Luke the physician wrote how Peter told the people who gathered together after the lame man at the temple was healed, “Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days”, and in chapter three and verse twenty-five of the book of Acts Luke shared how Peter told the people, “you are the children of the prophets” where we read:
You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers,
saying unto Abraham, And in your seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
The verse begins, “You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, ...” Luke began with the words, “you are the children” which means “you, people who gathered to Peter and John in the temple, exist as the descendants, offspring and progeny” “of the prophets” which means “belonging to the ones who were moved by the Spirit of God and therefore his organs or spokesmen who solemnly declared to men what they received by inspiration, especially concerning future events, and in particular such as relate to the cause and kingdom of God and to human salvation”, “and of the covenant” or “and pertaining to the disposition, arrangement, compact and testament” “which God made with our fathers” which means “that the Heavenly Father God arranged, disposed and entered into alongside our, Peter, John and the Jewish' peoples', male ancestors and generators”. Luke shared how “Peter” told the people who gathered to him and John in the temple that they were the “offspring” of the “prophets” as well as the “testament” which “God the Heavenly Father” entered into with their “forefathers”.
The verse goes on to say, “... saying unto Abraham, And in your seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.” Luke continued with the words, “saying unto Abraham” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming to Abraham whose name means father of a multitude and was the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation”, “and in your seed” which means “and within your, Abraham's, children, offspring, progeny and posterity” “shall all the kindreds” or “will each, every, the whole and everyone of the descendants, families and nations” “of the earth be blessed” which means “belonging to the arable ground, inhabited earth and country will be benefited”. Luke shared how “Peter” told the people gathered to him that “God the Heavenly Father” told “Abraham” not only that he would be “blessed” by the coming Messiah, but also all his descendants and the nations of the entire world.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Peter” referred to the prophetical heritage of the Jewish people to whom he was speaking as well as the “covenant” God the Heavenly Father made with the people of Israel. “Peter” spoke of their “forefather” Abraham, whom God promised would be “blessed” as well as his posterity and all the nations of the world. In other words, God's Son and Messiah Jesus would be a “blessing” to the Jewish people first and then to every person in the world. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to save people from their sins which separated them from a relationship with Him. Anyone, throughout the world, who yields their life to Jesus will be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life with God. Let all who read these words know this, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (See John 3:16)
Next time Luke shares how Peter tells the multitude, “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment