answer is at the end of verse 10 : You were making a name for Yourself. (3:44)

Nehemiah 9 & 10

The Israelites Confess Their Sins

9 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. ² Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. ³ They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. ⁴ Standing on the stairs of the Levites were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the Lord their God. ⁵ And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.”

“Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. ⁶ You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

⁷ “You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. ⁸ You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous.

⁹ “You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. ¹⁰ You sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. ¹¹ You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters. ¹² By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.

¹³ “You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. ¹⁴ You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. ¹⁵ In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.

¹⁶ “But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands. ¹⁷ They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, ¹⁸ even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.

¹⁹ “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. ²⁰ You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. ²¹ For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.

²² “You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. ²³ You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess. ²⁴ Their children went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. ²⁵ They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness.

²⁶ “But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. ²⁷ So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

²⁸ “But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.

²⁹ “You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’ Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. ³⁰ For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. ³¹ But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

³² “Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship that has come on us, on our kings and leaders, on our priests and prophets, on our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. ³³ In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly. ³⁴ Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our ancestors did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the statutes you warned them to keep. ³⁵ Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways.

³⁶ “But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. ³⁷ Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.

The Agreement of the People

³⁸ “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”

Nehemiah 10

Those who sealed it were:
Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hakaliah.
Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,
4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluk,
5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
8 Maaziah, Bilgai and Shemaiah.
These were the priests.
9 The Levites:
Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,
10 and their associates: Shebaniah,
Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
11 Mika, Rehob, Hashabiah,
12 Zakkur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
13 Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.
14 The leaders of the people:
Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
27 Malluk, Harim and Baanah.

²⁸ “The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— ²⁹ all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.

³⁰ “We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.

³¹ “When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.

³² “We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God: ³³ for the bread set out on the table; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.

³⁴ “We—the priests, the Levites and the people—have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law.

³⁵ “We also assume responsibility for bringing to the house of the Lord each year the firstfruits of our crops and of every fruit tree.

³⁶ “As it is also written in the Law, we will bring the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, of our herds and of our flocks to the house of our God, to the priests ministering there.

³⁷ “Moreover, we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and olive oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all the towns where we work. ³⁸ A priest descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury. ³⁹ The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and olive oil to the storerooms, where the articles for the sanctuary and for the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the musicians are also kept.

“We will not neglect the house of our God.”

VIDEO by The Gospel Coalition from the 2014 National Women’s Conference in Orlando, Florida

….dezleaga lanturile rautatii…. si nu intoarce spatele semenului tau…

Photo credit stpetersyouthministry.org

Postul placut Domnului – Isaia 58

6. Iata postul placut Mie: dezleaga lanturile rautatii, deznoada legaturile robiei, da drumul celor asupriti si rupe orice fel de jug;
7. imparte-ti painea cu cel flamand si adu in casa ta pe nenorocitii fara adapost; daca vezi pe un om gol, acopera-l, si nu intoarce spatele semenului tau.
8. Atunci lumina ta va rasari ca zorile, si vindecarea ta va incolti repede; neprihanirea ta iti va merge inainte, si slava Domnului te va insoti.
9. Atunci tu vei chema, si Domnul va raspunde, vei striga, si El va zice: „Iata-Ma!” Daca vei indeparta jugul din mijlocul tau, amenintarile cu degetul si vorbele de ocara,
10. daca vei da mancarea ta celui flamand, daca vei satura sufletul lipsit, atunci lumina ta va rasari peste intunecime, si intunericul tau va fi ca ziua in amiaza mare!
11. Domnul te va calauzi neincetat, iti va satura sufletul chiar in locuri fara apa si va da din nou putere madularelor tale; vei fi ca o gradina bine udata, ca un izvor ale carui ape nu seaca.

Tim Keller: Laboring for a God Who Fights for Us (Nehemiah 3–4)

Photo credit assorted-ideas.com

Nehemiah 3

Builders of the Wall

 Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. ² The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.

³ The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. ⁴ Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. ⁵ The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.

⁶ The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. ⁷ Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. ⁸ Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. ⁹ Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. ¹⁰ Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. ¹¹ Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. ¹² Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.

¹³ The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.

¹⁴ The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.

¹⁵ The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. ¹⁶ Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.

¹⁷ Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. ¹⁸ Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnui^[f] son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. ¹⁹ Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle of the wall. ²⁰ Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. ²¹ Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.

²² The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. ²³ Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. ²⁴ Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner, ²⁵ and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh ²⁶ and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. ²⁷ Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel.

²⁸ Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. ²⁹ Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. ³⁰ Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. ³¹ Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; ³² and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.

Nehemiah

Opposition to the Rebuilding

4 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, ² and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

³ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”

⁴ Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. ⁵ Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.

⁶ So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

⁷ But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. ⁸ They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. ⁹ But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

¹⁰ Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

¹¹ Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

¹² Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

¹³ Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. ¹⁴ After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

¹⁵ When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

¹⁶ From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah ¹⁷ who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, ¹⁸ and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

¹⁹ Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. ²⁰ Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

²¹ So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. ²² At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” ²³ Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.

Tim Keller speaks on Nehemiah 3–4 at our 2014 National Women’s Conference in Orlando, Florida.

VIDEO by The Gospel Coalition from the 2014 National Women’s Conference in Orlando, Florida

Don Carson: Leaning Forward In The Dark. A Failed Reformation

Photo credit www.joshharris.com

Nehemiah 13

Nehemiah’s Final Reforms

13 On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, ² because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) ³ When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.

⁴ Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, ⁵ and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.

⁶ But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission ⁷ and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God. ⁸ I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. ⁹ I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.

¹⁰ I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. ¹¹ So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.

¹² All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and olive oil into the storerooms. ¹³ I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zakkur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because they were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.

¹⁴ Remember me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

¹⁵ In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. ¹⁶ People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah. ¹⁷ I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? ¹⁸ Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”

¹⁹ When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. ²⁰ Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. ²¹ But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. ²² Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

²³ Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. ²⁴ Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language of Judah. ²⁵ I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves. ²⁶ Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women. ²⁷ Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?”

²⁸ One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.

²⁹ Remember them, my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

³⁰ So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and assigned them duties, each to his own task. ³¹ I also made provision for contributions of wood at designated times, and for the firstfruits.

Remember me with favor, my God.

VIDEO by The Gospel Coalition from the 2014 National Women’s Conference in Orlando, Florida

A message for the New Year: David Platt – What is God’s will for my life? From the Book of Proverbs

Pentru traducere automata, fa click aici – Romanian

david-platt-itickets-com.

Proverbs is the most prominent wisdom book in Scripture and amidst all the wisdom that is contained in Proverbs there is also a good bit of confusion. Confusion as to how to understand individual proverbs and then confusion how this book, as a whole is to be understood. We live in a day when the most common question, not only constantly ask, but, almost anxiously ask:

What is God’s will for my life?

We are talking here about things that are not directly spelled out in Scripture. Scripture says specific things about specific circumstances. But, there are so many circumstances we face, some of them small, some of them big, on a daily basis, that the Word doesn’t speak directly to- whether it’s what we eat, or what we wear today, small decisions like that. Big decisions like who to marry, what career paths to choose, where to live. How do we know God’s will in these areas of our lives? Obviously, Scripture speaks to all of those things in some way. The Scripture talks about taking care of our body; that’s gonna inform the way that we eat, or honoring God in the way we dress. Or, Scripture is going to speak in to whom we marry. Scripture tells us not to marry an unbeliever, or what career path to choose, immoral career paths that you should not choose according to Scripture. But, when it comes down to the details of what this looks like, we want to know what God’s will is. Our hearts desire  God’s will, but we have a hard time transitioning from our hearts to our minds, and making decisions.

We are afraid, almost constantly afraid that we’re gonna do the wrong thing, and that we’re gonna make the wrong decisions with different situations we face. We just wish we would have it spelled out in front of us. It would make it a lot easier. But, if that were the case, it would miss the whole point. And so, what I want to show us today in Proverbs, in this book as a whole is a picture of incredible comfort, and incredible confidence that you can have when you’re walking through the decision making process, when you’re walking through decisions that you make on a daily basis- knowing that you are living out and following the will of God, based on the picture we see in Proverbs. (3:00)

I want us to read the first 7 verses here in Proverbs. They are kind of an introduction to the book, they tell us purpose of the book. Proverbs is divided into two major sections: The first 9 chapter are a kind of preface to the book- talking about wisdom, giving a reason why we need to read the rest of the book- because wisdom is valuable. We need to get wisdom, treasure wisdom, we see that over and over again in these first 9 chapters. Then you get to chapter 10, and from chapter 10 – 31, what you see is different proverbs, different wise sayings. A lot of them 2 liners, 3 liners, maybe 4 liners, that are written to be memorable, to lodge away in your mind and in your heart, that take the Word and apply it to the practical things that we face in our lives. Most of this is written by Solomon. Not all of it, other parts written by different folks, or at least compiled by different folks, but, most of it is written by Solomon.

I want us to look at these first 7 verses that give us a purpose statement for the entire book. And then focus on one particular verse that’s gonna guide us through our times in proverbs today.

1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: ² To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, ³ to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; ⁴ to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— ⁵ Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, ⁶ to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. ⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;  fools despise wisdom and instruction.

I want you to underline that last line. All throughout these first 7 verses we see these words used almost interchangeably- wisdom, and instruction, insight, prudence, knowledge, discretion. And then you get to verse 7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” some translations say “the beginning of wisdom,  fools despise wisdom and instruction“. In fact, you turn to chapter 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” This is the verse I want you to etch in your mind this morning, I want us to think about the relationship between fear of the Lord, between worship of the Lord and wisdom. 

Wisdom is the fruit of  a right relationship with God.

Wisdom spring from , results out of a right relationship with God. When we walk in the fear of the Lord, when we worship the Lord, we will walk in wisdom. Our wisdom in daily decisions is dependent on out relationship with God and having a right relationship with God. And, this makes total sense. Go back to creation, think about Genesis 1 & 2. We saw man in complete harmony with the Creator. Genesis 1 & 2, before sin entered into the world, Adam and Eve were in complete harmony with God, perfectly relating to God, and as a result of that we saw man in complete harmony with the creation, in complete harmony with each other- Adam & Eve. That was the picture. They were not wandering around wondering, “What is Your will for our life?” God had made it clear: Don’t eat from this tree, enjoy one another, enjoy me, be fruitful and multiply. So, they were living in harmony with God and with each other. So, there wasn’t a worry, “Am I gonna make the wrong decision?” It was clear.

You know what happened. They take the command of God and they disregard it and results in the fall. The result of the fall is twofold:

1. man’s relationship with the creator is destroyed (were it not for the grace of God, they would have been dead on the spot) and man’s relationship with God, since that day has never been the same. Never. But, not just man’s relationship with the Creator destroyed, but
2. man’s relationship with creation is distorted. Their relationship with each other was immediately affected. And their relationship with the world, the creation around them was immediately affected. And it makes sense, once they were disconnected in their relationship with God, it had a huge effect on everything around them.

I want you to notice that there’s a vertical component and a horizontal component here. There’s a vertical component- our relationship to God that has a direct effect to our horizontal component- our lives in this world, our relationships with other people in this world, our decisions that we make on a daily basis, living in this world. All of that flows from what is going on in our relationship with God. A vertical component that affects the horizontal component. We see that.

So, in order to have a right relationship with the world around us, and to walk with wisdom in the world around us, making wise decisions, we need a right relationship with God. Wisdom is the fruit of a right relationship with God. So, now we come to Solomon. This is what I love on how we are reading the Bible this year. Because we have a tendency to take a book like proverbs and kind of picture it that it’s just kind of flowing out there as it’s own book, with all these random sayings. But, what we’re doing is we’re seeing where Proverbs fits in to the story of redemption, fits into this story of redemptive history that we’re walking through.

The background & history of the Book of Proverbs

A couple of weeks ago, we got to 1 Kings chapter 4, and we stopped. Over the last two weeks we’ve been reading Song of Songs and Proverbs. So, I want to take us back to where we stopped in redemptive history. Turn back with me to 1 Kings chapter 3 & 4, to remind ourselves what is going on when we come to the book of Proverbs. What is the background, what is the history on this, this book didn’t just appear out of nowhere. Look at 1 Kings 3:5,7-12

“ At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not knowhow to go out or come in. ⁸ And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. ⁹ Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” ¹⁰ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. ¹¹ And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, ¹² behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.   (the parallel version of this is 2 Chronicles 1) (12:30)

In other words He says, “I am going to make you wiser than any before you and anyone to come in the picture in the Old Testament. You are going to be the wisest.” And that’s exactly what we see. Go to 1 Kings 4:29-33:

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mindlike the sand on the seashore, ³⁰ so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. ³¹ For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. ³² He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.³³ He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. ³⁴ And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

Now it makes sense why we stopped to read Proverbs at this point. Verse 32 says he spoke 3,000 proverbs. That begs the question, “What do they say?” And so, that’s why we’re stopping to read Proverbs now. I want us to take the Book of Proverbs right here and put it in this context of redemptive history. Because what’s happened is Solomon has become king, he has asked for wisdom, God has given him wisdom beyond that of anyone else. And right after this, what we’re gonna read in the week to come, starting in verse 5, what Solomon does is he starts to build the temple. He makes preparations to build the temple, in chapter 6 he builds the temple, in chapter 8 he dedicates the temple.

