Bible Study on Acts 14, verses 19 to 28, Paul survives a stoning

 

Acts 14:19 ¶  And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. 20  Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. 21  And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 23  And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. 24  And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25  And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: 26  And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. 27  And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. 28  And there they abode long time with the disciples.

 

Preachers will often say that Paul’s being near death by stoning or having died and been brought back was the occasion for his remarks in;

 

2Corinthians 12:1 ¶  It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2  I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3  And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4  How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

 

This event did not keep Paul from returning to Lystra, Iconium, & Antioch of Pisidia. As I noted before these were cities of Greek culture in Western Asia Minor, the country of Turkey today. We saw, though, that being Roman by citizenship they used Roman names for gods like Jupiter instead of Zeus and Mercurius instead of Hermes. We’ll see Ephesians use the Roman goddess Diana instead of Artemis. Diana is the Roman version of Artemis. From there they went to Pamphylia, preaching in Perga, and then to Attalia, on the coast. From there they sailed to Antioch. Remember that Seleucia was Antioch’s seaport, about 16 miles from it. This is the Antioch in today’s extreme Southern Turkey where Christians were first called so, south and east of Pisidian Antioch mentioned earlier. There they rehearsed, relayed all that God had done with them.

 

Verse 22 presents an important question of doctrine we should take the time to consider. We enter the kingdom of God through much tribulation? You mean, it is not simply a matter of 1-2-3 repeat-after-me prayer?

 

First, what is the kingdom of God? To lay the groundwork we should note that only Matthew uses both the phrases kingdom of God and kingdom of Heaven. Indeed, Biblically speaking they are synonymous. A difference is not necessary to prove the millennial reign of Christ or Israel’s importance as there are many verses that declare those doctrines emphatically. But, with regard to the kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God compare the following verses. First, these two verses link both as synonyms.

 

Matthew 19:23 ¶  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

 

Now, compare these verses;

Matthew 11:11  Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

 

With;

Luke 7:28  For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

…then…

Matthew 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

 

With;

Mark 4:10  And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11  And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

 

And…

Matthew 13:31  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32  Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

 

With…

 

Mark 4:30  And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31  It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: 32  But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

  

Luke 13:18 ¶  Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19  It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

 

And…

 

Matthew 13:33  Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

 

With…

 

Luke 13:20  And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

 

And…

 

Matthew 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

 

With…

 

Mark 10:14  But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

 

Luke 18:16  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 17  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

 

And…

 

Matthew 4:12 ¶  Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;…17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

 

With…

 

Mark 1:14 ¶  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

 

And…

 

Matthew 5:3 ¶  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

With…

 

Luke 6:20 ¶  And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

 

Now, you and I have to note that the kingdom of God and of Heaven is an invisible kingdom, not possessing armies and weapons of war, buildings or parliaments and congresses.

Bible Study on Exodus 20, verses 1 to 11, the Ten Commandments, part 1

 

Exodus 20:1 ¶  And God spake all these words, saying, 2  I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3  Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 8  Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Notice below, in a parallel to verse 1, God declares that He brought them out of Egypt as  His appearance, His angel, declares the same thing in Judges.

Judges 2:1 ¶  And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

This lends more clarity to the definition of what an angel in the Bible is, not the good angel/bad angel of the Persian religion as a mythological winged creature which the Roman church adopted, but as a presence of something or someone that is somewhere else.

Isaiah 63:9  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

As some examples in regard to children;

Matthew 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Peter, the apostle;

Acts 12:15  And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

Church assemblies of Christians;

Revelation 1:20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

And God’s messenger, Gabriel;

Daniel 9:21  Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

Luke 1:26  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

It is pure foolishness and confusion to mistake an angel for the cherubim, the living creatures of Ezekiel 1 and 10 or Revelation 4 who are the prototypes for all creatures on earth as representing domestic and wild animals and fowls. More on the cherubim later.

Here we have the giving of the Ten Commandments, an important icon of Christian civilization and culture. In verses 3-6 we have the ban on creating an image or picture for the purpose of worship, which is the context. We then have the ban on taking the Lord’s name in vain, for empty reasons, flippantly without purpose, for instance, as a curse word. Most people even don’t like to be talked about like they aren’t in the room. Such a thing is totally disregarding God’s presence at all times and shows contempt and disdain for our Creator.

