Bible Study on Acts 8, verses 1 to 13, they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching

 

Acts 8:1 ¶  And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2  And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3  As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

 

Saul will have his name changed to Paul. See Acts 13:9. As Saul he was a great terror to the early church, and he admitted his guilt.

 

1Corinthians 15:9  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

 

Galatians 1:13  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

 

Phillipians 3:6  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

 

1Timothy 1:13  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

 

There was a great persecution at Jerusalem and many fled, save for the Apostles. The Christian Jews were scattered abroad. Note how it is referenced elsewhere. Jews had moved to many parts of the known world then, as far as China, down in Africa, and had a significant presence in Rome and the city of Babylon. There are many references to gathering the scattered Jews together. This persecution drove the Christians out of Jerusalem.

 

Acts 8:4 ¶  Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. 5  Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6  And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7  For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 8  And there was great joy in that city. 9  But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: 10  To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. 11  And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. 12  But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13  Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

 

This persecution led to a great effort of evangelization. Now, many more people would hear the gospel because the siege mentality, the bunker mentality, which is almost always wrong, was wiped out by the persecution and Christians moved abroad to spread the Good News of Christ.

 

Now it says that the Apostles remained in Jerusalem. This then could be Philip the servant/deacon/evangelist who was elected to serve the congregation at Jerusalem that is now dispersed abroad.

 

Acts 6:1 ¶  And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2  Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3  Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4  But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5  And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a

man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6  Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

 

Acts 21:8 ¶  And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9  And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

 

People here believe and are baptized, even Simon the sorcerer, but no mention is made of them receiving the Holy Ghost, yet. It is important to note that in this early stage of the church this passage is one of those that makes it clear that you must believe to be baptized and no mention is made of baptizing someone who cannot believe, like a baby, for instance.

 

Also note that Simon uses sorcery, the word in Greek being phonetically translated as mag-yoo-o, the root from which we get magic. These people departed from their amazement at Simon to their faith in Christ. All of the tricks of his trade could not prevent that or keep even him from believing but with a shallow faith laced with greed and a desire for self-aggrandizement.

Bible Study on Exodus 14, verses 10 to 14, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD

 

Exodus 14:10 ¶  And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. 11  And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? 12  Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. 13  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

The Hebrews seem to be trapped between the Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. They were terrified, or sore afraid. They believe they’ve made a terrible mistake by following Moses. They would have been better off as slaves in Egypt than to die so miserably in this situation.

But, Moses tells them to wait as God will fight this battle for them as salvation, more often than not in the Bible, typically means physical deliverance from an impending calamity rather than eternal life.

There are many times that God says that He will do the work for us but we are often too fearful to believe that. In the next verse, Christ tells this to His disciples regarding what they will say under persecution.

Mark 13:11  But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

Even eternal salvation is purely a work of God in response to our faith.

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Ephesians 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

One important aspect of being a Christian, as I looked at before in the example set in the book of Job, is to trust God no matter how bad things get, even if we don’t see any relief in this life.

Job 13:15a  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him….

And taking the example also of the Hebrew men in Babylon.

Daniel 3:17  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

And here, in this passage in Exodus, we can see another principle linked to that one; waiting on the Lord to work in our lives rather than jumping ahead and acting on our own. The Hebrew situation was a total disaster without some kind of intervention. There was no power on earth that could save them when the greatest power on earth had them trapped. There will be situations in your life over which you are totally helpless and without God’s help you just know only complete disaster awaits you. You’re cornered. It is in that time you are forced to trust only in God, when you are between the proverbial ‘rock and a hard place’ where there is nothing left for you but to wait and see what God does.

2Kings 11 comments

 

2Kings 11:1 ¶  And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. 2  But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. 3  And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.

Let’s review the past reference to Athaliah.

2Kings 8:26  Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.

She attempts to consolidate power for herself by these wicked murders, even of her grandchildren. We’ll learn later in 2Chronicles that this job had been partially done for her by others but we’ll save Chronicles for later, at which time I will refer back to events reported in Kings.

Jehosheba is Ahaziah’s sister and the priest, Jehoiada’s wife (2Chronicles 22:11). For six years while the wicked queen rules over Judah, the young man is hidden from her. It would not be so hard to do in a big household as long as servants were in on the scheme to protect him as Athaliah was clearly a tyrant and obviously hated, as we will see.  

2Kings 11:4 ¶  And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king’s son. 5  And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king’s house; 6  And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down. 7  And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king. 8  And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in. 9  And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10  And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David’s spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD. 11  And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple. 12  And he brought forth the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.

Finally, the child is presented as the rightful king by the priest, Jehoiada, who has secured the proclamation lest loyal stalwarts of wicked queen Athaliah attack. So, they proclaim after the crown is placed on the young boy’s head, God save the king.

2Kings 11:13 ¶  And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD. 14  And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason. 15  But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD. 16  And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king’s house: and there was she slain.