Redemption anticipated in Solomon

What I want you to see is the relationship , here in the context of redemptive history between wisdom and worship. Because, at this point of redemptive history, we are at the height, at the apex of wisdom and worship in Israel’s history. The wisest man, the wisest king ever. The temple being completed, that’s what David longed to do, but, God reserved for Solomon to do, to get it completed so the glory of God can dwell upon His people. This is at a point in redemptive history in the Old Testament where wisdom and worship are coming together like they’ve never come together before and like they will never come together again in the Old Testament. This is the apex of the mountain.

In the reign of Solomon we’re seeing two things. The wisdom of Solomon is tied to the worship of Solomon. His relationship with God affecting his relationship with other people and creation around them. So when you look in Proverbs you realize this is not just a book about wisdom, this is most definitely a book about worship as well.

The wisdom of Solomon is tied to the worship of Solomon.

• We revere His person. You see exhortations all over Proverbs to revere the person of God. At least 18 different times we see the fear of the Lord mentioned. This is where wisdom starts.

1. The Lord is the almighty Creator of all things– Revere Him as almighty Creator of all things. Proverbs 3:19-20; 14:31; This is where wisdom starts, with an acknowledgment of God as our Creator. This is why you can take the most brilliant atheist in the world today, with all kinds of intellectual knowledge and Proverbs, and Psalms, and the rest of Scripture would label Him a fool. And it’s not because he doesn’t know anything. He has tons of knowledge. There are a lot of smart atheists. But, the reason he is a fool is because all of his knowledge is viewed through a perspective that is Godless, that denies the existence and the truth and the reality of God. And as a result, the lens through which he views everything in the world is ultimately empty. That’s foolishness. It may look like wisdom to the world, but that’s foolishness compared to the wisdom of God. Wisdom springs from an acknowledgment of reverence: For the Lord is the almighty Creator of all things. Wisdom starts with the worship of God.

• The Lord is the sovereign sustainer of all things– God is not only Creator, but, He’s the sovereign sustainer of all things. This is all over chapter 16. vv. 1,3,9,33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.Chance does not rule, God rules everything. He is guiding, leading all things, all times are in His hands.

• The Lord is the eternal judge of all peoples– Proverbs 16:11 “A just balance and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are his work. Proverbs 11:21 Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered. All throughout this book we see different things that the Lord hates, that are an abomination to the world and the reality that God will judge all peoples ultimately. This is cause for fear. You, right where you are sitting, were fashioned and created by the infinitely wise, all powerful Lord and King of all of creation. And He holds your days in His hands. You may make plans, but He guides. And one day He is going to judge you. That brings us pause, that brings about a holy fear for the Lord. And this is the spring form which wisdom flows. (21:00)

• We rejoice in His grace. Proverbs 3:3-6 talks about the steadfast love and faithfulness that God gives, in the verses that are most common to us: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Proverbs 3:11-12  My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, ¹² for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights. Even His discipline is evidence of His love for us.

• We receive His Word  Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. We receive His Word. It’s part of wisdom. Wisdom springs from His Word.

• We remember His purpose. And we remember His purpose. The picture throughout Proverbs is we see how God acts and the way God displays His character. God reveals His glory. And that’s what the temple was all about. The whole worship life of the people of Israel is about revering Him, rejoicing in the grace, receiving His word, remembering His purpose to make His glory known throughout the world. All of that is known throughout Proverbs. (22:30)

So what we see, at the time this is being written is God centered worship, which leads to the second:

God given wisdom for the king

The height of wisdom is displayed here in all of these proverbs we have written down. Now, how do we understand these proverbs? What we have to understand first and foremost is that proverbs are guidelines for living, not guarantees in life. These sayings, particularly chapters 10-31, they’re guidelines for living, not guarantees in life. Here’s what I mean by that. You look at chap. 3:2 where it says, “If you obey the commandments of the Lord, then you will have long days in this life. That’s a good guideline for living, but the reality is that when you look at David Brainers, Robert Murray McCheyenne, all of these brothers who were giving their lives in radical abandonment to the commands of Christ died in their early 30’s. So, it’s not like, “If you’re gonna obey the Lord, you’re gonna live past your 30’s.” In the same way that you see in Proverbs 11:8, is says, “The righteous man will be delivered out of trouble.” That’s a general guideline. But, we know, we have persecuted brothers and sisters around the world, who are pursuing righteousness right now, who are not being delivered out of trouble.