Bible Study on Acts 14, verses 1 to 18, And they called Paul, Mercurius

 

Acts 14:1 ¶  And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. 2  But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. 3  Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4  But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. 5  And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them, 6  They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about: 7  And there they preached the gospel.

 

Lystra and Derbe are referred to as cities of Lycaonia, a large region in the central part of what we call today, Asia Minor, the country of Turkey. Lycaonia was bordered by Galatia on the north, Cappadocia on the east, and the west by Phyrgia and Pisida with the Taurus mountains on the south. From ancient times Greek mercenaries and merchants had spread out on the Asian mainland as we saw before in our study of the Bible in the Old Testament. Greek speaking and culture permeated the cities of western Asia Minor, Turkey today.

 

There is no small ruckus caused by Paul and company’s preaching in Iconium so they flee to these cities to preach the gospel.

 

Acts 14:8 ¶  And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked: 9  The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 10  Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. 11  And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. 12  And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. 13  Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. 14  Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 15  And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: 16  Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 17  Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 18  And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

 

Here is a man who never walked in his entire life who is healed through Paul. The response of this in this city of Greek culture and religion was to proclaim Paul and Barnabas as gods.  

 

Jupiter also known as Jove, was the king of the gods whom the Romans recognized as their version of the Greek Zeus. This will be important later when Paul is witnessing to the Greeks in Athens. It is interesting that Barnabas gets that title. Paul, doing most of the talking is called Mercurius, also known as Mercury. Mercury was also a major god in the Graeco-Roman religion, a god of, among other things, eloquence, messages, and divination. His Greek counterpart was Hermes. He was a son of Jupiter/Zeus.

 

Paul and Barnabas, of course, reject this worship and a sermon is preached on God’s nature and the need to turn from pagan gods to Him. A very important point is made in this short passage. God has a witness of Himself, not just in prophets and evangelists. He has a witness in nature and although this is lost on modernist Christians today, nature is, next to the Bible and the hearts and minds of Christians, His greatest witness. Nature reveals God, not blind forces.

 

God’s bounty is a witness to all mankind of His mercy and goodness.

 

Matthew 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 

Luke 6:35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

 

Paul will make a similar argument when talking to the Greeks in Athens as he does here in verse 16 with suffered meaning tolerated, allowed, or permitted as in the English phrase “I suffer fools gladly.”

 

Acts 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Bible Study on Exodus 19, verses 16 to 25, the LORD descends on Mount Sinai in fire

 

Exodus 19:16 ¶  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 17  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 18  And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19  And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20  And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. 21  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. 22  And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them. 23  And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it. 24  And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them. 25  So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.

A powerful, frightening event takes place that causes the people to tremble. Moses, the mediator, brings the people to meet God and this mass of humanity stands at the base of this mountain. It must have been an awesome sight to behold. Smoke, thunder, lightning, the sound of a loud trumpet, exceeding loud and growing louder and louder. Moses speaks and God answers him. God called Moses to come to the top of the mountain and Moses obeys. God wants Moses to warn the people from their curiosity. God suggests the priests might come near and Moses recalls that God said no one could come up but Moses. God refines His order so that Moses and Aaron can come up. Moses then warns the people.

Bible Study on Acts 13, verses 42 to 52, filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost

 

Acts 13:42 ¶  And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. 43  Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. 44  And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45  But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. 48  And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49  And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. 50  But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 51  But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 52  And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

 

The Gentiles here that Paul encounters are hungry for his preaching again. There seems to be a stark division here between the Jews who leave and the Gentiles who stay and beseech them for more preaching the following Sabbath. But, even many Jews and new converts to Judaism want Paul and Barnabas to continue to preach as well. Proselytes of the Jews came in two divisions, noted Strong, those who committed to keep the whole Law and those who lived among the Jews and followed certain general precepts of the Bible only.

 

On the next Sabbath day unbelieving Jews argued against their speech. The messengers then give a bold sermon against the Jews which results in the powerful people of the city running Paul and Barnabas out of town. They shook the dust of their feet against them.

 

As Jesus gave instruction;

 

Matthew 10:14  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

 

John Gill noted in his commentary that certain Jewish authors had declared even the dust of Gentile lands to be polluted so this could be reflective of a very Jewish tradition of condemning infidels.

 

Paul and Barnabas announce that because of Jewish resistance to Christ they will go to the Gentiles. It has already been noted that the idea of the Gentiles being included in salvation from God was shocking as I noted in my comments on Acts, chapter 11, with Peter’s experience.