This nasty piece of work, Queen Athaliah, hears the tumult and she rushes to the temple. She screams treason. The queen is executed after being dragged out of the temple. Her short reign is over. Clearly, she was hated and the people rejoiced at the events that transpired.

2Kings 11:17 ¶  And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD’S people; between the king also and the people. 18  And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD. 19  And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings. 20  And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house. 21  Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.

This seven year old is placed on the throne and allegiance is sworn to him. The house of Baal is broken down. It looks like a new era or repentance and turning to God could take place. Does it?

2Chronicles 23:16  And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD’S people. 17  Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18  Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David. 19  And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in. 20  And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD: and they came through the high gate into the king’s house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom. 21  And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

 

Jehoash will also be called the shorter Joash, according to Strong’s, from the same meaning in Hebrew, “given by the Lord”. Let me know if you disagree with any calculations I've made based on the text of the King James Bible.

Bible Study on Acts 7, verses 42 to 60, the martyrdom of Stephen

 

Acts 7:42 ¶  Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? 43  Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. 44  Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. 45  Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; 46  Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 47  But Solomon built him an house. 48  Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49  Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 50  Hath not my hand made all these things?

 

Note that God gave them up to worship the host of heaven. Compare that with Paul’s accounting of mankind’s religious history.

 

Romans 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:27  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

 

In this we see that our societal ills are a judgment on us from God after we worshipped the creature more than the Creator. He prevents us from doing things and, yet, can withdraw His hand of protection from us and allow those things to be expressed to our ultimate sorrow.

 

In verses 43 Moloch would be Moloch or Molech from the Old Testament and Remphan would be Chiun.

 

Amos 5:25  Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? 26  But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. 27  Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.

 

Verse 45 makes an interesting declaration. The Joshua from Old Testament Hebrew is Jesus of New Testament Greek. At least one commentator believes that this shows that Jesus will return in the same route as Joshua entered the Holy Land. Joshua was a warrior leader as Jesus will be when He returns.

 

For verses 49 and 50 see the following;

 

Isaiah 66:1 ¶  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2a  For all those things hath mine hand made,

 

Acts 7:51 ¶  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52  Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53  Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

 

Stephen gives one of the class sermons of all time reliving the history of the Hebrews, the Jews. In the end he convicts the Jewish leadership of murdering the Messiah they were promised as they had murdered prophets sent to them by God through the years. Their response to his condemnation makes them and their descendants suffer horribly for the next two thousand years. The Jews had already made two damning statements about themselves that would echo throughout history.

 

Matthew 27:25  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

 

John 19:15  But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

 

Fortunately for them God is merciful and loves the Jewish people. Paul said;

 

Romans 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28  As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

 

Acts 7:54 ¶  When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56  And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57  Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58  And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. 59  And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60  And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

 

Here is the first martyr for the Christian faith, Stephen. Saul, who we will know later as Paul, took charge of their garments. Stoning is a brutal way to die and there have been many gruesome descriptions of what it does to the human body. Mankind, if he has learned nothing else, has learned very effectively different ways to kill.

 

Stephen sees Christ standing at the right hand of God. Elsewhere He is said to be seated. Perhaps this was the Jewish leadership’s last chance at repentance before the Saviour sat down and the next two thousand years of suffering for the Jews was to begin. Stephen is stoned with a fury as these men refuse to accept what he has said. He echoes a sentiment similar to Christ’s from the Cross in asking for pardon for his murderers.

 

Not for the first time in the Bible, as we have seen, sleep is used as a euphemism for death.

Bible Study on Exodus 14, verses 1 to 9, the Egyptians pursued them

 

Exodus 14:1 ¶  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2  Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. 3  For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. 4  And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. 5  And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 6  And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: 7  And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. 8  And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. 9  But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

From Etham the Hebrews are directed to go set up camp at Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. Now, from their starting point at Rameses they have traveled to Succoth and Etham and are now told to encamp here. These are traditionally locations to the west of the Gulf of Suez, an arm of the Red Sea.

The Hebrews are now between Migdol and the Red Sea. Again, God hardens Pharaoh’s disobedient heart and encourages him to chase after the Hebrews in regret over letting his slaves go. He takes 600 chariots, and it says all the chariots of Egypt. Chariots will play a very important part in place in the Old Testament and be a source of contention. One thing missing in scholarship and Bible exposition is the common sense understanding of chariot warfare. A chariot was a mobile fighting platform as well as a ceremonial vehicle whose weak link was also how it was delivered to the forefront of the battle so quickly; its horses. Logic tells us, logic and common sense, that the horses would be what the infantry would go after first. Kill the horses and the chariot cannot move and respond to the battle. So, with chariots there needed to be a string of horses and horsemen to accompany them. Like the pit crew at a NASCAR event these teams needed to be able to replace dead and injured horses or, in a fierce battle, the chariot would have been rendered useless and even helpless quite quickly, as the driver would not be able to remove to safety in the event of being overwhelmed with dead horses.