It doesn’t mean that Proverbs aren’t true, that they’re false. What it means is that’s not how they’re supposed to be interpreted. It is not promises to claim. That is not how Proverbs is intended to be interpreted. Instead, what we’ve got is general guidelines for living, for our lives, which are very helpful. We need to remember these kinds of things. They are patterns, but they are not promises that we claim in every single circumstance that we face in life.

I want to give you an overview of some of the recurrent themes. This is by no means exhaustive.

• In the Family – Proverbs puts focus on the family.

1. Love your spouse loyally. The husband and wife are encouraged to share one another sexually and emotionally, in love with one another. Proverbs 5:15-19 Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; You see in Proverbs 6, at one point, a husband’s jealousy for the affections of his wife looked at as natural and good. Obviously, we have in Proverbs 31, a picture of a Godly wife, a Godly woman. Some of the most intense passages in Proverbs come in this area with warnings against adultery. Chapters 2, 5, 6, 7, and 9, all have stern warnings, the kind of warnings that, I think, we would be wise to meditate on regularly, more important than even reading marriage books in our culture. Proverbs 7:6-27 “For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice,⁷ and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, ⁸ passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house ⁹ in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. ¹⁰ And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. ¹¹ She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; ¹² now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait. ¹³ She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, ¹⁴ “I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; ¹⁵ so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. ¹⁶ I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; ¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. ¹⁸ Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. ¹⁹ For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; ²⁰ he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.” ²¹ With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. ²² All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast ²³ till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life ²⁴ And now, O sons, listen to me    and be attentive to the words of my mouth. ²⁵ Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, ²⁶ for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. ²⁷ Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.Men, if there is any inkling in you, wandering toward, in thought or deed toward another woman, meditate on Proverbs 7. And see yourself as an ox, walking willingly to a slaughter. And let it soak in that you do not know what you are doing and it will cost you your life. Obviously, this is written from Solomon’s perspective, the whole picture throughout Proverbs is through a man’s perspective. But, the picture, obviously, even to look at from a woman’s perspective, to encourage sisters across this room to stay close to your husband. To not be found wandering far away from your husband. Stay close to your husband. Do not let your life or your house be a way of death. These are wise words. (29:00)
2. Instruct your children intentionally.Proverbs 23:13-14- Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. ¹⁴ If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

Among friends

1. Avoid evil company. We imitate our friends. Proverbs 24:1 Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, ² for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. I would just say to every high school and college student, I mean this is across the board, but, some of the greatest counsel I received in high school and college is to be wise with the friends that I surrounded myself with, cause that has every effect of how our life ends up looking.
2. Promote good companionship. We see positive pictures of selfless, sensible friends, honest friends all throughout Proverbs. “A friends loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17.

With words

Proverbs talks about words: Guard what you say. Don’t speak in haste. How many words do you regret because they were spoken in haste? Proverbs says, “Be quiet. Think first.” It says, the tongue has the power of life and death; it has the power to heal and destroy. The tongue has the power of reward and damage.

1. Guard what you say and
2. Guard what you hear. Proverbs talks about how to receive words. Words of criticism and words of flattery that are not always good.

With wealth

1. Hard work is valuable. Proverbs, over and over again tells us that hard work is valuable. There is profit in work and it says over and over again, “Don’t be lazy.” Get up and do something. That’s wise. There is a high value on work here, but, it’s not work to gain more and more barns for ourselves.
2. Helping the needy. Proverbs also talks about helping the needy. It’s vital. Proverbs makes very harsh statements about those who neglect the poor. Proverbs 29:7 “A righteous man knows the rights of the poor, while a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.” It seems to be an overarching truth that extreme wealth and extreme poverty  are both undesirable. It’s interesting, when you look into it, in the book of Proverbs we see people who are righteous and are wealthy, and who are righteous and are poor. And we see people who are evil and are wealthy, and evil that are poor. So, there’s no ground to say, “Well. if you’re righteous, then you’re rich, or, if you’re evil you’ll be poor, and vice versa. Instead, what we see if Proverbs 30:8-9- give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. ⁹ Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” So, there’s an emphasis of wisdom that is found and contentment in the Lord.

So, we see all of these kind of different truths coming together. We could talk for days about all of these different things. There’s so much to saturate there, but, instead of thinking about all these specific proverbs, I want us to come back to this overarching picture of worship and wisdom, and how the two go together.