 

Paul will even declare that his ministry was to the Gentiles…

 

Romans 15:16  That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

 

…something Peter also will declare in Acts 15, coming up. But, Paul will insist on preaching to the Jews and this will cause him no little difficulty.

 

Iconium in the Roman province of Asia is now Konya, the seventh most populous city in Turkey. It is located in Southwest Turkey.

 

Paul refers to these events;

 

2Timothy 3:11  Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

Bible Study on Exodus 19, verses 9 to 15, God gives a warning to Moses

 

Exodus 19:9 ¶  And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. 10  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11  And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12  And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 13  There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. 14  And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 15  And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.

Jehovah God is going to display some of His majesty in how He appears to the people so as to impress them to whom they are promising obedience. He is going to come down on Mount Sinai in His appearance from the thick cloud.

2Chronicles 6:1  Then said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

Psalm 18:11  He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

No one was to touch the mount of God as Paul reminds us later when he compares the mount of God to the New Jerusalem.

Hebrews 12:20  (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21  And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24a  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant…

A trumpet blast plays an important role at the end of history.

1Corinthians 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

The third day is also very significant throughout the Bible representing to us the resurrection of Christ after three days.

Luke 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

This resurrection is a theme mentioned in several places in prophetic verses in the Old Testament. Here in Exodus it has to do with God calling the people to come near to Him.

Hosea 6:2  After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

They are to prepare themselves for this appointment with God. Here, it is interesting that Moses added that they were to deny the pleasure of physical union with their wives in that preparation. Here is something that was a gift to man and woman from God from the very beginning. Part of their preparation was to deny themselves that very blessing bestowed uniquely on man and wife.

Genesis 2:24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Christians are not told to do this except under one very special circumstance. In fact, they are warned against it. While Paul extolls the virtue of being celibate like he apparently was (although he seems to suggest that he would be willing to have a wife in 1Corinthians 9:5) he gives this admonition as part of his opinion.

1Corinthians 7:4  The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 5  Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

So, denying your spouse sexual relations is considered as defrauding them, except for a specific purpose for both parties during a specific time by mutual consent.

Moses is acting as the mediator between the people and God. Christians have God Himself in the form of the Word, capital W, of God, the second part of the three parts of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him only, as the mediator between us and God the Father.

1Timothy 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Hebrews 9:15 ¶  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

As the mediator between God and mankind, only God Himself could be the propitiation for sin, only God Himself could pay the ransom to Himself for our souls, and only God Himself could raise His own body from the grave for our justification and the promise of eternal life. You are as helpless to do these things as these Hebrews were helpless in the wilderness.

Bible Study on Acts 13, verses 14 to 41, a sermon by Paul, part 2

 

Notice how in verse 33 Paul links the resurrection with the verse in Psalm 2. As an eternal being Christ represents all of us who will be raised incorruptible, the children of God.

 

Romans 8:17 ¶  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered

from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

 

In Hebrews 1:5 Paul connects it to Christ’s birth and the relationship between a Father and a Son. By the time we get to verse 8 in Hebrews 1 we are back at Christ’s rule and authority, the basis of Psalm 2.

 

Hebrews 1:4 ¶  Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art

my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

 

Notice in verse 8 of Hebrews 1 the reference is made to Psalm 45:6. Here is the original reference in Psalm 2 marking out Christ’s physical reign on earth to come.

 

Psalm 2:1 ¶  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his

anointed, saying, 3  Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

 

    7 ¶  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and

the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

 

    10 ¶  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish

from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

 

In verse 34 in Acts 13 here he makes mention of the sure mercies of David.

 

Isaiah 55:3  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

 

Following this is a reference to David’s prophecy of Christ’s resurrection a thousand years previously.

 

Psalm 16:10  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

 

Peter uses this verse in his sermon noted in Acts 2:27. Here is the entire passage in Psalm 16.

 

Psalm 16:8 ¶  I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in

hope. 10  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

 

Note the argument that Paul makes here that David could not have been talking about himself as he did see corruption and knew that he would die eventually. Only Enoch, Elijah, and Christ saw no corruption.

 

See in verse 36 how if you are doing God’s work you serve in a generation and then you are gone from the world and others take your place. In modern evangelical terms we can get caught up in the broad sweep of events over history rather than placing ourselves in the context of our generation.

 

In 41 Paul issues a warning based on;

 

Habbakuk 1:5 ¶  Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.