1Kings 4:26  And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

2Chronicles 9:25  And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

So, in these two verses which have been the source of much disagreement it is very obvious to me that Solomon had 40,000 stalls for chariot horses and 4,000 stalls that were big enough for the chariot and the horse team that drew it. This would be necessary for maintenance and preparation before training and battle. This also implies a string of 10 horses per chariot as the primary team and backup. These backup teams would have not only needed protection by cavalry but perhaps were a capable fighting force all their own. There is no contradiction, just common sense and reading comprehension needed here.

What is about to happen will explain this verse in Numbers.

Numbers 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

The Amarna Letters tell us of Canaanite kings pleading for military help against the Hebrews, military help that was not forthcoming because the Egyptian army was destroyed.

Historical records are very incomplete and traditional dating in Egyptology is conflicting and unreliable. It is difficult to put the events we know from the Bible in perfect order with what we think we know from the scant historical records. A pharaoh named Thutmose III was called the Napoleon of Egypt and he conquered the area of Canaan. His eldest son died. Skip a couple of generations and another pharaoh’s eldest son died and a pharaoh came to the throne and tried to institute the worship of one god but failed. Somewhere in all of this swirl of uncertain history, guesswork, and conclusions drawn from scant information is the pharaoh of the Exodus, and his successors.

Bible Study on Acts 7, verses 17 to 41, Stephen continues his argument

 

Acts 7:17 ¶  But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18  Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. 19  The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. 20  In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months: 21  And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. 22  And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. 23  And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. 24  And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: 25  For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. 26  And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? 27  But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? 28  Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? 29  Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.

 

In verse 27 we see the definition of a judge of the book of Judges. It was a ruler. In Exodus the word prince was used, the same thing.

 

Exodus 2:14  And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

 

In the next passage all three will be linked to deliverer which hearkens back to Judges 3:9 and 15.

 

This reinforces how word substitution between Old and New Testament helps define words in context as meant by the Holy Spirit. See the previous comments on Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1 to further understand how this method of interpretation works. Notice also how by the use of word substitution the Holy Spirit defines words. By comparing the two passages, one in Isaiah and one in Luke we see synonyms like preach and proclaim, deliverance and liberty, gospel and good tidings, poor and meek. Experiment with that interpretation method and you will learn some amazing stuff throughout the Bible in quotes made in the New Testament from Greek with the Old Testament translated from Hebrew under the guiding hand of the Spirit of God and Christ.

 

Acts 7:30 ¶  And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. 31  When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 32  Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 33  Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. 34  I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. 35  This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. 36  He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37  This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 38  This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: 39  To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 40  Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 41  And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

 

Some interesting things about this passage include Sina from Greek for Sinai from Hebrew. Here we have the synonyms that we can read back into Judges; ruler, judge, deliverer.

 

Stephen here links Jesus with the Prophet foretold by Moses.

 

Deuteronomy 18:15 ¶  The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16  According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17  And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. 18  I

will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

 

This is not the first time that connection is made.

 

John 6:14  Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

 

The angel that was with Moses was the preincarnate Christ.

 

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.

 

Exodus 3:2  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

 

An angel is the presence of someone or some thing that is somewhere else but which can act on reality.

 

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.

 

Examples also include;

 

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.

 

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.

A Psalm for Sunday, Psalm 75, Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks

 

Psalm 75:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician, Altaschith, A Psalm or Song of Asaph.» Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare. 2  When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. 3  The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. 4  I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: 5  Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

 

This is a peculiarly interesting Psalm. Altaschith, also noted in Psalm 57, 58, and 59 means do not destroy but some say it is the title of a melody to which these Psalms would be sung.

 

There are many occasions in Israel’s history when these Psalm could be sung. For instance, David being delivered from Saul or the return of the Jews from captivity in Babylon. We should pray this often for it is always applicable.

 

We can see this also as having a meaning beyond the time in which it was written and sung originally. Picture the millennial reign of Christ, from the beginning to the end when eternity begins.

 

2Peter 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 ¶  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

 

See also a warning to those who would oppose God. Read Psalm 2.

 

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.

 

Psalm 75:6 ¶  For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7  But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. 8  For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them. 9  But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10  All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

 

Being lifted up comes from God Himself and does not come from any other direction under heaven. It is God who raises up and puts down. We must remember;

 

James 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

 

1Peter 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

 

There is no one other than God who can do this.

 

Matthew 24:23  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

 

There is no other Saviour, no other God.

 

Isaiah 44:6  Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

 

Isaiah 45:21  Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

 

Deuteronomy 4:35  Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.

 

God has raised men up and put men down.

 

Luke 1:52  He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

 

Daniel 2:21  And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

 

Luke 14:11  For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

 

The wrath of God is symbolized by a cup.

 

Isaiah 51:17 ¶  Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

 

Jeremiah 25:15 ¶  For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.

 

Revelation 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

 

Psalm 11:6  Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

 

Horns symbolize power and authority in the Bible and this reference is in keeping with the theme of this Psalm.

 

Habakkuk 3:4  And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.

 

Revelation 17:12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

 

We can see the end of history clearly in this Psalm and we should give praise to God not only for His mercy but for His power and sovereignty.