Worship & Wisdom and how they go together

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Worship is the beginning of wisdom. A right relationship with God brings about a right relationship with the world around us. That’s the picture we see at this point in Solomon’s life. If we read anymore in the Old Testament, we know what’s coming. It’s not gonna be long until Solomon turns his heart away from the worship of God, and he actually turns his heart towards the very things he has warned us not to turn our hearts toward: To wealth and women. And, as a result of his worship life being misdirected completely, then his wisdom wanes. And, Solomon’s life ends no where close to how it looks here in 1 Kings chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, which shows us a mirror of ourselves. Don’t miss this: Left to ourselves, we are prone to worship the things of this world, and to follow after the wisdom of this world.

What we see in Solomon is possible and present in every single one of our sinful hearts in this room. Which means, we need someone else besides Solomon to help us. And that’s where we see that Solomon was only anticipating redemption in this life, and setting the stage. Now I want you to see how Proverbs fits into redemptive history and how reading the book of Proverbs, although it does not mention the name of Jesus once, it leads us to love Christ, to lean on Christ because this is redemption that will be achieved  in Christ. Turn to Luke 2:41. This is where my study in Proverbs just came alive, as I saw these truths we talked about , this relationship in redemptive history between worship and wisdom, and those coming together- God given worship, God given wisdom.

Redemption achieved in Christ

We don’t have a lot of material about Jesus’s boyhood, about His growing up, His teenage years. But this is one of the glimpses that we do have in Luke 2:41 “⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Vertical and horizontal. Do you see the picture here? This glimpse we have of JesusHe is sitting at the temple, at the place where the glory of God dwells. He makes a startling statement. He asks the question: Do you not know I must be at my Father’s house? He is saying that this, the temple, where the glory of God dwells, this is where I belong. It’s a bold statement. It is only heightened even more when you get to John 2, when He’s outside the temple , He’s beginning His ministry and the picture we have in John 2 and He identifies Himself with the temple. It’s what John chapter 1 set the stage for: “We beheld His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” We have seen the glory of God in Jesus, Jesus identifies Himself as the temple in John 2. You want to encounter the presence of God? You want to behold the glory of God? Here I am. And from this picture we see Him teaching others wisdom, growing in wisdom. So, don’t miss what we’re seeing here in the New Testament. The whole picture we’re gonna see in the Gospel:

1. Jesus is the true temple. He is where the presence of God and the glory of God dwells. This is the reality of  the incarnation. Do you want to see the glory of God, do you want to experience the presence of God? You come to Jesus. He is the true temple, and in this way- Jesus enables the worship of God. Don’t miss it. New Testament Gospel truth: Man will not meet God in a building to worship Him. Man will come to Christ to worship God. Man will encounter the glory of God in the person of Christ. He is the one who makes true worship possible. On the cross, He died to reconcile man to God. The curtain of the temple was torn in two and man is now able to relate to God, to worship God truly   as a result of Christ.
2. He is the perfect king. – that Israel has been waiting for. David failed. Solomon failed. So on, and so on, and so on, which is why we see in Matthew 12:42, Jesus is speaking to religious leaders and He says, “One with greater wisdom than Solomon is here. Solomon, who was the wisest you know in Israel’s history, has nothing on the wisdom of Christ. But, here’s the question I want you to ask: Why? Why was Jesus’s wisdom greater than Solomon’s wisdom? Because wisdom is the fruit of a right relationship with God. Solomon was not in a perfect relationship with God. He was in an imperfect relationship with God, and, as a result, it flowed into an imperfect wisdom and a life that failed. Jesus, however, was in perfect relationship with God. Perfectly and fully relating to God, identified as the temple, with the Father. And, as a result, wisdom flowing from Him, the very wisdom of God flowing from Him.
3. Jesus embodies the wisdom of God. He is wise, exactly as the Father is wise, because of His unity with the Father. That’s why Colossians 2:3 tells us that “in Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” In Christ. Don’t miss this: What Solomon anticipated, Christ achieved. The picture in Solomon- his heart was stained by sin. Jesus comes on the scene perfect, without sin, in perfect relationship to God, in perfect wisdom, and in His relationship with the world around Him. True temple and the perfect king. Which means, to every single person in history and to every single person in this room: If you want to walk in wisdom, and not waste your life in folly, then there is only one path to take. And it is the path of faith and trust in and surrender to Jesus Christ.

Just like Proverbs presents us over and over again with the way of folly and the way of wisdom. The Gospel presents us with the same choice. A way of folly- follow after this world, be wise, be smart according to the standards of this world, indulging in this world, out of right relationship with God, and lose your life. Or, the way of Christ- To trust in Christ and what He has done on the cross to reconcile you to God, to be united in relationship to God, and from that relationship to have wisdom flow. And, as if that’s not good enough, this is where it gets just breathtaking.

Redemption applied in us. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 says that Christ is our wisdom. We were the foolish things of the world, Paul says. And God called us in Christ, and he says, “In Christ, He has become your wisdom, He has become wisdom to you.” This is mind boggling, breathtaking, and overwhelming. Think about this: When you trust in Christ, and your life is united with Christ:

1. In Christ we live in continual worship. Paul says later, in 1 Corinthians 6:18 that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit, that we walk in the presence of God, we enjoy the presence of God. We enjoy the glory of God by His Spirit’s presence in us. He houses His presence in our bodies. He is in us. This is glorious truth. In Christ, we live in continual worship, which means, of all people we
2. Revere His person humbly. We walk in reverence of God. 1 Peter 1 We walk with reverent fear. He’s our Creator, our sustainer, our judge, and our Savior. And we live in His presence, so on a moment by moment basis there is never a moment where there is not reverence involved.
3. Rejoice in His grace wholeheartedly. We know the truth of Proverbs 28:30 seen in an entirely new way. Those who confess their sins receive mercy. Praise God we know that in its fulness.
4. Receive His Word consistently. We have the word of Christ. He says to us in Matthew 7 ““Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Hear my word, put it into practice, you will be wise. Guaranteed.
5. Remember His purposes daily. In Ephesians 1, we see the wisdom of God in Christ linked to the glory of God in getting a people for Himself in human history. The picture is God redeeming for Himself a people  in all His glory.
6. In Christ, we walk with continual wisdom. And all of this is what we walk in– the purpose of God, the Word of God, the grace of God, revering God, we live in continual worship as those who have the Spirit of Christ in us, which means, because through Christ, we have been reconciled to God, to walk with Him in worship. What flows from that? The fruit of a right relationship with God is WISDOM. And so, now we live, we walk in continual wisdom. That’s the point, it’s what we see: Wisdom is the fruit of a right relationship with God. This means wisdom is flowing here. Jesus is our wisdom. What does that mean, how is Jesus our wisdom?

• (1) He gives us wisdom whenever we ask. The New Testament makes that clear: If anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all without finding fault, and it will be given to Him. Brothers and sisters, every single time you will ask for wisdom, the Father will never answer NO. He will give it freely, when ever we ask. But, heres the beauty. Not only does He gives it through Christ, but

• (2) He guides us in wisdom wherever we go. He says, “Here’s what you need to do and I’m going to live in you, and I’m going to lead you, and I’m going to guide you, and I’m putting that into practice. You are in Christ, and in Christ are all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom, which means, in every single decision you face this week, you have Christ who has all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom in His Spirit, living in you, guiding you through everything, and walking through.

You have no reason to be worried. You have no reason to be anxious. And you have no reason to wander if you’re gonna make the wrong decision, if you are trusting in Christ, abiding in Christ. He is good. He will lead you and guide you. He’s not even gonna leave you to find the most subjective feeling that feels the most right to you, or to flip the coin, or to tell God, “Well, if I do this, , you do this, and I’ll do this.” You see nothing like that in Scripture. Leave behind that and trust in Christ, who has wisdom from God and for you. Abide in Him. And here we come back to his question that we so anxiously asked: What is God’s will for my life?

And the answer we gladly receive: God desires for me to know and follow His will so much, that He lives in me, and leads me to accomplish it. That is Good News. I am not saying that it’s easy. I’m not saying that there isn’t work involved here. I’m not saying: Close your eyes and it pops right in front of you, as to what you are supposed to do. There’s still agonizing, there’s still wrestling, and researching this or that. There’s still all that , but, we’re not doing it alone. We’re doing it with the Spirit of the wisdom of Christ Himself, in us. Him leading, Him guiding, and what we discovered is that the goal is not an answer to our questions. The goal is intimacy with Jesus Christ, Himself. And it’s not about getting to a destination, Christ is the destination. And it’s not as much about knowing His will, it’s about knowing Christ, and trusting in Christ, and leaning on Christ, and walking with Christ, and enjoying Christ as our wisdom, at every step.

Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled by Christ

via Wilmington/Tyndale Guide to the Bible (P 350)

You can reverently see the mighty hand of God guiding men throughout thousands of years and inspiring them through His Holy Spirit as they lay ink to papyrus and lay down God’s Word in such a way as to see it come to pass in a (mind boggling) mathematically impossible improbability.

1. Born of a virgin – Isaiah 7:14 Fulfilled in Matthew 1:22,23
2. Given the throne of David – 2 Samuel 7:11-12; Psalm 132:11; Isaiah 9:6, 16:5,Jeremiah 23:5 Fulfilled in Luke 1:31-32
3. This throne to be an eternal throne – Daniel 2:44, 7:14,27; Micah 4:7 Fulfilled in Luke 1:33
4. To be called Emmanuel – Isaiah 7:14 Fulfilled in Matthew 1:23
5. To have a forerunner – Isaiah 40:3-5; Maleachi 3:1 Fulfilled in Luke 1:76-78, 3:3-6; Matthew 3:1-3
6. To be born in Bethlehem – Micah 5:2 Fulfilled in Matthew 2:5-6
7. To be worshipped by wise men and be presented with Gifts – Psalm 72:10; Isaiah 60:3, 6, 9 Fulfilled in Matthew 2:11
8. To be in Egypt for a season – Numbers 24:8, Hosea 11:1 Fulfilled in Matthew 2:15
9. Birthplace to suffer a massacre of infants – Jeremiah 31:15 Fulfilled in Matthew 2:17-18
10. To be called a Nazarene – Isaiah 11:1 Fulfilled in Matthew 2:23
11. To be zealous for the Father – Psalm 69:9, 119:139 Fulfilled in John 2:16-17
12. To be filled with God’s Spirit – Isaiah 11:2, 61:1-2; Psalm 45:7 Fulfilled in Luke 4:18-19
13. To heal many – Isaiah 53:4 Fulfilled in Matthew 8:16-17
14. To deal gently with the Gentiles – Isaiah 9:1-2, 42:1-3 Fulfilled in Matthew 12:17-21, 4:13-16
15. To speak in parables – Isaiah 6:9-10 Fulfilled in Matthew 13:10-15
16. To be rejected by His own – Isaiah 53:3, Psalm 69:8 Fulfilled in John 1:11, 7:5
17. To make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem – Zechariah 9:9 Fulfilled in Matthew 21:4-5
18. To be praised by little children – Zechariah 9:9 Fulfilled in Matthew 21:16
19. To be the rejected cornerstone – Psalm 118:22-23 Fulfilled in Matthew 21:42
20. That His miracles would not be believed – Isaiah 53:1 Fulfilled in John 12:37-38
21. To be betrayed by His friend for 30 pieces of silver – Psalm 41:9, 55:12-14 Fulfilled in Matthew 26:14-16, 21-25
22. To be a man of sorrows – Isaiah 53:3 Fulfilled in Matthew 26:37-38
23. To be forsaken by His disciples – Zechariah 13:7 Fulfilled in Matthew 26:31, 56
24. To be scourged and spat upon – Isaiah 50:6 Fulfilled in Matthew 26:67, 27:26
25. His price money to be used to buy a potter’s field – Zechariah 11:12-13; Jeremiah 18:1-4, 19:1-4 Fulfilled in Matthew 27:9-10
26. To be crucified between two thieves – Isaiah 53:12 Fulfilled in Matthew 27:38
27. To be given vinegar to drink – Psalm 69:21 Fulfilled in Matthew 27:34, 48; John 19:36-40
28. To suffer the piercing of hands and feet – Psalm 22:15; Zechariah 12:10 Fulfilled in Matthew 15:25; John 19:34,37, 20:25-27
29. His garments to be parted and gambled for – Psalm 22:18 Fulfilled in Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24
30. To be surrounded and ridiculed by His enemies – Psalm 22:7-8 Fulfilled in Matthew 27:39-44; Mark 15:29-32
31. That He would thirst – Psalm 22:15 Fulfilled in John 19:28
32. To commend His spirit to the Father – Psalm 31:5 Fulfilled in Luke 23:46
33. No bones to be broken – Psalm 34:20; Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12 Fulfilled in John 19:33-36
34. To be stared at in death – Zechariah 12:10 Fulfilled in John 19:37; Matthew 27:36
35. To be buried with the rich – Isaiah 53:9 Fulfilled in Matthew 27:57-60
36. To be raised from the dead – Psalm 16:10 Fulfilled in Matthew 28:2-8
37. To ascend – Psalm 24:7-10; Isaiah 52:13 Fulfilled in Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51